AN: Still don't own Star Wars, but here's a bit of Solo family fluff written especially for my friend MasterOf4Elements, who's going through a rough time.

"Ben's New Blankie"

By EsmeAmelia

"So . . . damn . . . tired . . ." Han mumbled as he flopped down on the bed, giving a long yawn in the process. He rolled over to face the crib next to the bed, in which baby Ben was currently lying, seemingly content to stare at his X-Wing mobile for now.

"When are you gonna start sleepin' through the night, buddy?" Han asked. "No offense, but Daddy's really tired. You kept me and Mommy up most of the night."

Ben just cooed as if he enjoyed listening to his father's voice.

Despite the fact that he was struggling to keep his eyes open, Han found himself smiling at the baby. "You're lucky you're cute, you know that?"

Ben cooed again as if answering in the affirmative.

"Yeah, I think you know how cute you are, how Daddy can't resist those big eyes of yours." Han yawned again. "But look, since Daddy just fed you and changed you, you'll be okay if I take a little nap now, right?"

This time Ben's coo sounded a bit unsure - or was that just Han's imagination? "What, you'll miss your Daddy when he's asleep? Well you can take a nap too, fella."

Another coo, and this one definitely sounded unsure. Did Ben already understand the concept of his father being unresponsive when he slept? "Look kid, if you're gonna keep me up durin' the night, the least you could do is let me get some sleep durin' the day."

Now the baby made a noise that sounded almost amused.

"What, you want a cuddle? Fine, just one cuddle, then naptime." With a grunt, he pushed himself to his feet and picked up Ben, who immediately nuzzled his head against his father's shoulder.

"You're tryin' to butter me up, ain't you?" Han murmured as he patted his son's back and kissed his downy head. "Well it's workin'." He sat back on the bed, rubbing his fingers into Ben's cheek. "Do you wanna nap with Daddy, is that it?"

Again Ben cooed as if saying yes.

Han found himself frowning. It was sure tempting to just lie down and let Ben rest on his chest, but was it safe for his tiny, fragile body? "I dunno, buddy," he said. "Your mommy says I sometimes roll around in my sleep and I sure as hell don't wanna crush you. How bout I rock you to sleep and put you in your crib instead?"

Now Ben made a noise that sounded almost afraid, gripping Han's vest with his tiny hand. Han gulped - surely Ben didn't actually understand what he was saying yet, did he? Then again . . . the kid had the Force. Maybe he could sense the intent without actually understanding the words. Was that something Force-sensitive babies could do?

Another yawn escaped. "Look buddy, I need my sleep and I don't wanna crush you, I'm sorry."

The baby kept gripping his vest.

"You like Daddy's vest?" Han asked, looking down into Ben's sweet little eyes. "Does it smell like Daddy? Is that it?"

Then an idea came to him. "Hey Ben, would you like a special blankie that smells like Daddy?" Gently shifting Ben from one arm to the other, he wriggled out of his vest and wrapped it around the baby. "You like that, sweetie? Huh? Huh?"

Now Ben was giving a satisfied coo.

"Yeah, you do," Han said with a relaxed smile. "You can sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed someday when you're a bit bigger and Daddy can trust himself not to crush you, but for now you can enjoy your new blankie."

He gently rocked the baby in his arms, humming a lullaby as Ben sucked on the vest. It was only a few minutes before Ben dropped off to sleep, his tiny fingers curled around Han's vest, but Han continued humming for a while afterwards.

. . .

Leia came home from work to find the apartment quiet - at least until she made her way to the hallway leading to their bedroom and her husband's familiar snores greeted her. With a grin - along with slight envy of her husband's ability to catch up on the sleep they lost during the night - she opened the door to find Han asleep on their bed, the afternoon sunlight spread over his body and giving a rosy glow to his face. Next to the bed, Ben was sleeping away in his crib - covered in Han's vest.

Leia found herself gasping at the cuteness. Careful not to wake either of her boys, she tiptoed into the small space between the bed and the crib and gazed down at the baby. "Hey sweetie," she whispered, brushing her finger over his cheek, "are you comfy? You look comfy. Are you dreaming about Daddy?"

"How do you like Ben's new blankie?" Han's sleepy voice asked from behind her. She turned around to find her husband gazing up at her through long, tired blinks.

"Sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Han gave a drowsy smile. "Hey, the kid wakes me up all the time and I let it slide, but anyway, what do you think of his new blankie? It smells just like Daddy."

"Oh?" Leia said with a playful smirk as she slid onto the bed next to him. "Is that why Ben suddenly smells like sweat and grease?" She snickered as she poked her husband's shoulder. "Seriously, I think he loves it."

"Well, he wanted to sleep with me and I didn't wanna roll over on him, so I had to think outside the box, kinda like when I'm flyin'."

"Like when you stuck us on the side of a Star Destroyer?" Leia asked, running her hand through her husband's sleep-tousled hair.

"Yup," said Han. "He's gonna be great at thinkin' outside the box someday too, just like his daddy."

"I bet he will," said Leia, "but will he inherit his daddy's taste for vests too?"

Ben gave a little baby snore from his crib, causing both parents to grin in his direction.

"Maybe," said Han. "One thing's for sure, he loves his new blankie."

THE END