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As much as he’d like not to notice Han can’t help but feel a growing sense of unease about where Leia has possibly disappeared to. He hasn’t seen her in over an hour and the last time he had even caught a glance at her, she was wrapped up in conversation with some hotshot pilot named Calen. If it were Luke, Han wouldn’t even think twice. But something about Leia getting into a deep conversation with a handsome, cocky pilot didn’t sit right with him. If she was going to flirt with any handsome, cocky pilot it would be him, dammit. If only.
Han is actively panicking now. Who disappears in the middle of a party? This whole thing was her idea. Something to raise everyone’s spirits. It wasn’t a terrible idea of course. Han would never turn down a party, however, these straight-edge rebels could get surprisingly rowdy when given the chance. And that wouldn’t be a problem if he could just make sure his girl...Leia was alright.
Han cuts his way through the middle of the party, avoiding conversation with lightweight pilots and judgmental generals and manages to slip out without anyone noticing. Han walks through the empty corridors on Yavin 4 and makes a beeline to the area he suspects Leia might be hiding out.
As Han speed walks through the ship hanger and to the edge of their base, he feels more and more trepidation. What if he finds Leia and she’s with that jackass pilot? What if he catches them in a passionate embrace? What if he catches them doing...more? The thought makes him sick to his stomach. It's almost enough for him to turn back and mind his own business. But the other side of his brain, the more rational side, worries about Leia. What if she’s drunk or depressed? Or both? She isn’t known to outwardly show emotion, but Han likes to think he knows her better than that. He’s seen the sheen of tears in her eyes the weeks after Alderaan. He’s heard her cries in the middle of the night when they are all on a mission together. It absolutely breaks his heart. Well, at least the amount of heart he has left.
Han pushes open the door and is greeted by the humidity of the jungle air. Han grew up on the cool and dirty streets of Corella. He never thought a poor kid like him would even make it off planetside so despite the hot air, he can't help but be grateful.
Han scans his eyes around the edge of the encampment and his heart stops when he spots Leia. She is seated on one of the rock benches. Her shoulders are slumped and she looks like she is shaking. It can’t be from the weather since its at least one hundred standard degrees outside which means it can only be one thing. Leia is upset about something. Really upset.
Han tiptoes over to her cautiously, but when he gets in reaching distance to her, he clears his throat to alert her of his presence. He’s learned his lesson about sneaking up on her the hard way. An accidental elbow to the nose would do that to a person.
At the sound of his throat clearing, Leia jumps half an inch in the air. She quickly shoots to her feet but fails to turn around.
“Just go away. I’m...f-ine” Leia says with a slight slur to her words.
Shit, so she’s a little bit drunk. Drunk Leia is hard to maneuver. He's only seen her drunk one time before and that was after a few rounds of sabbacc with Luke.
“It’s Han” he says.
He might not always be her favorite person, but he knows he’s at least a friend. One of her only real friends, besides Luke and Chewie.
“Han…” she breathes out, almost lost in her own thoughts.
Han runs a hand through his hair, a nervous tick of his.
“Will you turn around for me?” Han asks. He knows its a big request for him to make, but he needs to see her face. He needs to make sure she is alright.
Leia hesitates for a moment, but a second later, she slowly turns around and faces him. Han almost gasps out loud as he takes in her state. Leia, the woman who looks good in the middle of battles and in the middle of telling off rebels, looks like an outright mess. Her eye make-up is smudged, her lipstick smeared, and shoulders slumped. Han instantly knows something is really wrong.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he asks. He takes a step forward and places a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Leia stiffens but doesn’t brush him off. She lowers her head and avoids his gaze.
“You don’t have to act like you care,” Leia says, her voice small and hurt, “I’ll be fine”.
It breaks his heart that she would even think that he didn’t care. Besides Luke, Chewie, and himself, she is the only person he cares about.
“Kriff, Leia. Of course, I care” Han tells her, “I’ve always cared”.
Leia looks up at that, surprise clear on her face. Her disposition seems a little lighter, even if her eyes are a bit glazed over from the champagne he saw her drinking earlier.
“Why would you even say that? I know I don’t always tell ya…” Han starts to say
Leia cants her body forward, the alcohol taking over her coordination. She stumbles forward and almost knocks into Han. He grabs her by the waist in an attempt to steady her.
“Calen says you don’t. He said I was cold, that no man would want to fuck the ice...hiccup...princess” Leia slurs, her words becoming fainter with each word.
Despite the deep rage rolling through him from Calen’s words, Han can’t help but push his own feelings aside in favor of taking care of Leia. He pulls her to him and wraps his arms awkwardly around her. He knows he’s not the best with words, but he can at least attempt to soothe her through physical contact.
“Listen to me very carefully, Leia” Han says.
He places his finger underneath her chin and slowly tilts her head upward so they can make eye-contact.
“Any guy that says he doesn’t want to bed you is either lying or isn’t sexually attracted to any female humans” he informs her.
Leia blushes crimson at his comment, but before she can respond, Han cuts her off, not finished telling her exactly why Calen is wrong.
“And any guy that wouldn’t date you could never handle your heat” Han says firmly.
Leia cocks her head and gives him a questioning look. Han instantly knows what she is asking.
“Yes, heat. Anyone who says you are cold doesn’t know you” Han finishes.
He makes sure he looks deep into her eyes. What he said was important and he wanted to make sure she absorbed his words.
“Thank you,” Leia tells Han.
She seems sincere and Han has to catch himself before he stumbles back with the shock of her words. Leia had berated him, Leia had bossed him around, Leia had even flirted with him (occasionally), but Leia had never thanked him. He knows she means well and that she’s grateful, but to hear actual words of gratitude out of her mouth floors him. It takes him a moment to gather his composure, but he knows they can’t stay out here much longer without being interrupted.
“Can I walk you back to your room?” Han asks.
He sticks his hands in his pockets as he waits for her response.
“Trying to get me into bed, Han?” Leia teases, the spark back into her eyes.
Han smirks. Brooding, self-conscious Leia he could barely handle. Spitfire Leia was much easier for him to deal with. He steps closer to her and into her personal space.
“Trust me, princess, when I get you into bed, I’m going to need you sober and extremely energetic because I won’t let you leave it for hours,” Han says, huskily.
And with that, Han grabs her hand and leads her back to inside. To get her to her room, they have to pass through the party. Leia stiffens by his side and even though he desperately wants to throw his arm around her shoulders to comfort her, he knows it would draw even more attention to them so he shows self-restraint. Due to her proper upbringing, Leia manages to hold herself up without his help. If people didn't look too closely, they would never know that the princess of Alderaan was drunk off her ass.
They are almost at the edge of the party when Han stops cold at the sight of Calen. The pilot is chatting up another woman. He has a drink in one hand and his other hand wrapped around the waist of the female engineer.
Han takes a step towards him, the anger momentarily overpowering his better judgment. Luckily Leia is there to stop him. She places a hand on his forearm and shakes her head. It takes everything in him not to march over to Calen and deck him, but he knows it would cost him Leia’s trust, and he relents.
With one last icy look at the man, Han leads Leia out of the room. It is more important to get Leia to bed then to kick this jackass’ teeth in. But Han being Han he can’t help but get in one dig. He puts his hand on Leia’s lower back and before he can overthink it he flips him off. How’s that for cold.