The sound of the Princess' husky voice drew a crooked grin from the captain and contributed to the increased pace of his legs carrying him towards the cockpit's access tunnel. She's riled up about something...
C3PO jumped a meter into the air before twittering a nervous 'oh dear' as his optical sensors registered Captain Solo's approach.
The sudden movement and peculiar reaction by the droid caused Han to abruptly stop, peering around his golden form with a sliver of confusion.
Leia's back was turned against him as she continued an intense conversation with someone; that someone obviously not the irritating droid. Han briefly wondered if he was hearing things as his mind struggled to accept what was coming out of Leia's mouth. No!
"Han wasn't himself...he didn't remember hitting me..."
Placing a hand over C3PO's mechanical mouth to keep him silent, Han brusquely pushed the droid out of the cockpit with glaring eyes and a pointed finger. A powerful wave of shame flooded Han, his earlobes burning hot as his face reddened in embarrassment – why is she doing this ?
Han strode two long steps towards the Princess, then lunged for the encryptor system nearby, slapping a series of buttons and switches and ending the conversation immediately.
"What the hell are you doing?" He asked incredulously before swinging around to slam the cockpit hatch shut. He stared at the closed portal for a few moments in attempt to regain control over his feelings.
A surge of humiliation laced with a touch of jealousy washed over Han. Why would Leia confide in someone - in anyone- about the delusional physical abuse he had unwittingly inflicted on her, without at least including him in the conversation.
His jaw was clenched to the point of pain; he had been technically guilty of battering the Princess, and wished in vain both of their recollections of that nightmarish event would disappear forever.
Leia could feel a heated flush spread upwards on her neck and cheeks from Han's cageyness as he paced in the limited space of the cockpit. The Princess' anxiety climbed as he turned to face her, obviously upset and hazel eyes flaring. Her stomach clenched at the realization he had overheard her revelation to Carlist...
"This is just wonderful - fantastic, Sweetheart", he growled. "I hope you didn't tell any details about our location to whoever you commed on the 'sly', otherwise we'll probably have a few Imps paying us a visit - besides your confidante."
It was ridiculously unfair to rail against Leia for telling the truth, but Han's conscience and jealous temper were flaring.
"Hence, the use of the encryptor, captain, unless you lack confidence in your own repairs," she retorted hotly. "What's really going on here...and please enlighten me about your double-standard, Han. So you can have contact with the Alliance, but I'm not allowed to? I'm capable of speaking for myself, in case you've forgotten." A touch of haughtiness slipped into Leia's tone, crossing her arms in front and jerking her chin up in defiance.
The repair comment fanned his frustrations, causing Han to squeeze his hands into tightened fists. He pressed them into the sides of his Bloodstripes instead of succumbing to the temptation of hitting the nearest bulkhead.
Exasperated with himself and the entire confrontation he had fueled, Han scowled with a tight grin. "No, I haven't forgotten for a minute your smart - mouth. But while you're on MY ship, you'll do as I say – and we're gonna be stuck here for a while so get ready to toe the line, Honey."
"You say 'jump' and I'm supposed to say 'how high?'...in your dreams, Flyboy," the Princess snorted aloud, but before Leia could continue her own stinging retort, a momentary flash of hurt spread across Han's stormy face. Here came the real reason for Han's sour mood and she readied herself.
Han hid behind a thin-lipped grin. "Just out of curiosity, whose speeder did you throw me under," jabbing a thumb in the direction of the communications system. "I've got a couple of stellar guesses, but it would be nice if you'd like to share that juicy tidbit with me."
Leia offered her explanation in a barely audible whisper. "I didn't throw you under anyone's speeder, Han," dropping her gaze from his. "C3PO told me that General Rieekan needed to speak with me immediately, that's all." The Princess' breaths were shallow as she hastily tucked a few stray hairs behind her ears.
"But without me around, right?" Han quipped while staring at his scuffed boots, then moved to tower behind her chair. He placed his hands on the back of the seat and stared out the plastisteel windows and into the surrounding darkness.
The tiny hairs on the Princess' forearms and the back of her neck stood on end as she began. "C3PO spoke with General Rieekan while we were outdoors. Somewhere in their conversation 3PO provided a detailed description about your Tetanexus and especially my wounds from walking into the bulkhead," the lie catching in Leia's throat just as it had the first time.
"Of course at the time, C3PO had believed my explanation, but Carlist saw right though it - that was one of the reasons why he insisted I contact him, though I didn't know that at the time."
She could feel renewed embarrassment and humiliation radiating off of Han and he exhaled an anguished breath before dropping his form into the captain's chair.
