Here is the next Chapter, enjoy :)
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On the Bridge of Home One, Leia's ears perked up at Captain Luther's comment to another officer.
"Solo turned it down. He said he's leaving the Rebellion in a few days. We can't count on him anymore, we'll have to reassign it to someone else."
Her head turned reflexively to where the two officers stood. She tore her eyes back to the console before her but was no longer seeing it.
So, Han was finally leaving. Of course, he was. He had never not been leaving. And that was always the problem.
Well, that and his callous, uncaring nature.
His arrogance of the other night crawled into her thoughts again, reigniting her anger. He doesn't do commitment? As if everyone didn't already know that. As if she were going to be eternally pining for him, waiting for any opportunity to be with him.
The unmitigated nerve of that man!
Unbidden heat flew through her, sparking memories of the physical pleasure she had experienced…before he ruined the night.
So, the man was good in bed. Leia was certain there were plenty of men who were equal to him, who could make her body scream with ecstasy until she was weak and fulfilled, unable to move or speak.
It had been so very different from being with Benny. It had been pleasurable with him, of course, yet nowhere near as exhilarating as that night with Han. What he had done to her body…
She shivered just thinking about it, that persistent ache burning between her legs again. She glanced around, suddenly self-conscious, as if someone might read her inappropriate thoughts.
If only he weren't so obnoxious…
She had to stop thinking about it. It wouldn't happen again; she wouldn't allow it. And, he was leaving. It was for the best.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"You know Han's leaving tomorrow, right?"
The echo of distress that Luke's words sent reverberating through Leia's chest was kept in check by many long years of practice in diplomatic relations. Her impervious expression never faltered.
"Yes, I know."
"The Rogues and I are having a little going away party for him tonight. You should come."
"I don't think so," she replied smoothly.
"Oh, come on," he implored, blue eyes mournful. "We'll probably never see him again."
Her heart did an odd double-thump, but outwardly she remained aloof. "I'm sure."
"You should at least say good bye."
Leia sighed through her nose. Should she? "I'll think about it."
His responding smile was small yet clearly pleased. "Rogues' barracks. 1900 hours."
"I never said I was coming," she replied archly. "I just said I might say good bye."
"Okay. Well, I still hope to see you later." He aimed a finger at her and his eyes tightened pointedly as he turned and left her office. Leia watched the door slide shut behind him and sat back with a hand over her face.
Now that the day had come, she had very mixed feelings. Han certainly was not the type of man she should be involved with, she was well aware of that. In spite of the fact that he was shallow, arrogant, unreliable, and showed no loyalty, it was hard to stop thinking about him.
She told herself that she had no interest in him, but her straying thoughts would not cooperate. His face often flitted into her thoughts…the way he had looked at her when he first came to her room, expectant yet hesitant; his expression when he fingered her hair, eyes filled with longing; his smoky eyes when he stared down at her naked form.
With these images came memories of his hands on her skin, his mouth at her throat, tasting and teasing her. The thoughts made her entire body hum with arousal.
It occurred to her that she might calm the storm raging inside her by engaging in relations with someone else. Yet, no one else appealed to her. She looked at other men and felt nothing. Meanwhile, the mere thought of Han sent moisture seeping between her thighs. It was maddening! She didn't want to have these feelings about him.
Now, her body was in an uproar, senses clamoring for something she could not have.
Something tickled at the back of her mind, something she refused to acknowledge.
Should she go say good bye to him? Luke was right, this was the last time she would see him.
With a resolute sigh, she stood from her desk and went in search of the Corellian who remained on her mind. All the way there, she told herself it was simply to bid him farewell.
###
At the engineering station on the Millennium Falcon, Han checked the status of the diagnostic he was running. So far, everything checked out. Chewie was finishing up the last of the repairs and tomorrow morning they would head out and away from the Alliance. Finally.
He mostly felt good about the decision, in spite of the slight nagging feeling that tugged at him. This was the longest he had remained in one place, more or less, in his adult life. Granted, the Fleet moved around, but he had stayed with this group for over a year and a half.
This was why he preferred to have no ties to anyone other than Chewie, why he remained rootless. Stay in one place too long and you start to become too comfortable and complacent. He wouldn't allow it to happen again.
But, he was going to miss the Kid. He hated to admit it, but it was true. If only he could convince him to take up with himself and Chewie, be a part of the Falcon's crew. It was a worthless thought, Luke would never abandon the Rebellion. Or the Princess…
Bitterness twisted his lips. They hadn't spoken since that fateful night, and when their paths crossed, they dutifully ignored one another. A swell of resentment hit him every time, strengthening his resolve to escape the Alliance.
