Chapter 6

"Organa, this is Rieekan. Do you copy?" Leia's comlink buzzed early the next morning.

Grumbling, she reached over a sleeping Han to grab the ever-annoying little machine. "This is Organa," she yawned as she sat upright. "Is everything all right?" It was unlike Carlist to call for her so early.

"Quite all right, but as this is a somewhat sensitive matter, I would like to discuss it with you in person. Let's meet in my office in half an hour. I'll contact Commander Skywalker, and you can inform Captain Solo that his presence is also requested. Rieekan out."

"Organa out," she said, cringing at the way he had so casually assumed her access to Han Solo; of course Carlist knew about them. Although, she grinned as she watched the sleeping man beside her, it's probably for the best.

As she ran her fingers through his sleep-tousled hair, she wondered what it would be like to publicly hold his hand or kiss him on the lips, in a way that could be taken as more than simple friendship. While she still didn't think she would be brave enough to do such a thing just yet, the thought of being allowed to do so was enough to make her as giddy as a schoolgirl.

She marveled at how relaxed he looked asleep; the usual worried furrows across his forehead were smooth, and she thought she saw the hint of a smile on his lips. Gingerly, she traced his features with her fingertips, pausing for a moment at the mysterious scar on his chin, wondering how he had gotten it. Finding the urge to kiss him suddenly irresistible, she indulged herself and was thrilled when she felt his hands enmesh her long, unruly hair.

"Now that's the way to wake up," he chuckled, pleasantly surprised that she had acted so boldly as to kiss him first. He noticed that the bed sheets had somehow fallen away from her, revealing an expanse of the smooth milky skin of her thigh as she sat cross-legged next to him. He found it much easier to control his impulses now that he knew of her inexperience with such things – although his ache to be near her was stronger than ever – and it was a nice change of pace for him. He placed a soft kiss on the outside of her thigh, just a few inches above her knee, before sitting up as well.

"Carlist wants to meet with us – and Luke – about something. He said it was a sensitive matter, but he seemed to be in high spirits," she reported, switching into a more businesslike mode.

"Maybe we're relocating to a new base," Han offered, eager for a change from this cold, desolate world.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Even Carlist would be more excited about that," she joked, although she secretly hoped that Han was right. "Well, we'll never find out if we don't get out of this bed."

"Ladies first," he volunteer, adding playfully, "since you've got my only clean shirt."

"Thank you," she said appreciatively, rising slowly from the bed, fully aware that his eyes were on her. Might as well make it worth his while, she thought, feeling a bit mischievous. She walked slowly and purposely across the room and into the 'fresher, not looking back but feeling him watching her nonetheless. As she got to the doorway, back turned to him, she lifted her shirt up over her head, exposing a glimpse of her bare back and legs before she slipped inside the room.

"You're gonna kill me, you know," he shouted out at her as he picked his shirt up off the floor and pulled it on. Leia's scent clung to the fabric, and he soon realized that his entire bedroom had begun to smell like her. What surprised him more than anything was that he didn't mind a bit.

"Well, come on," she insisted as she emerged from the 'fresher about ten minutes later. "Why aren't you dressed yet?"

Leia heard him mutter something about bossy princesses and cold showers as he took his turn in the 'fresher, and she chuckled as she busied herself by making the bed. Our bed? she tried out, surprised that she liked the way it sounded more than she had expected to. There was no doubt in her mind that she was falling for the rugged, handsome Corellian; she could only hope he felt the same. Well, he's still here, isn't he? That has to mean something, she told herself, remembering what Luke had said only yesterday.

"All right, Your Royalness. Let's see what the general has to tell us, then how about breakfast?" he offered, tugging on his boots.

She nodded, eager to find out just what was so important to Carlist. "Oh, and just so you can't say I didn't warn you, I think he knows. About us, I mean," she said as they walked through the still-quiet hangar to Rieekan's office. "When he called me on the comlink this morning, he asked me to tell you about the meeting like he knew we were together."

"Guess it saves us the trouble of having to tell him about us, then," Han shrugged, playing it cool although he was secretly relieved. He wasn't sure how to go about asking permission to be with Leia, or even if it was expected of him, and he was glad that it no longer seemed to be an issue.

"'Us', huh? What does that mean exactly?" she wondered teasingly, although she was genuinely curious to hear his interpretation of their odd and unconventional relationship.

"It means whatever you want it to mean, Sweetheart."

"That's not an answer," she frowned, starting to wonder if she was making their relationship out to be something more than it really was. It frustrated her sometimes that she couldn't seem to read him, and she wished that he would give her a straight answer instead of leaving her guessing.

He grinned, noting how cute she looked when she pouted like that; he was certain it must have gotten Leia her way many times in her youth. He nudged her playfully, thankful when she smiled. "If I had any good answers, you'd be the first to know."

