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Han Solo was scared out of his mind. He was fidgeting in his seat, hands playing with his thick brown hair. When he tried to keep them still, he fiddled with the control panel in front of him. He knew what he had to do. But of course- he couldn’t make himself stand up, walk outside, and do it. Chewbacca had noticed that something was up a while ago. Once Han had explained the situation, Chewie was incredulous. He let out a sound that was almost a laugh, one Han took comfort in. If Chewie thought it was easy, there was no reason he couldn’t just get ahold of himself. Though, to be fair, there wasn’t many things in the galaxy that Chewie was afraid of, except for maybe a bar of soap.
Chewie grumbled, gesturing him towards the door. Han took a deep breath. He was a brave guy, he could do this. He could DO this. Once he’d run out of things to say to reassure himself, he rose to his feet. Before he pressed the door release, he straightened his jacket, brushed off his shirt, and cracked his knuckles. The sound echoed off the metallic walls. He felt a rush of adrenaline course through him. Maybe it was the Force telling him to get up off his ass and do something about this.
“I got this, buddy. See you on the other side.”
Chewie trumpeted a sound of encouragement before sitting back down in the alcove where he slept.
He opened the doors, and strutted down the gangplank. A blast of warm air hit him right in the face. It smelled like exhaust and oil and-
“Good morning.” There she was, in her usual khaki jumpsuit, a pencil tucked behind her ear.
Shit.
“Oh, hey. Uh, what’s going on? Other than the usual.” This was going just great. She had to know something was up. Chewie was probably laughing his ass off in the Falcon. Figures. The big lug talked a high game, but mostly he spent his time on the sidelines, watching him try to talk his way out of bad situations. Half of the time it worked. The other half of the time, Chewie ripped their arms off. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
“Nothing but the usual. How are you doing? You’ve been acting odd lately. Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, it’s good. Just, uh, working on stuff. In the ship. With Chewie.”
She was smiling, that mischievous smile that meant she was trying to keep from laughing. Her hair was twisted up and around in complicated braids, unlike the two buns she had when they had first met in that cramped hallway on the death star, guns blazing. At first she had seemed… abrasive. But then again, he wasn’t exactly the sweetest guy in the star system. And then there was that whole kiss with Luke, but both of them just kind of pretended it hadn’t happened, which was perfectly fine with him. It was awkward enough just thinking about it. She turned her head to the side and the light glinted off the pins on her collar.
“Would you like to get some breakfast? I was headed towards the mess hall anyway. I think they’re serving something palatable today.”
“Sure! I’d love to, that would be great. I could go for some food. I’ve been hungry since I woke up.” He was talking a mile a minute, like the words were racing to escape from his mouth. Did he sound like he was rushing her? What was her angle? Did Chewie say something? If he did, did she even understand him? How did she keep such a level head all the time, when he was all over the place just trying to have a conversation with her?
He offered her his arm, and together they walked towards the cafeteria. The Rebel Base was still teeming with people. After the destruction of the death star and the end of the Empire, the base had become a diplomatic center to rebuild the Republic. Leia had remained as a general, while Luke continued to practice the Jedi arts. Han had stayed because hey, free food and a safe place to spend the night. He didn’t really need to smuggle anymore. He still wanted to sometimes, to get that adventurous thrill of outrunning the inevitable, but every time he thought about it one look from Leia made him reconsider.
“So, uh, what’s going on?”
“You’ve already said that. But if you’d like to hear it a second time, I’m doing well, thank you.”
There was that smile again. It was infectious. He froze for a moment, mentally condemning his terrible conversational skills.
“Oh. Yeah. I’m still kinda tired.”
“You must have had a long day people watching and eating. Very strenuous activity, even for someone as strong as yourself.”
“Says the general, right after the war ends.”
“Well, I can’t exactly climb on board a ship and start flying off to distant lands when there’s meetings to sit in on, people to boss around. I do have duties, you know.”
“Sure you could! Hop on the Falcon and we can go anywhere you’d like. I’ve heard Tattooine is nice this time of year.”
She laughed, and her eyes crinkled up. Thankfully he’d snapped out of his nervous rambling. She had a way of letting him bounce his humor off of her. She never let him get away with a terrible joke without one of her own. Soon they were in line, trays in hand, as a friendly young man ladled some unidentifiable foodstuffs onto their plates. They found a table by the window, looking out on the forest. Every few seconds a ship would land, and a cloud of birdlike creatures lifted off into the sky. They looked small from the ground, but up close they were the size of a land speeder. Every so often Han had to scrape their colossal droppings off his windshield.
