Note: This chapter went through extensive revisions on 12-13-22. Please consider re-reading or reviewing a list of the changes at the beginning of chapter 4.

Five Days Later:

Princess Leia Organa hurried across the frigid hanger in search of her fake boyfriend, Han Solo. They had finally caught a mission and she needed to fill him in on the particulars.

After Leia's rescue of Han, Chewie, Luke, and Wedge five days ago, the holocam footage of the two of them embracing had been used to great success for rousing Rebellion propaganda videos that not only proved to the galaxy that Princess Leia was alive and well, but that showed she had fallen in love with Han Solo, the dashing hero of the Battle of Yavin 4. (Which might or not actually be true, depending on where Leia happened to be vacillating on the topic at any given moment). Scores of females of every species had enlisted as pilots the past week after seeing the heroics and precision of Operation Girl Power, and a new crop of talented smugglers had shown up with their fast ships, ready to enlist in the constant need to smuggle in supplies.

As only a mercenary smuggler could envision, Han had successfully pitched High Command to use the Empire's obsession of rules, control, and regulation to create a series of shell corporations to license the rights to use the holos to the tabloids and collect advertising revenue from the billions of hits their videos were generating on holo-Gram and HoloTube. While the Empire tried to shut down the videos, its own bureaucracy delayed their ability to scrub it from the holoweb. In the meantime, the Rebellion had already pulled in millions of credits in revenue from the footage.

The public had Rebel Royal Scoundrel fever and there was no signs of it slowing down. Rich females and males of dubious professions led the way in a sea change of small scale donations to the rebellion, again using the same shell companies Han suggested to launder the money into the Rebellion's coffers. It was the underdog/Princess story of the century.

Supreme Leader Mon Mothma had just commed Leia that they wanted to get her and Han on a mission to make more propaganda holos. Leia was absolutely thrilled at the success of the fake relationship mission, but was struggling mightily with reminding herself it was, in fact, supposed to be fake. At this point, they were pretty much dating under the cover of being able to call it fake, but with no sex and increasingly passionate and heated kissing done only in public. Although the definition of public was also starting to get very lax.

She finally spotted him on a folding chair, watching an old holofilm for Hoth Hanger Holo night with pretty much the entire base present. She had been trying to find a balance between the need to feed the base rumor mill with mild public displays of affection, maintain some semblance of professionalism, and ignore the supernova amount of sexual tension between them.

The night they had shared his bunk, entwined in each other's' arms on the way back from Lorel Minor had been wonderful. It was the best sleep Leia had managed since before the Death Star.

She had been so exhausted that night, especially after the incredible (and incredibly weird) sex dream she had of them, she had only wanted to sleep. But she could readily admit if he had tried to kiss her the next morning, the already blurry lines between them would have been burned in their need for each other. But he hadn't kissed her. He was already dressed and brewing kaffe before she even woke. She had been both disappointed and relieved.

As soon as he had promised to stick around, she began routinely asking herself why they shouldn't just go all in on the fake relationship and start sleeping together too. She could call it a full commitment to the mission. Han would definitely be game, but she was on day five of not giving in to her baser desires.

Han saw Leia approaching and waved her over. Heads turned to watch her approach him, no doubt on a sub-bet about whether they would kiss or fight in public.

She put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Hey Hotshot. Mon just approved us for an off-base mission. Can we go to the Falcon and talk details?"

Han smiled at her, and lightning quick grabbed her around the middle and pulled her sideways into his lap before proceeding to noisily make loud smacking kisses on her cheek. She should have elbowed him, but it tickled so much she started laughing hysterically and flailed to get away. If there was anyone not already focused on them, they were now. Leia pinched Han's thigh as hard as she could until he looked up to see what a spectacle he had caused and he set her back on her feet.

"Hey Worship – did you eat dinner yet? Chewie saved you a bowl of stew."

"No, I'm starving!"

As they walked to Han's ship hand-in-hand, the rebels started whistling and hooting and hollering.

"Kriff, Han. What have we done? If my parents could see what a display we're making…" She trailed off, realizing what she had said.

Han saw the sadness before Leia quickly covered it up.

"I like it. Mon Mothma herself is sanctioning us to break all sorts of rules and regs on conduct, plus kissing you ain't so bad." He winked at her.

"Kissing me is amazing and you know it!" Leia retorted. Her eyes widened as she realized how flirty she sounded.

Han's eyes grew hazy as he looked at her appraisingly. "I might know it. Care to remind me?"

She leaned into him as they stopped a few meters from the Falcon's boarding ramp, hand on his chest as she lowered her voice to whisper, "I already know I'm a great kisser, I don't need a reminder." She laughed and backed up as Han shook his head clear.

"Na-ah, Princess." He backed her up against a stack of crates, a predatory look in his eye as he braced his arms on either side of her, pinning her in.

"Remind me," He rumble-whispered as he moved in to nibble her neck.

"Wait, this isn't exactly public."

He moved to her ear lobe as she struggled to remember why she was protesting.

"Han…" She warned as he resumed placing hot kisses on her neck, "We are only supposed to be kissing if someone can see us." She moved her head to give him better access to her neck.

"This is public. Rogues'll probably sneak over any minute to try to win another bet or steal my whiskey," he said as he kissed around her jaw to the other side of her neck. Damn it, where was her resolve? She was supposed to nip the make-out sessions in the bud! But goddess, his lips and hands felt so good!

"They are not supposed to see a Captain necking a General in the hanger," she whispered as she snaked an arm up the back of his jacket.

Leia let out an involuntary sigh of pleasure as Han moved his lips to hers. She pulled his hips closer, need coursing through her as her mind went wonderfully blank while she sucked on his lower lip before sinking deeper into the kiss.

A noise on the far side of the hanger startled them apart. Han sighed and Leia shook her head to get her mind right. Each wondered if it was possible to die from sexual frustration.

"Let's go inside, I need to fill you in on the Mission." She took a deep breath and headed in.

Han paused a moment, admiring the view before following her in.