Chapter 1: The Awakening
1 ABY - Some Unnamed Mid-Rim Hellhole
Princess Leia fidgeted with impatience in the repressing heat of their current outpost. The meeting to run through her upcoming mission with Han and Chewie to negotiate with a well-organized cell of anti-imperialists in the Core world of Ralltiir had run long. As beings who were almost always the smartest in the room, she, Han, and Chewie had reached a solution for navigating the Imperial blockade and the danger of traveling to the Core a full 90 minutes ago. Unfortunately, the others were excruciatingly slow to catch up.
Staring at Han's profile until he sensed her looking, he turned towards her and raised an eyebrow. She feigned fixing her hair to block her face from the rest of the room while she dramatically rolled her eyes at Dodonna's latest idiotic objection. Han's lip turned up almost imperceptibly as he stifled a grin.
Han had become bored with this meeting approximately 3 minutes in. Sensing the Princess was right there with him, and infinitely less patient than Chewie, he decided to start a side conversation for their amusement.
He leaned into her space with a head tilt to indicate he wanted to whisper something in her ear.
This should be interesting she thought, as she tilted her ear toward him to hear without being overheard.
"I think I know what Dodonna's deal is. Word in the hangar is that you and me are doin' it." He waggled his eyebrows at her twice in quick succession.
Leia faked a cough to swallow the bark of laughter that threatened to erupt from her mouth and leaned back in to add some snark to this ridiculous conversation.
"I'm pretty sure I'd notice if that was the case."
"Oh, you'd definitely notice, Sweetheart," he teased with a wink.
She tilted her head towards Han's ear, ready with a come-back when her bottom lip scraped against his stubbled jaw line, just under his ear. The intimacy of the contact, the thrill it elicited sent heat coursing through her. She drew a sharp intake of breath. Oh… fuck! She jerked her head away from him.
"Relax Leia, it was just a joke," Han whispered. His exasperated face turned to concern when Leia froze, staring at nothing.
Leia continued to stare, slack jawed and wide-eyed, unable to meet his eye. She willed herself not to flush too red with her embarrassment and the unexpected heat of the contact. Leia abruptly stood and offered rushed apologies before dashing out of the meeting.
As she burst into her cramped quarters to calm down, she replayed her cheek scraping against Han's stubbled jaw and wondered again why she the accidental contact had felt so erotic. They had been in close proximity plenty of times - huddled together in an emergency shelter awaiting rescue, hugging each other after surviving certain death on one of their off-base misadventures, pretending to be a couple on missions. She had felt comfort, frequent irritation, and a growing affection for Han over the past year. But she never felt that before with him.
She had survived the past year on a cocktail of overwork, sleep deprivation, and constant numbness against her grief. More shocking to her than having a sexual reaction to one of her closest friends was having felt aroused at all. That liquid pull low in her belly, the heat that engulfed her and signified need for release was not something she had felt to any significant degree since the Disaster.
Taking deep breaths, Leia closed her eyes, attempting to sooth a growing sense of panic. Torn between relief that maybe this was a sign she was finally moving forward and healing, and equal horror at the same prospect.
A knock on her door pulled her out of her tormented thoughts.
"Leia, can I come in?" A gravely baritone full of contrition called out.
Leia waved open her door, her face a mask of professional focus.
"You ok? You ran outta there real quick."
"I'm fine," She answered stiffly. She had yet to figure out what her reaction to Han meant but now was not the time to dwell on it and its potential significance.
"Look, forget I made a joke about us, alright? I thought it would make you laugh."
"Is that what passes for an apology where you come from, Captain?" Leia smirked with an eyebrow quirked up playfully, willing Han to let it go.
"As a matter of fact, it does. C'mon, we got clearance to depart in an hour. I need help with pre-flight checks while Chewie eats another lunch.
She rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag.
As they walked toward the hangar, Han slung a friendly arm over her shoulder and she wrapped hers around his waist, giving each other a quick squeeze before releasing and continuing towards the Falcon.
Notes:
Kudos and comments are very appreciated! I'll post the final two chapters as I complete them over the next month(ish).