Chapter Text
It was the most beautiful thing Luke had ever seen, yet he didn’t exactly know what it was. The multi-colored lights were so blinding, but he couldn’t bear to look away. The booms of the kaleidoscopic explosions resonated in his chest, reigniting his excitement and making the adrenaline course through him even faster.
Luke didn’t have any idea what he was looking at, but he did know he had to get a closer look.
Diving forward with a splash of his tail in the sea, Luke swam towards the magnificent ship and colorful lights. Although a small part of him, probably the part that came from his father, screamed at him to turn back to safety, he just couldn’t help but push forward and swim closer.
Luke slowed his movements to quiet his splashing and conceal his presence. He crept to an opening in the ship, giving him a clear view of some kind of furry, slobbering creature prancing around to the tune of an instrument.
But Luke’s heart stopped as a man came into view, the most beautiful man Luke had ever seen.
He was blowing into a long tube as he danced around the creature, and Luke realized that was the source of the music. He continued to play as the rest of the humans on board this ship clapped in time.
Luke felt his mouth fall open, his eyes never leaving the tall, muscular man with the instrument. Luke hadn’t seen many humans in his life, for his father forbade him from ever going to the surface (and would have a fit if he ever found out where Luke was now), but by the way Luke’s breath was taken away and his heart beat increased to the point where it felt like more colorful booms were going off, he knew no one could be more beautiful than this human dancing in front of him.
“Alright, alright!” came the voice of another human, stepping forward with his hands outstretched to quiet the music. This human had darker skin, an authoritative voice, and a cape that waved behind him in the wind. “Give me a minute with the ol’ scoundrel.”
“Scoundrel?” the human asked playfully as the crew cleared out. “Don’t think the ladies will like that.”
“You’d better hope they do,” the human with the cape played back, but something gave Luke the idea he wasn’t fully kidding. “It’s been years, and you’ve been to how many of the King’s dances?” The first human sighed, casting his gaze out to sea. Luke ducked down further to avoid his line of sight. “You know you have to get married at some point, Han. Everyone expects it.”
Han, so that was his name.
Han set his jaw, looking at the other human with contempt.
“You think I don’t know that?” he hissed. “Everywhere I go, it’s another eligible bachelorette shoved in my face, another round of questions about why I’m still not married.” Han bowed his head, seeming to frown at his own reflection in the water. “Truth is, I don’t even like women.”
Luke felt a jump in his chest as his heart skipped a beat. Didn’t like women when he was expected to? Luke thought he was the only one.
So that could mean-
“I figured,” the other human said. “Still means you have to get married, though.” Han sighed once again.
“I know, I know,” he said. “I will, eventually.”
“When is ‘eventually’?”
“When I find him, Lando,” Han said, annoyed. He looked back out to the water, seeming to look for something he couldn’t quite find. “I just haven’t yet.”
“You know the kingdom will have a fit when they find out,” the man, apparently named Lando, said.
“Whatever,” Han said dismissively. “They want me to get married? I’ll show them married. I’ll be the most happily married man they’ve ever seen!”
“Just need to find someone to marry first,” Lando jested. Han narrowed his eyes at him.
“Maybe if everybody quits badgering me about it, I will find him!” Han shook his head, looking back to the sea. “If he’s even out there.”
“He is,” Lando said in reassurance, setting a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll find him.”
At that moment, a great boom sounded out, but judging by the looks on the men’s faces, it wasn’t anything beautiful like what Luke witnessed earlier.
“Storm!” Lando shouted, pointing to the sky as another great rumble sounded out and light flashed in the clouds.
Han immediately sprinted for the captain’s wheel, taking hold of it as it spun wildly in the wind. The water suddenly broke out into massive waves, dangerously rocking the ship forward and back. The flash of light in the sky struck the ship’s sails, catching fire and spreading rapidly. The eyes of every crew member widened in terror and shone with the light of the fire. They quickly piled into a lifeboat, but Han stayed aboard to rescue the hairy creature.
“Jump, Chewie!” he called as the animal barked, suddenly surrounded by flames. The creature obeyed and jumped into Han’s arms. He then threw the animal into the water, where he swam away from the burning ship. Just as Luke expected Han to jump into the water himself, Luke watched him struggle to pull his leg out of a hole, and it was with a drop of his stomach Luke realized Han was stuck.
And suddenly, the fire gave way into a full explosion, and Han was still somewhere in the middle.
Luke immediately jumped into action, diving forward and frantically searching for the man amidst the flames and debris. Luke finally found him, unconscious, and barely holding onto a piece of wood. As he drifted, losing grip on the wood and falling downward into the sea, Luke dove into the water, wrapped an arm around him before he could sink any further, and pulled him towards the surface.
With the unconscious man in his grasp, Luke swam towards the shore. After what felt like hours of swimming with the sizable weight of Han in his arm, Luke finally reached the sandy beach. He pulled Han ashore, landing the two of them onto the sand into an unceremonious pile.
Luke carefully rested two fingers on Han’s neck, searching for a pulse. After he finally found one, he heard Han draw in a sharp breath as his chest rose suddenly. Han coughed, rolling over and expelling sea water from his lungs. Luke knew he should leave immediately before he was seen, but he couldn’t help but stay. Han was so beautiful, even in such a disheveled state.
But Luke soon found Han staring back at him, his rich, hazel eyes squinting at Luke.
“Hello?” he slurred, and as much as Luke wanted to respond, he knew he had to go. Luke dove back into the water as quickly as he could, his heart aching as he didn’t turn back to stay with Han.
As Luke dove deeper and deeper back to his collection treasure trove, willing to do practically anything to swim back up to shore, he comforted himself with the image of Han’s hazel eyes, and knowing one thing to be absolutely true: Luke would see him again, no matter what it took.