“Tattooine, huh? You’re funny for a scruffy looking nerf herder.”
Han felt his face go bright red. He hated that she could make him do that. And she always did it in public- joking about little things that only he would know. As much as he liked to play it cool, he was a sucker for her. She could ask for the stars and he’d fly out with a net to catch them for her. The funny thing was, she didn’t need them. She was brave, she was independent, she was smart. If she wanted the stars, she would get them herself. It was why he liked her so much. Whether she had a blaster in her hand or a pen, she was unafraid to use it to make the galaxy a better place. As young as she was, she commanded respect that Han had never earned, no matter how slick he tried to be.
He shoveled down the food. It was a strange mixture of potatoes and some mystery meat. Whatever it was, it was good, and he hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. He’d been too busy messing with one of the switches that controlled the Falcon’s shields- it was always a little sticky, and it had to get fixed sometime. However, he hadn’t expected to have to rewire the entire system. It turned out that the switch wasn’t the problem- a few panels had been plugged in incorrectly. Chewbacca ended up having to weld the fixed panel back on, and now the whole ship smelled like burnt metal.
Neither of them spoke. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Leia picked at her plate, working around the greenish paste in one corner of her potatoes. Every once in a while, she turned to look out the window, and he could see the graceful turn of her neck, her strong shoulders. Han couldn’t help but think that every single part of her was wonderful. Sometimes he saw her as she walked alone through the forest towards the lake, stepping quietly over fallen trees and boulders as if they weren’t there at all. She had a distinct awareness about her, a knowledge that must have been the Force. He was constantly in awe of just how bright she was.
“If you think I’m funny, you should listen to the droid. R2, not the loudmouth gold one.”
“I don’t know, I think the two of you have a lot in common. You both love to talk, you both don’t have an off switch, and you constantly need attention.”
“Yeah, but at least I’m not programmed to be annoying. Just when you think it’s safe he pops up with an unnecessary comment.”
“You sure have a better sense of humor. R2 could learn to watch his mouth- it’s a good thing he communicates in beeps, or we’d have to watch out. He’s picked up some foul language over the years.”
“Don’t look at me. Chewie’s the only one who curses on board.”
“You’re a terrible liar, you know that, right? Chewie doesn’t curse. He’s too nice for that.”
“Yeah, you got a point. Wait a second- you mean to tell me you’ve been able to understand him this entire time? When did that happen?”
“You thought I didn’t?”
“You referred to him as a walking carpet. That doesn’t exactly scream ‘understanding’.”
“It was in the heat of the moment. C3P0 helped to translate until I was able to get some basic understanding of what he says. Now we communicate quite well, actually.”
“Well that’s good. Makes a lot of sense, actually. No wonder he likes you.”
“I thought he likes me because you do.”
“He does. I told him first off, you know, be nice to the princess. He just kind of does his own thing. But you made the effort to talk to him, which he likes. Most people think he’s some kind of pet. Actually, I’m probably his pet.”
“Does he feed you kibble?”
“Only the finest of cafeteria grub, and the occasional cookie. I’m spoiled rotten.”
“Of course.”
He felt much more at ease, but he couldn’t forget what he was there to do. If he could just skip the jokes and be serious, maybe it would work out. He just had to play his cards right.
“Leia, I gotta be honest with you.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, no. I just have to be serious here. I’ve spent a long time thinking, and I wanted to talk to you about where this is headed. Us, I mean. What… you were looking for.”
“Oh. I… I wanted to talk to you too.”
Her entire temperament had changed. Her eyes widened, her mouth in a small ‘O’. She looked… surprised?
“I had been trying to bring up the subject, but I wasn’t sure if you had other things on your mind. I finally decided to find you today so we could discuss things.”
“Well, go on. Leia, I’m all ears.”
“Let’s get married.”
What? What did she just say?
“Wh- huh?”
Chewie must have said something. She had known the whole time! Unless she hadn’t, and they’d both come up with the idea without the other knowing. But she asked! She wanted to marry him! He hadn’t thought he’d get this far, but there she was, seriously asking him to marry her!
“Do you not want to?”
She sounded a little sad, and he realized his lack of a response must have taken her by surprise. He scrambled to find words, still incredulous that she really did ask him.
“Of course I want to marry you! That’s what I was going to ask you! Why didn’t you just say so?”
“I don’t know, I thought you’d be intimidated!”
“Of course I’m intimidated. Come here."
