"Han! Would you please come away from the door!" Leia snapped, though her voice was kept low. It was late, they had all gone to bed and the house was quiet for the night. Quiet, except for the sounds of Rey and Ren's crying.
"The twins are crying." Han protested.
"I know they're crying. So does Jacen and Tilly and they'll see to them in their own time." Leia glared.
"But, they're disturbing Jorj." Han pointed out, a hand indicating the boy sheltering from his niece and nephew's cries in the cradle of his mother's embrace.
Leia soothed her sensitive boy with another cuddle, insisting. "We still can't interfere. Babies cry. And that's just how it is."
"Do they gotta cry so loud! An' right above me!" Jorj grumbled.
Finally, the sound abated.
"There. See? They just needed a little time." Leia noted, caressing Jorj's hair. "Babies only cry when they need something, like feeding or changing. Or for comfort, like when they're frightened."
"I 'spose." Jorj agreed.
Leia kissed Jorj's forehead, tenderly. "Why don't you go on back to bed and see if you can't get to sleep. If you're still awake when the chrono stands at zero, I'll make you some warm milk." She promised.
"With cookies?" Jorj asked, crying babies seemingly forgotten.
"Did you brush your teeth already?" Leia asked to Jorj's eager nodding. "Maybe just one cookie then."
With another hug and soft kiss, Jorj jumped from his parents bed and raced across the landing to his own room. Han watched him climb into bed and turn to watch the chrono before joining Leia.
"You know, one of these days he's gonna realise that chrono never stands at zero." He chided. A baby stirred again and was silenced a moment later. "Guess he hadn't quite finished his feed after all." Han chuckled. "Hey, you remember Jacen? Took him an age to figure out how to latch on properly. Guess Ren's taking after his papa in that respect."
"How do you know that wasn't Rey?" Leia queried.
"Nah! She's a smart cookie that one." Han smiled.
"Hmm. Got you figured out right away that's for sure." Leia eyed Han with irritation. "You can't keep picking her up every time she fidgets slightly."
"She looked uncomfortable." Han argued, defending his perpetual hovering above the twins shared crib.
"You do know they're not ours, don't you?" Leia checked.
"Yes I know they're not ours!" Han shot back and slid down into the bedcovers.
"Then let them be." Leia pleaded. "You've got to let Tilly and Jacen bond with their babies. You remember what it was like when we got home with our two. All we wanted was to be left alone and all we got was one good intentioned visitor after another."
"Remember that next time you're giving Tilly tips on breastfeeding." He pointed out.
"Which I did once and now I've left her to figure out what's best for herself." Leia countered.
Han shuffled about until she slid down to lie by his side. "Aw, Ley! You know the kinda relationship I had with my ole man, I just wanna have a better one between Jacen an' me. An' it may have escaped your notice, but I aint been doin' so great in that department so far!"
"You're a wonderful father and a better man for it. And I think your relationship is shaping up nicely." She reasured him. A hand reached into his sleep shirt to toy with a nipple. "We're both anxious about our children Han. But I think I've come to realise we need to lighten up some."
Han eyed her, a grin appearing on his lips. "You feeling frisky Princess?" He leered.
"Well..." She turned on her side, licking her lips. "It's been a couple of nights now..."
Han rolled to his side to mirror her. "I am not just a piece of meat!" He grinned.
"I'm very glad to hear it." She breathed. The hand that had been inside his sleep shirt was now inside his sleep pants, tenderly caressing his loin.
Han's eyes fluttered shut. "You know, when you do that..." He sucked air in between his teeth.
"So, I was thinking..." Leia offered. "Maybe tomorrow we could take Jorj to the beach. He's been so good with his studies these past few months and, tonight aside, he's been sleeping so well lately. Don't you think that would be a suitable reward?"
"Ahuh." Han groaned.
"And I figured it would give Tilly and Jacen some time to themselves and their new little ones and also Jaina and Jag could perhaps have some time alone together too." She added.
