Hum-dee-dum-dum.
Only a Dream
A silhouette of a small figure flashed against the wall as the door behind him opened up. Unaware, he just lied there, his feet resting on the table in front of him and his head leaned back on crossed arms. The figure took a step forward, the floor giving a small moan. The noise crossed his ears, and he opened his eyes, looking over his shoulder. There stood a small figure of a woman, her hair loose and curving around her face at odd angles. Her eyes were puffy, making her appear as if she were crying or didn't get enough sleep. She wrapped her pallid arms around herself, her light, creamy nightgown sweeping around her ankles before taking another step forward.
"What are you doing up, Princess?" He swiveled his chair around, focusing in on her.
Clearing her throat, she answered, "Just trying to find you."
"At this time at night?" He gave a small grin. "Am I that irresistible?"
A smile flashed for a fraction of a second before her eyes went hollow again, glancing around the room. Han sat silent, staring at her delicate figure before shifting his eyes back up to her face. "Aren't you cold, Princess?"
"What?" Her eyes stopped drifting around the room to look at him.
He patted his knee. "Aren't you cold?" he repeated.
After a couple of seconds she gave a small nod. Han smiled weakly and patted his knee again. Slowly, she shuffled forward before balancing her body on his knee. Arms enclosed around her again, only this time it was the strong arms of a smuggler who cared. He tugged slightly, bringing her head to his chest. Leia shifted her body weight so she was relying fully on his chest and abdomen. Dancing his fingers through her hair, he asked, "Why are you up?"
She stayed silent, much like she did earlier, before answering. "I couldn't go to sleep."
Figures, he thought. His hand went to the top of her head and slid down before repeating itself again. While he was stroking her hair, he asked, "And why couldn't you go to sleep?"
"Nightmare," she murmured, much quicker than her previous answers. Han closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair again. Was that why she was looking so pale?
"Do you feel sick any?" Han questioned softly.
"Not really," she replied. Silence surrounded them; the only thing going between them was Han's strokes. "Why do you ask?"
"You looked really pale." There was no sense hiding the truth. It's not like her self-esteem was going to crumble if he said that.
"Do I?" The words escaped her lips hoarsely.
He placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her up and then turning her around on his knee. Her eyes grew wide as he stared intently into hers, his lips pressed together. "Are you sure you're okay?" he repeated after surveying her for a minute.
"Yes," she whispered. Han pulled her to his chest again, resting his cheek on the top of her head.
"You don't sound it, either," he commented.
"I'm just tired," she mumbled.
"Then go to sleep."
"I can't." Han chuckled, his eyes filling up with amusement. "What's so funny?" she asked.
"You come to me, tell me you can't sleep, then tell me you're tired, and when I suggest you sleep, you can't sleep again." He smiled into the darkness.
Leia's eyes closed as she responded, "It's just—the nightmare I had."
"Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to scare off the bogeyman?"
She twisted around to face him. "Han," was all she said. He gave a small smile.
"Sorry," he said, pushing her back onto his chest again.
No words came after that. He just played with her hair, intoxicated by the scent. After a while, he began to doze off, only to be awakened by a jolt by his body. Jerking his eyes open, he looked down to see Leia having some sort of fit, her arms slapping against his and her legs kicking the air.
"Leia, Leia!" he exclaimed, spinning her body around to face her again. Her eyes sprang open, looking so colorful compared to how white her skin was. Color started seeping back into her face, but not much. At least she didn't look so ghost-like anymore. The frightened eyes widened as tears welled up and trickled down her cheeks. She gave a sob and buried her head into his chest. He placed an arm around the back, the other stroking her head again. "It's okay, sweetheart," he consoled, placing his chin on her head. "I'm right here. Everything's okay."
"No it's not," she choked out.
"Leia, honey, it was only a dream," he informed, hugging her tighter.
Her sobs decreased into sniffs before she glanced up at him. She rubbed her eyes, murmuring, "It was only a dream, it was only a dream…."
"It's okay," he whispered.
A dazed look came in Leia's eyes as she leaned forward, her lips slightly parted. Her face drew nearer to his, eyes closed, until she was a few inches from his lips. She hesitated, and opening her eyes again, she drew back and rested her head and hands on his chest. "Only a dream," she said in a barely audible voice.
"Are you alright?" Han asked gently.
"Oh, Han, you were dead!" she wailed. "You an—and Luke and Ch—Chewie…."
The words touched Han's heart; under all the stubbornness and sarcasm, she deeply cared for all of them. Luke and Chewbacca weren't surprising, but his name made him raise an eyebrow. Could there be something more?
He decided to drop the thought and focus on her right now. Leia's shoulders still shook and he felt hot tears seep through his shirt, but he let her keep crying. How else could she get over it if she couldn't get it all out?
"Leia," he murmured, lifting her so she was sitting straight up on his knee. His hand grasped her chin as he held it still to stare at her face. He took his other hand and wiped the tears away. "It's only a dream. I'm never going to leave you. Luke and Chewie and that R2 unit and the Professor—we're not going to leave you." His hand that were soaking the tears brushed up to her hair, tangling his fingers in it. "Why would we leave you?" he continued. "Are you going to feed us to the that creature in the trash compactor?"