Soon that wonderful smile was back on her face, brighter than ever. Han thought she had never looked so beautiful. He couldn’t believe it. He had worried all that time and he didn’t even have to ask. She really was the one in charge. Han was smiling now too. He stood up, grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug. He could smell the forest in her hair. She had a strong grip for such a slight woman. He picked her up and spun her around, like the princess she was. No, like the queen she was. He laughed, and kissed her forehead gently.
“I’m so glad you agree. We should tell Luke! And Chewie, how do you think he’ll feel about it?”
“He was the one who got me off the Falcon so I’d actually talk to you.”
“Is this why you were acting so strange? It’s not like you to be shy.”
“I wasn’t being shy. I was being cautious.”
“Sure.”
“Just imagine- the two of us and Chewbacca, we could go anywhere you want. We can go so far this planet will look like a speck of dust, and then turn around and come back in the blink of an eye. Anywhere at all.”
The three of us? How romantic.”
“He can co-pilot.”
Ideas were already racing through his mind. A nice little place to live, just the two of them, maybe even kids that he could teach how to fly. Leia could continue her diplomatic work, and he could take her wherever she needed to go. Chewbacca could live next door if he wanted, or stay in the Falcon and come visit during the day. Or the three of them could just live on the road, seeing the galaxy one planet at a time. He would be happy no matter where they went, as long as it was with her.
“So, are we making this official?”
“I don’t have a ring. I didn’t think I’d get this far.”
“It’s okay. I have one, I had it made just in case. Here, take it.”
Of course she had one made- she always came prepared for anything. She pulled a small satchel out of her pocket, opened it, and emptied it’s contents out onto the table. Inside was a pair of plain silver rings, one for each of them. They weren’t wedding bands, but they would suffice for now. Han took the smaller one and slid it gently onto her finger. He looked up at her, and she kissed him on the cheek.
“There. You don’t have to put yours on just yet.”
“Should we… I don’t know, make an announcement?”
“Why not? They'll find out eventually.”
Soon she had clambered onto the table, nudging the trays out of the way. With a strong authoritative voice, she gathered everyone’s attention.
“Excuse me! I apologize for the interruption, but I am now engaged to be married! Thank you for your time.”
Han grinned as she leapt back down to the floor. The room erupted with applause, some cheering and hooting their approval. Soon the chatter of the cafeteria was humming once more, this time spreading the happy news. One head, far in the corner, perked up. A tall young man practically sprinted across the room, blond hair flying. He skidded to a halt directly in front of them, smiling so wide Han thought his mouth might fall off.
“Leia! You’re getting married? That’s amazing!” Luke joyfully pulled them into a group hug, shouting his congratulations to the two of them. “And Han! I’m so happy for you! I can’t wait to tell everyone else. When’s the wedding?”
“Getting a little ahead of us there, kid. We’ve been engaged for all of five minutes.”
Luke laughed, beaming at his sister.
“I promise you’ll be the best man. You might have to fight Chewbacca for it. But in that case, just-“
“I know, I know- let the Wookiee win.”
“Maybe you could be his date.”
“Very funny. Somehow I don’t think he’ll be okay with wearing a suit.”
“Luke- if you hold him down we might be able to wrestle a jacket on him.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Really though, congratulations! This is so exciting- I’ve never been to a wedding before. We’ll have to invite everyone, and decorate, and decide on the food-”
“I’m glad you’re as excited as we are. If you’d like you can handle the planning, if not we’ll find someone to organize it. For now though, I’d like to talk to Han privately if you don’t mind. As soon as I get things sorted out, we’ll find you.”
“Sure. I have to clean 3P0 anyway, he’s getting a little scuffed up. I’ll talk to you later!”
As Luke headed towards his rooms, Leia guided Han back towards the airfield where the Falcon was parked. He was happy that Luke was alright with it- he was worried about how he would react to finding out that his sister was getting married to his best friend. Luckily, everything had turned out perfectly.
“So. We have a lot of planning to do, now that we’re engaged.”
“What was it you wanted to tell me in private?”
“Your fly was down the entire time.”
“Are you kidding? Damn it, I gotta fix this zipper.”
Leia was laughing again, a giggle that rang out like little bells.
“Yeah, that’s right. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“I thought you’d notice eventually, but you didn’t!”
“Hah. I’m not usually this oblivious, am I?”
“Only sometimes."
"Leia, I love you, you know that right?”
She smiled, and Han felt his heart practically burst with compassion. He kissed her then, and he never wanted it to end. He could just stand there with her for the rest of time, as long as she loved him. He had never been happier in his entire life. When she pulled back, she gave him a sly smile.
“I know."