"Sssounds great." Han ground out, trying to visualise cool waters and only seeing cascading waterfalls.
"Plus Riva and Poe could use the time to consider their options since you decided to transfer the haulage business from Coruscant to Terrendoc." She stated and withdrew her hand.
Han groaned and rolled onto his back, a hand tentatively clutching his throbbing nether regions. "Man! I hate it when you do that!" He growled.
"And I hate it when you arrange these things without consulting me!" She shot back.
"I thought you'd be pleased." He said, defensively.
"I'd have been more pleased if I'd known before Riva told me." She countered.
"I figured if the business was here, then Riva could return to teaching Jorj full-time. And if the business is running out of Terrendoc, then Jaina and Jag would move here too and don't you go telling me that wouldn't make you happy." He argued.
"What makes me happy is you talking to me from time to time." She said.
"Like?" He challenged.
"Like talking to me about the business for one. And about Jacen selling up and moving here too for another." She stated.
"Now, hold on! I never told you that because he wanted to tell you himself." He snapped.
"Did you not tell me about him getting married right before the babies were born because he wanted to tell me that too?" She cross-examined, pushing herself to a seated position.
Han sighed. Damn kid, never could keep a secret!
"No." He reasoned quietly, pushing upright also. "That was because I wanted to explain but in the meantime you went and fainted on me."
Leia exhaled and unfolded the arms she had crossed over her chest.
"Look, Ley, on the way to the hospital Jacen asked Tilly again to marry him and somewhere between the contractions and staining my upholstery she said yes. Then when we got to the hospital he suggested they find a chaplain to do the necessary. I told him it was a bad idea; I said you'd be devastated, but he was adamant. Said he wanted his kids to know where they came from." He explained, shaking his head. "Gotta say Ley, I never been more proud of him."
Leia let her husband's words sink in. "I'm always proud of him." She finally said and relaxed into her pillows. "I missed so much of our children's lives when they were growing up, too busy helping rebuild the republic. Do you remember when Jacen took his first steps?"
"Sure I do. 'Bout six months after Jaina, wasn't it?" He teased.
"No, it was not!" She shot back, unable to keep the laughter from her voice.
"You were in a meeting. Senate Sub Committee of the Something or Other." He recalled. "I sent you a vid-clip."
"I cried." She admitted. "Not openly. Not Chairing the Sub-Committee, but later, back in my office I cried. Winter thought it was with joy, but I was just so upset I'd missed another milestone that I'd never get back."
"You sure made up for that with Jorj." Han pointed out.
"Jorj!" The name rolled from Leia's tongue and she smiled. "Our beautiful miracle. You know, when the twins and Anakin were small I prayed I could keep them that way so I might get to enjoy them while they were young."
"Now you get to keep Jorj young in his head until the day he dies." Han noted. "Be careful what you wish for, right?"
"I wouldn't have him any other way." She sighed.
"Nah. Me either." Han smiled.
"I'm sorry for egging you on..." She nodded toward his groin.
"Oh, I aint done yet." He grinned and lifted the covers to reveal a hard peak in his sleep pants.
"Be a shame not to take advantage..." She arched an eyebrow at him.
"You want on top or underneath?" He queried.
"Think you might be up to both?" She asked.
Han seemed to consider before answering. "'Nads are pretty firm...might have enough in the tank if you don't milk me dry on the first pass."
"You old romantic." She chuckled.
Han flipped the covers back and wriggled from his sleep pants, shirt following them to the bedroom floor. Leia kept her nightgown on and crossed to pull the blind on the bedroom window.
"Leave it. No one can see in." Han told her.
"I was thinking of all the yelling and screaming. Sound travels, you know." She pointed out.
"Then, you'll just have to control yourself." He suggested and bobbed his head for her to return.
The sight of her husband, naked and toned, made the breath catch in Leia's throat. "Have you been working out?" She asked.
"You're all the work out I need, honey." He grinned.
"I mean it Han, you're looking...buff, I think is how Jaina would describe it." She said, kneeling on the bed.
