Ficlet: Stargazing
Title: Stargazing
Author:
lefaym
Beta: Many thanks to lionessvalenti
Fandom: Star Wars (Original Trilogy Only)
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Leia/Han
Summary: Han had kind of suspected that Leia would want to look at the stars tonight.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: George Lucas legally owns all Star Wars stuff.
Word Count: Approx. 600 words.
A/N: This was written for carmarthen as part of the fandom_stocking exchange.
Cross-posted to AO3
Stargazing
Han found her outside; not that he’d had to search for long. He’d kind of suspected that Leia would want to look at the stars tonight.
Most of the planets they visited these days were densely populated, and Leia’s diplomatic work with the New Republic kept her in the cities, where the lights shone too brightly to see the stars. Delossos, though, had no cities, and no sources of artificial light were permitted after nightfall. In the skies of Delossos, it was said, all the glories of the galaxy could be seen.
The single moon of Delossos, halfway through its cycle, provided enough natural light that Han had no trouble navigating the raised pathways that led to the viewing platform. Leia barely turned her head when he stepped up behind her, but when he slid his arms around her waist, Han felt her lean back into him.
For a moment, Han allowed himself to enjoy their closeness; to enjoy the fact that for the next fourteen hours, no one would bother them. No work was ever done after nightfall on Delossos; darkness was a time for contemplation. Once, Han would have found that boring. Once, he would have sought out whatever illegal gambling ring kept on playing after dark, or some hive that was still serving drinks, deep underground. Now, though, having Leia in his arms was enough.
Han followed her gaze up into the sky; about 60 degrees above the horizon he found it -- the star of Alderaan.
“Six thousand years,” Leia whispered. “Six thousand years since that light fell on Alderaan.”
Han tightened his arms around her.
“Meia V ruled then. She founded the Fifth Academy of Music, and it’s said that she liked to bathe naked in the waters of the Derashaan Falls.”
Han chuckled into Leia’s hair. “She sounds like my kind of girl.”
“Watch it, nerf-herder.” Leia’s voice was playful, but she didn’t turn her head. Han pressed his lips to the crown of her head. “If only more light reached this planet,” she continued, her voice soft again. “We could see her. We could see...”
“Alderaan,” Han finished for her.
Leia nodded, and Han felt her swallow hard. She never allowed herself to mourn properly. She fought her grief and kept it hidden. Vaguely, Han had an inkling that this could be a bad thing in someone training as a Jedi, even if that training was sporadic, frequently interrupted by her diplomatic duties. But what did he know about all that Force mumbo-jumbo? All he knew was that one of these days, all that grief would break out of her, and he would make damn sure that he’d be there for her when it did.
It wouldn’t be tonight, though.
Leia turned in his arms, looking up at him for the first time this night. “Let’s go inside,” she said. “I don’t want to stay out here, with dreams that can’t come true.”
Han raised a hand to Leia’s cheek and smiled at her. “You want some dreams that can come true instead?”
“Something like that.”
“Well then, sweetheart, I’m your man.”
Leia laughed at him as she stepped away and took his hand in hers. “Of course you are. And tonight, at least, I’ve got you all to myself.”
Han grinned. “I like the sound of that.”
Leia prodded him gently in the stomach. “You’d better.”
She tugged on his hand, and together they stepped off the viewing platform and onto the walkway that would lead them back to their cabin.
Author:
lefaym
Beta: Many thanks to lionessvalenti
Fandom: Star Wars (Original Trilogy Only)
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Leia/Han
Summary: Han had kind of suspected that Leia would want to look at the stars tonight.
Rating: G
Disclaimer: George Lucas legally owns all Star Wars stuff.
Word Count: Approx. 600 words.
A/N: This was written for carmarthen as part of the fandom_stocking exchange.
Cross-posted to AO3
Stargazing
Han found her outside; not that he’d had to search for long. He’d kind of suspected that Leia would want to look at the stars tonight.
Most of the planets they visited these days were densely populated, and Leia’s diplomatic work with the New Republic kept her in the cities, where the lights shone too brightly to see the stars. Delossos, though, had no cities, and no sources of artificial light were permitted after nightfall. In the skies of Delossos, it was said, all the glories of the galaxy could be seen.
The single moon of Delossos, halfway through its cycle, provided enough natural light that Han had no trouble navigating the raised pathways that led to the viewing platform. Leia barely turned her head when he stepped up behind her, but when he slid his arms around her waist, Han felt her lean back into him.
For a moment, Han allowed himself to enjoy their closeness; to enjoy the fact that for the next fourteen hours, no one would bother them. No work was ever done after nightfall on Delossos; darkness was a time for contemplation. Once, Han would have found that boring. Once, he would have sought out whatever illegal gambling ring kept on playing after dark, or some hive that was still serving drinks, deep underground. Now, though, having Leia in his arms was enough.
Han followed her gaze up into the sky; about 60 degrees above the horizon he found it -- the star of Alderaan.
“Six thousand years,” Leia whispered. “Six thousand years since that light fell on Alderaan.”
Han tightened his arms around her.
“Meia V ruled then. She founded the Fifth Academy of Music, and it’s said that she liked to bathe naked in the waters of the Derashaan Falls.”
Han chuckled into Leia’s hair. “She sounds like my kind of girl.”
“Watch it, nerf-herder.” Leia’s voice was playful, but she didn’t turn her head. Han pressed his lips to the crown of her head. “If only more light reached this planet,” she continued, her voice soft again. “We could see her. We could see...”
“Alderaan,” Han finished for her.
Leia nodded, and Han felt her swallow hard. She never allowed herself to mourn properly. She fought her grief and kept it hidden. Vaguely, Han had an inkling that this could be a bad thing in someone training as a Jedi, even if that training was sporadic, frequently interrupted by her diplomatic duties. But what did he know about all that Force mumbo-jumbo? All he knew was that one of these days, all that grief would break out of her, and he would make damn sure that he’d be there for her when it did.
It wouldn’t be tonight, though.
Leia turned in his arms, looking up at him for the first time this night. “Let’s go inside,” she said. “I don’t want to stay out here, with dreams that can’t come true.”
Han raised a hand to Leia’s cheek and smiled at her. “You want some dreams that can come true instead?”
“Something like that.”
“Well then, sweetheart, I’m your man.”
Leia laughed at him as she stepped away and took his hand in hers. “Of course you are. And tonight, at least, I’ve got you all to myself.”
Han grinned. “I like the sound of that.”
Leia prodded him gently in the stomach. “You’d better.”
She tugged on his hand, and together they stepped off the viewing platform and onto the walkway that would lead them back to their cabin.