After their kiss in the cockpit, things are a little awkward. Originally posted to Tumblr as "Tell me in a whisper." Prompt: "Kiss Me" by Rea Garvey.

Chapter 2 - Tell Me in a Whisper

The command center was quiet, as it tended to be in the dead of night. Unless the base was on yellow alert or higher, only a skeleton crew was needed, and most of the staff had long ago retired in preparation for the next day's work.

Except for her.

Even in the low glow of the displays that surrounded her, Han could tell that Leia was running on fumes. A few wisps of hair had come loose from her braids, and she kept blinking as she focused on the datapad she was reading, her brow furrowed in concentration. Periodically she would pause from her reading to lean her head on one hand.

Han wasn't sure whether he wanted to tuck her into bed or kiss her again.

Maybe both, his brain suggested, but he shook that thought away as he approached. They'd agreed to play it cool, after all. Casual. Not let what had happened affect their friendship.

It had, though, no question. Hells, that was what had brought him over here in the first place. That, and Leia's predictable need for kaffe at an ungodly hour of the evening.

He plunked the thermal mug on her desk. At the sound, Leia looked at it, then up at him.

"Hi," she said with a wan smile. Her voice was a bit hoarse.

"Hi."

She blinked a few times. "It's late."

"Finally noticed that, did ya?" he grinned. "Just the night crew left."

She sighed lightly, stretching a bit as she sat up. "Thanks for this," she said, indicating the mug of kaffe. "You really didn't have to—"

"Oh, but I did," Han insisted, pulling over a chair and sitting down next to Leia. "You've been avoiding me."

Her deep brown eyes lingered on him for a moment, then narrowed. "No, I haven't."

"You have," he insisted. "Ever since we got back from that Harvest Ball thing." He smiled wryly. "But, y'know, so 've I."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Chewie noticed. Called me on it," he admitted. Normally that wouldn't have fazed him; after all, Chewie was his best friend, one of the most observant beings he knew, and had been making the case for years that the "Little Princess" was destined to be Han's mate. And even if he'd discovered anything, Chewie could be trusted to keep things private.

But Chewie had noted that both Han and Leia were acting weird, as he'd growled, and had told Han that if they were just going to avoid and ignore each other all the time, Han and Chewie might as well just turn back to Tatooine right now.

"We're not just stayin' here because of her," Han had protested.

[No, of course not], Chewie had said. [We are working for parts because it is so lucrative.]

Han hadn't wanted to think any more about that. But he'd already begun to hate this strange new silence with Leia, and was determined to do something to end it.

Leia smiled. "I guess our sabacc faces aren't as good as we thought," she said. "Luke asked me if I was giving you the silent treatment."

They both chuckled at that, then were silent for another beat.

Han hadn't really thought this conversation the whole way through, he realized. Maybe this is why Leia has a little speech prepared when she does these things. He looked down for a moment, as if the stitching on his bloodstripes might have some ideas on what to say next.

When he looked up again, Leia was still looking at him. "Now what?" she asked, her voice softer than usual.

He'd been happy to let her set the rules, before.

We don't need to make this a thing. We can just go on as friends.
Of course, Your Highnessness.
Perfect. Just like that.

And they'd shaken on it. Han couldn't remember ever having shaken hands with Leia before, but they'd done it.

And a fat lot of good it had done either of them.

Leia was still looking at him, waiting for his response, and suddenly he recognized the look on her face. It was the same look she'd had in the cockpit of the Falcon, the stars rushing by, right before her hands had reached up to pull his mouth down to hers.

He took her hand from where it rested on the desk, cradling it in his. "Leia," he said in a low voice, "what do you want?"

She paused, but her eyes remained on his. "We should probably…" she said, trailing off.

Was she leaning in, or was he imagining that?

"Probably," he agreed, leaning in as well. "But that's not what I—"

His sentence was cut off by the sensation of Leia's lips on his, her hand pulling his body to hers again, his heartbeat loud in his chest.

Two thoughts settled in his mind as he held her, as he kissed her again:

Me? You want me? was the first.

Thank you was the second thought, the one that lingered, though Han had no idea whom he was thanking or when he'd said Please.

"Everything is casual, everything is cool
Everything is broken if I play by the rules..."

- "Kiss Me," Rea Garvey