oratorical | IC Contact

[she might feel proud of herself later on, but for now, she's just grateful Han's around and she's back to normal and that everything is fine. She's too busy feeling sappy to feel smug or tease him.]

How much have I told you about our home on Alderaan?

You told me about a country home, once. I think.

[something something bigger than any building han has ever dreamed of owning, whatever. he doesn't recall her talking much about where she actually lived on alderaan other than skipping class and bugging her haughty extended family.]

[that much she remembers sharing, and it brings a small, wistful sort of smile to her face as she thinks back on it. And while she's glad Han knows that much, she's in the mood where she wants to share more. Not just so Han has more stories to yell at her if she ever has weird memories again, but because she wants him to know.]

Most of the time when we were planetside, we lived in the palace outside of Aldera. It had been there for centuries, old enough that it had doors of the sort here, and actual fireplaces. I think I knew more of the unused passages there than anyone, even some of the droids.

[all of that was a rarity anywhere else, she knew, and while she's the furthest thing from any spoiled winces, she misses them.]

From my room, I had a perfect view of Appenza Peak in the distance.

Doors like the ones here? Must've been more like a millennia.

[right, all kinds of flustered but he can still tease her.]

I can see you sneakin' around, easy. I bet you gave whoever was supposed to be watching you fits.

[she may be in a cuddly sort of mood, but even that won't stop her from shoving her foot at Han's leg in response to his teasing.]

My father did always joke that there were dungeons underneath the palace.

[whether that was true or not, well, who really knows.]

The palace lent itself to sneaking. There were even passages you could use to discreetly listen in on other people from behind what looked like only decorative stone.

[which she totally did not do nope. Not at all.]

Usually it was my parents who looked after me, when they could.

Even with, y'know, runnin' a planet and all that?

[not that han really understands what goes into looking after a kid, as he hasn't really gotten that far on the parenthood train yet, but it seems like the organas would have been pretty busy on a daily basis, right?]

I figured you'd have nanny droids or something.

I did. And I had human tutors that looked after me, too. But my parents both liked to be there to raise me as often as they could.

[which was sometimes less often than Leia wanted or was used to, even though she understood they were busy.]

They weren't able to have children, you know.

[which, she's sure, is why they were so hands on when they adopted her.]

Lucky they got you, then.

[he says it like it's obvious, you know, if you were going to adopt you'd want the kid to be like leia. not that he's a little besotted or anything.]

We have a nanny droid, too, y'know. Very fancy.

[just in case she forgot about all the times he's talked about it. not that he's proud that he got them one or anything.]

[oh no, he's totally not biased in any way at all.]

I think you've mentioned it before. What's that droid like?

Mm...a little overbearing, I guess...but he does whatever I say.

[much to leia's mild annoyance, honestly, but han feels better if there's a droid at home to hover over her when he's not there. especially when she was still pregnant.]

[it's the "does whatever I say" that gets Leia to roll her eyes. She can already feel how annoying this droid must be. Not that it's the droid's fault. It can't help its programming.]

I'm starting to believe I've been cursed to live with overbearing droids.

[this droid, the droids at the palace, 3PO. They're all pretty overbearing.]

But at least he listens to someone. The droid I grew up with, she wouldn't allow me to sit near the window during thunderstorms because she thought it violated her safety programming. She never listened when I told her there was no real danger involved.

Well, [and yep, just from the way he draws that one word out leia can know she's about to get a good old fashioned teasing,] you could be struck by lightning or something, couldn't you? I gotta agree with the droid on that one. Better safe than sorry when it comes to Your Highness.

[Oh she already knows she's in for something ridiculous as soon as he starts on that "well." Leia huffs, rolling her eyes in response, because that's really the only way to react.]

I suppose that means you'll be trading in the Hawk for a newer, safer model, then? Better safe than sorry, after all.

Not so fast! I'll have you know that smugglers are held to much different standards than princesses.

[ah yes, his ace in the hole. being a criminal.]

And what about smugglers that want princesses on their ships?

[unless those ships are meant as a no princess zone or something like that.]

Though those older models do have their uses.

I'll be there to keep you safe, so you don't have to worry about that. I'm much more efficient than any droid, too.

[and, you know, it feels really good to be able to tease her like this without her totally shutting down on him.]

I know.

[which, as a brief break from the gentle teasing, is an entirely honest, genuine response. If there's anywhere in the galaxy--here or back home--she can feel safe and comfortable, it's when she's with Han, because she trusts him and his abilities completely.

But it's back to teasing after that.]

I think poor TooVee might have disagreed, though, even only on principle. She'd say you're far too scruffy to protect some more reliably than her. But you know, it's funny; had things been different, we might have had the chance to find out.

[find out how much a droid with a programming that valued nice fancy clothing and proper behavior would've reacted to Han, that is.]

I think I like you exactly the way things did happen.

[a sentence that would not have made sense before this whole debacle they just got through with, but is said now with genuine affection.]

Fussy droid along for the ride or not, eh?

[he's assuming she means there's a chance that droid could have ended up with her on the rebel base but didn't, it seems.]

[a convoluted sentence, yes, but Leia fully understands what he means. And rather than saying she agrees (because both Han and Luke were the best things that could've happened after the Death Star, and she needed the both of them in her life after that), Leia places a light, affectionate kiss on his cheek. She figures that says everything she wants or needs to say on the matter.]

We almost met three years before all that. If someone hadn't taken off before I could reach his sufficiently scruffy-looking ship, I wonder what would've happened.

Me?

[he asks, as though it wasn't completely obvious. he's surprised, okay, especially since she melted him a little with that kiss first.]

Where did you almost meet me? Couldn't have been Alderaan--and--hey, you never even said all this time!

[he doesn't sound mad at all, though. more amazed and possibly slightly bewildered.]

Well, I never saw you, only the Falcon.

[and even then, it took her a while to remember that ship that took off without her and connect it with some odd lingering feeling she had from the Falcon. Since YT model freighters were older in general, so she could never be sure until she had gotten more familiar with the Falcon itself.]

I was on Coruscant and needed a nondescript ride off-planet. I was even prepared to offer an entire brick of untraceable credits for a ride.

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