So, I know some of you are upset about Han's detachment in the last chapter. But, remember, Han has believed that Leia felt one way for 3 years now, and suddenly she tells him she feels the opposite. The poor boy needs time to process. Cut him some slack ;)

Thank you all so much for reading, following, reviewing, and being generally awesome!

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Han felt the vibration of heavy footsteps approaching but remained steady on his task in the maintenance access pit. The shudder of the floor stopped when Chewbacca was standing over him. He grumbled a question and Han shut off the macrofuser in his hand, raising his goggles to peer up at the Wookiee.

"I'm almost done."

Chewie snarled in disbelief.

"I worked through the night."

A higher-pitched growl met his ears as Han lowered his goggles again.

"Just wanted to get the hell out of here."

A string of barks and howls suggested they get some kaffe before Chewie took over.

Han removed the goggles and tossed them to the deck. "Sounds good." More carefully, he placed the macrofuser beside the goggles and climbed from the pit. He trailed Chewie to the galley and sat at the counter, feeling weary. His mind wandered as his Co-pilot set up the kaffe machine.

Working all night had insured that they would make Leia's meeting on time and had provided him with a distraction. Now, he was too tired to think things through. Perhaps that was for the best.

Han didn't even hear the beep of the kaffe machine, was startled when a furry arm placed the mug in front of him and the Wookiee sat in the adjacent seat.

"Thanks," Han grunted.

They sipped their kaffe in silence for a time before Chewie growled his concern.

Han couldn't keep the irritation out of his tone. "What makes you say that?"

When Chewbacca responded about his observations of the interactions between Han and the Princess, Solo glowered. He knew that his friend was aware of some of what had transpired between them. He had borne witness to the aftermath of their flight from Nimbla IV. It had been obvious that they had shared a bed the night before. The softly growled question still took him off guard.

His expression quickly grew incredulous. "No, I'm not in love with her!" he spat acerbically.

Chewie grumbled something under his breath that sounded rather skeptical and Han just shot him a dirty look and took a long draw of kaffe.

In a very low tone, the Wookiee suggested that whether or not his Captain was in love with her, he thought that Leia was in love with him.

Words caught at Han's lips as his brow tensed and he hedged on whether to respond or not. He downed a bit more kaffe then looked up at his friend.

"That's what she told me last night," he said in a low, tentative tone.

Chewie's piercing, blue eyes met his and Han quickly looked away. The responding positive bark only caused him to grimace.

"I dunno." His voice was barely audible and his gaze remained on the floor.

The reassuring reply just caused him to shake his head wordlessly. They were silent for a time until Chewie began speaking at length. He recounted the first time they met the Princess, his first impressions of her acute interest in Han, and what he observed of their time on Tatooine. Han sat, dumbstruck, as his friend pointed out moments over the past few years when he had been certain that Han and the Princess were in love with each other.

"I never said I'm in love with her!" he bellowed.

Chewbacca chuckled heartily and Han glowered. The Wookiee returned to his kaffe and dropped the subject.

Frowning, Han pondered Chewie's words. Had her feelings really been so apparent? That day on Naboo, that intense moment they shared…it had been the first time Han had given serious thought to the idea that she might want more from him than simple friendship. He had been certain of the wistful longing in her eyes until…

Until he overheard her comments to her mother. After that, things had become confusing.

But her actions had not always matched those words. She had repeatedly showed that she cared for him; and he couldn't miss the way she gazed at him at times, so serious, almost enraptured. That look had always been at odds with what he had heard her say.

But, what exactly did it mean? He tried to piece it all together, but there were too many obstacles blocking the completion of this puzzle.

Chewie barked a sudden question.

Han's brow rose. He wasn't certain of the answer to what had compelled him to free Chewbacca from the slavers. They had not discussed it before and he never wanted to examine his motives that closely.

His gaze flitted to his kaffe, his Co-pilot, and back again. "I dunno," he shrugged. "It was just a feeling I had. Like I had to. I didn't think it through, I just did it."

