I do not own any of these characters and most of these situations
DAY 29:
"Nah, nah! It goes like this."
Leia's eyes fluttered open though she was reluctant to wake up.
"I'm tellin' ya, it's this."
She lifted her head. What did Chewbacca say? Her eyes searched out the chronometer. She yawned and laid her head back down against the pillow. A three hour nap just didn't seem long enough.
"You got it all wrong!"
Leia lifted her head again. Did Chewbacca just say that? Well, if she heard him right, this situation required some investigating. She pushed herself up to her knees, arched her back, and stretched her arms to the ceiling. Then she twisted herself to the left and to the right. Her body was still a little sore from her altercation with the scavengers, but her bruises and the pain that accompanied them were quickly fading. Leia dropped her feet to the floor and grabbed the discarded sweater. She slipped it over her head and adjusted it before she headed out of Han's cabin and toward the main hold where the voices were coming from.
"Oh, hello, Your Highness," Threepio gave a slight bow as they crossed paths in the corridor.
"Hi, Threepio," Leia smiled at the droid.
"Did you rest well?"
Leia cranked her neck around the droid to glance in the direction she was headed, "Yes, thank you." Leia's brow furrowed, "What's going on?"
C-3PO twisted his upper torso and head toward the animated conversation floating down the corridor, "I really don't know, Your Highness. I just don't understand human behavior. Perhaps I should amend that by saying that I don't understand Captain Solo's behavior."
Leia raised her chin as she tried to contain her amusement. Once Han heard that it was Threepio who piloted the Falcon way from the danger of the scavengers when the power came up, he grabbed the poor droid's head and placed a kiss on his golden dome. "Sometimes I don't understand Captain Solo's behavior," she admitted.
"Yes, he is quite odd, even for a Corellian," Threepio commented, but Leia didn't stick around for the rest of the conversation.
"You're crazy!"
With one foot crossed over the other and arms folded, Leia leaned against the bulkhead and arched a brow, "I'd say you're both crazy."
Han's eyes popped wide, and he tripped over his feet, slid across the slick surface, and landed at Leia's feet. Chewbacca howled and guffawed, punctuating his fit of laughter with a knee slap here and there.
Leia squatted down and tilted her head to peer into Han's surprised face, "What on the four rings of Faldore are you doing?"
Han's eyebrows peeked and he pressed his lips together. "Dancing," he croaked and then bashfully smiled.
Leia slowly nodded, "Dancing." She stood up and looked at Chewbacca, "He's not that good is he?"
Chewie's head shook furiously. Han sat up, "Hey! I'm a great dancer."
"If your last move was any indication—"
"Not fair!" Han jumped to his feet, "You startled me."
"So it's my fault you can't dance," the left side of Leia's mouth twitched upward.
"No," Han shrugged. Chewbacca adamantly disagreed. Han shot the Wookie a dirty look, "I was saying if you weren't such a distraction—"
"So I'm a distraction?" The right side of Leia's mouth twitched upward.
Han rolled his eyes, "I'm not gonna win here, am I?"
The princess smugly smiled, "No."
Chewbacca waved and called her over. Leia took a few steps toward Chewie and then stopped. "I haven't danced in ages," Leia touched the fingers of one hand to her lips. "Not really danced."
That peeked Han's attention, "Bet you went to alotta fancy balls."
Leia eyed him for a moment as she searched for the insult. But there was no malice in his expression or his words, "I've been to a few."
"Dance with a lot of uppity royalty?" Han did a little gyration.
Leia narrowed her eyes on him, but a smile danced playfully on her lips, "I was the uppity royalty, if you remember."
"Kinda hard to forget," Han smirked.
"I'm sure it is," Leia walked passed Han and sat down on the lounge seat next to Chewbacca.
Han followed her as far as the navigation console and then plopped into the navigation seat, "So, lots of good-lookin' princes and senators?"
"There were a few," she admitted.
"Bet none were as good-lookin' as me," Han waggled his eyebrows and put his hands behind his head.
"They certainly couldn't match your ego," Leia pressed her lips together to contain her amusement.
"See, Chewie?" Han crossed his ankle over his leg, "Not only am I better lookin', but I have a more attractive ego."
Chewie grumbled, and Leia shook her head, "I don't think that's what I said."
"Well, that's what I heard," Han smiled.
"Someone needs to clean his ears better," Leia quipped, and Chewbacca howled and buried his head in his hands.
