Here is the next chapter! Enjoy! Please R & R!
As always I own nothing
With much grumbling, Han and Ordo had changed out of their protective armor with a bit of coaxing from Mereel and into some comfortable civilian clothing that was stored in case missions called for it. Each dressed in a plain different colored shirt and dark fitting pants.
"You don't need them where we're going," Mereel told the boy. "Tonight we're civilians." It sounded odd coming out of the Null's mouth even to his own ears, but that's what he, Ordo and Han were going to try and pull off. Mereel was much more at ease with slipping into the civilian roll than Ordo, who remained at attention and alert.
"Relax Ordo," Mereel grinned wolfishly as two scantly cladded twi'lek females passed them on the busy Coruscant sidewalks. Han had to jog most of the time to keep up with his two older brothers and not get lost in the sea of people. Didn't this planet ever rest? Legs and arms of any and every species were everywhere.
"Mereel, we're still at war if you can wrap your horny little brain around that. Just because we're pretending to be a civilian tonight doesn't mean we should let our guard down. The enemy is still out there," Ordo scolded and almost bulldozed two Chadra-Fan who squealed at him in anger, but hurried past him. Making sure Han was still with them; he took the boy by his arm and pulled him next to his side.
Never seeing the city from this point of view and fully lit up, Han was not only overwhelmed but the sight took his breath away. He knew he would never forget this moment in his whole life. The towering skyscrapers dazzled with florescent, sparkling lights of all colors, billboards lined the city streets promoting what was the most popular of that week, and creatures from different planets pushed and shoved passed him dressed in exotic clothes if dressed at all.
"Wow," Han beamed. He stopped and craned his neck toward the never ending sky and watched as bullet shuttles power above him in clear tunnels.
"Come on Han," Ordo said exasperated and tugged him forward once again, trying to keep up with Mereel who thankfully had stopped long enough for Ordo and Han to catch up.
Almost tripping over his feet, Han finally struggled out of Ordo's strong hand and put the brakes on. "I want to look around Ordo!" Han protested. Backing up a few paces, Han bumped into something that was both soft and solid. Jumping away as if he had touched fire, Han quickly turned around and his eyes grew even wider than before if that were at all possible.
Her legs went on forever and she had to be as tall as Ordo and Mereel, maybe even a little taller. Her fuchsia color skin stood out and glowed against the tight leather midnight blue jumpsuit she was wearing. Han didn't know anything about girls except being around Parja, but that didn't count. Parja was like his sister and he didn't feel anything but respect and friendship toward her. Besides, girls had cooties.
But this girl, this had to be the prettiest girl Han had ever seen. Not that as a ten year old he had seen a lot of girls. Her lavender hair was long and lightly fluttered in the small breeze that the Coruscant air had to offer. Han was almost hypnotized by her bright jaded eyes and when her ruby red lips smiled down at him, he gave her an awkward, shy half smile.
"Beautiful isn't she," a voice whispered in Han's ear. Slightly turning his head to see Mereel leaning over Han's shoulder and smiling like a fool at him, Han only nodded. "She's a Zeltron Han, my boy. And Zeltrons are fabulous creatures."
"Mereel…" Ordo warned in the background, but both Han and Mereel ignored him.
"How so?" Han asked as he turned his attention back to the fuchsia colored woman who was still smiling at him.
"Well, they have a way to enhance their attractiveness where they are pretty much undeniable. It makes everything that much more likeable and pleasurable."
Han wasn't quite sure what Mereel meant by pleasurable and the confusion could be seen in the boy's face. "Like eating candy?"
"They can touch you in a way, make you feel so good that it's better than any candy you have ever eaten." Mereel looked at the Zeltron, his own eyes dilating with a need that had been unfulfilled for a very long time that only a woman could solve.
"She likes you Han."
"She's very pretty," Han gulped. Mereel gestured with a finger for the woman to come over to them.
"Your friend is cute," her voice was like honey glazed uj'alayi and sent shivers throughout Han's young body. His heart thudded in his young boy chest and his palms suddenly became very sweaty. This was only a girl, why was a girl making him so nervous?
"Thank you sweetheart," Mereel purred deeply. "My little brother here wanted an experience of a night out on the town. Care to be a part of the experience?"
She pierced Han with her green eyes and he didn't know how he stayed on his own two feet. She ran a silky finger down Han's cheek and then around his ear. Another wave of shivers coursed through his body.
Turning her attention to Mereel, she said, "Sure lover."
Mereel stood up and slipped his arm around the beautiful Zeltron's slim waste and whispered something into her ear. Her fuchsia color instantly turned into a bright pink as Mereel must have said something very suggestive to her. Han watched as the two of them flirted with each other. Something inside of him said that he didn't like that Mereel was getting all the attention devoted to him from this lovely lady. Deciding to intervene, Han stepped in between Mereel and the glamorous woman and almost possessively took her hand into his own.
The woman glanced down at Han with…what was that look? Han couldn't quite place it. With her emerald eyes, she looked at the boy with an almost gentle angst, as if she wanted to hold him and love him, heal his deep seated anger for the ones who had wronged him in his past. How did she know that anyone wronged him?
