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“Rey, sweetheart, please stop crying,” Luke murmured, holding a sobbing Rey on his lap. “We have to be respectful of the other passengers.”
Rey just continued to cry, huge tears spilling down her cheeks, face red.
The other bus passengers were indeed giving them dirty looks, this little two year old crying loudly and the young father who was trying his best.
It was times like this that he wished his father had been able to keep him and Leia when they were young; maybe then he would know how to soothe his own daughter.
Luke and Rey had just been sitting there by the window, Luke pointing out things to her as they went by.
The bus had stopped to let a few passengers off and a mean looking young boy had raced down the aisle ahead of his mother, reaching out and pulling at Rey’s bottom bun, snapping the hair tie and yanking her hair hard.
Luke hadn’t known what to do, the mother just snatched her kid’s hand back with a “Kyle!” and dragged him off the bus.
Luke wasn’t about to chase her down for an apology and at that point, tears had welled up in Rey’s eyes.
He had quickly pulled her onto his lap but it was no use. She was already too upset, her favorite hairdo ruined all because of a mean-spirited boy.
“Rey, Daddy will fix it when we get home, okay?” Luke said. “I’ll make it all better.”
“MY HAIR,” she wailed. “HE. HURT. MY HAAAAAIR!”
She took a deep shuddering breath between each word and then set off on a new set of yowls, crying even louder than before.
“I know sweetheart,” Luke kissed her forehead. “And I’m so sorry, but please stop crying.”
He made soft noises, trying to comfort her.
Then, the seat dipped beside him as a stranger sat beside him.
Luke glanced up to see the stranger smiling the most dazzling smile he had ever seen right at Rey.
Rey’s wailing subsided almost immediately, softening into distressed hiccups.
The stranger’s gaze flickered to Luke but he kept smiling at Rey. “Hey kiddo. You’re not feeling too great, huh?”
Rey hiccuped and shook her head.
“The boy-” Luke said, waving a hand towards the door of the bus. “He, uh-”
“Yeah, I saw,” the stranger scowled. “Little prick.”
Luke stifled laughter and nodded.
The stranger smiled back down at Rey. “My name’s Han. What’s yours?”
She sniffled. “Rey.”
“Rey?” Han said. “That’s really pretty. Like a ray of sunshine.”
A shy smile spread across Rey’s face and she leaned closer to Luke.
“And this is your daddy?” Han asked.
Rey nodded.
“What’s his name?” Han asked, a small smirk playing at his lips.
Luke blushed and Rey answered, “Daddy.”
“Luke,” Luke said. “My name is Luke.”
Han directed his smile up at Luke. “Nice to meet you Luke.”
Luke could feel his blush rising. “Nice to meet you too Han.”
“So the jerk pulled your hair, huh?” Han asked Rey.
Rey nodded. “He ruined my special buns.”
Han cocked his head. “Special buns?”
Rey petted her loose hair. “Daddy does my hair special in the morning like princess hair.”
Luke’s cheeks felt like they were on fire at this point. “Her aunt always has these cool hairstyles so we came up with a pretty hairdo for Rey to have too.”
Rey nodded. “Special buns.”
“Well hey,” Han said, looking down at his wrist and pulling back his sleeve. “I think I have an extra hair tie. Yeah, here we go.”
He pulled the band off his wrist and held it out to Luke.
“Oh no, I couldn’t-” Luke started but Han shook his head.
“Please take it,” Han said. “I’ve got plenty at home. I carry ‘em around for my friend Chewie. He’s got crazy long hair that’s always getting in his eyes but he never has a tie.”
Luke smiled and accepted the band. “Thank you.”
He gathered up Rey’s hair and looped it around, running his fingers though it to get out the tangles. He tied it up and pronounced, “Ta da!”
Rey grinned widely and kissed Luke’s chest, the nearest thing to her. “Thanks Daddy.”
“Wow,” Han’s eyes widened comically. “Your highness, you look beautiful!”
Rey’s eyes went wide and her little mouth fell open.
“In fact,” Han continued, smiling at her. “I would say that Disney ought to make a movie about you. Princess Rey.”
Rey gasped and looked up at Luke. “Princess Rey.”
Luke smiled and kissed her forehead.
“So, you mentioned an aunt a few times now,” Han said. “Is there a mom in the picture?”
“Um,” Luke said. “No, there isn’t.”
Rey nodded, reaching over to play with Han’s sleeve. “Just Daddy and Aunt Leia.”
Han smiled at her. “Does your Daddy have a girlfriend?”
Rey shook her head, twisting the dial on Han’s watch. “No.”
Han’s grin was lopsided. “How about a boyfriend?”
Rey grinned. “Noooo.”
Luke blushed so hard he was fairly certain every ounce of blood he had was in his cheeks.
“Do you think maybe he would give me his number if I asked him for it?” Han asked.
Rey’s whole brightened a thousand fold. She nodded repeatedly, grinning.
“Do you think I should ask him?” Han asked, leaning in as though departing a secret.
“Yes,” Rey said.
“Well, since the princess has given me permission,” Han smiled back up at Luke. “Could I get your number?”
Luke smiled, his cheeks ablaze. “Sure.”
Han grinned too and pulled his phone out of his pocket, handing it over.
Luke took it and entered his name and number and handed it back to Han.
“Hey Princess, you wanna take a selfie for the profile pic?” Han asked Rey.
Rey lit up and nodded, accepting the phone from Han.
Luke helped her hold it up and she grinned wide enough for her smile to stretch ear to ear.
Luke hit the button for her and handed the phone back again.
“Very regal looking, your highness,” Han said, smiling at the picture.
She beamed.
The bus slowed as it approached a stop.
“Oh hey,” Han said. “This is my stop. But I’ll call you.”
He stood and winked. “Bye Luke. Bye Princess.”
Luke blushed and waved while Rey waved furiously and yelled out “BYE HAN.”
They both watched him disappear as the bus drove away.
“I like him,” Rey announced. “He thought I was a princess.”
“Well you are,” Luke said, kissing her head.
She looked up at him. “So are you Daddy.”
Luke chuckled. “Thanks sweetheart.”