"You're not so shabby yourself." He winked at her.
"Would you like me to..." She demonstrated.
"Suck your thumb?" He puzzled.
"No. You know." She demonstrated again.
"You know I don't like you doing that. Besides, you're not very good at it." He replied.
"Excuse me!" She exclaimed.
"Well, you're not. And that's not a criticism, I'm glad you're not very good at it. 'Cos, the other thing, you're damn good at that!" His grin was lascivious.
Leia blushed.
"I love it when you do that." He laughed, tenderly brushing a pink cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Same way I love how you wear your hair." His eyes drank in the braids pinned to her head like an oversized crown. She'd worn her hair that way for more years than he cared to remember. It was practical, she had argued, but Han knew he had mentioned once that he liked it that way and she had chosen to keep the style ever since.
"There's other stuff too." He went on, laying back and encouraging her to stradle his abdomen. His fingers slid beneath the soft contours of her nightgown to rest on her hipbones. She was wearing his favourite panties, the one's that tied with a ribbon at the side. "For one, I love that you hate these because they remind you of Jabba's attempt to humiliate you but you still wear them because you know I think you look sexy in 'em."
Leia blushed again.
"I love that you want to close the blinds to preserve your modesty even though you're wearing a gown x-rays would struggle to penetrate." He continued, a hand lazily cupped a full, firm breast as he talked. Removing her panties, Han held his breath and closed his eyes as Leia slid into place. A groan escaping his lips after she had settled.
"I love how we fit together so well. You don't always get that with a woman, you know." He gasped.
"No. I don't know." She replied.
"Well, you don't. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the angle's all off and..pff! Moment's gone." He explained.
"You talk too much." She told him, starting a deliberate undulation that brought a grin to his cheek and a tear to his eye.
"You're the one who's too much." He ground between trembling lips.
Their movements were slow, sensual, each drawing the other closer to their climax. It had taken them time to learn the other's nuances. Now that they had, all that was left was to exploit them.
Han knew Leia derived most of her pleasure from external stimulation and, during penetrative sex, used the pad of a thumb to draw her to orgasm. But he also knew there was a place deep inside which, if he applied just the right amount of pressure, made her eyes roll back in her head and her mouth elicit the most foul of expletives.
As they lay in the afterglow of their labours, Leia couldn't help but smile at her husband.
"What?" He asked, with a lift of one shoulder.
"You." She replied, rolling onto her side as his bodily fluid repositioned itself down her left leg.
"I know. I'm a genius." He gloated, slipping one arm beneath his head.
"If a little forgetful at times." She teased.
"I aint forgotten." He assured her. "Just letting the 'nads cool a little first. They stay hard for longer that way."
"How very...clinical." She commented, twirling a clump of chest hair around a finger.
"You want romantic fiction, go read a book. You want a real man, with real desires and the abilities to match, stay right where you are honey." He told her, his eyelids hovering somewhere between wake and sleep. Leia giggled. "Now what?" He queried.
"I could have had me a Prince." She arched an eyebrow. "But I picked you."
"Yeah!" He grinned. "Lucky stiff!"
"Speaking of stiff..." She let the sentence hang.
Han's grin grew. "I love it when you're a little bit lewd!"
"Take me from behind." She said, turning her back to him.
"Aw, Ley! You know how much I love watching your face." He mewled.
"I love the feel of you inside me and I don't want to be distracted." She told him, bunching the pillows beneath her and shoving her rear in the air.
"Not that I don't appreciate your every effort..." He said, moving to kneel behind her. "But you wriggling your ass at me is not very becoming for Royalty."
"Less talk, more action, flyboy." She exclaimed.
Han loved her sexual side. He especially loved that it was he who got to see and to share in this facet to her character.
Using his tip to stroke her into the threat of violence if he didn't take her all the way Han willingly complied, guiding them to another shuddering climax.
They lay then, curled in one another's arms unaware of the attention their lovemaking had garnered.