Soon After the Battle of Endor:

After the smoky haze had lifted off the forest floor of Endor. After her wound had been treated. After she told him Luke was her twin brother, and not a romantic rival. And after Vader had died, and Leia tearfully, angrily told him of her bloodline, he held her, stroking her back and hair as she cried in his bunk in the quiet confines of the Falcon.

So much time had been snatched from them. She had lost her entire world at the touch of a monster's button. She had been tortured. He had been tortured. But they had won! Beat those bastards so bad they'd likely never recover. Next was the cleanup after a victory party.

His head struggled to reconcile the victory with the pain. With Vader as father and tormentor of his own daughter. Him, the evil hateful father of a loving, good daughter. As leaders on opposite ends of an intergalactic armed conflict. A fight for good over evil. He shook his head at how insane it all was.

Han started laughing, a hysterical, exhausted peel of manic mirth.

"What is it?" She questioned, concern, probably for his sanity flitting across her face as she raised her head from where it rested on his chest.

"You kissed me, said you loved me in front of your father, and he literally froze me out of your life - after he tortured me. Worst first meeting with a father, EVER!"

Leia gazed at him a moment through teary lashes before a grin tugged across her face. They both cracked up, holding each other as laughter overtook them until they were gasping for air.

Leia took a deep breath and wiped her eyes before she playfully poked Han in the stomach. "Well you did shoot at him first. Or maybe he did that because you said, 'I know' instead of saying it back."

"Ouch, Sweetheart. You knew I loved you. It wasn't a secret."

"No, I suppose not. I knew."

Han shrugged, his hand gently cupping her face. "I knew too, even if you struggled sayin' it for a long ass time."

"Hmmmm," she agreed, seemingly too content to take the bait on this well-trod debate. Besides, he was entirely right, obviously, and any denial otherwise was bluffing and bantha shit. On a sigh, she snuggled back into his arms, her head back on his chest.

"He's not, wasn't," she corrected on a shaky breath, "my real father. My real dad would have hated you, and then he would have loved you. But you wouldn't have been put on a rack or frozen for loving me. Worst case, Captain, you would have been interrogated in his office with a good brandy or forced to attend a royal ball in formal wear."

"It's General. I graduated. And not sure that's a whole lot better, Sweetheart," he dead panned.

"Nerf herder!" She joked.

"Highnessness!" He returned.

"Han?" She sat up a bit in his bunk so she could see his face again and he looked at her expectantly.

"I love you."

"Leia?" He paused a beat as he snaked his arm around her waist and tugged her back down for a gentle kiss.

"I love you too."

"No snappy retort, No 'I know'?"

"Nah. We can move on. We've graduated now."

"Is that right? Graduated to what?"

"Graduated to whom, not what."

"To whom? You're getting fancy in your new uniform, General Solo. Maybe we should get you out of it. Bring back the scoundrel I'm so fond of." She started playfully tugging at his shirt.

"I'm still a general naked, Sweetheart. Wait, don't distract me." Han bit his lip nervously before he made the face he made right before he ran headlong into danger without a plan.

"Leia. I love you."

"I know." She stroked his cheek affectionately.

"No, I mean. Leia, stop talkin' for just a second. I can't breathe when you're smiling at me like that."

Leia, he noted, looked delighted at this confession as her smile grew wider.

"Ok, graduated to whom?" She prompted, stifling a smile.

"Look, a married couple shouldn't be jokin' about loving each other. We've graduated."

Her eyes widened as her mind caught up to her ears. "You want to get married? Now?" Her gaze was so filled with love and affection he confidently blazed ahead.

"Yeah, yes. It ain't gotta be today, but yes. Someday. I want you to marry me. So, will ya?"

She sat up facing him, her eyes filling again, but she was still smiling.

"Ok, hotshot."

Han grinned and pulled Leia on top of him. "Mrs. Princess General Leia Solo. I like how that sounds." His arms encircled her small frame and she relaxed into his embrace.

"Prince Consort Han Organa sounds even better," she added, her chin resting on his chest as she smiled.

"Split the difference? Organa-Solo?"

"Deal."

"Deal," Han agreed.

He kissed her to seal it. The kiss deepened as each sank into the wonderful feeling of just being together, free of looming bounties and near-certain death. He could get used to this.

Notes:

I love the "I Love You" "I Know" scene and quote. It is so loaded with unseen backstory and weight. Do they ever talk about it? Does it become an inside joke? I tried to answer those questions as the war winds down, and their future together looms bright.