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Yeah, and you didn't get any freakin' form letters? Who is this guy?

[han is so bewildered by all this. he didn't do anything to deserve this, why is it happening to him.]

Like he said, he's a friend.

[She may not know him too well, but still a friend.]

We met on Lothal around six years ago, but I haven't seen him since.

Lothal?

[he throws his hands up, confounded all over again.]

You got friends in Lothal? Kinda on the fringe, ain't it, not to mention the whole Imperial thing. You tryin' to tell me this guy's some kind of Rebel contact?

That's exactly what he is, actually.

[Congrats, Han, in your confusion, you stumbled on the right answer.]

I was on Lothal to provide ships to members of the Rebellion in the area. Or to be more exact, to provide ships for the Rebellion to steal. Alderaan couldn't openly support the Rebellion, but there's nothing we could do about our ships being stolen and used by Rebels.

[and since it's han, trust him to skip right over the actual useful information to:]

Great, some kind of Rebel hotshot that's holdin' a candle for you. Well, I'll take him any day, because--you know--

[he scratches the top of his head, a nervous gesture born from the fact that his brain caught up with his mouth in time to realize he's getting dangerously close to accusing her of something, so he finishes up with a lame substitution of what he had originally planned on saying.]

Uh, because he's not the boss of me.

[She recognizes that lame substitution for what it is. It'd be hard not to, honestly, even if she didn't know Han as well as she does now. And so, she sighs, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows almost as if she's challenging him.]

You'll "take him any day, because" what, exactly?

[han's expression wavers as he tries to decide how much trouble he's in, but in the end he settles for his "bullshitting an imperial officer" face as he plants his hands on his hips.]

Because he's definitely not the boss of me.

[YEP, JUST STICK WITH THAT STORY. IT'LL WORK.]

[see, the trouble with the "bullshitting an imperial officer" face is that not only does Leia know that expression, it also doesn't work on her. In response, he gets her best "that's bullshit, imperial officer" face. Because she's not buying that story.]

Han.

[this, of course, provokes a defensive reaction from han, who is beginning to look a little tense.]

What, I can't show a guy where to shove it when he's stickin' his nose in my business?

[at least he doesn't know that ezra is training to be a jedi yet, that would really give him an inferiority complex.]

He's fifteen.

[or somewhere around there. But she didn't mention it before because it's not entirely important, as far as Leia sees it.]

And the only Rebel hotshot whose advances I'm interested in happens to be standing in this room, making a big deal out of something I've already explained. So tell me what's actually bothering you.

[han's expression shutters between extreme annoyance--because she could have given that detail out to begin with and saved him a lot of stress--and a genuinely pleased smile, because hey, when it comes to flattery pretty much anything works on him when it's coming out of leia's mouth. after a couple of seconds he realizes that he's not going to be able to sufficiently repress his goofy smile, so he ducks his head to complain.]

You, you could have said that to begin with. That was low.

I don't see how it matters. I told you to begin with that there aren't any ex-boyfriends of mine here.

[she gives him a pointed look with that, because even if Ezra were 25 instead of 15, it wouldn't change anything. At least as far as Leia is concerned. It wouldn't matter much to her if those feelings were there on his end, because there's no chance of her actually returning them, since for some reason, she loves the idiot standing in front of her, as thick-headed and insecure as he may be.]

Are you going to answer my question?

[in lieu of an immediate answer han abruptly decides to join her on the couch, sitting down next to her and even putting his arm around her. testing her earlier offer that he's free to bug her for physical affection anytime, perhaps? or maybe he's just feeling possessive at the moment.]

If some schmuck's got his eye on you, I should know about it, right? I gotta, you know, defend your honor.

[which is an extremely roundabout way of saying he needs to scope any potential competition and make sure they're not a better catch than he is. god forbid somebody like luke come along, being more conventionally attractive without the minor detail of being related to her. it'd be a nightmare for han.]

[As he puts his arm around her, Leia leans in toward him, but not close enough that she can't still turn her head and look at him directly. Because his response isn't something she wants to hear. She knows he's not the cocky, self-assured persona he puts on around near everyone, but any insecurity here she would thought was long gone, erased by the knowledge that the two of them have a child in the future. ...However much a mess that child may be.]