Shaking off this feeling, Han looked at Mereel with smugness etched in the corner of his mouth; Mereel only returned it with a cocky grin. "Let get this party rolling, shall we?"
Before they could take five steps, Ordo stood in their way, arms folded over his muscular chest and fumed. Steam could practically be seen blowing out of his ears. "No."
"Yes," Mereel said back.
"No, Mereel. Kal'buir will kill you, both of us if he finds out."
"He'll only find out if you tell him. Now, come on brother. You only live once and it's going to be a short one, shorter than usual if you don't live it to the fullest. We have a beautiful woman, I'm going to give the kid a drink and then let everything play out as it comes to us. If you are so concerned then you can be the designated sober person. I for one am going to enjoy myself tonight. And so is Han and so…I'm sorry sweetheart. I didn't catch your name."
"Lexus," the Zeltron hummed.
"And so is Lexus."
"Come on Ordo, loosen up!" Han joined in and both Mereel and Han gained up on their brother. Lexus let go of Han's hand, much to Han's disappointment and slinked up to Ordo. She caressed his shoulders, neck and then ears and he couldn't help the tremble that went down his spine, but did a good job of hiding it.
"I promise you won't regret it solider," she breathed into his ear. He couldn't deny she was beautiful and was doing things to his deprived body, but he was the one who had to stay sober, to see reason and rime to this chaotic night.
"One drink Mereel, that's all…"
Zeltrons had an incredible knack of persuading even the most stubborn to loosen up. Ordo had been adamant about not drinking and by Mereel and Lexus's fifth or was it sixth? Ordo finally lost count and had just finished his first. He was watching with some amusement as Han grimaced with each sip of his alcoholic drink. The boy had only managed to get half of it down even with all his talk and begging for one. Ordo knew Han was only trying to finish it for show.
"How you doing there Han?" Mereel asked loudly. The woman was sprawled across the Null's lap, taking light nips on his neck and then going back for her drink.
"This is good!" Han raised his drink toward them and then took a sip and tried not to scowl again.
Mereel gave an obnoxious drunken guffaw and took another large swig of his drink. Lexus took the drink from the Null and finished it off. Ordo, Mereel and Han all watched as the cool liquid made its way down her long, silky throat and when the drink was gone she ran her tongue over her delicious lips. Mereel captured her tongue with his mouth for a deep, passionate filled kiss.
Han quickly gulped down the rest of his drink and asked Ordo to order him something stronger. "Han…"
"Please Ordo," Han could feel the buzz of the first drink work its magic starting with his feet and making its way up his legs. It was a very odd feeling, not too horrible-yet. It almost felt like he wasn't in control of his body anymore.
"Ah Ordo, get the kid another drink!" Mereel was finally able to pry his lips away from the Zeltron, but his hands were very busy as were hers wandering over their bodies.
"Buir, please forgive me after tonight," Ordo murmured to himself and then ordered another drink. Han crinkled his nose at the smell and started to down the substance. "Slow down boy," Ordo once again warned but was tuned out. Han finally came up for air and his drink was half gone. Everything around him was starting to spin. The sensation was like being at lightspeed all the time.
Swiveling his chair around to face Mereel and Lexus, Han tapped the leggy woman on the arm to get her attention. She cocked her head over Mereel's beefy arm and looked at the tipsy boy.
"I think I love you," Han slurred.
Another obnoxious laugh from the intoxicated Mereel, but the woman untangled herself from his arms and turned to the young boy. Lexus was still sitting in Mereel's lap who was caressing her hips suggestively which she chose to ignore for the moment and reached out for Han.
"You have much love to give," Han could barely hear her over the noise in the bar and his inebriated state, but somehow he did.
"Can you show me?" Han gave out a little hiccup. Perhaps it was the alcohol talking, but Han suddenly didn't feel like a ten year old boy. No, he felt much, much older.
Lexus smiled, almost sadly and stroked the young boy's cheek with her long fingers. "Not tonight young one." But what Lexus did was so much better than any intimate moment Han thought he possibly might have. She leaned over and placed a tender, loving kiss on his small adolescent lips. It was his first kiss ever and not only did it make his heart skip a couple of beats, but filled him with joy and a sense of hope that maybe someday he will find this kind of love.
Mereel took Lexus's hand and they migrated to the dance floor where couples moved to the sultry beat. Bodies ground against each other as if they were making love, hands touching in places Han didn't think were appropriate for public. Han watched as the Zeltron closed her eyes and moved her hips with the music and Mereel guiding hands.
Finishing off his drink, Han's stomach suddenly lurched. His own eyes going wide with terror and urgency, Han turned to Ordo. "Ordo, I'm going to be sick!"
Ordo was off his stool in seconds and threw Han over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, running to the nearest bathroom. Han's stomach wasn't going to wait for a bathroom and he scrambled to be let down. Ordo let the boy down and Han hurled all his contents over the floor. Patrons nearest to them scrambled away from the mess and smell.
"Hey, you have to clean that up!" The bartender shouted at Ordo.
Ordo gave the barkeep a nasty look and continued to support Han's shoulders and back as the boy emptied what was left inside of him.
