Chapter Nine

Han awoke, suddenly cold. He opened his eyes and noticed Leia wasn't lying next to him anymore. His body longed for the warmth and comfort she provided. He wondered why she left; he knew she enjoyed to fall asleep with someone next to her. He quickly got dressed, washed up, got a bite to eat and went to look for the Jedi.

After awhile of looking, he found no sign of the Skywalker girl. It was already late afternoon by the time he checked the entire mansion, and he noticed a heavy rain was starting. The prince realized she must have been outside for this whole time. He winced as he heard a loud crash of thunder. A big storm was coming, he could feel it. Leia, as proud as she was, would stay out there no matter what. He had to find her, and quick.

The Corellian was completely soaked by the time he heard the sound of the lightsaber. He had looked all around the palace grounds, by the lake a mile or so back, and he even thought about going into town. He dropped that idea; there's no way she'd go that far. He finally found her in the forest near the mansion, practicing her lightsaber skills.

"Leia!" Han shouted over the noise of the rain and thunder. She seemed oblivious to his presence, which he knew wasn't true; she could sense him from a mile away. He held back the urge to roll his eyes. She was so damn stubborn sometimes. "Kriff, Leia! You're crazy!" His voice sounded tiny against the pelting rain.

She shut down the weapon and clipped it to her belt. Pulling off her hood, she turned to the prince. "What the hell are you doing here?" Her brown hair was wet and stuck to her face and neck.

He lowered his voice and took a step towards the Coruscanti. "I should be asking you the same thing," He received a loud snort from her in response. "C'mon, let's go; you'll get sick out here," He reached out to grab her arm. She quickly jerked away, a flash of anger passing in her brown eyes.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," Skywalker spat, tying her messy hair up in a loose bun at the back of her head. She hastily brushed past Solo, practically running back to her relatives' home.

"Leia, what the Kriff is going on?" Han demanded, his long strides quickly catching up to her. She didn't answer. Of course, he thought dryly. Pulling up his hood, he shivered, chilled to the bone. "Leia, answer me!" He said, louder this time.

She came to an abrupt stop, clenching and unclenching her fists. He knew she was trying to keep her anger in check. She always had a problem with that, Luke secretly told him a couple years ago. He said that the Jedi Council was worried, too. Luke got the lion's share of patience and concentration, Anakin always joked. Everyone agreed. A part of Han understood that deep down, Master Skywalker meant it. He had his reasons; it wasn't wise to upset the Amidala-Skywalker girl. The prince knew Leia hated when her father said that, but it was true. She was aware of her short temper, so hearing everyone say it angered her even further.

"Is that a command from His Highness?" The Jedi managed to grit out through her teeth. Her back was still towards him, but Solo could practically see her scowl.

"No, I'm asking as your friend," Han replied, mimicking her icy tone. She slowly turned around to face him. The tear streaks on her cheeks were hardly noticeable, mingling with the rain. He always paid close attention to Amidala-Skywalker. He noticed the tears the second she turned around to face him. "I'm asking as your friend, who's seriously concerned about you right now," He added, his voice less harsh this time around. He saw the visible change in her composure. She looked as if she was about to sink to her knees right there.

"Maybe I don't want to talk to you," Leia answered childishly, her pink lips forming a pout. The prince saw the anger return in her dark eyes. "What if all I wanna do is take back last night, huh?" She snapped. The Corellian flinched, her words cutting through him like a viroblade. The girl lowered her voice and stared at the ground. "What if that's all I wanna do?" She looked up and met his hazel eyes with her brown ones.

All Han wanted to do was run up to her, take her in his arms and wipe her tears away. He wanted to kiss her senseless, to tell her he loved her. More than anything, he wanted her.

"Why would you wanna do that?" Solo asked, his throat tight. He desperately tried to keep his voice from wavering, but it was useless. It was impossible for him to describe how Leia made him feel; he knew he'd never feel the same about anybody else.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" She wailed, her tears flowing openly now. "We can't keep doing this, Han! We can't keep…pretending like everything's okay, because it's not!" The Jedi stared at him with bloodshot eyes, her face pink and puffy.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for that?" The prince asked suddenly, his voice barely a whisper. If it weren't for her enhanced hearing, Leia never would have heard him. He sat on a nearby tree stump, running his hands through his damp hair. Skywalker stared at him for awhile, unblinking. Reluctantly, she sat down next to him. He spoke to her softly, his eyes focused on the ground. "We've known each other forever, Leia, and I've always felt this way about you. I have no Kriffin' idea why I'm only telling you this now," His fingers interlaced with her slender ones as his eyes locked with hers.

"Han, you're getting married," The Coruscanti reminded him quietly. She didn't pull away when the prince reached over with his other hand and wiped her tears away. "I can't compete with the princess of Jumus," She offered him a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"There's no competition," Han murmured, almost getting lost in her deep brown eyes. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, getting a blush from the girl in return. He ran a thumb along her full and perfect lips; he longed to kiss her. "Leia, if you feel the same way about me, please, tell me,"

"Han, what does it matter?" She sighed, studying his face intently. "You have to marry a princess; you can't marry someone like me,"

He leaned his forehead against hers, tightening his grip on her hand. Kissing her nose, he spoke to her in Corellian; "But you're all I've ever wanted."