Chewie suggested it was instinctual and wondered if Han might want to also follow his instincts where Leia was concerned.

His eyes lifted thoughtfully to his friend, who was now quietly draining the last of the kaffe from his large mug.

Instincts. His instincts always pulled him towards Leia. Circumstances were what deterred him, reigning his desires in like a bantha being broken by a Tusken Raider. Every time he felt that magnetizing pull, something held him back; memories of what she had said about him, her haughty attitude that reminded him of her status, or that damned servitude he had volunteered for.

"Good morning."

Her soft, tentative voice yanked his attention to the doorway, where she stood in one of his long, white shirts, fiddling with several strands of the dark hair that bundled around her in messy disarray. The shirt fell just above her knees, and the way she stood, with one leg bent, appearing somewhat awkward and uncertain, was dazzlingly sexy. Her head was slightly lowered but she looked up at him through her lashes, somewhat shy and self-conscious. Some overpowering emotion slammed him hard in the chest, blossoming outward into every nerve of his body.

Chewie growled a response before Han could compose himself. He offered to make her kaffe, but Leia stayed him with a raised hand.

"No, that's okay. I've got it." She moved towards the kaffe machine as Chewie shrugged, grumbled that he was off to work, and placed his mug in the recycler. He left the galley without another word, leaving Han and Leia alone.

Head lowered, he watched her as she programmed the machine and placed a cup beneath the dispenser. When she turned to face him, his gaze fell to the floor.

"How did you sleep?" she asked quietly.

He answered without looking up. "I didn't."

"You didn't?"

The surprise in her tone caught his attention and he looked at her reflexively. "Nah, I worked through the night."

"You didn't sleep at all?"

"No. But the hyperdrive's almost fixed. Chewie's finishing up the job and we should be on our way. I think you're gonna make your meeting on time."

"Wow," she said in a small voice. "Thank you."

He nodded to the floor.

"You must be exhausted."

His eyes returned to her. "I could sleep." One side of his mouth quirked upwards.

The kaffe machine beeped and Leia retrieved her cup, added cream and a small amount of sweetener. Mug in hand, she came and sat on the stool beside Han's. Eyes on the counter, she sipped her kaffe then placed the mug on the counter, fingers remaining on the handle while her thumb slid back and forth over the top.

Han spun his stool to face his own cup, the silence between them drawing out into something slightly strained, like a tarp pulled taut over a heavy burden.

Discomfort prickled him and when he looked to Leia, he could see that she too was nervous. Brow tense, hair pushed behind her ear, she fiddled with her cup, mouth poised as if she wished to speak but couldn't find words. In the large shirt that dangled around her, she appeared soft and vulnerable and Han found it endearing. He couldn't help himself. He wanted to be near her.

"C'mere," he whispered into the silence.

When her head tipped up to him, her eyes seemed impossibly enormous and grateful. She slid from the stool and came to him like the tide gently brushing the shore.

Han's arms went around her and she seemed to melt into him. He sighed and heard her soft exhalation mix with his and it made him smile. That feeling from the night before returned suddenly, the sense that he was somehow where he belonged. It settled over him, hazy and surreal, an almost tangible mist surrounding them both.

Her hands roamed across his back and suddenly he longed to feel her fingers brushing his naked skin.

"This feels so good," she whispered.

Han couldn't disagree but said nothing. They remained just so for what felt like a long time to Han. He couldn't seem to end the embrace.

"You should get some sleep," she said quietly from where her head was buried against his neck, breath softly tickling him.

"Yeah." But, he didn't move. Right there with her, his worries and doubts dissipated to nothing. It felt a bit like a fantasy world, where nothing bad existed and it was just the two of them, standing amidst rainbows and waterfalls.

Finally, he started to disengage and she took a hesitant step back, face upturned to gaze at him. Her open, affectionate expression caused his heart to do a sharp dip.

Placing a gentle palm across her cheek, his eyes roved over her lips, chin, anywhere but her eyes. "Okay, I better get some rest."

Leia nodded. "Okay." She gazed at him expectantly.

