Sorry it took me a while to get this posted.
Leia is still trying to get her head around all of the changes happening...
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The princess scurried a few steps ahead of Han and abruptly turned, stopping in front of him and halting their ascent up the Falcon's ramp. His initial bemusement from their near-collision morphed into greater surprise at the ambivalence now clouding Leia's features. Tilting his head downward, Han blinked a few times in confusion, attributing her sudden change in demeanor to the mystery of raging pregnancy hormones.
This probably wasn't the best time to expose her worries and convoluted emotions to him, Leia convinced herself. She weighed her thoughts carefully while sliding her hand up Han's wrist to settle on his forearm. "No one else knows about the baby except Luke...and if it's all right with you, I'd prefer to keep it that way for a while." The princess gazed at him expectantly, searching Han's eyes for a hint of his opinion on the matter.
Han stared blankly at her for a moment before disappointment began creeping into his thoughts and settled like a rock in the pit of his stomach. He had been looking forward to proudly announcing they would be parents in the not too distant future.
With a flustered smile, Leia tried to defend her suggestion. "There's just been so much that has changed between us, and in such a short period of time. I think we've shocked our guests enough for the time being – don't you think?" the princess urged quickly with a slight giggle, a few of her words tangling in the process.
Something wasn't adding up, but Han found himself automatically nodding anyway, forcing the corners of his mouth up into a grin and piecing together a few words to satisfy her. "Sure, Sweetheart. Whatever you want is fine with me."
The princess' features noticeably relaxed. Leia reached up to stroke the edge of Han's jaw before encouraging him to lean closer for a soft kiss, pulling away to whisper into the warmth of his chest, "I love you - you know that, don't you?"
"Of course. And I love you," Han declared against her hair, linking his fingers with Leia's once again as they advanced up the entrance ramp. The former smuggler stared straight ahead as the questions began stacking up one upon another inside his head. There had to be other factors influencing Leia's request to keep their baby a secret.
Was the princess embarrassed because she was pregnant before they were officially life-bonded? People would eventually figure that out anyway, based on her due date. Or was she battling fears of becoming a parent sooner than she'd ever imagined? Maybe she wasn't quite ready to face that reality yet - publicly or privately. Though obviously she'd been comfortable enough to tell Luke - even before she'd told him - Han pondered with a degree of chagrin.
A myriad of thoughts spun around and repeated in his brain like a broken audio-diskette. Whatever the reasons, Han couldn't help but feel slighted that she was unwilling to be completely open with him about her concerns. He took a deep breath and reminded himself the princess had also perfected, over the course of many years and by necessity, the ability to mask her emotions. He knew better than most how hard it was to break old, defensive habits.
The sound of their footsteps on the deckplates, and the masculine voices of General Rieekan and Kief in the near distance pushed Han's questions back down his throat. He would try to get her to open up later.
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A rich melody emanated from the Falcon's audio system, floating through the air and complimenting the laughter and howls bouncing off the bulkhead walls. The atmosphere immediately elicited a bright grin on Leia's face. "What are you listening to? I don't remember Han playing this song for me before." The princess greeted both men and Chewbacca with warm smiles, with Han nodding his own casual greeting.
After administering a hearty slap to the back of his godson, Kief piped up, "We were getting into the celebratory spirit for your wedding, Princess – and I'm giving Carlist some lessons in Corellian folk traditions, starting with the betrothal and bonding music."
Solo sighed, but chuckled at the enthusiasm Kief always exhibited; the man was a constant ball of activity and always loved to tell a good story...or five or six. "And by the looks of what's left in this bottle, you've introduced the General to a drinking game or two," Han quipped, eyeing the bottle of Corellian Reserve on the dejarik table.
"It's not only been educational, but entertaining," Carlist smirked. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time."
"And it's bound to get even better," Han interjected with a lopsided grin. Unless Mon and Jan show up. He grabbed a shot glass then poured himself three fingers worth of the golden liquid, tossing his head back and downing it in a gulp.
"So these melodies are played exclusively at weddings?" The princess' face lit up with curiosity, eager to discover more about her fiancés cultural practices. As a consequence, Leia was oblivious to the fact that General Rieekan was studying her current state of dress with a mixture of dismay and amusement. She was dwarfed by Han's huge shirt atop her own frock and resembled a child playing dress up in her father's clothing. The old family friend reasoned it best not to ask.
"These aren't just wedding songs, my daughter," Kief inadvertently slipped in the term of endearment, making Leia's smile widen even more as she leaned toward him in rapt attention. "Corellian betrothals and bondings are community affairs, especially here in the Low Country. Picnics, dances and gatherings typically happen over a period of two weeks. And every family in the village gets involved, helping out the new couple starting their life together with Home-Filling parties. The celebrations build up to the Searching and Finding Rite - when the groom 'finds' his bride - culminating with the Calling, and the Life Bonding ceremony and Great Feast." The old man's time-worn cheeks were flushed with excitement and he looked as if he might burst with ethnic pride.
"Two weeks is a luxury we don't have," Han reminded everyone, pouring himself another shot on that sour note.
"We can make it work, and still have all of the rites and rituals, just scaled back a bit. It will be more of a private affair - I mean, if that's something you two are interested in," the old Corellian encouraged with a sprightly smile, glancing between his godson and the princess.
"Don't spare us any details," Leia practically squeaked with anticipation. "I need a crash course in South Continent traditions to be prepared for our bonding."
