AN: This next section of the story is very long, but that's as it should be since it is what everything has been leading up to. Han and Leia's night on Bespin is going to be an extremely interesting one!
What I've decided to do is split the chapter up into six parts. Because this all takes place during one singular night and it's all continuous, the splitting up may at times seem more abrupt and serialized than usual. However, I won't leave you hanging for too long since I have it all finished. I will be updating once a week on Fridays, so you'll know exactly when the next part is coming.
CHARMOLYPI
(n.) "joy-making sorrow"; an integrated feeling of both joy and sorrow dwelling together and giving rise to each other
Standing in the Falcon's cockpit back in her snowsuit felt strange to Leia. It was oddly disorienting to be in such a familiar space, in familiar clothing, making the familiar preparations to ready the ship for entry. It was almost as if four life-changing weeks hadn't passed, as if it were Hoth's recognizable atmosphere they were about to pierce when, in fact, Echo Base was likely demolished and she would never set foot on Hoth again — yet another place she'd come to call home that had turned out to be merely transitory, that had been obliterated after any sort of connection to her.
Shaking her head, Leia tried her best to banish those dreary thoughts and focus on the here and now, something that could itself prove to be a precarious situation, though Han swore he had it under control.
Putting anything else out of her mind other than what she saw around her proved to be easy once they made planetfall. Leia had been to a great many planets and places within them in her lifetime, but even for a seasoned traveler such as herself, the approach to Cloud City could only be described as something straight out of a dream.
The settlement's name was stunningly accurate; the structure the city was built upon quite literally did float amongst the clouds. Even the pragmatic, built-for-function-over-aesthetic-appeal tibanna gas refineries hovering in midair were a sight to behold, and the naturally occurring algae that hung ever-present in the atmosphere of the Bespin Life Zone gave the sky a deep pink hue as if it had been gorgeously hand-painted by a galaxy renowned artist. And the best part of all: true to Han's word, Leia had already spotted two squadrons of common thranta gliding through the air, and as they got closer to the city proper, she caught a glimpse of a giant thranta with its rider.
Unfortunately, the other thing they encountered as they made their final approach to Cloud City's saucer structure was the Bespin Wing Guard. Being surrounded by a patrol of cloud cars and even fired upon in warning made for an intense minute or two before they were granted permission to land.
The mood was equally tense on Platform 327. They had no way of knowing what they were walking into but finding the platform eerily — she'd go as far as to say ominously — deserted was the last thing Leia expected. However, the quiet of the landing pad was soon shattered by the arrival of one Lando Calrissian, flanked by an entire entourage of Bespin security as well as a personal administrative aide.
Leia breathed a sigh of relief once the yelling turned to hugging, but even then, she didn't know what to make of Han's silver-tongued, becaped, all-around too smooth to be genuine 'friend'. Though the two of them may be embracing, she was still on guard.
But with the others' now jovial attitudes and the beauty of the atmosphere around them, it was difficult to stay too wary. Han's endearing jealousy after Lando immediately hit on her likewise did a lot to lighten Leia's mood. Of course, it didn't hurt that Han himself was gorgeous in the especially dramatic pink light of sunset with his sparkling eyes a lush green at the moment, his full lips curved into a winning smile, and his hair blowing attractively in the high platform's breeze.
And it turned out that Cloud City wasn't only lovely from the outside. The outpost's interior architecture was equally striking. Lando insisted on accommodating them in one of the most opulent suites of the luxury resort district, but even the concourses from the landing pad were beautiful. It was no wonder a place like this had made Lando "turn respectable", as Han put it. Hustling in the dive port towns and sketchy cantinas that featured in nearly all of the stories Han had told her of his and Lando's escapades together was a far cry from Baron Administrator of all the elegance in this upscale floating metropolis.
The suite Lando appointed them while the Falcon had her repairs done consisted of three bedrooms that fanned out from a central common area that was anything but common. As he gave a tour, he made a point of highlighting how this particular suite would allow a private bed for each of them, angling in his own ingratiatingly slick way to see if either Leia or Han would correct him and he could ascertain if they were sleeping together — although he truly couldn't imagine Han hanging around, or even merely traveling with, a woman for any other purpose.
Han shook his head at that comment, wondering if his old friend actually thought he was fooling anyone, or if he was just too bold to care that his fishing was so blatantly transparent. He didn't want to give Lando the satisfaction of confirming or denying anything, but Han also didn't like the way the unrepentant womanizer was still eyeing Leia. "She's here with me, Lando. That's all you gotta know."
