The trip to Bespin, The Empire Strikes Back.
Leia emptied out another bag of ration bars. Gods Han kept so many of these stashed around different parts of the Falcon. "I hope these rations will be enough," a voice Leia would recognize from anywhere said behind her.
She set her data pad in his strong hands. "You put it in a report?" He retorted.
"Yeah, I did," she shot back, closing up the bag of rations.
"Well I think we should be good for a while," he said, handing the data pad back. There was no need to add until we get to Bespin or when we rendezvous with the fleet due to the fact that's what the two of them got in an argument about earlier.
"You mean until you leave," she snapped flatly.
Han swallowed, leaning against the doorframe. "At least that's what you plan to do after Bespin?"
"Leia-"
"I know you're going to leave Han. And when you want me to love you, when I want to love you, I can't," she paused, taking a deep breath. "Because I know you're going to leave me..."
"Leia I have no choice."
She stiffened. "You always have a choice," she whispered, pushing past him into the main cargo hold.
"Leia!"
But she was gone.
•••
Han walked in the Falcon's cockpit a few hours later to find the princess leaned back in the pilots chair, her feet sprawled across the Falcon's control board. He took a seat in the co-pilots chair. "Leia."
She paid him no attention. "I finished taking inventory. We should have enough food and water for the remaining time until we reach Bespin."
"Look Leia-"
"I don't want to talk about it right now," she spat out.
Han took a deep breath, leaning back so his head rest against the headrest. He put his feet up on the control board, just as she had done. Leia didn't understand. You have your clearance to leave she said on Hoth. Then she preceded to question him on why he was still there. He was there because he cared for her.
But the thing that had him on edge was their confrontation with Boba Fett on Ord Mantell. Fett nearly killed her. And Jabba would put her through hell if she were captured, and it was found that he was working with the Rebellion.
"Leia I have to leave."
She didn't even glance in his direction, but simply continued staring out the cockpit window. "Leia, when we confronted Fett on Ord Mantell, he nearly killed you. And Fett was sent by Jabba to kill me. This is my battle, and I can't risk losing you for my mistakes."
"I want to come with you."
"No you don't. Leia, there's a good chance I won't come back."
He heard her sigh. "I couldn't live with the guilt of knowing you died because of me."
She sat up, taking her feet off the controls. "Let me come with you."
"I can't Leia."
Han ran his hand through his hair as she unzipped her snowsuit. Leia pulled her arms out of it until it hung by her waist. She was left wearing only a tight form fitting long sleeve shirt.
As she got up, Han couldn't help noticing the mark on her skin between the shirt and bottom of her snowsuit. It was an Imperial code of her name and the date she was scheduled to be terminated. The day he and Luke saved her. Han held a hand out, stopping her advance from the cockpit. "What's this?" He asked, pushing her shirt up enough to reveal the mark.
"It's my death mark."
"Death mark?"
"They put it on me just before I was scheduled to be terminated."
"I thought they put those on after."
"No. It's easier to stamp on the living."
"Why don't you have it removed?"
"I suppose I could, but it's a reminder."
But before he could ask her what the reminder was, she pushed by his arm and out of the cockpit, leaving Han to think to himself. "Leia!" He called but she didn't come back.
For the next few hours, Han simply thought about her. He loved her, but he couldn't put her life on the line by letting her come with him. Han didn't want to leave, but he had too, or else Jabba would hunt him down, and no doubt kill him, her, Luke, or even Chewie.
•••
A few hours later, Han found Leia welding. She flipped her goggles up on her head and glared at him as he entered. Leia tried once again, as she had been once he entered, to push the small handle up but it wouldn't budge.
As she tried to push it again, Han put his arms around her and tried to help her before she pushed him away. "Hey your worship, I'm only trying to help."
"Would you please stop calling me that?" She snapped back.
Han leaned against the doorframe. "Sure Leia."
"You're so difficult sometimes."
He nodded. "You could be a little nicer."
Leia rolled her eyes, shoving the handle up one more time, hurting her hand. He took a step forward, taking her hand in his and soothing her pain.
"Stop."
"Stop what?"
"Stop that. My hands are dirty." He leaned closer to her.
"My hands are dirty too. What are you afraid of?" His face was now inches from hers. "You're trembling."
"I'm not trembling."
With Han leaning closer and closer, Leia felt the need to put a stop to it. But she couldn't as his forehead was now pressed against hers.
"I happen to like nice men," she told him in an attempt to get him to stop.
"I'm a nice man."
"No you're not, you're-" but he cut her off with a kiss.
As he kissed her, all Leia's worries faded away, and her mind was wrapped around only one thing; him.
He pulled away, looking deep into her eyes. "Do you love me?"
She nodded. By now c-3po made his way in, tapping Han on the back. But he simply ignored the droid and kissed her again, picking her up and pressing her back against the wall.