First throwing a sheepish glance in her direction, Han finally settled his eyes on the flustered Princess. "You were right in telling Rieekan the truth, Leia, and I'm sorry for being an asshole and snapping at you," he apologized with genuine regret. Loaded down with remorse, Han rested his aching forehead in a hand. His other fingers ghosted over a few switches and levers on one of the control panels before he croaked dejectedly, "That night and the way I treated you... it will always haunt me - haunt us, won't it?"
The Princess' voice was uncharacteristically small, but sympathetic and tender as she leaned closer to him. "It doesn't have to, and it won't. I forgave you, remember?" Placing her palm on Han's forearm. "Didn't you hear me defend you?" Leia began softly. "I told Carlist that I know you would never hurt me intentionally, and that I don't want him harboring any anger or resentment towards you - I don't."
The captain stared at Leia with his mouth half-open in amazement, marveling at how she could be so forgiving, his fingers reaching out to trace along the Princess' cheek and jawline as if in reverence to an irreplaceable treasure. "I wouldn't blame the general if he wants to clobber me," Han admitted, reaching out to clasp her tiny hand in his.
The earlier apprehensiveness returned to the Princess at Han's unexpected comment, and she wondered how much humiliation one person could handle in a single day. "Han, how much of the conversation did you hear?" Her eyes breaking away from his to visually trace their intertwined fingers.
Leia's foreboding tone and returning trepidation struck another raw nerve as Han braced himself, his voice devoid of any humor. "I only heard you telling Rieekan about my abusive behavior. Could it possibly get worse?"
The Princess pinched the bridge of her nose, then rubbed a throbbing temple before she found her voice. "Apparently there are a few members within the Alliance, and I can guess who, that believe you are deliberately avoiding communications with them, sabotaging the Falcon's repairs, and are denying me outside contact with others." Leia's flushed cheeks tingled as she studied her free hand, now resting idly in her lap.
"They think you've decided to take advantage of the situation and kidnap me. Ridiculous, isn't it?" She whispered with a half-smile, embarrassed at considering for a millisecond that any of the accusations could be remotely possible.
Uncertainly flickered through his mind as Han stared at the Princess in silence, his hazel eyes locked on hers.
Slowly and deliberately he leaned over to cradle Leia's face in his large palms, work-roughened thumbs caressing the apples of her cheeks. "Gods I love you, Princess. You know that, don't you?" Han pressed his mouth against her porcelain skin just to the right of her lips, his declaration sending reassuring ripples throughout her body.
Before she had the opportunity to reciprocate her own heartfelt admission of love, Han stood up and pulled the Princess out of her chair, swallowing her petite form in an overwhelming embrace, devouring her lips with an almost desperate intensity - an intensity that resembled the kiss of lovers who would soon be torn apart.
When their mouths eventually separated, they clung to each other for a few moments before Han's gravelly voice interrupted the silence.
"The thought of kidnapping you actually has crossed my mind," Han muttered the illicit words as his hands roamed possessively over Leia's back then down towards her supple bottom and hips.
The Princess laughed into the crook of Han's neck at his scandalous remark, kissing his scarred chin while innocently chiding, "I should have suspected that you really planned on abducting me."
Expecting him to make another salacious remark, Leia's eyes travelled up Han's neck and jawline to settle on his handsome face in anticipation of admiring a practically guaranteed crooked grin.
Instead, she found Han's demeanor lacking any trace of teasing - in its place was a mixture of guilt, love, and lust marking his strong features.
The smile on the Princess' face faded as it became suddenly clear - Han was far from jesting.
Since arriving on Corellia, the captain had entertained the depraved fantasy of stealing Leia away - whether she wanted to or not - a few times, before quickly chastising himself and driving those thoughts from his mind. But her mention of it aloud seemed to breathe life into his forbidden desire...
Throughout his adult life, the ex-mercenary had prided himself as being fully in control, both physically and mentally; emotional isolation had successfully aided him in that department. But now, Han's deepening love and devotion for the Princess was having a disturbingly inverse effect on that trademark quality - the realization of that leaving him unnerved.
"I have been dragging my feet on the Falcon's repairs," he admitted with marginal regret, swallowing before continuing.
"I can be a jealous and possessive man, and I want you – all of you, to myself," Han rasped with a low growl as large hands covetously grasped her hips. "I don't want to share you with anything or anybody - and it scares the hell out of me."
No words escaped the Princess' separated lips as her eyes darted back and forth between his, confounded at his raw admission.
Releasing his fingers that were digging into the Princess' flesh, Han turned quickly to engage the release of the cockpit door and strode out into the corridor, a riot of emotions pulsing through him.
Leia was left stunned and in shock at his confession, her mind racing as she stared at his retreating form.
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This was a dark chapter; I will point out that Han didn't act on his possessive impulses ...