Leia awoke the next morning with a remarkable sense of well-being. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually slept in. Though her sense of duty urged her to get up and focus on the mission, she couldn't resist the luxurious bed and the soft sheets. "This is nothing like the Alliance," she thought.
Living on the run, Leia had become used to small, makeshift beds and sheets that were not always fresh and clean (if they were used at all). She had slept in cargo holds, straw huts, and straight-backed chairs. On one mission, she had even been forced to sleep outside on the ground of an ancient graveyard. She felt a little guilty about enjoying such luxury now, but it was such a nice change to feel so safe and pampered.
Of course, her living conditions were not the only things that had changed on the trip. She actually made it through a whole evening without fighting with Han! The food was delicious, the wine was excellent, and Han Solo was…charming. I never thought I'd associate the word "charming" with Han Solo.
Their banter had been light and playful, and they talked late into the night. Try as she might, however, she could never get Solo to reveal any significant information about his background. Still, her diplomatic skills did reap some rewards. During one of their discussions, she actually got him to admit that he enjoyed the easy listening artist, Naida. That bit of information would make good bribery material, should the need ever arise.
Strangely, she couldn't remember most of the other details of their conversation. Something about the way his eyes sparkled and his lips moved had mesmerized her. "The Alliance really ought to find a way to harness that power," she thought.
She couldn't believe the way he had affected her last night. At one point in their conversation, they had both reached for the wine, and their hands had brushed lightly. Though the moment was short lived, his touch sent shocks of electricity coursing through her body, causing her to tremble all over. It was frightening and thrilling at the same time.
"We could use him for humane shock therapy," she mused laughingly. "No telling what he could do for the morale and well-being of the Alliance members." The brightness of her smile quickly dimmed, however, as her mind added, "Especially the female ones."
She wondered just how many women had been "charmed" by Captain Solo. Was she just one in a long list of women he would romance and leave? The very thought caused her whole body to clinch from both fear and jealousy. Was it the thought of having a romance with Han that made her react that way or was it the fear of him leaving her?
"Come on, Leia," she told herself. "Get some control here. You will not have a romance with Han, and you will not be upset if he leaves." Somehow, she was not convinced.
"Ok," she conceded to that inner voice. "I will miss his valuable contributions to the Alliance and his…friendship, but that's it. Besides, if Luke's information is right, Han has decided to stay for awhile." That reminder to herself eased her tension dramatically.
Right before she boarded the Falcon for the trip, Luke stopped her to say goodbye. After wishing her a safe journey in his typically awkward fashion, he added, "I thought you might like to know that Han is planning on staying with the Alliance for awhile. If you two could get along on this trip, it might help keep him here."
Well, they hadn't been exactly friendly for the entire trip, but Leia felt that last night marked a turning point in her relationship with Han. "He might stay after all," she thought happily.
Her reasons for avoiding involvement with Han temporarily forgotten, Leia began daydreaming about spending time with him. She envisioned them talking, laughing, bantering, and fighting against the Empire rather than each other. She even wondered what it would be like to engage in some more Han-style electric shock therapy. If a slight touch of his hand has that kind of power over me, imagine what his lips could do.
Unfortunately for Leia, she happened to glance at the chrono at the exact moment she contemplated kissing Han. Her surprise at her traitorous thoughts, combined with her worries about the lateness of the hour, produced unexpected results. Reaching toward the nightstand, she did what no dignified princess should ever do—she lost her balance and fell out of bed!
Han Solo got up uncharacteristically early in the morning, his mind filled with thoughts of Leia and the evening they had shared.
"That was the most amazin' night of my life, and all we did was talk," he said to himself in surprise. Must be losin' it, Solo.
Han Solo, renowned ladies man and scoundrel, had actually trembled at the slight brush of Leia's fingertips. A small part of him wanted to flee immediately. He could grab Leia, take her back to the Alliance (he couldn't just leave her here), pick up Chewie, and fly off to parts unknown.
The larger part of him cut off that line of thinking. He never ran out on a job. Besides, he wanted to be here. He loved bantering with Leia—she was one of the few people who could give him a good challenge in that area. He also loved talking to her, arguing with her, and simply being with her.
Last night, he had dragged her away from work to eat dinner. She was casually dressed and had done little with her overall appearance, but he thought that she had to be the most beautiful woman in the world. He wanted to reach out and brush a stray lock of hair from her face just so he could touch her. He wanted to cup her chin, raise her eyes to meet his, and kiss her passionately. He wanted to feel her respond, rising to meet his challenge like she always did. He wanted to sweep her into his arms, carry her back to the bedroom, and tenderly make love to her. He wanted to protect her and care for her--to treat her like the princess she was.
As it turned out, he did not act on most of those desires. He had involuntarily reached out to touch that stray lock of hair, but diverted his hand to the wine when he realized what he was doing. Then, the strangest thing happened—he actually became immersed in the conversation. He found that he loved hearing her speak about her passions, and he even added a few tidbits about himself. He was still careful not to reveal crucial aspects of his past, though he certainly enjoyed watching Leia try to wheedle the information out of him. She was sly, sneaky, and clearly talented at getting people to tell their secrets. She would never know how close she actually came to breaking him, but he was saved by their mutual exhaustion.
Since he had awakened, he kept replaying the evening over and over in his head. He wondered how Leia was feeling about last night, and the thought sparked a rush of desire in him. He started heading towards her door, intent on waking her with soft kisses and putting the bed to good use. He got about halfway across the living area before his more rational side stopped him. You better get yourself under control before you see her, Solo, he thought. "It's time for a very cold trip to the 'fresher."
After his shower, he felt better, more in control. He tried to keep himself from thinking of her by watching the holonet, but every program seemed to remind him of Leia. Politics reminded him of her job, the animal channel reminded him of the way she fights, and the soap opera reminded him of…. Better change the channel. He couldn't even enjoy the smashball game because it reminded him of her gorgeous body.
He was just about to go take another shower when he heard a sharp thud from Leia's room. He rushed to her door out of concern, asking, "Are you alright, Princess?"
"I'm fine. I just…dropped something while I was getting ready. I'll be out a few minutes."
"OK, Sweetheart," he said simply.
He couldn't help but wonder what she dropped, though. What could possibly be heavy enough to make that kind of noise? He wracked his brain for a few minutes before settling on the only possible answer—it had to be her hairstyling droid! It's the only way she could do her own hair.
Besides, she had to have the heavy industrial size model with extra appendages in order to dry her hair and create all those looks (her dual bun ram style was his personal favorite—it captured her fighting spirit). Yeah, that was it—he'd solved one of the greatest mysteries about Princess Leia. Now if he could just figure out how to get her to kiss him.