Almost a standard week later Han Solo was allowed to sit up in his hospital bed.
He'd complained, quite verbally, about everything from the lights to the bedding to the food, though Leia knew it was his own mortality he was really mad at.
Visitors had been plentiful and frequent, but this day there was only Leia and he was grateful for that. His catheter had been removed that morning and he itched like Hell.
"You're going to scratch that thing off if you don't leave it alone!" Leia admonished him.
"If you really loved me, you'd do this for me." He countered, pulled his hand out of the bed and sighed. "Man! I hate those things. I think they only put them in to cause maximum discomfort when they're removed."
Leia tried and failed to hide her amusement.
"Yeah, you laugh it on up!" He grumbled.
"I'm not laughing at you Han. I'm just so relieved you're finally on the mend." She chided. "I love you, nerfherder. Don't you ever forget that."
"Ley...There's some stuff I need to say." Han covered her hand with his. Her head shook gently but he stilled it by tilting her face to his. "I need to say this Ley and you need to hear it."
His lips twitched as he tried to form the words. Her eyebrows arched as she waited for him to speak.
"I'm not real eloquent Ley, you know that." He began. "But if this experience has taught me anything it's that it's a real lucky guy who gets a second chance at something. I always figured I made my own luck. Turns out, like pretty much every other good thing in my life, it was all down to you. A lot of what I dreamt is fuzzy now, but there's one thing I remember as clear as seeing you sitting here. You wanted me to say that I love you. An' you wanted me to say it to remind me what it was I had to stick around for. Just so you know, I never for one moment forgot. You were always uppermost in my thoughts. And I never, ever, not even when I was behaving like a complete moof, forgot how much you meant to me. I do love you Leia. I love you now, I loved you then and I will love you when my time finally comes to leave for the other side. That's it, really. That's what I wanted to say."
"Not eloquent at all." Leia smiled and moved to perch beside him.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence!" He moaned.
"Eloquence doesn't interest me. Flesh and blood does." She assured him.
"Thanks again. I think." His lip curled in a half-smile. "I'm sorry. You know, about the baby."
"I'm not." Leia said, honestly and smiling softly. "It was never meant to be and we both knew it."
"You're, you know, okay though?" He queried.
"Physically, fine. Emotionally, fine also." She confirmed. "So, you need only concern yourself with your own health, not mine as well."
Han let his hand rest against her knee, his thumb caressing her. "I knew I was onto a good thing when that ol' man and the kid walked into the cantina. Even sent Chewie over to talk to him while I finished up a little business of my own."
"Ahuh. This 'little business' have a name?" Leia asked.
"Probably. It was a long time ago now though." He answered.
Leia doubted there was a female her husband couldn't recall if pressed, but chose not to force the issue. She leaned forward, cupping his cheeks in her hands and drawing his lips to hers.
"I love you flyboy." She told him, rubbing her nose against his.
"Love you more, Princess." He said, enjoying the feel of her against him.
Well, when it came down to it I just couldn't do it! I'd like to say it's because I don't have the talent to write a scene appropriate for when our Princess leaves for the world beyond, but the truth is I'm not ready for Han or Leia to go anywhere just yet.
They have far too many adventures to go on before that's going to happen...