"That'll teach you to drink," Ordo retorted.
Han backed away from his mess and slumped under the bar table, curling his knees to his chin and wrapping his arms around his legs. The world was spinning and lights were flashing wildly around him. He couldn't get his eyes to stop dancing and his feet to work. He closed them tightly, praying that the darkness would just consume him.
Mereel finally stumbled his way over to the commotion to see his Han curled up in a ball and Ordo giving the bartender an extra-large tip for the mess that they had caused.
"Ah poor Han, well maybe next time we won't try something as strong as that last drink," Mereel laughed.
"There won't be a next time," Ordo growled and held out his hand for Han to take. Han shook his head, afraid that if he moved his stomach would protest violently.
"You're leaving already? Wait one more thing before we leave. Watch this!" Ordo couldn't possibly think of anything worse than staying at this club for one more minute.
The club suddenly darkened and for a brief terrifying moment Han thought his prayer had been answered. The club was then illuminated by a single blue light. "Watch Han, you'll really enjoy this," Mereel said hungrily.
How can I enjoy anything feeling like this? But somehow the world stopped spinning for a minute as the blue light focused on one single being. It was her, Lexus. She was dancing alone, no one not even Mereel was touching her. Her long legs seemed to be the only thing that could touch the never ending sky; her hair was like a satin curtain and beckoned for Han to curl himself in it.
She had changed out of the leather jumpsuit, when, Han didn't know. Now she wore a white dress that clung to her skin in all the right ways. She was like an angel from above. She danced to the music in perfect sync, captivating everyone present. Han untangled his wobbly legs and crawled out from under the bar table and stood shakily next to Ordo who was also watching with fascination.
"She's fantastic isn't she?" Mereel practically drooled. "And she's going to be all mine tonight."
Mereel was right; Han really enjoyed it watching her, but not for the same reason as Mereel and/or Ordo. This woman had given Han his first kiss, had felt his deep rooted sorrow and somehow understood it and still touched him lovingly. To Han, as he continued watch Lexus dance, she was a goddess that couldn't be captured by anyone. She may have been Mereel's for the night, but she would be forever in Han's memory.
The woman hardly touched the ground in her movement; she was grace and beauty all in one. Han stared longingly at her and she caught him with her own stare. The music ended and she fell to the floor as if the music were the end of her life. Applause all around and Mereel rushed to be at Lexus's side.
"Well that was something different. He'll be back in the morning with a nasty hangover," Ordo snapped out of his haze first.
Han shook his head, shaking away the trance and his stomach gave him a nasty reminder what he had done to it. Han dry heaved and before losing everything in front of everyone, the boy ran on unsteady legs outside. He barely made it to the gutter where the rest of the alcohol and bile spilled out.
Well, at least it wasn't on the club floor this time. "Ready to head back now?" The deep voice of his brother asked.
Han nodded weakly. "Take me home," the boy moaned.
Ordo couldn't recall if he had ever felt sympathy for anything or anyone, but tonight a new pang of something he couldn't quite familiarize himself with started to spread inside of him as Han clung with a loose grip to the back of Ordo's shirt. Han did this so he wouldn't get lost in the still busy sidewalks and also fall down. The young Corellian walked or more likely stumbled behind Ordo and whimpered pathetically as his stomach still was unsettled.
"Shoot me now. Please just get it over with," Han groaned.
"That's what you get for drinking," Ordo admonished.
"I'm never going to drink again," Han stopped and let go of Ordo's shirt. Ordo, feeling the loss of Han's grip also stopped and looked behind him to see Han swaying on his feet. "Go on Ordo, I'll never make it back. I've been poisoned for good."
Ordo rolled his dark eyes toward the sky and grumbled to himself. They were never going to make it back to the barracks if they kept at this pace. Not only that, Kal'buir was sure to notice their absence and when Han returned in the state he was currently in, hell was going to break out.
"Come on Han'ika," Ordo scooped up the boy as if he weighed nothing and started back toward the barracks. "You are too old for this you know." But in the back of Ordo's mind he actually didn't mind so much, not that he would ever admit it. Han tucked his head full of unruly hair under the crook of Ordo's neck and hung limply in his arms.
"I just wanted to be a big kid like you and Mereel," Han voice was muffled because he had pressed his face against Ordo's solid shoulder.
"Drinking yourself into a stupor doesn't make you a big kid, neither does sleeping with a lot of women. What makes you a man is by the deeds you do. Just make sure they are good deeds Han'ika." Ordo could finally see the barracks in the distance and sped up his walk.
Han groaned again and Ordo thought he was going to throw up again. "My head really hurts."
"It's going to be worse in the morning. We'll get you something for that when we get in."
"Ordo," Han slurred tiredly. He was about to pass out.
"Yes Han," Ordo answered. He was also tired, not just physically but mentally. It was tough for him to always be the older responsible brother, but in times like these he understood why he was.
"Thanks." And Han was out cold.
Finally reaching the doors to the barracks, Ordo paused before entering. He slightly tightened his arms that he had around Han and softly said, "You're welcome brother."