When they arrived in Rieekan's office, Luke and Chewbacca were already there waiting for them. "Ah, now that everyone's here, I can tell you the news," the general began, rising from his chair. "The Bothans have expressed interest in joining the Alliance, and we feel it would be best for the princess to travel to Bothawui as a representative to meet with Borsk Fey'lya of Kothlis. The official meeting will be held this afternoon, but I wanted to inform you of the decision."

"I would be honored," Leia accepted, trying to hide her excitement at the prospect of not only a new Alliance member nation but also for the chance to go off-base for a while.

Rieekan nodded in approval, smiling at the young woman before him. She had grown up so much in the past few months, and he felt a swell of pride that he was there to see it, although his heart was heavy that her father never would. "Excellent. Captain Solo, would you be willing to escort the princess on the Falcon?"

"Of course," he agreed immediately; there was no way he was willing to let her go on such a mission without him.

"Commander Skywalker and Chewbacca have already agreed as well, so pending the official council announcement, the four of you will depart tomorrow morning."

…

"Where am I going to sleep?" Leia asked, shaking Han awake very early the next morning, hours before they were scheduled to leave. He grumbled and attempted to wrap his arms around her in hopes that it would lull her back to sleep, but she pushed him away. "I'm serious, Han! Luke doesn't know about us, and I don't think it's fair to just spring something like that on him when we'll be on this ship for three days."

He yawned and stretched out, and Leia fought back thoughts of running her hands over his bare chest. "It's four days. And there's a bunk next to the main hold. Got a bunch of boxes and other junk in there right now, but me and Chewie can get it cleaned up before we take off," he told her, and his simple resolution calmed her.

"Thank you," she whispered, her lips nearly brushing his ear as she leaned into him. She placed feather-light kisses along his jawbone, giving in to her urge to run her palms over his muscular chest. She suddenly felt his hands move under her shirt – or rather his shirt that she had taken to wearing to bed. His touch left a red-hot path across her skin as he ran his hands along her torso, stopping just short of her bare breasts. Leia took a sharp breath in, unsure of what Han was going to do next.

However, instead of going any further, he pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed her softly. "Not today, Sweetheart."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she insisted, although they both knew it was a blatant lie.

"Like hell you don't," he laughed, making her blush. The truth was that he was thrilled that she seemed to want him as much as he wanted her, but he didn't want to scare her away by moving too quickly, even if she was determined to test his willpower to the fullest.

Leia shoved him playfully, glad that he didn't judge her for thinking such things. Then again, Han was different from the people she had once been surrounded by, and she had slowly started to come to terms with the fact that her life as a princess on Alderaan was no longer. For the first time in her existence, she had the opportunity to just be Leia, and the thought was intoxicating.

"What's on your mind? I can tell you're thinking about something," he wondered after a moment of watching her familiar, far-away expression that she got when she was deep in concentration.

She smiled at him, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist as they lay face to face. "I'm so thankful to have met you, Han Solo," she whispered before resting her head on his chest. She could hear the soft rhythm of his heartbeat; Han kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair, and soon she was fast asleep once more.

About half an hour later, Han was still awake, perfectly content to watch Leia as she slept. There was no denying that he had fallen in love with her, he realized in that moment. A part of him considered flying somewhere far away once they left Hoth, some place where they could forget about the Empire and the war and just be together and happy. The other, more reasonable part, knew that she would never go for something like that; she stood with the Alliance and so he would stand beside her.

Han sighed, remembering that he still had to clear out the spare bunk before they departed in a few hours. He slipped out of her sleeping embrace; she frowned at the separation but didn't wake. Not bothering to put anything on over his boxers, he made his way to the main hold and finally into the spare room.

It was dusty and full of boxes and scattered papers; he couldn't remember the last time he had been in this room, but it had obviously been a while. As he set himself to organizing and cleaning, he wondered just how he and Leia were going to coordinate their sleeping arrangements. Obviously, Luke would be sharing his bunk as it was the largest and could most easily fit an extra cot, so there was little hope of he and Leia sharing his bed during the four-day journey. Guess we'll just have to sleep in here, he thought disgustedly as he looked around the filthy room with a brand-new resolve to make it habitable.

[You're awake early], Chewbacca remarked as he began to brew a pot of coffee an hour later.

"I gotta clear out this bunk for Leia. She doesn't want to make Luke uncomfortable since he doesn't know about me and her, so we're stuck in here for now," he grumbled, finally stacking the last of the boxes outside the doorway. "Get rid of those for me, will ya?"

Chewbacca laughed at the sight of his friend scrubbing the room on hands and knees. [She must be a very special one, Cub. You love her].

Han frowned, wondering if he was really that transparent or if Chewbacca just knew him that well. "Yeah, so? Try not to act so damn surprised."