After that, Lando regaled them with the many features of the settlement, including its numerous hotels, casinos, restaurants, and shopping centers that would be at their disposal. Han didn't miss the spark of interest that lit Leia's expression as her eyes skimmed over the stack of flimsi resort maps and brochures Lando fanned out on one of the tables for their perusal on his way out the door.
Chewbacca escorted Lando back to the Falcon to begin directing maintenance, and Han and Leia were alone again. The first thing Han did was make quick work of dashing whatever plans he was certain she'd already cooked up. "Look, Princess, I know what you're thinking."
"Oh, do you now, Captain?"
Her teasing tone was a pleasant step in the right direction from the anxiety she'd been exhibiting all day, but he still couldn't have her getting any ideas. If you gave Leia so much as a centim in the direction she wanted, she ran with it; he'd learned that the hard way many a time.
"Yeah, I do," he retorted, taking on her playful tone as he reached out for her waist and gently drew her in against him. "You're thinkin' that's it's damn good to be off that 'bucket of bolts'."
Her teasing eyes widened expressively. "Yes, I was."
"And that after all this time couped up, it'd be mighty good to stretch your legs, have a nice gourmet meal, get some new girls' clothes instead of having to wear mine all the time, maybe even see a holofilm or hit up one of the casinos."
"Well, I was certainly thinking the clothing part," Leia readily acknowledged. "I don't know that I was actively planning any of the rest, but now that you say it…Why not make the most of the situation? It is the City of Romance, after all. You could take me on an actual date — no rations, no Rogues, no droids getting in the way."
"I hear you, Sweetheart, and I'd love to have a night out with you." Hells, he'd damn near talked himself into it with his list of things he'd guessed she wanted to do. Sure, he'd love blowing off some steam in a night out on the town with Leia on his arm, but there were a lot of things he'd love to do with Leia that, unfortunately, time and place hadn't yet lined up for. This was another one of them. "Don't think that'd be a good idea, though."
Leia sensed that Han found the prospect too risky, but it seemed to her that he was being overly protective, as he was prone to be where she was concerned. "Why not? You know I can handle myself in any situation. Over the years, I've been in more seedy tapcafes with you than I can count. And this isn't exactly a sordid part of town," she said with a sweep of her arm, indicating all the lavishness around them.
"No, it ain't. Problem's the opposite of that. Lando told me a bit more about the place when you stepped out to the fresher. It's not just a tourist spot; there are year-round residents. Lots of people from the Core who're trying to get out from under the Empire's thumb. Even some Alderaanian survivors. A whole cosmopolitan diaspora. Princess, you're just too recognizable."
"Even if that's the case, those aren't beings who are likely to cause us any trouble," Leia disputed.
"Maybe not," Han assented, "but even good attention is still attention, and we don't want to draw any to ourselves. We just gotta get in and get out, with as little notice as possible. And you, Worship, attract plenty of notice. It was good thinking introducing yourself only as Leia, but Lando already knows who you are. Soon as you left the room, he asked me what I was doing running with Rebels."
That statement raised an immediate alert with her. "I thought you said he didn't sympathize with the Empire."
"He doesn't. Not anywhere close. But he's not about to get involved, either. Lando only sympathizes with himself." Han shrugged with a bewildered shake of his head. "Least he used to. This new, responsible businessman Lando is a version I don't know. The point is, if he recognized you, maybe others will, too."
"Or maybe he only knows who I am because he's been following what you're up to. You did help blow up the Death Star, you know," Leia pointed out.
"Could be, but I don't think we should take any chances. I think we should both lay low while we're here, 'specially you. Chewie plans to stay the night on the Falcon supervising. I'll be here with you, but I need to go get Lando's men setup."
Leia easily nodded her acquiescence at that, well aware it was likely driving Han mad not being the one to personally oversee every aspect of the work on his baby. It was the least he could ask just to be there while instructions were handed down. "That's fine. We can go do that first."
"I meant me, Sweetheart. I think you should stay put." At the look on her face, Han hurried to get ahead of her objections. "Look, there are plenty of amenities to enjoy right here."
The place had come pre-setup with plates of cheeses, fruits, and chocolates, along with a bottle of champagne on ice — and that was without even cracking open the fully stocked bar. He indicated as much on the tables behind them, though he knew she couldn't have missed it.
"Each bedroom's got a huge holoscreen. Bet you could pull up any movie you can think of."
