It was only morning. That meant that Leia didn't even have the escape of night as an excuse to gather her thoughts. She was given mere minutes alone in the hotel room before Han found her. She made the most of it; hiding out on the room's patio, watching the sun rise from the north side of Corellia to the south. Waves of orange and blue painted the sky, defining the horizon with the top half of the Corellian sun. The rest of the sky, where blue took over orange, was rippled with fine streaks of yellow and orange rays. So this was what had been waiting on the other side of the door.

The one thing Leia was sure of was that Han had ended the cycle. She had no doubts that their usual routine had run its course and come to its final end. It relieved her; she felt the change within her, the old doubts being replaced by new anxiety. But they'd figured something out. Or, Han had shown her something. He'd taken the step to open the door and Leia let the breeze on the other side blow over her. Fresh air filled her lungs, chasing out all the darkness that had been filling the empty spaces within her. She found it so much easier to breathe now, so much easier to be. Something within her had been freed. Han had freed her.

Their first kiss still lingered on her lips, and the second one too. The tingling sensation was leaving her, but the vivid memory was sure to remain.

Leia thought she was out here to regain something of her sanity, but she didn't know how to calm her racing mind and heart. It was odd because, this time, nothing was wrong with the erratic thumping in her chest. She welcomed it.

"Leia?" It was Han whose voice stirred her from her reverie and Leia snapped back to attention in time to hear the door shut behind him. Her breath hitched. "Leia! Sweetheart, where are you? I was thinking now might be a good time to talk."

Leia was well used to all of Han's pet names, but it sounded so different when he called her 'sweetheart' now. It was as though she was just seeing everything that lay behind the simple names when he used them. And all the possibility for the future. Everything Han had been imagining and now Leia was too.

"Leia?"

A future she'd never let herself consider before.

"You alright, sweetheart?"

Startled, Leia looked up. Han had found her hiding spot and now he stood there, towering over her. "I didn't mean to scare you back there."

"No. No, that's really unnecessary-"

"So did it work?"

Leia opened her mouth to respond but paused. "Is that the only reason you did it?"

Han's mouth fell open, his face expressing his genuine hurt. "What do you think?"

Leia grimaced. She held a hand to her forehead, pantomiming a headache. Her nose crinkled for a second before she first responded with an apology. "I'm sorry, Han. I- I'm having a hard time trying to think straight right now. I- I don't know."

If this worried or troubled Han, he didn't show it. He appeared patient, taking a step back and hooking his thumbs in his utility belt so nonchalantly. It was the most reassuring thing Han had ever done for her. Leia could have smiled as she drew in her next breath.

When Leia's silence continued longer than Han had been anticipating, he cautiously stepped forward again and said, "Leia, I'm sorry if that was too much or if it was too fast. I just thought it felt right-"

"No, Han, don't apologize. I- thank you."

"Huh?"

"Thank you, Han. I'm not upset with you at all. In fact, I'm really relieved."

"So, it worked?"

Leia opened her mouth to speak but the words were slower to come. "Ah- I think so."

"Good. I was getting real sick and tired of the usual routine too."

Leia was still searching for the words to properly confront the situation but all her social skills had left her and now she was mumbling like an idiot right in front of Han Solo. She wanted to ask why. Why had he kissed her, but she already knew. I know. "I know."

It wasn't until she caught his studying gaze on her that Leia realized she'd spoken her thoughts aloud. He frowned slightly, and asked, "You know what?"

Do you care about me?

Yeah. I do, Princess.

Do you love me?

"You do. You love me. You actually love me, don't you?"

Han smiled, almost bittersweetly or painfully. But there was some raw emotion behind that smile that choked Leia just by the sight. "See, I thought I just cared," he told her, his voice low and thick. "But I have never cared about something so much before."

Against her own will, Leia gasped quietly, quickly.

"Never so deeply, so blindly, so wholeheartedly. Leia, you do things to me that absolutely terrify me. You make me think things that I've never considered."

Though she stood still, her body planted where she sat, Leia lost her breath and was panting for it back. "What does that mean?"

He sat down with her. His hand wandered over her bare knee, up her thigh. He found her hip; a small area of baby soft flesh was exposed to his sight and Han dared to stroke his thumb along the patch. Under his touch, Leia shivered. "Sweetheart, I do care about you and- Kriff, Leia!" He laughed. "I'm falling in love with you."

"Han. I know."

