Ok, here we go! I hope you all enjoy it?
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Chapter 16: Your Move, Princess
Leia packed the last bits and pieces for the mission to Ord Mantell. They were leaving in a few hours and she still had a lot to do. She wouldn't be issued any cold gear until they had arrived back from the mission, so there wasn't much she was taking with her to Ord Mantell.
Han's proclamation of staying indefinitely had really knocked her for a loop. As much as she had been wishing for it, she hadn't actually expected him to say it. Do it, maybe, but not say it. He had been staying with her cell of the Alliance since they met, albeit with one foot out of the door the whole time. Now, he was definitely staying.
She understood that for a man like him that was a huge move. It was common knowledge the smuggler had never stayed put anywhere for any real length of time. The fact that he had already spent years not only sticking around, but being a real help and a loyal friend not only to the Alliance, but also to her and Luke spoke volumes. Volumes that Leia gave him credit for in front of the Council, but rarely to him or even to herself. She trusted him without a doubt in most ways, but now maybe she was willing to add one more way.
Her plan had indeed worked. She had actually stopped thinking about him in a purely hormonal manner. Although, he was not out of her system by a long shot. While her plan erased some one-dimensional thoughts about the gorgeous scoundrel, it had highlighted her deeper emotions. It had forced her to examine her feelings for him.
He was no longer just a distraction to her work, he was a bonafide part of her heart.
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Han felt an uncontrollable smile spread across his face as he saw the Princess approach the ship with her travel bag slung over one shoulder. She was being trailed by Lieutenant Spirant whom Solo recognized from the Command Center. Typical Princess, Han thought. Giving orders right up to the last second.
Hopefully, they could concentrate on more than just the mission once they hit hyperspace. Time was running short on the bet and while he was feeling engulfed in his emotions for her, he was not as sure it was mutual. A growl from behind him caught his attention just as he saw the Lieutenant breaking free from Leia's constant stream of orders.
"Yeah, I noticed it. I'll keep an eye on it." Han never took his eyes off of the woman or her curves as she continued to walk towards him. Her eyes had found his and she was close enough for him to see a hint of a secret smile. He couldn't get over how profoundly attractive he found her. He knew he could spend the rest of his life staring straight at her and never think otherwise. Chewie made mention of his eyes being on other things besides the finicky ship malfunction. Glancing over to the Wookiee, Solo felt the need to mount a defense to the tease. "What? I'm never supposed to look?"
As soon as he turned his attention back to Leia, he saw Luke bounding over to her all smiles. He loved the guy like a brother, but Solo felt like all he did as take his eyes off Leia for a second and Luke suddenly moves in. It was a ridiculous thought and a jealous one, at that, but that didn't stop him from thinking it anyway. Weirdly, he felt like it was his own fault for breaking the spell of protection he had over her by staring at her as she made her way to the Falcon. Nonsense, but ever since he threw his fate into the same lot as the Farmboy from Tatooine and the Princess of Alderaan, a lot of things seemed to stop making sense.
For instance, why did Luke feel the need to carry her pack for her like that? Solo knew that Leia traveled light from necessity as well as not being the fussy women she might once have been in her old life. No extraneous clothes, shoes, jewelry or hair and makeup accessories for his Princess. Yes, some of the reason was that she no longer owned such things, but she had made no effort at replacing much if any of it at all.
She had been on missions since he had known her where she could have replenished not only her needs, but wants, yet she never did. Han had wondered at that over the years. At first, it seemed odd to him that a member of royalty would not be interested in that. After spending time around her, Solo realized that Leia was very practical and those things were of little to no utility to her. She had the basics she needed, but no more. She knew she might have to bug out and leave them at any time. It just didn't make sense to have much in that regard. Besides, Leia worked very hard at practicing what she preached. She wanted no special treatment. So, she lived in military uniforms just like everyone else.
One day, he was going to take her shopping and make her remember how to look the part of the beautiful femininity that she carried within her. Not that she wasn't fine just the way she was, but those military uniforms just didn't do justice to her. Who knows, maybe he would get the chance to do that on Ord Mantell.
Luke called out as they were within reaching distance. "Hey, Han! Chewie!"
"Hey, Kid. Here to kiss the Princess goodbye?" Han may have appeared to be wise-cracking, but it was still a pathetic coverup for his jealousy. These two were just too close for comfort.
He had no idea where Leia stood on the idea of a romantic relationship with Luke. It's not that she encouraged it, but it's not that she discouraged it either. It left them all in the dark, but Luke must've been picking up some sort of signals because his once clumsy and overt attempts at flirting had waned quite a bit lately. Maybe Luke had essentially bowed out, but was leaving the door open in case she gave him the signal? Solo had no idea.
Luke just laughed at Solo's jibe. "I'm here to wish you both good luck and hope you both be nice to each other since nobody will be there to referee."
Solo became animated in his mock offense, pointing his finger into Skywalker's torso and then shifting his thumb to aim at Leia. "Hey, I have no problem playing nice if her Most Royalness over here can control herself."
Leia stood with her arms crossed and snorted. "How am I supposed to control myself with him? I don't think he even knows how to be nice."
