Han and Leia get lost in the woods.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you planned this!”
Han stopped in his tracks and turned to glare down at the woman following close behind him. “Why the hell would I plan this?” he demanded.
Princess Leia Organa glowered back up at him, folding her arms in front of her. He had to admit, even dressed in dirty coveralls, her normally tidy hair in disarray, and a scowl on her face, she was still too damn beautiful. “I said if I didn’t know better,” she repeated. “But I know you would never put yourself in this situation.”
Their speeder breaking down in the middle of this forest had indeed not been planned, but escorting the Princess by himself hadn’t been on his itinerary either. He had only been planning to hitch a ride with her and the two grunts who had been tasked with protecting her on the supposedly short trip from their temporary base to the main port of the planet Takodana. Only her planned escort had both come down with severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. In a hurry, Leia had convinced General Dodonna that Han by himself would suffice, which both pleased and worried the smuggler.
“And you think I would put you in this situation?” Han pressed as he continued to march through the trees and underbrush.
“You’re always trying to set me up for failure and embarrassment,” Leia sniped. “I swear that’s the only reason you stick around.”
“I do not-“ Han started to argue, but then he stopped himself. She was kind of right. He was always trying to ruffle her feathers and get her riled up about one thing or another. While it certainly wasn’t the reason he was still with the Rebellion, he did find a great deal of enjoyment crossing swords with the beautiful young woman from Alderaan. “I would never put you in danger,” he grumbled softly.
Her soft ‘harrumph’ made him stop and turn to face her again. She glared up at him, then pushed past him, shoving her way through the underbrush.
“Hey!” Han called after her, suddenly worried that she really believed he would let her get hurt. That he would intentionally do something that might get her hurt. “You know I would never-“
She cut him off. “Of course, I know!” she said. “I just…” she stopped, taking a deep breath. “I just get so tired of fighting.”
He moved up to stand next to her, but she stared at the ground, not looking at him.
“It’s a war, sweetheart.”
She shook her head. “I’m not just talking about the war,” she said, her voice unusually soft. “I’m talking about all of it. Fighting fatigue. Fighting fear. Fighting hopelessness.” She sighed and looked up at him. “Fighting you.” Then she rolled her eyes and smirked. “Well, sometimes that can be kind of fun. When I win.”
Han snorted, holding back a smile of his own. “That doesn’t happen very often.”
She tilted her head at him. “Oh, really?”
“If you ever win, it’s because I let you win.”
“Bantha crap.”
Han couldn’t help but smile at that. As tough as this woman was, it was pretty rare to hear her swear. “Admit it, Princess. You might intimidate everyone else you cross swords with, but you’ve met your equal in me.”
She opened her mouth as if to deny it, but then stopped. “Maybe,” she said softly. “And I do know that you would never let me get hurt,” she said, her eyes huge. “That’s why I trusted you to come with me today.”
He nodded, feeling strangely gratified to hear her admit this. “Then trust me to get us out of this forest safely, okay, Your Highness?” Had her eyes always been such a rich brown color, he thought?
She motioned up the narrow trail they had been following. “Lead on, Captain.”
Han turned and began walking again, listening carefully to make sure she was following. When he was confident she was, he breathed in deeply, suddenly determined to prove to this spitfire of a woman that when push came to shove, she would always be able to depend on him.
Even if he still planned to put the sugar for the caf on the upper shelf where she couldn’t reach it the next time they had breakfast together.
******
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