"You offerin'?"
"You're incorrigible!"
Chewie roofed and garbled, drawing Leia's attention away from Han. Her large dark eyes fell to the holotable, "It's been a long time. I suppose I remember it."
Chewbacca stood up and held a hand out to her. Leia stared at it, "I don't think so."
"Why not?" Han asked.
"I just," Leia twisted her finger together, "don't want to."
"I think it's cos you aren't any good," Han smiled.
Leia's brow furrowed, "I'm certainly better than you."
"Oh, yeah?" Han leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Prove it."
Leia rolled her eyes and shook her head, "I don't have to prove anything to you."
His brow rose, "No?"
"No."
"Aw, come on, Your Worship," Han mimicked Luke's whine. "Do it for Chewie."
Leia glanced at Chewie, "There's no music."
"You don't need music," Han argued. "You just have to have good rhythm."
She chewed on the inside of her cheek as the large Wookie looked upon her with the saddest eyes she'd ever seen. "Alright. Fine," she stood up and removed her sweater, revealing a snug undershirt. Then Leia held out her hand, "Chewbacca, will you do me the honor?"
Chewbacca stood, dwarfing the princess. He bowed, took her hand, and led her to the middle of the main hold as Han settled in for the show. Leia's eyes met Chewie's and they touched the palms of their left hands together. She bowed her head and held out her other hand as if it were holding elegant garbs. Leia then lifted her chin, gazed into Chewie's steely blue eyes, and stepped forward.
The pair circled each other for a count of three before twirling around on the fourth and fifth counts and repeating the previous steps backwards for the last three counts of the interval. The Wookie glided across the floor with the same grace and stature as the princess. Chewbacca reached over her head with his right hand and clasped hers, twirled her around, and they fell into the pattern of their previous steps.
Han was mesmerized by Leia's lithe form. To accommodate Chewbacca's height, she danced on the very tips of her toes. Nevertheless, she never once faltered or lost her balance even when the steps required sharp turns and complete pirouettes. Her hair, pulled into one long tail at the center of the back of her head, took on a life of itself. It bounced and swished with each step, and despite this movement, Chewie managed to avoid getting tangled in it.
Chewbacca pressed his right hand against Leia's left hip and gave her a slight push. Then he pulled her toward him, launching her into a tight chanee turn. Chewie stretched out his arm, and she unspooled under his lead before he pulled her back. After a few more intricate turns and steps, the great Wookie managed to inspire a smile from her. Her pleasure was contagious, and Han wore a goofy smile as he watched them dance.
Leia and Chewbacca finished in the same position as they started. The princess took a moment to catch her breath before she flashed her dance partner a radiant smile, "You're an amazing dancer, Chewie."
Chewbacca gave a slight bow and placed a kiss on the back of Leia's hand. "It's been such a long time," Leia fanned herself with her other hand. "Thank you. I'm not nearly as good as you, though."
"Whaddya mean?" Han interjected. "You were…beautiful."
Leia's large brown eyes found Han's, and her cheeks colored. "Thank you," she shyly smiled. "I forgot how much I enjoyed that dance."
"Maybe you should do it more often," Han suggested.
"I'd look rather silly dancing by myself."
"I'll be your dance partner," Han offered as he folded his arms across his chest.
You'll be gone. Leia arched an eyebrow, "I prefer my dance partners to be standing, not splayed out on the floor."
"I see how it is," Han swiveled his chair away from her.
"See how what is?" Leia couldn't help but take his bait.
"You'll dance with Chewie, but you won't dance with me."
Chewbacca sighed and his eyes rolled up to the ceiling. Leia frowned, "I…"
Han focused his attention on the navigation console, "You like Chewie better than me."
"What?" Leia protested, "I never said that."
"Not in so many words."
"Not in any words," she amended.
Han swung the navigation seat around so that he faced her, "Sometimes actions or lack of actions say a lot more than words."
Leia gazed into his hazel eyes. He was right. So what had she been saying to him over the last three years? Not what I wanted to say. Her eyes fell to the floor. Now there was no time left. Maybe that was for the best. But even as this thought floated through her mind, she still felt as if she missed something that she would always regret missing.
She raised her eyes and favored Han with a sad smile, "I would very much like to dance with you, Han."
Han leaned back in his chair and glanced at Chewie before turning attention to the princess, "Do you know the Kuattian dilouet?"
"I can't say I do."