"Okay…" Luke shook his head in exasperation obvious wondering why he said anything. "Maybe not 'nice' then. Maybe just try not to kill each other?"
Chewbacca walked between Han and Leia, slapping Han on the back and making a point to hug Leia goodbye as he growled in concurrence with Luke.
"Bye, Chewie." Leia lost herself in the Wookiee's fur for a moment.
Luke then turned to Leia and hugged her. "Be safe. I'll see you on Hoth."
Leia smiled brightly at Luke again irking Solo just a little somewhere deep inside. "You, too."
She took her pack back from Luke, slung it over her shoulder and walked past Solo up the ramp. Solo watched her as he realized she hadn't even said hello to him, just complained to Luke about him. He half-waved to Luke.
Luke's demeanor changed now that Leis was no longer within earshot. "Han…"
The level of protection for each other in their very specific Death Star survivor family was understood. It needed no reminding nor renewal pledges. But every once in a while when any one of them was having a 'bad feeling,' an acknowledgment of some sort was passed between them.
Solo's face morphed into dead seriousness. "With my life."
"I know." Luke smiled. "May the Force be with you."
Han waved again to his friends before heading up the ramp. Hitting the controls for the ramp and turning to start pre-flight from the tech controller station, Solo found her standing just inside the lounge. Silently looking at him. Contemplating him. He guessed she had heard. He had been pretty quiet about it, but she seemed to have Wookie-sensitive ears at times. It's not like he ever made it a secret, so he had no idea why it was apparently affecting her this time.
"Give me that." He took the pack from her and slung it over his shoulder. He walked over to the tech station and flipped the switches in sequence for the engine warmup. Leia followed him as he then headed back towards his cabin.
"I can carry it."
"Maybe I'm tryin' to be nice, Sweetheart," Solo said without stopping.
"Since when?"
That hurt more than he would've thought. Hadn't he gone to a lot of trouble for her lately to make sure she was relaxed and happy? He thought things were good between them and that the little show out there had been more for throwing Luke and Chewie off than anything else. It drove him crazy that he never really knew where he stood with her. Whenever he thought he knew, something would happen to make the doubt clear in his mind all over again.
"Well, good to know it only counts when it's somebody besides me." He flung her pack into a cabinet on the wall and slammed it shut. "You can have the cabin to yourself for the trip."
He stalked off, leaving a speechless Princess behind. He wanted her and he would protect her with his life, but he was tired of letting her treat him like he was second rate. Tired of being the only one she treated as beneath her, not good enough for the precious Princess. Bet or not bet, he was done with this banthashit. He had told himself that before, but now that he had her without protest, he could honestly say that he didn't want her anymore if this was all there was.
He felt a strong pull on his bicep, insistent enough to make him stop in his tracks. He turned and looked at her with hurt fury in his eyes. The next thing he knew, she had shoved him with all of her might up against the curved bulkhead, knocking him off balance enough to cause his knees to bend in the process. He found himself nearly face-to-face with her.
"Kiss me."
Taken aback, he didn't register what she said. Her determined demeanor opposed the vulnerability in her eyes.
"I want you to kiss me," she half-demanded and half-pleaded again.
Solo fell deep into her large brown eyes as he searched for something elusive and intangible. Her hands pushing against his chest reminded him of how it felt to have her on top of him in bed. But this wasn't about that. She wasn't doing this as a sexual advance. That much he knew. Her eyes beckoned him in a new way and he was powerless to their pull.
Han closed his lips onto hers. Immediately, he was awash in the waves of emotions he felt coming from her. She had done this to him before. He knew it was overwhelming, but all he wanted to do was swim in deeper. He pulled her closer, crushing her to him. Keeping one hand on the back of her head so as not to lose their connection, he stood up and pushed her backward up against the opposite wall. Their kiss deepened as she held tighter to him than ever. It was as if Leia was making absolutely sure he understood what he meant to her. She wanted him. Needed him. And had no intention of letting him go. It couldn't have been clearer if she had shouted it out loud.
He soaked every bit of it in and let it wash through him, cleansing his doubts and deep fears of losing her. While he did his best to return the emotions, Solo knew this was purely about Leia expressing hers to him more than anything else. This was her way of communicating what she couldn't say with words and he couldn't be happier to accept her love in any way she was willing to show him.
What felt like seconds but were probably long minutes later, they broke their lips apart. Their mouths hovered very close while they opened their eyes to put the final punctuation on their silent conversation.
With a particular sparkle in her eyes and a smile playing around the edges of her lips, she silently seemed to say, 'Understood?'
In return, Solo opened the locks and let his deep happiness bubble up and shine through for her to see. His usual half-grin grew into a quiet full-fledged smile and answered her in kind. 'Understood.'
Han went to reunite their lips once again, but this time she pushed him back.
"Captain." Her voice was sultrier than she realized. "We're not exactly alone yet. We haven't lifted off, remember?"
"I could argue that, Princess." He straightened his stance and gave her a hand peeling herself off the wall. "But, the faster we get out of here, the better."