He bent his head and kissed her, long and lingering. As he pulled away, he caressed her cheek with a finger, held her gaze for a brief moment then smiled slightly and left the galley.

In that moment, he felt pretty good.

###

Leia had resisted the urge to join Han in bed, had instead sat beside the maintenance access pit and kept Chewie company, while handing him the necessary tool to finish the repairs to the hyperdrive. Once finished, she had played co-pilot and assisted their journey into hyperspace. It had seemed odd to go about business on the Falcon without Han.

Now, she was helping Chewbacca prepare a meal. He wasn't one for rations, so now she sat, cutting up stalks of jutu as he had instructed. Leia had literally no experience with cooking but was happy to help, nonetheless.

They had been chatting companionably, to her limited ability. As she handed back the cut-up jutu, he said something that she recognized as being about Han, but could not translate.

"What was that?" she asked.

He repeated himself more slowly, and Leia was surprised to realize that he was expressing his fondness for herself and Han as a couple. Her brow rose and she blushed faintly, eyes falling to the counter before her.

"Thank you," she said shyly to the counter.

Chewbacca chuckled at her embarrassment then told her that he felt she was very good for Solo.

"I hope he thinks so," she said quietly.

Chewie assured her that he did, whether he knew it or not.

Leia laughed in spite of herself. She felt suddenly lighter and more hopeful than ever before.

"What else can I do to help?" she volunteered.

He growled that he needed no more help then suggested she go to Han if she liked.

He didn't have to tell her twice. She smiled with affection and left the galley.

Still clad in only Han's white shirt, she padded down the corridor on bare feet, excitement bubbling inside at the prospect of being with Han.

Inside his cabin, he was lying on his side beneath the covers, facing her, fast asleep. In sleep, he looked softer and so very handsome. The light blanket fell beneath his arm, leaving his muscular shoulder exposed. She stood for a long moment, just watching him sleep. She would never tell him, but she found him an utterly beautiful man. Was it simply because she loved him? Or did other women find him just as beautiful?

She flung off his long shirt and tossed it away, heedless of where it landed, then lowered her panties and threw them aside as well. Never before had she been so aware of being a woman as when she was with Han. Having been told all her life as a Princess that she was beautiful, it had always just seemed like words, but she never truly felt it.

Now, the way Han looked at her made her feel genuinely beautiful, and sexy, something she had never before considered herself. With newfound confidence, she lifted the covers, shifting underneath to join him. He too was naked and she pressed close, wanting to feel his skin, so warm against hers. Lacing one arm around his shoulders, the arm beneath her quickly grew uncomfortable. She turned away, backed against him then took his arm and placed it around her torso. She smiled as she felt him stir then press himself against her back, arm tightening around her. After a moment, he buried his mouth into her neck.

"Mmm," he breathed in a deep, husky exhalation.

Leia arched her back into his warmth and felt that he was already growing hard. Her breath caught when his lips were suddenly at the nape of her neck, grazing the sensitive skin, the softest touch she had ever felt. She moaned low in her throat as his tongue slid down, slick, slow, and erotic. That slow burn began to build inside her, exquisite and all-consuming, like nothing she could have imagined.

As his tongue flicked a hot trail down her spine, heated cries fell from her lips as she was overwhelmed with agonizing pleasure. He reached the cleft at the base of her spine then just as slowly, began the journey back up, licking and sucking until she thought she could no longer take it.

When his mouth had returned to her neck, one hand roughly cupped her breast, flicking the nipple until it was rigid, while his mouth played along her throat. His tongue lapped at her earlobe, and now, Leia was burning with desire. His breath was harsh and hot as he took the lobe between his teeth and gently sucked.

Han pushed her firmly onto her stomach, one hand on her breast, the other seeking the engorged bud between her thighs. He stroked it, ever-so-slowly, and the moan that escaped her was long and loud. The pleasure seemed endless, and suddenly, Han was pressing inside her from behind, and the feeling was so different from before, startling Leia with the new, erotic sensations. His throaty moans seemed to fill her ears.