Leia woke up to the excited morning chatter of civil Corellian cooju birds. She could hear one near as it called for its family, it's mouth surely full with ground crawlers. Its jabbering continued even as the flap of wings against the building announced the rest of the family's arrival.

Leia stretched her arms out, kicking aside her blankets and dragging herself out of bed. She hadn't slept much- seemingly the pattern of the week. She'd been too excited this time, a positive uplift from the week's growing gloom. Her mind had still been racing as it tried to comprehend the last day. The only place where her and Han's kisses still lingered was her memory and Leia knew it would never leave. Not that she particularly minded.

She knew that she and Han needed to talk about it, sort out whatever was happening before it became another mess. It had nearly been a full day since since Han had ended their three year-long cycle by kissing Leia to oblivion and they still hadn't spoken to each other since. Since she'd made her smooth escape from the Falcon the day before, the two hadn't spoken let alone seen each other since. Leia hadn't slept much when she'd lied down for bed. First, she's feared Han returning to their room to sleep that night, but when he hadn't come, Leia's mind kept her awake with nervousness and a frightened excitement. What sleep she had managed had been occupied by . . . odd fantasies and possible outcomes of her and Han's inevitable next conversation. Some of these scenarios had been hopelessly awkward while others went smoothly with minimal awkward bumps. Others proceeded very quickly in a direction that Leia didn't think she needed to worry about. However it went, Leia doubted their encounter would go half as smoothly as some of her dreamt-out scenarios. She was hoping for something in between the hopelessly awkward and surprisingly smooth.

That stunning moment replayed in her mind once again, but- this time- it calmed Leia just enough that she could finally begin to untangle her thoughts. Her heart finally slowed to an even beat. Leia opened her mouth and took in the biggest breath she could, filling her lungs with fresh air. She reached up to scratch at her hairline until the edge of her wig started to peel and she tore it off along with its cap. Her thick tresses tumbled free, curling at the ends near her waist. She brushed it all past one shoulder, leaning back against the wall to rest.

The morning air was pleasantly warm, even at such an hour. Leia could predict the heat to that would be creeping up on Corellia this day. The sun's light pressed warmly against her face even as the lightest feather breeze began to sweep through. It was all very nice.

Han's nervous sigh broke through her reflection before she became aware of his slow footsteps. She twisted her body at the waist to look at him. He smiled at her, looking pleased. But differently- not in the usual, cocky, Han Solo way. "Hey," he greeted.

His smile was warm and comforting, contagiously spreading the pleasantness Leia saw there. "Hi," she managed back.

Han glanced to lay aside a spot she found herself praying he would take he been to sit with her saying I was hoping you hadn't run too far."

In other words you were looking for me. "I'm here."

His smile broke into a grin you ran off he began without hesitation.

Kriff, here it comes. "I'm sorry; I couldn't think."

Han's smile turned so gentle, so easy and reassuring. Oddly enough, Leia found great comfort from the rebellious quirk to his upper lip. "You alright?"

She gaped at him, her eyes first narrowing in confusion before she understood. "I think it worked."

"In what kind of way?" he asked quietly. Leia thought she heard a hint of fear in his tone.

He was leaving it up to her, Leia realized. She would get to decide how things went, whether awkward or smooth. The next move was hers.

"I was scared," she told him. "I don't know why, but I was too terrified to try and do something about us. To be honest, Han, I still am."

"Of what?"

Wordlessly, she shrugged. "It's not so bad now that I know how I feel, but you still scare me. I don't know what this new stage is yet, but I'm already scared of losing it and I'm scared of losing you."

"For Sith's sake, sweetheart! Why on Coruscant are you scared of losing me? I know I'm just waiting for you to pick up a ride off of here, but . . . " He trailed off, leaving his fears unsaid.

Leia laughed shortly; she scooted closer to his side without realizing it. "How could neither of us see this coming?"

"'Cause we were both too stubborn. Maybe we would already be past this if we hadn't been so stubborn."

He looked to her. "So it did work."

"There was no other way it could have gone."

When Han's hand landed beside hers, she didn't flinch but jumped in surprise. But she let it stay there. She didn't mind it there.

"Han, thank you."

"For kissing you?"

They both smiled but Leia shook her head. "Besides that. I was too mad with you to tell you but I was grateful for your comfort that night. Seeing you on Corellia makes me miss Alderaan."

Han went almost awkwardly silent. "Yeah, it was nothing. Though, I wish I could do more."

Her eyes falling shut, Leia smiled and shook her head. "No, Han. This is enough."