Han stood up and walked to the center of the main hold, "I'll teach you."
"Okay," Leia joined him. "How do we start?"
Han scrutinized her slim figure, "Place your hand here on my shoulder." He guided her hand. He picked up her free hand and held it up and out to the side. "Now," he positioned his feet underneath his shoulders, "step on my feet."
"What?"
"Put your feet on my feet," Han slowed his words.
Leia looked down at his feet, "I heard you. I just don't want to hurt you."
"You weigh practically nothin'," Han huffed. "Now just do it."
Without another word of protest, Leia did as she was told. After she balanced herself on his feet she looked up into his face, "What's next?"
Han anchored her in place with a hand secured in the middle of her lower back. Despite the fact that she spent every night now in his arms, her closeness still incited a gurgling giddiness in his gut. He smiled down at her, "Follow my steps."
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
"No, you don't," Han smirked. "Ready?"
"Lead away," Leia commanded.
Han started out with slow, steady steps to acclimate her to the dance. Unable to let go of her innate desire to control, Leia shifted her head from side to side to get a look at their feet. But as she settled into Han's embrace, she relaxed and released all control to Han.
"Okay, things are gonna get a little faster," Han warned. "Think you can handle that?"
Leia scowled, "I can handle anything you dish out, Captain Solo."
"Good," Han wasn't fazed by her sour expression, "I was kinda hopin' you'd say that."
He tightened his hold on her as he slid two steps to the right, took four lively steps forward, and then slid two steps to the left. He paused for a moment to gauge Leia's response. She beamed, "What else do you have?"
"You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Han rallied. He repeated the previous steps before adding a few more. Han swiveled his left hip as he stepped behind him, pulling Leia with him. He repeated that step with his right foot and returned to dancing the beginning steps once more.
Leia tightened her hold on him and giggled with delight.
"You like that, do you?" Han teased as he repeated the sequence of steps.
"Uh-huh," Leia squeaked.
"What was that?" Han sped up his moves.
"I said," Leia managed to say between giggles, "I like it!"
"Good," Han's chest swelled with pride. Chewie didn't make her giggle when she danced with him. Chewie. Han glanced around the room and noticed for the first time that Chewbacca had left. Han had been so focused on Leia…He smiled to himself and made a mental note to thank the discreet Wookie in the near future.
"Okay," Han adjusted his position, "straighten your arms, and when I lift you switch your feet. Ready?" He pressed up on her hands and lifted her centimeters from his feet. He twisted her around so that she landed facing the same way as Han.
Leia's heart leaped into her throat from the rush of adrenalin flooded through her body. Several weeks ago, she would have blamed this strangely pleasurable sensation on the exhilaration of dancing, but now…now, she was ready to acknowledge that her dancing partner could take full credit for her present state of mind. She closed her eyes and savored the feel of Han against her back.
"Did I scare you?" he whispered into her ear as he steadied her by resting a hand on her belly.
She nodded, "But I liked it," she breathed.
"I like that you liked it," Han whispered. He clasped one of her hands against her belly. Then he stretched out the other and laced his fingers with hers. "Now," he straightened his posture and hers in the process. "We're gonna repeat the first part."
With Leia securely standing on his feet, Han performed the original sequence twice before releasing her.
"That's it?" Leia frowned.
"You think you got all that?" Han grabbed her hand and whirled her around to face him.
"I think so," she nodded.
Han held his hands out, waiting for her to take her position. "What's wrong?" he asked when she didn't move.
"Nothing," she took his hand and placed the other one on his shoulder.
"On the count of three," Han looked down at her feet. "One, two, three."
He led her into the dance, and although Leia had no trouble remembering the steps, it just wasn't as fun as it was before. She tripped over her foot, "Oops," she stopped.
"You okay?" Han tilted his head to peer into her face.
Leia bit her lip, "Um…I think," she placed a hand on his shoulder and placed one foot on top of his. Then she wrapped her free arm around his chest as she stepped up onto his other foot, "I might need a bit more practice before I'm left on my own."
Unable to find his voice, Han nodded and snaked his arms around her waist. Leia's large dark eyes twinkled as she raised herself onto her tip-toes and ardently kissed him.
When they parted, Han took a moment to catch his breath. His eyebrows rose and fell, "I think I could use some more practicing." Bending her slightly back, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Leia returned the kiss with the same fervor as him, all the while her toes never left the tops of his feet.