I can defend my own honor. And you have nothing to worry about as it is.

Who's worried?

[aside from, you know, han. obviously. but the way she keeps picking at it is making him regret his initial angry outburst, if only because he hates admitting that he thinks she could do better.]

Your dinky kid friend can worry about the talk we're gonna have if I ever track him down, maybe.

You seem to be.

[She's calling him out, complete with a matter-of-fact look on her face as she says it.]

And be nice. Let me talk with Ezra first, I'll explain things to him.

[things, meaning why she'd rather he not sign any letters he sends to Han as "Jabba the Hutt."]

I ain't worried about some damn kid. You talk to him all you want, just let him know he ought to watch himself around, uh, more mature guys.

[because that's han in a nutshell: a real mature guy.]

And while you're at it you might wanna bring up why some punk from Lothal shouldn't be throwin' Jabba's name around. He's got a little reach, you know?

More mature guys meaning you, I'm guessing.

[which: debatable.]

That was what I planned on talking to him about, actually.

[but, she sighs, still not fully convinced by Han's response. Because if this is going to be an issue with him, she'd rather work on getting past this now instead of later.]

Han, if one of your old girlfriends showed up here, and I were jealous of her, what would you think?

[it's mostly hypothetical, to see what he might say. But she probably would be the slightest bit jealous if that were to happen.]

One of my?...

[he actually seems startled by the question, letting go of the ezra issue for the moment to look appropriately alarmed by the thought. he wouldn't necessarily say he's had girlfriends before but there are a few individuals of a female persuasion he might not want leia to meet, not least of all because after they got over the jealousy thing they might actually get along. talk about a nighmare.]

It's not like I have a squadron of'em lined up somewhere, I haven't, I mean. [DEEP BEWILDERED BREATH.] Maybe some girl might show up and start spouting off about stuff we used to do together, but I've never met a girl that could stand up to you, get it?

[It's a longer, more roundabout answer than she probably predicted (and she also doesn't want to think about Han doing stuff with a bunch of nameless girls in spaceports throughout the galaxy, even if she knows it happened), but at the end it got about where she wanted it to. Leia reaches out and places a hand on his cheek, both to get him to look at her and to get him to focus on the present and not any horrible nightmare fantasies he may have running about in his head.]

I want you to think about your answer, and ask yourself if you think I feel differently about you.

[this is asking a lot of him, leia, wanting him to actually think about this stuff. but he doesn't try to look away. if anything, he looks like he's actually giving what she said some thought.]

Probably...not?

[THAT SEEMS LIKE WHAT SHE WANTS HIM TO SAY? it's kind of awkward, too, but at this point he knows her well enough to know aside from throwing a fit and stomping off he's not going to get out of the conversation.]

[Throwing a fit and stomping off isn't even guaranteed to get him out of it, since there's a good chance she'd just follow and they'd start screaming again. But she is slightly surprised he's actually willing to sit and think about and have this conversation instead of doing just that. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless.

She leaves her hand where it is on his cheek as she pushes on, still wanting to get to the root of this problem.]

Exactly. So, why are you worried about whether someone may or may not be interested in me, and whether you need to "defend my honor"?

Do we really gotta do all this, uh, this psycho-analysis?

[because it's not that he doesn't enjoy hanging out with her, it's just that he's hitting his limit for deep conversation, at least when it relates to his faults.]

If this is going to be something that keeps coming up with you, I'd like to get past it now.

[She has her own worries when it comes to her relationship with Han, even keeping in mind the fact that they have a son in the future, but for now, they're working on Han.]

We've discussed it one time, what makes you think it's gonna come up again? Unless you really do have some kind of ex-boyfriend you think might show up?

[well, if such a person exists then apparently it's possible for them to show up, but han is feeling a little defensive over the implication that he would get hung up over this again, regardless of how true or untrue the sentiment is.]

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oratorical - 2016-12-25 05:03 (UTC) - Expand

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