When that didn't appear to do much to sway her, Han further coaxed, "Did you see those hot tubs in the freshers? Think even Chewie'd fit in one of those. You can have yourself a nice, long soak while I'm gone. By the time you get out, I'll be back. And Lando's people can send you up all the clothes you want. We can order in one of those nice gourmet meals before bed, too. There's no reason for you to leave this suite."
Couped up was still couped up, and this sounded to Leia like simply swapping one confinement for another. But the amenities were far nicer here, and Han also wasn't wrong about not taking any chances with their safety, all the more so when they were leaving here to head for the Rebel fleet. The last thing they needed was to be followed.
"All right, I can agree to those terms," she told him, giving his hips a playful squeeze.
He bent down to touch his lips to hers for a soft but short kiss, ducking his head a little to hide his eyes on the way back up. It was a move of his that she instantly recognized for nervousness, and Leia's curiosity was piqued.
He cleared his throat gruffly. "Speaking of amenities," he said, close enough to shyly that it set off a little pang in her heart at whatever he was so anxious about, "now that we've got plenty of space and our own rooms…I don't know what you were thinking, but I—"
"Hotshot, if I don't find you in my bed tonight, I'm going to assume you were abducted."
"That's what I like to hear," Han grinned broadly, immensely pleased with the way that question was settled. He turned to head out but stopped at the door to flash her a smirk over his shoulder. "Keep that phrase on standby when we get back, would you? We could win a lot of bets with that."
Basking in the warm, honeyblossom scented water with a glass of Chandrilan wine proved to be exactly what Leia had needed. The soothing bubbles were both relaxing and restorative, and she soon felt an easing of the tension she had been carrying over the past few days.
Leia set the glass down on the edge of the tub, leaning her head back on a ridiculously plush towel and sinking down deeper into the water until it lapped against the bottom of her chin. This newly reclined position put her in sudden contact with one of the submerged jets, a current of churning waters now pleasurable teasing between her legs. After a few moments, she relaxed into that too, her hips moving in a slow, pleasing counterpoint to the swirling underwater stream.
Feeling sensual and aroused quickly turned her thoughts to Han in general, and to when he would be returning. Images of him coming back and finding her this way danced not unpleasantly before her mind's eye. That, in turn, conjured memories of the night before; the two of them together, worked up to a fever pitch atop the dejarik table.
Not only had she enjoyed last night from a physical standpoint, but it had felt incredibly empowering in some ancient, primal way to have Han so in her thrall. She could still picture the frenzied look in his eyes and how he'd had to literally turn away because the sight of her half-naked body was too much for him. To incite him nearly beyond the bounds of his self-control was a heady aphrodisiac, and now that she'd gotten a taste, she wanted another.
It felt like they'd only just scratched the surface of possibilities, of what they could make each other feel. How could she let him leave without knowing more of him that way? With the tendrils of warm water stroking their aquatic fingers over her sex, her fantasies ran wild of a fully unleashed Han turning all of his passion upon her….
Abruptly coming back to herself, Leia sat up straight, breaking the erotic underwater contact so she could think clearly again. Because fantasies were one thing, reality had consequences. That was something she carried with her from long before they'd met, but it had taken on supreme salience since the Disaster. By now, it was too engrained an instinct to simply override for convenience or desire's sake. Yes, she wanted to go to bed with Han, but she'd always wanted to go to bed with him. The reasons why she shouldn't were still sound, the potential costs real and devastating.
Intellectually, Leia knew that, accepted that, couldn't just ignore that. Physically, even emotionally, she yearned to go there with him anyway, consequences be damned. The problem remained that she was far too responsible a person to flout consequences, especially ones that could be so profound.
Ever the diplomat, though, she spent the remainder of her bath conspiring of a way to satisfy both sides. The pondering continued as she got out of the tub and dried herself off. It was while wrapped in a pink velour robe softer than anything she'd worn in years, sorting through the myriad of bedclothes brought up for her, that Leia's cunning mind hit upon a solution.
Consciously, she couldn't commit to 'the full plunge' with Han — her overriding pragmatic nature wouldn't allow it — but that didn't mean she couldn't permit herself to dip a toe into the raging waters between them…And if she then happened to get caught up in a riptide that pulled her out to sea, well, she really couldn't be held accountable for wherever the unbridled current carried her.
Imagining as much now, with increasingly explicit visions propagating unchecked through her mind, Leia had a full-fledged plan in store for Han the very moment he came back from the Falcon….