Chapter Text
Han hadn’t meant to sneak up on his wife. It wasn’t his fault—first off, Leia knew he was on his way home. Second, he didn’t know she was already there herself. And third, he wasn’t even being particularly sneaky.
He realized she was home when he heard her voice coming from the open door to their bedroom. Some politician or other bothering her even outside of office hours, probably. After decades of marriage, Han knew better than to loudly interrupt the call. It would put a swift end to his plans for the evening, and he was no fool. He couldn’t hear an answering voice, which meant it wasn’t a holocall. He was just going to slip noiselessly into the room to let her know he was there and hope the sight was enough to entice Leia to say her goodbyes to whoever was keeping her from him.
Making sense of what Leia was saying just then wasn’t a conscious decision he made, and he would claim the same for his feet slowing to a halt just outside the door.
‘Yes, I’ve made up my mind about it. Don’t laugh—why is that so hard to believe?’ Leia was saying. ‘Just because you’ve loved something for most of your life doesn’t mean it’ll always be that way. I need a change, I don’t want to spend another twenty-five years tied to this. Yes, I’ll tell your dad soon... I think he might appreciate it, actually. He’s tired of this, too, I can tell. Okay, I have to go now, baby. Han will be here any minute now and we’ll have to talk. Love you too, talk soon.’
Han felt as if someone had suddenly opened an airlock. As if carbonite was filling up his lungs and turning him to stone. Leia had… stopped loving him? And she thought Han would appreciate it if she left him? And she had told their daughter about it first?
This was all wrong. This could not be happening to him. Had he hit his head on his way home and was hallucinating this whole scene?
‘Han! When did you get here?’ Leia’s voice seemed to float from far away, even as he could see her standing right in front of him, smiling brightly at the sight of him. Her expression dimmed as she caught his—he probably looked like a powered-down droid right now. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I don’t want to get a divorce, that’s what’s wrong!’ Han blurted out.
Leia frowned at him, her mouth hanging open as she seemed to struggle to form words. ‘That’s… excellent news?’
‘Is it?’ Han raised his eyebrows, not bothering to hide how hurt he felt. ‘’Cos you seemed pretty sure of yourself a minute ago!’
‘Han, what are—what did you think I was talking about?’ Leia asked, the pitch of her voice rising incredulously as realization seemed to hit her. ‘And why are you eavesdropping?’
‘I’m not, I was—just happened to hear, and then—’
‘And then you listened behind the door?’
‘Okay so what were you talking about?’ Han said, trying to circle back to the original topic. Leia gave him a look that said she was not forgetting about that anytime soon.
‘Why don’t you get out of my way, calm down, and then I can tell you about it like I was planning to before you started yelling nonsense?’ She stepped around him and began walking down the corridor into their living room. Han followed.
‘Okay, but just to be clear, it’s not divorce?’
Leia stopped and he would have walked right into her if the glare she was giving him hadn’t been almost deadly solid.
‘No!’ she snapped.
In the living room, she headed towards the liquor shelves and took out a bottle of Whyren’s Reserve. She poured two drinks and thrust one towards Han, still giving him the stink eye—but he could tell she was forcing it now, for dramatic effect. Maybe he deserved that.
‘Divorce you,’ Leia muttered, snorting softly. ‘You idiot.’
‘You’re not being very reassuring right now,’ Han informed her, stepping closer.
‘Oh, you’re not living this down anytime soon, hotshot.’ Leia’s brown eyes softened and the hint of a smile appeared. With all the commotion, they hadn’t even properly greeted each other after a week apart.
‘A toast to you not giving me the boot yet?’
Leia clinked her tumbler against his and they took a fortifying sip before she grabbed the lapel of his jacket and pulled him down for a kiss. Saying that he’d almost lost her was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but Han still held her close and kissed her hard.
‘Alright, you scoundrel, let’s save some for later,’ Leia told him as she broke apart and patted his chest, an appeased smile lighting up her pink-tinged face. He let her go reluctantly and Leia sat down on the sofa, sighing as she took a moment to collect herself. ‘I’m stepping down from the Senate. That’s what I was talking to Jaina about. I wanted to tell you first, but… it came up.’
That was code for Jaina used some Force mumbo jumbo to suss it out, Han knew, but that wasn’t what made him choke on his drink.
‘You’re quittin’ the Senate?’
‘I’m not quitting, exactly. I just won’t come back after my term is up.’
‘Same thing. You’re retiring from politics,’ Han stated for clarity, leaning back against the bar.
Leia nodded. Her fingernails tapped her glass, a gesture that hinted at the same nervousness reflected in her eyes as she looked up at Han. ‘What do you think about it?’
The combination of relief and elation at the news made Han laugh.
‘I think that’s wonderful, sweetheart. If a bit hard to believe.’
‘Oh, not you too.’ Leia rolled her eyes. ‘Jaina didn’t believe I’d do it, either.’
‘Can’t blame us. You love politics. You’re good at politics. You live to serve.’ There was no bitterness in Han’s voice when he stated those facts because he didn’t feel any. After the war, they had both had to learn how to navigate an adult relationship and compromise so that they got to do what they were good at and still be able to be a family. Sometimes that meant extra long work days for Leia; sometimes it meant a week away from home for Han. No matter what, they chose each other, and they chose to make their life together work, and that was all that mattered.
‘That’s the thing. I have served. I know I’ve accomplished a lot in the Senate, but—every single one of those things was an uphill battle against bureaucracy, and I’m tired, Han.’ She looked at her husband and he could see the truth there.
He’d never understood how she’d put up with it: the hypocrisy, the dishonest negotiations, the griping over proper procedures and whatnot even when people’s lives were at stake. She had seemed more irritable about Senate matters of late, he’d noticed as much, but he’d figured if she’d made it this far, she’d just push through, as always. Leia was stubborn, and she didn’t like giving up on the things she believed in—that was one of the reasons Han had ended up sticking around the rebellion for so long.
As if she’d been reading his thoughts, Leia said, ‘People think I have the patience for it but I don’t, I’ve never had. I’m just really good at pretending because it’s the only way to get things done democratically. But lately I just… I don’t care, Han. Not about the galaxy; I just don’t care for this way of serving anymore.’
Han nodded in understanding. ‘So what then? You have a different job in mind? Because I can believe you’ll leave the Senate sooner than I’d believe you’ll just go into retirement.’
‘That, you’re right about. I have a couple of ideas I’ve been toying with, but I don’t want to rush into anything. First, I was thinking we could go visit Luke and Jaina. And then,’ Leia said slowly, giving Han a meaningful look, ‘I’m open to ideas on what to do while I figure things out.’
Han gave her a crooked smile. ‘You know, I could use a first mate again, if you wanna slum it at the Falcon. But not until I’ve taken you on a long vacation around the galaxy.’
‘Like a second honeymoon?’ Leia asked demurely.
‘Fitting, since we nearly got divorced just now.’ Han downed the rest of his whiskey and sauntered over to the sofa as Leia laughed. She stopped and gave him a half-exasperated, half-amused look as he knelt in front of her. (And immediately regretted the idea. His knees just weren’t what they used to be twenty years ago.)
‘Do you take this scoundrel to be your unlawfully wedded semi-retirement partner? No takebacks.’
‘I wouldn’t have it any other way,’ Leia said, grabbing his face and pulling him in for a long kiss. When they broke apart, she stood up and offered him a hand. ‘Now get up, old man, I’ve missed you too much for you to bust your knees before I get to have my way with you.’