Unbeknownst to them, Leia stood in the hallway, inadvertently eavesdropping on their conversation. She now understood enough Shyriiwook to accurately interpret what was being said, and Han's answer sent her heart racing. He loves me? she thought to herself, almost unable to contain the immense swell of happiness she felt. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this way, if she ever had at all.

"I was wondering where you'd gone," she said after a few moments of waiting; she didn't want Han to know that she had overheard his conversation. "I just don't sleep well when you aren't there, which will prove to be quite the problem over the next few days," she sighed, stepping into the doorway of the bunk that would be hers for the trip.

"Don't you worry about that; I have a plan," Han assured her as he finished changing the bed linens.

"Do you, now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Chewbacca handed her a hot cup of coffee, for which she thanked him before wondering, "Well, what's your plan?"

He chuckled, glad to see that she was just as eager to find a way to be together as he was. "Well, Luke'll end up staying in my bunk 'cause it's biggest. I'll just say I'm taking the night shift in the cockpit 'till he falls asleep and then I'll come in here."

Leia nodded, considering his proposition. "That could work. But what if Luke wakes up early and decides to stay here in the main hold? How will you get past him then?" she challenged, always prepared for anything and everything that could possibly go wrong. After all, it usually did.

"You could just come out first and distract him so I can sneak out. Or… you could just tell him," he suggested. "Luke's an open-minded kinda guy; it wouldn't affect his opinion of you, if that's what you're worried about."

She rolled her eyes at the suggestion, although she wondered how long she could keep this from their friend. "And how in the galaxy do you propose I tell him something like this, Captain Solo?"

"Tell me something like… what?" Luke faltered as he stood with his bags in the doorway of the main hold, open-mouthed at the sight before him – Leia wearing nothing but Han's shirt, and Han himself simply in boxers. "Maybe I should come back a little later."

"Oh, no," Leia whispered, blushing scarlet as she buried her face in her hands.

Chewbacca roared with laughter; he couldn't understand their aversion to letting people know about the relationship, and he was glad that it was out in the open at least with Luke. The look on all their faces was amusement in itself, and he was genuinely curious to see how it all played out. Humans are such strange creatures in some aspects, he mused, shaking his large furry head.

"I know what this looks like, kid, but it's not," Han stood to elucidate the situation, though as he stood there in only his boxers, he realized he may have just made things even worse. "I can explain."

Luke did his best to avoid eye contact with both of them, staring at his boots as he shook his head and raised a hand to stop Han. "You know what? Maybe it's best not to know. I don't need details."

Han shrugged, perfectly content with that response. "All right. Then I guess this is your room," he offered casually, stepping out of the spare bunk so Luke could get through.

"Thanks," the younger man nodded, sitting his bag onto the bed. "Oh, and we're cleared for takeoff as soon as you're ready to leave," he added, inadvertently catching a glimpse of Leia out of the corner of his eye that caused him to stare down at his feet once again.

"Great, great. We should be set to leave within the hour. Chewie, would you mind doing the exterior inspections while I get dressed and check out things in here?" Han requested, and the Wookiee growled an agreement, scooping up the stack of boxes as he left.

Leia all but bolted down the hall back to Han's room, and he followed in her wake, shutting the door behind them. "That was humiliating," she groaned as she let herself fall facedown onto the bed. "Poor Luke."

"I get the feeling he'll recover," Han quipped, enjoying the view he got as his shirt failed to cover up Leia's lacy underwear. "Aw, c'mon, Sweetheart, it'll be all right," he assured her as he sat down next to her, rubbing her back soothingly.

"I can't even imagine what he must be thinking! Or rather, I can, and it is simply mortifying. Han, you've got to go out there and set him straight," she insisted, peering out from under the hair that had fallen over her face.

"Until when?" he questioned, adding quietly, "Unless you're backing out on me, Princess."

She made an exasperated sound as she realized he was right. For now, their relationship was perfectly innocent – or at least innocent enough. However, although she wasn't sure when, it was going to change into something more. What good would it do to insist to Luke, and everyone else for that matter, that nothing was going on between them when it was practically inevitable? "Would it kill you to be wrong, just once?" Leia grumbled, finally pulling herself up into a seated position.

"I guess you'll find out if it ever happens," he teased, receiving a playful shove in response. "Let's get some clothes on so we can get the hell off this ball of ice."

Leia wasn't about to argue with that; the idea of leaving Hoth, even if only for a few days, was more than enough to cheer her up. She pulled on a pair of trousers but decided to keep Han's shirt, as he had another that was clean. She watched him get dressed, his back to her, and she marveled at the way his muscles moved under his skin. Too late, she realized that Han had caught her ogling him, and she grinned naughtily like a child who had been caught sneaking sweets before dinner.

"See something you like?" he chuckled.

"Mmm, very much," she said in a tone that made him weak in the knees.