Han shook his head and exhaled loudly. "Once you get Kief wound-up, he's not gonna stop until one of us passes out – and believe me when I say he has a lot of energy," Han chaffed good-naturedly. He was beginning to feel a little uneasy about all of the simplicities that were a part of a Corellian bonding. Leia was a princess from the Royal House of Alderaan, after all; raised and immersed in a very formal society with elaborate cultural protocols. Oh, she was no snob, yet the low-country lifestyle he had grown up with would probably seem at best quaint to her, but more likely old-fashioned and perhaps at times even a little silly.
The princess shot Han a mildly reproachful glance, sidling nearer to Kief's side and turned up the charm a level. "Don't listen to him, Mr. Brehmer. Han is just being his usual gruff self. You wouldn't want to tease me with a few fascinating snippets of information and then not share all of the details, now would you? I would be so incredibly disappointed," she finished dulcetly.
Kief's chest expanded and he smiled a broad smile, reaching for the princess' hand to kiss the back of her palm. "That would be ungentlemanly of me, to be sure. I suppose we do have the rest of the evening for some festivities, it's still pretty early. And please, Princess, call me Kief."
She thanked Kief with a beautiful smile before placing a soft peck to his cheek. "I can't wait to hear what Han is required to do in the Searching and Finding Rite, she smiled enthusiastically over at her fiancé, who looked both amused and irked at her success at adding his godfather to the list of males wrapped around her finger.
Han summoned the princess over with a 'come hither' finger and trademark crooked grin. "You're a charming little vixen," he gave a gentle tap to her rear just before she took her favored place in his lap. "And you're determined to see me make a fool of myself, aren't you," Han grunted, another smirk creeping up one side of his mouth.
"That's not true," Leia insisted, wrapping an arm around his waist while her free hand tickled the hairs at the nape of his neck. "From what I've heard so far, the South Continent customs are so sweet and romantic. Please Han – you'll do this for me, won't you? I really do want an authentic Corellian bonding," she softly cooed.
With the princess gazing up at him with those big doe eyes and wearing an irresistible pout, Han couldn't exactly remember what he was grousing about in the first place.
*Just say yes, and close your mouth, Cub,* Chewbacca guffawed, taking a pull on a dark ale while starting another round of songs on the intercom.
Han muttered something about Leia's unfair negotiation tactics, then laughed in mild defeat. He was grateful, though, that she seemed genuinely interested in assimilating his cultural norms into their bonding ceremony. "Fine Sweetheart, but remember to include some of your Alderaanian traditions into our celebration as well," he interjected.
Leia agreed with a nod and a tiny grin. "But while we're still on the subject of Corellian bonding customs, can you explain what happens at The Calling?"
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He finally convinced her it was time to disappear back to the Captain's Quarters - their quarters now.
"You're pretty giddy, for someone who hasn't had a drop of booze," Han noted with a husky chuckle, the last few words slightly slurred together. He had already managed to remove his boots and Bloodstripes with relative ease, and now admired the princess as she unbuttoned his shirt covering her dress.
"I am giddy, I suppose. Tired, but giddy," she admitted with a drowsy smile. Leia slipped the sleeves down her arms, tossing the shirt into the auto valet basket crammed in the corner of the room. "I'll be a tea-totaller for quite a few months," she noted absently, though it would work no hardship on her. She might miss her occasional glass of wine, but had never developed much of a taste for alcohol. "Tonight was so much fun; and l feel like an expert on Corellian bondings now." Leia exhaled a delicate yawn while looking at her reflection in the thin looking glass, running a light finger over the purplish-red blotches coloring her skin. He really did overdue things at our little picnic. "And I think you drank enough for the both of us this evening," she cheekily observed as Han sauntered closer with a lopsided grin, the strong scent of Corellian whiskey intermingling with his breath against her skin.
He leaned down to press a tender kiss against her cheek. "I'm far from being drunk, Sweetheart. Just not feeling any pain at the moment," Han defended in mock offense, reaching for, and taking the bacta tube the princess held in her palm. He popped the lid open, then gently rubbed the healing ointment on every visible mark he had left on her neck and chest. "Sorry about these love-bites. They'll be healed by tomorrow."
"No more hiding behind your oversized shirts then, I suppose, Captain," Leia teased while her fingers unlaced the tattered remnants closing her bodice. Her nipples and breasts were sore to the touch, courtesy of Han's teeth and tongue and lips, and would certainly benefit from the soothing salve as well. He's going to make a salacious remark...
The words tumbled out of Han's subconscious and hung in the air between them. "But we're gonna hide our boy?" He smiled an awkward smile, eventually lowering his eyes to Leia's stomach, rubbing slow circles on her abdomen.
The princess gaped at him as her mind struggled to switch gears; this wasn't the comment she'd been anticipating. She caught a fleeting glimpse of something other than humor pass over his features. When Han's eyes returned to meet hers, there was a vulnerability present that reminded her despite his brash outward bravado, Han had a sensitive side that few people even knew existed. Leia's throat tightened as she swallowed. She didn't mean to, but her request to temporarily keep their son a secret must have hurt him.
The liquor had lowered his inhibitions...or maybe that was just an excuse to open the door to a list of questions that had been nagging at his brain all evening. Han traced the princess' cheekbone from top to bottom, breaking the silence between them and asking without any presumption or judgment, "Are you as excited about having a baby as you are about our bonding celebration?"
