Leia watched Han pull on his pants then reach for his shirt. "Just stay in bed," Han directed. "You didn't get much sleep."
Leia smiled back from her place on the pillow. "Neither did you."
He shrugged into his shirt and fastened it while still looking at Leia. "Yeah, but I have to check readings and work on some repairs."
"I can work on repairs too," she offered.
He sat next to her on the bed and kissed her forehead. "I know you can. And you will. But get some rest." He smiled that mischievous lopsided grin that had always infuriated her. Now she found it endearing. "Save your energy for later." He winked.
Leia put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down into a long, languid kiss. When it ended, Han looked at her with a raised brow.
"Isn't this how I ended up staying in bed so long to begin with? I must be really good, I've made you insatiable," he teased.
Leia laughed softly. "Well, I don't have anything to compare to, but I'm not complaining."
"Not complaining? I'm flattered," he said dryly. He kissed her quickly, stood, and tucked his shirt into his pants. "I'll see you in a little while."
"Okay," she called softly.
He turned, palmed open the door, then lingered a moment in the doorway. His mouth was set in a grim expression as he stood, half-turned to leave. Leia watched him curiously.
"Leia," he finally said awkwardly.
"Yes?"
Eyes on the floor, he said in a casual tone, "I don't have any family. I grew up in a boys' shelter." He glanced at her quickly and before she could respond, he was gone.
Leia's heart broke and she melted a little more inside.
###
Han sat in his captain's chair, the spot he always went when he needed to think. Gazing out at the stars always brought him peace and helped him clarify things.
He was not normally the introspective type but he couldn't ignore his feelings. He had decided a long time ago that emotional entanglements were not worth the trouble. Women made no sense and were too much work. It was best to keep any romantic affairs casual. But Leia…
She had completely taken him by surprise. She elicited a tenderness in him that he had never felt before. The urge to protect her was fierce. He thought back to Ord Mantell. At the beginning of the mission he had admitted to Leia that he was going to stay on with the Rebellion indefinitely. But then Leia's life had been in danger, all because of his debt…he decided instantly that he had to get the Falcon in tip-top shape and go settle that score. He simply couldn't take the thought of Leia coming to harm because of him.
But, here they were, and thanks to his disagreeable ship, she might still come to harm. He had saved her from being captured by the Imps on Hoth. He hoped this would turn out better.
His biggest fear was not getting her to safety. At the rate the Falcon was creeping towards Bespin, so many things could go wrong. He would feel better once they arrived and were able to get repairs started.
He didn't know what had possessed him to tell Leia about where he grew up. Even Chewie didn't know.
'Do you trust me?'
Had she asked him that question a couple of weeks ago he would have tossed back a snide remark. But he realized he had always trusted her. She and Luke were the most loyal, noble beings Han had ever known. And they had both always had his back.
It wasn't so much a matter of trust. When he left Corellia behind, he abandoned that part of himself. He didn't like to think about it, much less talk about it.
But it had seemed so important to her to know. He almost walked away without a word. But something had compelled him, at the last second, to tell her. What that something was, he was not certain. Then he fled before Leia had a chance to say anything.
He spun his seat around, facing the cockpit door. He wondered if she was still in bed. He had been away from her for, what? Forty standard time-parts? And he missed her. Han Solo couldn't remember ever really missing anyone.
How the hell was he going to drop her at the Fleet and take off?