[IC] Appointments

[borntorebel]

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August 11th, Evening

[notsosolo]

[Han has a pretty good feel for when Leia will actually be at the house by now. And he's become very good at spontaneity in years of being in love with someone with a schedule like hers.

Which is why he approaches her dressed in clothes that clearly haven't been used for any sort of mechanical project and carrying flowers.]

Leia? It's dinner time.

[borntorebel]

[Despite being on "vacation" from her responsibilities with the Alliance and trying to get into contact with the other displaced refugees of Alderaan, Leia is and always will be a busy woman. She works as much as she can or she's sure she'll scream.

True, she has a lot of things she can do with just getting to know her parents, brother, Han and Ami. But that isn't enough for her. Not... really. But reading as much as she can from other worlds in the library and speaking to those who've been in the Luceti enclosure for a long time to find out more fills her times when she's not training in some form or fashion.

And she knows that Han is curious about where she goes on the four days she and Ami go for their lessons, but he seems to know better than to pry. She's been relieved, and she tries to make sure she's home in time for dinner with her family.

But to be greeted by her handsome future-husband in nice, clean clothes and flowers is...suspicious. She narrows her eyes and looks at the flowers before looking at Han's face.]

I know. That's why I'm home. What did you do?

[notsosolo]

[These are not the "I screwed up" flowers. You will know the "I screwed up" flowers when you see them. They're much flashier than this simple arrangement that he's offering her.]

Made dinner reservations. Just you and me.

[That sort of thing is precious in a crowded house like this. And he can never get enough of her.]

[borntorebel]

[Without thinking, she takes the simple arrangement from Han and smells them absently. Nothing too strong, just wildflowers.They remind her of home for a minute and she can't help but wonder how he knew she preferred these to the exotic arrangements she used to get after she reached her maturity.

Six years of marriage is probably the answer.

She smiles at his reply and shakes her head.]

Tired of being part of the Skywalker family already? This doesn't bode well, Han.

[notsosolo]

[Six years of marriage is the answer to a remarkable number of things. Including how it is that he's gotten spontaneous date nights down to a science. But certainly how he would know something as simple as what sort of flowers she prefers. He pays attention to these things.]

Date nights don't usually involve the entire family.

[borntorebel]

Date night, hm?

[She has to admit that she likes the way that sounds. She loves her family and likes to spend time with her mother and brother as much as she can, but time alone with Han for more than a few hours of just chatting together sounds good.

Although, she's a little apprehensive as to which establishment he's gotten reservations at, considering she's just come from Helios's cafe.]

And which place around here is nice enough to require reservations and clean clothes?

[notsosolo]

Seventh Heaven seemed the most appropriate place for an actual dinner.

[Since they mostly have cafes otherwise. They haven't had a date night in a while. He wants to do this properly. Hence flowers.]

Would you have preferred I take you out in something smudged with grease?

[borntorebel]

Well, the food there is nice. And it has a bar.

[Thankfully, Lee is off training tonight or this would be awkward. She likes the young man but his exuberance is...a little uncontrollable.]

I'd almost forgotten you owned anything that wasn't stained with grease. To be perfectly honest.

[notsosolo]

What's not to like?

[He has put thought into this night, after all.]

I save the clean ones for special occasions.

[Only about half his wardrobe is grease stained at home]

[borntorebel]

[She snorts inelegantly and smells the flowers in her hands again.]

Do I get to put these in something or will you force me to carry them around the enclosure all evening?

[He looks so eager, so happy about taking her out for the evening that she can't help but feel excited about it herself. Not that she's needed more encouragement to be with him during the last week. She's enjoyed it as much as Han has, she's sure.]

Special occasions are taking your wife out to dinner?

[notsosolo]

You can put them in something.

[They'll just wilt otherwise]

Yes. It happens far less often than diplomatic events. That makes it special.

[borntorebel]

Your generosity knows no bounds, Han.

[She slides an arm around his waist and leans against him intimately for a moment before letting go. It's something she's taken a slightly perverse pleasure in doing since Yavin 4. She can feel him beside her and it throws him off balance. Especially when she does those kind of things were others can see them.

Luckily, her mother left an empty vase in the kitchen, and Leia wastes no time using it for her flowers.

But the second thing he said has her worried. How much time does she give her family if Han has perfected spontaneous dates? What about...the children? How much of her time does she spend being a mother? Is she like Breha, who read to her every night? Does she tell them she loves them with all of her heart? Or is she just a blip in their lives, someone who they barely know or see or really care about? The thought is terrifying.]

I'm sorry for that. You deserve better.

[notsosolo]

[It does still throw him off a little, after all these years. But it's a nice sort of thrown off.

Besides, he's learned it puts her in just the right position for him to drop a quick kiss on her forehead.]

You have a lot of responsibilities. It's important work.

[Running the government and all. And the kids need so much time too. It's only natural that it takes a bit of creativity to get time for just the two of them.]

There's a reason I'm mostly retired.

[borntorebel]

[The first time he kissed her like that had been a sad, strained moment, but she likes the way his lips feel against her skin. It's a simple but intimate tableau that they paint and at least bodes well for their relationship in a decade. And she takes comfort in knowing him enough to know he probably tells the children she loves them when she can't.]

Well, there is time enough to spend together here. And seeing as how you've gone to all the trouble of planning our evening, I suppose it would be rude to decline.

[notsosolo]

[They have their ups and downs. What couple doesn't? What family doesn't? But they work. THe ups are worth it.]

We don't even have to ask the galaxy to wait for an evening.

[Or make sure they have a babysitter]

[borntorebel]

There is that. Just my mother.

[She smiles warmly at him, her mind at ease for a little while she enjoys this strange interlude of peace and quiet. Their lives back home feel as if they will never calm down, even with a family to raise. But here, despite its own brand of trouble, they can have times like this. It's almost enough to make her wish they didn't need to go back.

But those thoughts will only ruin the happiness that they can find here and she shakes them off and takes Han's arm.]

Lead the way, General.

[notsosolo]

I suspect we can get her to understand.

[Much as he's mastered spontaneous date nights, Han has learned to embrace any quiet moment they can steal. And if that means stealing it in some strange village where they all have wings and no one is from the same time as anyone else, well, he'll lead his wife out of the house.]

Coruscant does make you appreciate fresh air.

[borntorebel]

[Leia suspects this is the closest she's going to come to a full family. And while strange, she's happy that she and Han are at least from times where they are together. That's one hurdle she doesn't want to deal with again. It was annoying the first time.]

I hated it the first time I saw it. