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The Only Constant

By Erin Darroch and Justine Graham

Chapter 7: Reflection

Han's nimble fingers found the tab of the concealed fastener at the nape of her neck and drew it slowly down the length of her spine, his knuckle just grazing her skin as his hand moved down her back. Leia shivered in anticipation. Being undressed by Han was one of her greatest secret pleasures—whether he took his time and kissed every centimeter of her skin as he unwrapped her, or tugged and pulled impatiently at her clothes until she was bare for him, it didn't matter; it was always good. But she was especially looking forward to this occasion, because she'd suddenly remembered what she was wearing beneath her dress.

Turning around to face him, she shrugged the heavy fabric from her shoulders, then gingerly pulled her arms back through the intricately patterned sleeves. Watching his face, she allowed the top of the dress to fall to her hips, then smiled as she saw Han's mouth drop open and his eyes widen in undisguised admiration.

"What the—? Where'd you—? Oh, Sweetheart," he breathed reverently. "Wow."

The bra she wore was as far removed from her usual ill-fitting, standard issue Alliance grey as it was possible to be. Fashioned from pale Dramassian silk, it was so sheer it barely disguised the flesh beneath, and yet somehow enhanced and glorified it. The demi-cups, edged with delicate embroidery in the same light shade, curved under her breasts and lifted them, leaving the upper hemispheres daringly bare. Leia had been pleased with the indulgent purchase for her own sake—it had been years since she'd worn anything even remotely as pretty as this under her clothes—but Han's inarticulate, gaping reaction made her feel even better about her selection. She'd picked it up on impulse, along with a pair of panties fashioned from the same silken material, from the small boutique in Hanna City where she'd purchased her formal dresses. And although at the time she'd had no idea when she might have the opportunity to model it for Han's eyes, she'd certainly had him in mind when she'd selected the garments.

Wondering what his reaction would be when he saw the whole ensemble, Leia shimmied the rest of the material down over her hips and then, holding onto Han's arm for balance, stepped out of the skirt. Han caught the dress in one hand before it could fall away, but he allowed the heavy material to trail from his fingertips to the floor, momentarily forgotten as he stared at her. His heated gaze travelled up and down her revealed form, hungrily taking in every centimeter of her figure, which was clad now only in high heels and lingerie.

"You are never wearing any of that Alliance stuff, ever again," Han said vehemently, meeting her gaze with absolute conviction in his eyes. "Just so you know."

Leia laughed lightly, feeling a blush of pleasure suffusing her skin. "Well, I wouldn't argue with you about that, but this is all I have. I was in a hurry when I bought it, and didn't have much time to browse," she explained. "So I'm afraid it's back to basics tomorrow."

"Like hell it is," Han told her, allowing her to take the dress from his slack fingers, then bracing his hands on his hips and giving her another appreciative look up and down.

Reaching for a hanger, Leia smiled at Han's response. She understood the sentiment, but she wasn't eager to go shopping again anytime soon. Even the very brief expedition into Hanna City had left her feeling uneasy and exposed, though she'd taken the precaution of disguising her appearance. After so many years of living as a fugitive with an Imperial bounty on her head, it had felt exceedingly strange to simply stroll into a shop on a planet in the Core to do something as ordinary and mundane as picking out new clothes. She supposed it was just another sign of the seismic shifts following their victory at Endor that would soon be felt in every aspect of her life. She hung the golden dress with care and then replaced it in the closet before turning back to face Han. He was eyeing her speculatively, rubbing his hand across his jaw and narrowing his eyes as he seemed to study her scantily clad figure with careful attention.

"Yeah," he mused aloud. "I think I'll skip all those boring meetings in the morning, and take a little trip down to mid-city," he informed her. "I'll just need to, uh, take your measurements first."

She smiled in amusement, feeling a pleasant jolt at the thought of Han shopping for lingerie with her in mind. She pictured him in his usual attire with his blaster strapped to his thigh, wandering through feminine boutiques, fingering scraps of silk and lace while imagining her parading around in them. The idea was thrilling and strange. She had a fleeting recollection of some of the more daring items she'd glimpsed during her brief visit to the shop on Chandrila, and wondered if Han would ever select something like that for her. Or perhaps, she thought, she should buy it for herself. If he reacted so strongly to what she was wearing now, she could only imagine what he'd be like if she were to meet him one evening wearing little more than strategically placed straps and ribbons. Intuition—and her understanding of how Han's mind worked—told her that he would greet such a move with great enthusiasm. But she was still finding her feet in this strange new world of deliberate seduction, and the thought of displaying herself in such provocative gear still had the power to make her blush.

Watching his face as he continued to scan her body, she saw the moment when he decided to shift from entranced observer to active participant. Reaching for her, he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close, then skimmed both hands lightly up her curves, from hipbones to ribcage and back again, before bringing one hand up to cup her breast, his expression utterly rapt. His palm was warm through the thin material and the experimental brush of his thumb across her nipple brought it to a stiff peak that Leia, looking down, could see easily through the sheer fabric. Han's eyes were also fixed on the rapid transformation of her flesh, and she felt his breathing change. Lowering his lips to her body, he trailed feather-light caresses across the upper swell of bare skin, then dragged his mouth lower to briefly envelop her dark nipple through the thin silk.

"So," Leia gasped, already knowing the answer, "you like it, then?" She twined the fingers of one hand through his thick hair, holding on to his bare shoulder with the other as he continued to nuzzle her flesh.

"Mmm," he murmured with his eyes half-shut, lips intent on traversing every millimeter of the delicate skin of her breast where it swelled from the edge of the soft fabric. "It's beautiful. You're beautiful." As he spoke, he shifted his grip on her and dragged his lips across to her other breast, giving it the same tender attention as he had the first. Leia closed her eyes and gave herself up to the pleasure of his sensuous lips, warm and soft, adoring her body. His strong arms slipped around her, pressing her closer to him as his mouth continued exploring the novel terrain. Leia leaned back slightly to give him better access, and he took that as license to move lower still, leaving her breasts to inch kisses down the center of her abdomen. The sensation made Leia dizzy with pleasure and it only intensified when she felt the grip of his hands shift down to her hips as he descended.

"Han," Leia's fingers clutched at his hair. "I want…." She wanted to kiss him, wanted to feel that sensuous mouth covering hers, to taste him again, to drink him in. She couldn't articulate any of those thoughts, though and, in any case, Han had other ideas.

He glanced up at her with an open-mouthed, glazed expression before returning to his task. "I'm not done here," he responded, his words muffled against her flesh as he continued working his way down her body, sinking into a crouch in front of her as he kissed his way down to her belly, then finally to the scrap of silk and lace covering her sex. He dropped to one knee on the carpeted floor, his warm hands holding her by the hips to keep her steady as he lingered for a moment, blazing a trail from hipbone to hipbone with his lips.

"Oh," she breathed when he dropped slightly lower and she felt his hot breath gusting between her legs, then, "Yes," as he pressed a kiss against her soft flesh through the thin fabric. She arched against him and he grunted, pressing his mouth harder against her body. She felt the light scrape of his teeth against the fabric, a vibration that made her shiver, then incredible warmth as he pressed the flat of his tongue against the silk. "Oh..."

Dazed and swaying, Leia clutched at his shoulders for balance as she felt her knees buckle. Her eyes fluttered open then and she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. Glancing over, she saw herself and Han in profile, reflected in the large, ornate mirror there. The image shocked her. Her eyes widened and she blinked rapidly, taking in the sight of Han, barefoot and bare-chested, crouched before her on one knee, with his muscular arms wrapped around her thighs and hips, and his face buried between her legs. Something deep in her core fluttered wildly at the erotic sight. She couldn't remember ever seeing the two of them reflected in a mirror together—at least, not like this. They'd scarcely had any time together at all since Endor, bare handfuls of days in which to reconnect and enjoy each other's company, and most of that private time had been spent aboard the Falcon, holed up in the bunkroom, far away from prying eyes. Certainly, none of those encounters had offered her the opportunity to watch as they made love. Leia stared, transfixed and thrilled, her hands resting lightly in his hair as Han continued to nuzzle and kiss between her thighs.

Seeing them in reflection was a strange experience, as if she were hovering outside her body or watching a romantic scene from a holodrama. She stared. This was Han Solo at her feet; the cocky, irreverent, blaster-wielding scoundrel who had somehow crossed the line from tormenter and near-adversary, to become her closest friend and protector, jeering and leering at her all the while. He was easily the most irritating, provocative, exasperating and exciting man she'd ever known—those things, she suspected, would never change. But as she looked at the reflection of them together, watching as he venerated her with his body, she suddenly understood—on a deeper level than ever before—that he was absolutely, unreservedly hers.

She must have made some sound then because he looked up at her, and then followed her gaze to the nearby mirror. She met his eyes in the reflection there and saw the spark of understanding and inspiration flare in his expression. Grinning, he straightened up to his full height and turned her by the shoulders to face the glass. Startled and disconcerted by his actions, Leia tried to turn away, suddenly feeling acutely self-conscious, but he held her firmly, then nestled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nudging her head to one side with his own.

"Look at us, Leia," he murmured, pressing his mouth against her ear.

Leia looked, and felt another wave of excitement ripple through her body as she took in the sight of them together. She'd never seen them like this; never seen herself like this.

I'm so small, she thought incongruously, staring at her reflection.

She didn't think of herself as particularly small, although she recognized that her diminutive height was considerably less than average for a human woman. But seeing herself nearly nude and wrapped in Han's embrace, she was struck by the difference in their sizes. He engulfed her, his lean, muscular, suntanned body a striking contrast to the pale contours of her feminine figure. She was fit and trim, but he was something else altogether; overwhelmingly masculine and powerful.

And mine.

As that primitive thought lanced through her mind once more, Han's hands began roaming over her body at a languid pace, stroking the skin of her lower belly with one hand while possessively fondling one silk-clad breast with the other. Leia lifted her eyes to meet Han's lustful gaze in the mirror and she felt a peculiar jolt. It was one thing to feel his hands caressing her, tantalizing her and making her moan—it was quite another to watch him do it. The combination was overpowering and she closed her eyes, concentrating on the sensations he was creating as he lowered his head to plant open-mouthed kisses on the side of her neck, and slid his warm hands all around her curves in a hypnotic rhythm. With her eyes closed, she could focus on the press of his powerful body behind her and the effect she could feel she was having on him.

"Tia bel," Han rumbled in her ear, and Leia's eyes fluttered at the sound of his native tongue. He very seldom spoke in Corellian, but on the rare occasions when she heard the melodic words fall from his lips, they were always in the throes of passion. Smiling because she'd understood that particular phrase, she opened her eyes, but then caught sight of herself in the mirror again and felt another jolt. Automatically, she tried to turn in the circle of his arms, to look away from the starkly erotic sight of Han's sun-bronzed hands gripping her pale flesh, but he stopped her again with a gentle touch. Still embracing her loosely from behind, he lifted a hand around to cup her opposite cheek and, craning his head down, brought her lips up to his for a lingering kiss.

"Watch, Leia," he entreated quietly, drawing back to meet her gaze. Leia stared up into his hazel eyes and felt a thrill at the intensity of desire she could see there. He leaned in again, nuzzling her jaw line and peppering her skin with soft kisses. His deep voice reverberated in her ear. "Watch me touch you."

"Han…" she began, feeling a flutter of nervousness at his request, "I don't think—"

"Don't think," he interjected. "Watch."

Turning her face back towards their reflection, she met his gaze in the mirror and gave him a dazed nod of acquiescence, though she couldn't stop the nervous biting of her lower lip. She tried to keep her eyes trained on his hands as they swarmed over her curves, but she felt dizzy with the sight and sensation, and she couldn't help her own breathless response as she moved her body against his, craving the stimulation of his touch. Her addled mind flickered with half-formed thoughts, scraps of nonsensical observations and remnants of her old life on Alderaan, of the person she'd been before. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she hardly recognized herself, fairly swooning with lust and pleasure as Han manipulated her writhing body.

This is who I am, she thought wildly. This is the real me. And he's the only one who knows.

Han slowed his touch then and moved back slightly to slide his hands up the arc of her back. Leia shivered with pleasure as he moved slowly, deliberately upwards. His hands curved over her shoulders, then his thumbs stroked lightly up the length of her neck, before he reached up to her braided hair. Although he'd never said as much, he seemed to love deconstructing her elaborate creations, and he'd become an expert at promptly locating the pins that held them in place. She watched as he made quick work of dismantling the elegant corona she'd chosen, carelessly allowing the pins to drop to the floor. His nimble fingers swiftly unraveled the braids and then his movements slowed as he gently combed his fingers through the heavy silken strands. When it was loose and cascading down her back, he took a moment to bury his face in it, inhaling her scent. Then, gathering the mass in one hand, he pushed it to the side so that it spilled over one shoulder, and leaned down to nuzzle the sensitive spot behind her opposite ear. She sighed and reached back to stroke his hair, encouraging the movement of his lips in a wandering path down her neck and across the curve of her shoulder.

"Ovservi mi palpo valle, Leia," he murmured, his deep baritone sending shivers down her spine. His hands dropped to her waist, and the heat of his palms stroking slowly against her skin made her sigh again. "Valle bey tia bel."

Leia had no idea what he was saying to her now, nor did it matter. She was spellbound by the rumble of his deep voice, the delectable friction of his hands around the curve of her waist, and the enticing press of him hard against her back. She watched their reflection through half-lidded eyes as his hands slipped up to caress her breasts again, cupping them and rubbing synchronized thumbs over the tips, stoking the smoldering fire of longing in her core. The intoxicating physical sensations were heightened by the sight of her nipples stiffening again under the sheer fabric.

"So beautiful, Sweetheart," he whispered again, this time in a language she understood clearly. "And you're mine."

His possessive words echoed Leia's own thoughts and sent another shiver of pleasure coursing through her body. Before Han, she'd never imagined belonging to anyone at all, never mind wanting to, or giving herself so completely and unreservedly to another person that she could lose all sense of time and place. In more lucid moments, she sometimes tried to understand how they'd managed to travel the distance from where they'd begun—sniping and griping at each other, driving each other to distraction—to this place of deep intimacy and trust. But the convoluted route they'd taken didn't matter. All that mattered was that she had complete faith in him now. He was the only man she would ever allow to touch her like this, to see her so completely unguarded and so honestly herself. He was hers. And she was his.

"You feel so good, Leia." Han's voice was a subterranean growl that made Leia's skin prickle with pleasure. She closed her eyes as he began another slow manual circuit of her curves, only this time one of his caressing hands moved lower, down over her hip bone and lower still, sliding between her legs to cup her in his palm, warming the thin layer of silk there. She heard his grunt of approval in her ear as she responded with a primal nudge of her bottom against his groin.

"Look," he entreated softly. "Watch what I'm doing to you."

Leia opened glassy eyes and watched as Han slid one finger under the sheer fabric, pulling it gently away from the curls trapped there before nudging the flat of his hand underneath. The sight of his hand moving under the pale silk and disappearing between her legs made Leia's core muscles tighten and her eyes roll. She moaned and dropped her head back against his shoulder, clutching at his arm and closing her eyes again to concentrate on the rush of sensations he was causing with his touch.

A warm rush of breath against her cheek and the whisper of her name caused her eyes to flicker open once more. Glancing back to the mirror, she was met with a sultry vision that inflamed her senses with a new, unexpected surge of ecstasy. His hazel eyes darkened with lust, Han held her reflected gaze for a brief moment before his sensuous lips resumed their scorching trail from her shoulder to the curve of her jaw, his hands never ceasing their relentless movements. She drank in the sight of his dark head bent over the pale curve of her shoulder, one hand stroking the fullness of her breast, teasing and rolling the nipple through the thin silk, the other moving under the pale fabric in gentle exploration at the apex of her thighs. The sight was powerfully erotic, and she found herself captivated by the image of his hands in motion, matching the exquisite sensations they elicited in her body. The sight, the intense heat of his body, and the feeling of his mouth and his hands were overwhelming. She slowly began to rock her hips against him in an unconscious rhythm, and her hand slid down between her thighs to cover his as she writhed against the warm press of his fingers. When her legs began to tremble, she leaned into him and lost herself in the building intensity of her desire.

Distantly, she heard Han's gratified chuckle reverberating in her ear. "We'd better move this to the bed, Sweetheart. I'm going weak in the knees."

Leia didn't have breath in her body or a thought in her head with which to reply. Mutely, as if in a daze, she allowed him to lead her by the hand to the edge of the oversized bed, then paused to slip out of her heels as he divested himself of his remaining clothes. She was trembling all over, she realized, every nerve ending alight with the lingering pleasure of his touch and the stimulating memory of seeing them writhe together in the mirror's reflection. Given a moment's respite, she drew a deep breath and released it slowly, marveling at the intensity of sensation he could induce in her. Watching as he finished stripping off his uniform trousers and grey boxer briefs—standard issue Alliance underwear, if Leia's guess was correct—she was overcome with a craving for more. She moved in close before he'd fully straightened up again, sliding her arms around his neck and pressing herself against his bare torso unabashedly. He warmly welcomed her embrace and tightened his arms around her, half-lifting her to her tiptoes as his mouth descended upon hers for a molten kiss.

When he loosened his arms, she drew away slightly and then slipped a hand down between them to wrap her fingers around the hard length of him, skimming over his skin with a teasing, delicate touch. She smiled with satisfaction as she heard the hissing intake of his breath and felt the grip of his hands tightening on her body. Empowered by the visceral thrill that coursed through her at his reaction, she applied a bolder touch, stroking him with her fingertips, following the contours of rigid flesh and bulging veins, and enjoying the weighty feeling of him twitching in response. As she closed her hand around him completely and gave him a series of firm, gentle strokes, she was rewarded with a guttural growl of pleasure and the clench of his hands on her hips. He pulled her with him as he sank down onto the bed, then hitched further backwards, drawing her up to join him.

Releasing her loose hold, she planted one knee on the mattress beside him and climbed up to settle astride his hips, then reached up to gather her hair out of the way. Although dismantling her hairstyle was always one of the first things Han did when they were alone like this, the resulting cascade was highly impractical for intimate encounters. Impatiently, she gathered the heavy mass into a loose twist and drew it over one shoulder, looking down to meet Han's smoldering gaze. She then reached between her breasts for the clasp of her bra, but was surprised when Han reached up to stop her, covering her hands with one of his.

"Leave it on," he murmured. His gaze dropped back to her silk-clad breasts; he was apparently still fascinated by the novel appearance of her wearing something other than baggy, dull, dishwater-grey. He reached up to skim his palms over her abdomen and ribcage, then cradled the soft weight of her breasts in his hands, teasing the sensitive tips through the delicate fabric with agonizingly slow circular movements of his thumbs.

"You know," he said in a thoughtful tone, tilting his head against the mattress, "I have a feeling I'm about to blow my entire upgrade budget for the Falcon on sexy lingerie for you."

Leia scoffed, but couldn't hide a pleased smile. "Sure. You'd rather see me in a leather corset than buy a new sensor array? I don't think so."

Han made a slightly choked sound, and his mouth dropped open in exaggerated shock. "Leather corset?" His handsome face broke into a broad grin. "I like the sound of that."

Leia gave him a playful swat and rolled her eyes. "Sounds like it would be too hot."

"Oh, it would be hot alright." As he spoke, he curved his hands around her shoulders and drew her down. Leia splayed her hands on the bed to either side of his head as she leaned down to meet his offered kiss. The touch of his lips was soft at first, tantalizing and provocative, the barest whisper of contact. Drawing back slightly, she met his gaze for a wordless moment before dropping to her forearms, descending upon him and capturing his mouth with gentle fervor. She dipped her tongue between his parted lips, a thrum of exhilaration coursing through her as she felt him yield, allowing her to set the rhythm and pace, his fingertips grazing feather-light across the smooth contours of her back.

Stretched along Han's torso with her legs doubled up along his sides, Leia was acutely aware of how powerfully their lingering kiss was affecting him. With nothing but a scrap of silk between their bodies, she could feel the enticing length of him pressing hard against her center, and the slightest shift in position sent electric pulses straight to her core. The sensation was too exquisite to resist and she found herself making small, deliberate movements against him as she kissed him, delighting in his soft groans of pleasure. Reducing Han to breathless incoherence was still a novel experience for Leia but one she relished, and she took full advantage, sliding her tongue over his in slow exploration, deepening the intensity with every languid stroke.

He broke the kiss at last, his eyes glazed with lust, but with a glint of purpose shining there. "Look in the mirror, Leia," he rasped.

She blinked, disconcerted by the unexpected command. She straightened up, using her fingertips splayed on his chest for balance. "What?"

He cut his eyes to the end of the bed. "Look at us."

Turning her head, Leia caught sight of her reflection and felt her pulse trip into overdrive. She looked utterly wild, straddled atop Han's bare, brown body, with her hair cascading loose against her pale skin. The recessed lights that dimly illuminated the room cast a faint glow over the scene, shadowing her dark eyes and swollen lips. As she stared, she both felt and saw Han move beneath her, shifting her bodily onto the mattress beside him before turning to settle down on his knees in the center, facing the mirror.

"C'mere," he invited, his voice hoarse. He gestured to Leia to move back into the circle of his arms.

Leia hesitated, bridled by her own uncertainty. She was fairly sure she knew what he had in mind now, but she wasn't certain if she was fully prepared for such an adventurous foray. Her overloaded senses felt only scarcely recovered from having watched them writhing together in reflection a few moments earlier. The idea of taking the next step in that direction filled her with a fluttering sense of nervous excitement. But the way he was looking at her, with love and desire, and just a hint of playful sparkle glinting in his eyes, allayed her misgivings. She turned as he directed her, positioning herself with her back to him, on her knees between his thighs. He moved in close, enveloping her again in an embrace that used his entire body: arms, legs and torso. As he pressed up against her, she could feel his straining erection jutting hard against her lower back, and she reveled in the feeling of power it gave her, knowing she could affect him as strongly as he affected her.

"Right there, that's perfect," he murmured, tightening his arms around her. "Now look."

She raised nervous eyes and caught sight of their reflection once more. This time she felt less shocked and more captivated by what she saw, as she took note of the deep flush she could see spreading across the skin of her belly and breasts and up to her throat. Her cheeks were flushed pink, too, and her long hair was in complete disarray. The slight contrast of the sheer lingerie against her skin seemed to make her glow like a candle in the soft ambient lighting of the room. She looked as far removed from her usual pinned-down, composed and uniformed self as it was possible to look. Han swept her hair forward across one shoulder and bent to kiss the graceful curve of her neck.

"I think you like to watch," he murmured into her ear. When she didn't respond, he straightened and met her gaze in the mirror's reflection. "Don't you, Leia?"

Breathless, she simply stared at his reflection for a moment before glancing away to hide a shy smile. She felt intensely self-conscious again and—irrationally, she knew—too embarrassed to answer aloud. There was no point in denying it, though. Han could read her almost as easily as she could read him these days, and he didn't need to use the Force to know what excited her. Drawing her lower lip between her teeth, she met his gaze again and simply nodded.

She saw a flash of white teeth as he gave her a genuine, eye-crinkling grin. He dipped his head down beside hers again and pressed his mouth to her ear. "I like to watch, too."

His rumbling confession sent a shiver racing down her spine and out to every limb. She reached for his hands, wordlessly directing him to touch her the way he'd touched her before. He obeyed without question, sliding one arm around to brace her upper body, his hand cupped warmly under one breast, while the other hand snaked down her belly to slip between her legs. Leia tipped her head to one side to give his mouth access to the skin of her neck and shoulder, and gave herself up to sensation once more. She was already in such an libidinous state that it took only a few moments in his arms before she was mindlessly moving against him again, covering his hands with her own, guiding his touch. All the while, she watched through half-lidded eyes as he caressed and stroked her into a gasping frenzy.

After a few moments, Han withdrew his arms from around her body and leaned back to grip her by the shoulders before sliding his hands down the arc of her back. As he lowered his mouth to her skin and began kissing his way down the angular plane of her shoulder blade, he caught her eye in the mirror once more and gave her a lascivious grin so blatantly carnal it shot straight to her core.

"Ovservi, Leia," he murmured as his dark head dipped below the level of her shoulder. "Ovservi mi atori via korpo, min larel."

Breathless and trembling with anticipation, Leia watched.

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Observing as Leia pulled a thin grey sleep shift from her case and slipped it on over her head, Han gave a long-suffering sigh. "So, my shopping list for tomorrow now also includes new nightgowns," Han remarked dryly. "That thing is older than Chewie."

Leia rolled her eyes and climbed back into bed beside him, wriggling under his welcoming arm and coming to rest with her head on his shoulder. "What else is on this list of yours?" she asked, winding a leg over one of his and nestling in tight.

"Let's see," he began, counting off on the fingers of his free hand. "More of that silk, I think. It comes in colors, right? You'll need a few of those," he mused. "A leather corset for sure, plus a pair of those thigh-high stockings to go with it. And a mirror for the bulkhead above our bunk."

Leia gave him a playful jab to the ribs with two fingers. "Think again, Hotshot."

"Ow! What? Why not? I bet you'd look fantastic in those stockings."

She tried to poke him again for being deliberately obtuse, but he blocked her easily this time, laughing at her peeved expression. His chuckle subsided after a moment and he said, "What's wrong with having a mirror above the bunk?"

Leia craned her head up and fixed him with a withering glare. "What do you think is wrong with it?"

Han peered down at her, looking genuinely baffled. "You tell me, Princess, 'cause I have no idea. Obviously, you liked it a lot when—Hey! Cut that out!" He grabbed her by the wrist, grinning from ear to ear.

"Just think about what Chewie would say!" Leia demanded in a mortified tone.

"Chewie?" He gave her a blank look. "What does Chewie have to do with it?"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about," Leia huffed, pulling her wrist out of his loose grasp and dropping her head back down onto his shoulder. "He would never shut up teasing us about it."

"Nah," Han drawled lazily, hugging her tighter against his side. "He might give me a hard time, but he won't say anything to you..." He paused for a moment and then amended, "...probably."

"Well, I don't care. If you put a mirror above the bunk, I'm not sleeping in there."

"Aw, Sweetheart. Don't be like that. How else are we gonna enjoy that kind of fun again? We gonna pay for hotels every night?"

Leia snorted, muttering under her breath, "Oh, sure. Every night. Right."

Suddenly, she remembered something she'd forgotten to tell him. Disentangling her limbs from his, she flipped the edge of the thin coverlet back and slipped from the bed to pad over to her personal travel case. Thumbing open the lid, she rummaged around in the bottom for a moment and then, pulling something from the depths, turned and reached for her personal datapad on the dressing table nearby. As she powered it on, she moved back to sit down on the edge of the bed, folding one leg beneath her.

"What's that?" Han asked, shifting up onto one arm and leaning in close. Craning his neck, he peered over her shoulder.

"Hang on," Leia muttered, tucking her hair behind her ears and leaning over the datapad. Swiftly, she entered a sequence that brought up the application she wanted, then handed Han the small item she'd retrieved from her case. He turned it over in his hand, examining it.

"Access encoder?" he queried. "For what?"

"Hold out your hand, palm up."

In a move that demonstrated just how much Han had grown to trust her, he dropped the encoder to the mattress and complied without further questioning. He watched as she lifted the datapad and leveled it over his hand, then tapped the screen and waited. "Hold still." A flash of light across the skin of his palm indicated when the scan was complete. Leia reached for the discarded encoder, pressed and held a tiny button on its face, then keyed in a sequence on her datapad again. After a moment, a faint beep from the encoder announced the end of the process.

"There," she said with some satisfaction, sitting back and giving Han a faint smile.

"What was that?"

"Access to our apartment on Chandrila."

Han gawped at her for a moment. "Our apartment? On where?" The expression on his face was a mixture of pleasure, humor and consternation. "We have an apartment?"

"Well, technically, it's assigned to me alone," Leia told him. "But it's not like you're going to accept a bunk in the officers' barracks, are you?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "And I don't want to trudge out to the landing field just to go to bed aboard the Falcon every night, only to trek back to Hanna City for work in the morning. And what if you're away on a mission? I need a place near the new Senate headquarters, so I was allocated one just before we left. I haven't even had time to go look at it yet. Maybe we could do that when we get back," she mused. When Han didn't respond, she looked at him and saw him staring at her. "What?"

"Sounds awfully domestic, Princess," he drawled in a teasing tone. His hazel eyes twinkled, but she could see a hint of serious speculation behind his amusement. "Are we settin' up house, hangin' curtains?"

Leia's brows lowered in a warning frown. "If you don't want access, I can delete it very easily," she retorted. "Just say the word." She lifted the datapad and flicked it out of sleep mode.

"Now, now, Your Highness," Han took the datapad gently from her hands and set it at the foot of the bed. "I didn't say that." Shifting to a sitting position, he moved closer to her and enveloped her in his arms, bringing his chin to rest on her shoulder. "In fact, I really love that idea: just you and me, Sweetheart, and the most enormous bed credits can buy."

Leia turned her face towards him just as he lifted his head from her shoulder, and they shared a tender kiss. Pulling away slightly, she smirked at him. "I knew you'd say that. And guess what else your credits can buy?"

Realization dawned. A huge grin lit up his face. "Mirrors!"

"Mirror. Singular. Something tasteful. We're setting up our bedroom, not a brothel, for stars' sake."

Han's answering chuckle was muffled against her skin as he leaned down to kiss the curve of her shoulder. "Ah, Sweetheart. You know me so well."

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