Leia gave a faint smile as another tear found its way down her cheek. "I'm right here," Han whispered. Leia leaned closer to him again as she had earlier and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You missed," he murmured.
She grinned. "Not today, flyboy." Once again, her head found its way to his chest, and she leaned back, her arms circling around his neck. He listened to her breathing become steady and slow, and when he looked down, she was asleep. Lifting her up, he walked down the hallway to her room and sat down on her bed. Hesitant, he bent over her, his face ever closer than hers was to his before, and he placed his lips on hers for a second or two before yanking his head up.
Her eyes cracked open. "What was that?"
"Hmm? Nothing happened."
"Liar." She smiled as her head drooped down and her body grew calm. His hands drifted to hers, unlocking them from his neck and lying her down on the bed. When he was finished straightening her body out and covering her up, he headed out the door only to hear a faint whisper: "Han."
He turned around. "Yes?"
"Can… can you just stay here for the night incase the nightmares come again?"
The thought lightened Han's mind, but he had to stay modest for once. "Wouldn't that ruin your image? A smuggler discovered in bed with a princess?"
Leia rolled onto her side. "We're not doing anything bad. You're just making sure I'm okay."
Han considered that for a moment although he had made up his mind a minute ago. "I guess there are no rules against that, are there?" He climbed into bed with her, locking her arms around her waist and pulling her head against his chest like he had done not to long ago.
Almost instantly she fell asleep, not bothered once by the nightmares while in Han's arms. It took him much longer to go asleep, but as consciousness clashed with sleep, her words echoed in his head.
Only a dream… only a dream….
Fever
It was almost enchanting to watch her sleep. No, he had not barged in nor had any motivation to do anything to her; he, although he would never admit it, was worried.
Worried about her, to be exact. Her skin was flushed, a very pallid contrast from the normal peach it was. Black clouded under her eyes, giving an appearance as if she hadn't slept for days, which wouldn't be surprising if it were so. As he watched, she thrashed about in her sleep.
He had always loved her soft, brown eyes, especially when they blazed during arguments; but now they looked weak and glassy, hidden underneath twitching eyelids.
The worse part about it though was the toll it was taking on her energy. Usually, the energy inside her was so well-kept it stored up until Han came. Then it erupted, lashing out as an argument. He rarely ever took her insults personally, but even when the insults whipped at his ego he came back the next day—maybe the next hour—for another fight.
The previous day, though, when Han provoked her, she merely gave a stare that almost—almost—made him regret it at the moment. But watching her twist up in the sheets now made him pity her.
Leia was sick. That all there was to it. It was nothing serious, but it bothered Han to a point where he couldn't sleep.
As if he ever slept in the first place. But what bothered him the most is that Leia never got sick or hurt. No, she was a woman of noble, stubborn stature. Not a person to fall, needing the care of someone else.
Han believes even to this day that that's the reason for his attraction to her. Sure, there were other factors, but it was her almost outspoken attitude—maybe she was outspoken—that was her most appealing trait to him. She stood up for what she believed in, making sure she was heard.
But now she barely even talked. Han rubbed his eye as Leia scrunched up into a little ball. Long brown hair, tangled and knotted, was thrown over her face, little spaces with no or a few strands of hair making spots of her face visible. Her small hands wrapped around her thin white legs as she twisted her head so it wasn't facing Han.
Sighing, he got up and placed a hand in her hair. Twisting his fingers in it, he leaned down ad breathed in the floral scent her hair always contained. oh, he needed to know what she washed her hair with. It was almost intoxicating.
He was alone with the Princess. The princess that lost all her friends and family as well as her home but came out victorious with her fight against the Empire in a single day. The princess that wouldn't bite her tongue when speaking her mind but fell short when Han held her close. The princess, so noble and proud, lying ill on her bed.
She shifted again, Han yanking his hand out in time. She uncurled, straightening her legs out until she lie flat on her back with her arms askew.
Cautiously, he laid the back of his fingers on her forehead. She was burning up. He ached to pick her up and cradle her, but resisted the urge. Instead, he laid his cheek lightly on her forehead before tenderly kissing it.
He brought his hand up and brushed her hair back onto the mattress. Her puffy eyelids cracked open, her eyes hazily staring up at him. They seemed incomprehensive, but Han told her to go back to sleep anyways.
She kept staring though. Han gave a weak smile as he told her once again to go to sleep. Her eyes seemed to be growing more alert until, with slurred speech, she asked why he was here.
Responding, he told her he was just checking on her before finally fulfilling his previous urge by lifting her up. Placing her head on his chest, he then pulled her legs over his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he cradled and rocked her slowly, his chin resting on her head. Flames from her fever licked fiercely through his clothes, but he didn't stop rocking her until much, much later when he slumped against the wall and fell asleep himself.
In the morning, Luke, checking on the Princess, peered inside the room to see Han, who had toppled onto the pillow, and Leia resting peacefully on him. Her arms were twisted at an angle where it looked like she hugged his neck, and Han's arms the same but around her waist.
Smiling, Luke left them be, and it was not until an hour or two later when Han opened his eyes. Gently putting Leia's head on the pillow, he straightened her body and left, leaving her to wonder whether last night was a dream or not.
Subject: Yet TWO More Han/Leia Oneshots 
Sun Aug 14, 2011 6:22 pm