Yet, he still longed for something from her. It was more than the intense, physical pleasure of that night, something elusive that he instinctively knew would never come. But, when he thought about her appalled reaction at the thought of wanting a commitment from him, he knew it was best to get away. Out of sight, out of mind.
Soft noise drew his gaze to the circular entrance of the hold and, as if she were the summation of his thoughts, there she was, poised tentatively, one hand on the bulkhead. He was too startled to feel much of a reaction. They stared at each other long enough for awkwardness to set in.
"I just came to say good bye," she informed him tonelessly.
He turned to face her, one hand leaning on the console. "All right." He remained impassive but beneath the surface he wondered why she had to be so damned beautiful.
She hesitated, seemingly uncertain now. "Where will you be going when you leave us?"
Us? "Gotta go pay off my debt. After that…well, it's a big galaxy, I could end up anywhere."
Leia nodded dully as if she weren't truly listening. She took a few steps in his direction, still remaining at a distance. Automatically, Han moved forward in response. Two meters remained between them.
"Well…best of luck to you." Her smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Thanks. You, too." The air between them was laden with tension, pulled taut and strained to bursting.
At the same moment, they both drew forward, arms rounding out for a casual, farewell hug, a gesture that seemed appropriate. Han's arms closed around her and he felt her grip tighten around his chest. He had expected the embrace to be light and brief, was surprised when she clutched him firmly, hands small but solid against his back. It felt good, her diminutive body snug in his arms, and suddenly he wanted more. He clasped her more tightly against him, something warm and hazy taking over.
Neither made a move to end the embrace. Han felt her head tip upwards towards his neck. Reflexively, his face turned into the movement. Nothing else existed in that moment but the irresistible demand for intimacy that coaxed him closer.
Breath coming fast and hard, he waited for just one more indication from her. Then, her mouth was beside his chin and it was all he needed.
He inched closer and crushed his mouth to hers, found it instantly open, tongue hot and silky against his. He was hard and burning with need, hands roaming hungrily across her curves.
One more time, he thought. What could it hurt?
His hands slid up and inside her shirt, her skin delicious beneath her fingers. He sighed into her mouth and her hands glided across his shoulders. She was less hesitant, more intense than last time, and it intensified the feeling of desperate need between them. Her tongue swirled around his and he let her take control of their pace. Their kisses grew frantic and he deftly moved her back to the game table and gently pushed her down to it, bending over her, fingers raking down her breasts, her stomach.
Her eyes radiated sudden concern. "What about Chewie?"
Han couldn't suppress a smirk. "Didn't think you'd want him to be a part of this, Princess. You're kinkier than I expected."
Her eyes narrowed and he was reminded that she didn't always have the best sense of humor.
"I meant," she replied pointedly, "is he going to come in here?"
He forced a more sober expression. "Uh, okay, let's take this party someplace else." He stood and extended a hand to help her up. She rolled her eyes and he just caught sight of it. Ignoring it, he kept her hand in his and led her through the corridor to his cabin.
Inside, he caught her other hand and tugged her to the bed. "Let's pick up where we left off." A bit more roughly, he pushed her down to the bunk, carefully watching her reaction.
A surprised spark lit her eyes and her lips parted expectantly. He smiled to himself with a low growl of satisfaction then lowered himself to lie facing her. He ran a hand over the braids that were crossed on her head. "I like it down," he whispered gruffly.
Leia's head rose slightly. "So, take it down." Her voice was a husky challenge.
Han's brow rose in surprise. The thought hadn't occurred to him before but he suddenly found the idea appealing. With a slight, crooked smile, he appraised the complicated array of braids, uncertain of how to proceed. He spotted a pin neatly holding it together and carefully removed it. Several braids fell to her shoulders.
A glance at her face revealed a soft smile and the moment felt abruptly intimate and strange to him. Frowning internally, he returned his attention to her hair. He carefully removed all the pins until the remaining braids were down.
His eyes tightened as he examined them, uncertain how to proceed. Leia took one braid in hand and disentangled it, her gaze on him the entire time as he closely watched the deft movements of her fingers. When she was finished, she gestured for him to take over.
With a half grin that felt a bit foolish, he gently wound his fingers through the next braid, feeling somewhat awkward and self-conscious. He continued to unravel the silky twists of hair, occasionally peeking at her to find her eyes closed, a dreamy expression stolen over her features. Something warm yet elusive spread through him at the soft feel of his fingers slipping through the luxurious strands.
