Happy Friday, everyone! The next post after this one will be what most of you have been waiting patiently for ;) Have a great weekend!

Freshly showered, Han sought Leia out and found her still sitting at the computer terminal. He watched her for a moment, unnoticed. He had a lot of time to think while in the shower, letting the lukewarm water drip down his body and lighten some of the stress in his muscles.

The ease with which they had resolved their latest conflict pleasantly surprised Han. They had spent so much time arguing, yelling, and insulting each other. They were both hot-tempered and had always brought out that quality in each other far too easily. And although he had to admit he had spent a lot of time baiting her, she had been the first to start them down an antagonistic path.

'This is some rescue! When you came in here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?'

He smiled at the memory. Her smart mouth had both pissed him off and attracted him. That moment had set the tone for the next three years. And after all the ups and downs between them, who knew things could ever be this easy?

She turned suddenly, as if sensing him in the doorway. She gave him a quizzical look. "What?"

He smiled. "Nothin'. Just looking."

She studied him a moment. "Mmm, you're thinking about something. I know that face."

He laughed shortly. "This is my thinking face?"

"It is," Leia declared.

He laughed again and ambled over to her, hands on his hips. He watched her stand to face him then he took her place in the chair and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her, sweet and long. When he pulled back to look at her, she stared back knowingly.

"That did not distract me."

He couldn't help but be amused. She was too much. "I must be losing my touch," he quipped. Defeated, he decided to explain his thoughts, something he usually tried to avoid. "I was thinking," he began, pulling her closer to avoid her eyes. "That, you know. We get along pretty good." He took her hand in his and began brushing his fingers across hers. "You know, we have these fights. And then we talk about it. And it's over." He shrugged. "It's pretty easy." When she didn't respond, Han looked up to find her smiling at him.

"That's a really good observation. Especially for such a scoundrel," she teased softly.

He smiled back, pleased that she had understood. "Well, we both can have pretty bad tempers…"

"You'd be surprised to know that I am usually very even-tempered."

He laughed loudly.

"I'm serious," she insisted. "Okay, yes, when I get angry, I get very angry."

"Oh, yes," he agreed.

She leveled him with a mock glare. "I don't normally get angry very often. You just…somehow have always brought out the worst in me."

"It's a special set of skills I have."

She rolled her eyes then softened her expression. "Well, I'm glad you found some new skills."

"Me, too," he leered and kissed her quickly before she could reply.

She continued without missing a beat. "I am trained in diplomacy, you know. And when I really care about someone, I would rather try to understand them than argue."

A warmth blossomed in Han's chest, taking him by surprise. He had known for a long time that Leia cared about him. But hearing it was something different. Hoping he did not look as affected by her words as he felt, Han attempted what he hoped was a smug smile. "You care about me?"

He saw the progression of her thoughts as her admission slowly dawned on her. Confusion…understanding…embarrassment. It happened very fast but Han could see all those emotions as they hit her. He found it endearing.

Her cheeks flared pink and Leia glanced down. "Well, yes, of course." She met his gaze again. "I've always cared about you," she said softly.

Her vulnerable expression touched him. "You've spent the past three years pretending not to care about me." His tone was light but beneath it were all the feelings that had been buried between them.

"You didn't make it easy." She matched his tone and volume.

He nodded. "Well, this tells me something."

"What?"

He grinned, dispelling the tender moment. "That everything I said back on Hoth was true."

She shook her head and sighed. "Not everything," she corrected.

"Let's see," he scratched his head, pretending to think about it. "I said you wanted me to stay cause of the way you felt about me. Was I wrong?"

Suddenly, the playfulness in Leia's expression clouded. Her brow knitted for a brief second before she looked away.

Han quickly realized it was not the best idea to bring up that incident. He wished for a way to take it back, a futile, childish desire.

They had not discussed the fact that he still had to leave since their departure from Hoth. Both had been pretending that particular reality did not exist. It was easy to do. They still had weeks before they reached Bespin. It felt endless. But it wasn't. And it would end with both of them hurt.

Leia looked back at him with a plaintive expression. Han did not know how to handle it. He had spent his entire life avoiding looks like that. And worst of all, there was nothing he could say to make either of them feel better. He didn't like this feeling, not one bit. He felt guilty and vulnerable, and he didn't know how to handle it.

He cleared his throat and looked at the computer. "Did you find any music you like?" He was very aware of the long pause before she answered.

"A few songs."

He looked at her and a spark of understanding flashed between them in an instant. He could see in her serious eyes that she was well aware of his discomfort, and his avoidance of the topic. She was letting the moment pass. And he was pretty sure that she knew he was aware of it. He offered a small smile, a silent thank you.

He turned back to the computer. "Which ones?"

"Well," she replied as if nothing had happened. "You have a lot of stuff I've never heard of."

"I'm not surprised."

"But you have some songs I use to love. Like this one." She pointed at the screen.

Han peered at the song and burst into laughter.

"What?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing. It's just…" He laughed more quietly this time. "When did you hear that song?"

"It was a long time ago. Maybe ten years ago?" She looked puzzled.

He laughed again. "Do you know what that song is about?"

She thought about it. "Yes. It's about success, reaching your goal."

Han laughed harder and slapped a knee.

She stood, clearly getting annoyed. "What?"

"Do you know the words?" When he received only a furrowed brow, Han turned to the terminal and brought the lyrics up on the screen. He pointed and Leia's eyes followed. "Touch my star? Make it explode?" he read aloud, then paused as she continued to read the words on the screen.

Understanding hit and she stood up straight, crossed her arms and covered her face with one hand.

Han laughed again. He loved when her cheeks flushed pink.

Abruptly, she threw her hands down and balled them into fists. "Well, how was I supposed to know? I was twelve!"

Somehow, the outburst amused Han even further but he tried to rein in his laughter. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. He smiled up at her and she fought not to return the smile but lost that battle. She ended up chuckling softly and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

She pulled back and stuck a finger in his face. "But if you call Chewie over and tell him about this, I will kill you."

Han raised his hands defensively. "I wouldn't dare!"