His weight pressed her into the mattress, hands gliding across her arms until he found the backs of hers. He gripped them tightly and her fingers curled firmly around his.

Their bodies seemed to move as one, Han thrusting inside her slowly, sensuously, thrilling her with the shocking bursts of pleasure.

Urgency inflamed her and she began to meet his thrusts in a frenzied staccato of motion. Han was inside her, surrounding her, he was everywhere and all she knew.

With a guttural roar that filled her ears, he thrust hard and deep inside her, his cry drawing out as he tensed and shuddered, and Leia felt him spilling inside her, a hot, intimate stream that gushed with each quiver of his body.

His full weight was on her, but instead of feeling as if she were being crushed, she welcomed it. His hands still clutched hers convulsively and his breathing seemed to fill the cabin.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he rasped.

Perplexed, Leia tried to slow her breathing. "For what?"

"I came too fast."

"Was that fast?"

He lifted his weight from her and settled on his side, gently pulling her into his arms. Smiling at her affectionately, he let out another long breath. "Well, it wasn't fast exactly. But, you didn't get much out of it." His crooked grin was now blazing.

Her brow wrinkled for just a whisper before understanding fell. "Oh…" She looked away, mildly embarrassed at having taken so long to catch his meaning.

"Don't worry, Sweetheart," he murmured. "Give me a minute to recover and I'll take care of you."

"It's okay, I'm fine," she replied, in spite of the fact that her body was still fired up, an expectant throb coursing through her.

"Oh no," he countered, smiling. "Don't let anyone say that Han Solo doesn't reciprocate." He pushed her firmly to her back and began trailing kisses down her stomach, along one hip, his tongue slowly making its way across her thigh. With a knee, he nudged her legs apart and slid his tongue against the nub at the apex of her thighs.

Leia moaned, deep and low, all the nerve endings in her body already on high alert, electrified. His tongue stroked slowly as his hands gripped her hips and held her in place. A crescendo began building inside her, animalistic and frenzied, as it rose towards that exquisite precipice. Sooner than she would have expected, she was careening over the edge, grabbing at Han's head, clenching fistfuls of his hair.

He released his hold on her hips as they trembled and shuddered in glorious release. The quivering began to subside and she weakly pushed at Han's head.

Quickly, his arms were around her and he was kissing her gently on the forehead. Leia felt too weak to move.

"Gods, you make me crazy," he whispered gruffly, arms tightening around her.

Between shaky breaths, she answered playfully. "Is that…a good or bad thing?"

"Depends on the day," he murmured near her ear.

She wasn't sure if he was joking or not, but they lay in silence, regaining their senses. She stroked the hair at the back of his neck, finding it soft and enticing. Nothing felt as blissful as being in his arms. She wound one leg completely around his hips, unable to be close enough to him.

When her heart and breath had calmed with his, they lay in contented silence for a time.

"I should go see how the repairs are coming," he finally said.

"They're done."

"They're done?"

She smiled at the surprise in his tone. "Yes. Chewie finished, we're on course for Bespin, and I sent a message ahead. The Heads of State are waiting and we've pushed the meeting ahead one day."

"Wow," he said quietly. "You guys got it all under control. I should nap more often."

"Only if I get to join you," she said lightly. Pulling back enough to look at him, she traced his lower lip with a gentle finger, eyes on the caress. "I have wanted you for so long," she said in a hushed tone. Her eyes met his and found his expression vulnerable and wary. She ran a hand across his back and kissed him firmly. If only she could take back that moment on Naboo and erase all his concerns.

He backed away suddenly, removing himself from her arms.

"I'm gonna hit the shower."

She nodded, a bit disappointed. It would take time to show him how she felt…she just hoped there was time. It wouldn't be long before his contract was up…and then what?

He paused at the door before hitting the panel to open it, and turned back to face her, an earnest expression on his face.

"You, uh...wanna join me?"

A smile burst forth, warming her and giving her hope. She nodded and left the bunk.