When half her hair was unbound, her eyes opened and she turned towards him. She grabbed his shirtfront more forcefully than he ever would have expected and pulled him close.
"Kiss me," she uttered in a breathy voice, eyes on his lips.
Taken aback by the sudden movement, he took a moment to respond, while desire rose from deep inside. Then, he was kissing her forcefully and her hands were in his hair, tugging gently.
It was more than he could take. In several quick movements, he opened her shirt and slid it off, followed by her bra. Her fingers were at the fastenings of his shirt and she removed it just as swiftly. She tugged at his pants and he opened them and kicked them off, eager to feel her skin on his. Her pants were off too, panties flung to the floor.
Then he was sliding slowly inside her and they both cried out. It felt too good and he stopped suddenly, teeth ground together, unable to bare the intensity of pleasure. Her hands gripped his buttocks, urging him deeper and he plunged further, fast and hard, releasing a strangled scream. Her low, throaty moans aroused something deep and primal in him.
As he found a sensuous, erotic rhythm and rocked inside her, her hands kneaded his buttocks, glided down his thighs, around his hips, up his back and shoulders…
Her touch was light, drifting like the softest, warmest breeze. He didn't understand it, but somehow, it touched something beyond the physical, caused a slow burn in his chest.
Han pushed the thought aside and refocused on what it felt like to be inside her. Her hips curved upwards now to meet each thrust, driving him more deeply within her, frenzy rising, blood pounding fiercely. It felt as if he couldn't stand the exquisite rapture of their joined bodies another moment when Leia was suddenly shuddering around him, pumping her hips frantically, and he lost complete control, yelled out as his body shook in response, throbbing inside her as she cried out with a long, guttural sound that drove him further over the edge. He spilled inside her, endless and utterly draining. His hands grasped the back of her head, holding her tightly in place as the final convulsions shook him.
Panting heavily, he pressed his forehead to hers, eyes shut tightly. Her breath brushed just as harshly against his lips and for a moment, he was overwhelmed with a disturbing feeling of reverence. It blanketed him in a haze of emotion that left him uncharacteristically affected. He kissed her then, tenderly, lingeringly, unable to do anything else.
It left him shaken and confused, wanting to reject these feelings completely. What the hell was wrong with him?
He shifted to his side, then his back, breaking all physical contact. He tried to recover his breath and his sense of normalcy. Leia lay beside him, as winded as he. Part of him yearned to take her in his arms, but he suppressed the urge, trying to ignore it completely. He felt deeply uncomfortable and couldn't summon anything to say or do.
She was silent too, and finally, his thoughts cleared and he found something to say.
"That was quite a sendoff." His words were punctuated by pauses while he still worked at catching his breath.
When she sat up and abruptly began collecting her clothes, he wondered if he had chosen the wrong words. He lay there, contemplating, as she dressed. Finally, as she pulled on her boots, he stood, grabbed his undershorts and shoved his legs inside. He stood awkwardly, arms now crossed, waiting for her to turn around as she seemed to be smoothing out her shirt.
She spun to face him and their eyes roamed their surroundings for a long moment before they planted their gazes on each other. Something sparked in his chest at the contact. He covered it with his usual finesse.
"Thanks for the good bye present." He grinned brightly, feeling quite the opposite inside.
Her expression remained impassive. "I wish you well."
The words sounded so formal to Han's ears. It reminded him of why she was a bad idea and that leaving was the right decision. He suppressed the scowl that threatened. "Yeah, thanks. I'll walk you out."
She nodded and turned to the door. He followed her out, frowning to himself. They reached the hatch and Han realized Chewie had closed it and wondered what the big, nosey Wookiee might have heard. He hit the controls to lower the ramp.
She turned to face him again and they appraised each other coolly.
"Good luck with your Rebellion, Your Highness." The words felt all wrong and completely lacking, but it was all he could muster.
"Thank you," she said primly.
It was hard to believe this was the same woman who had just been moaning so passionately in his arms.
"I hope you settle your debt," she added.
"Thanks." His eyes rattled around them for a moment. "Be safe."
She nodded then, in one quick move, was hugging him in that polite, unengaged way he had initially expected. Before they ended up in bed. He placed one arm lightly about her shoulders, but she quickly turned and headed down the ramp.
He watched her go with mixed feelings. Why did he suddenly doubt his decision to leave?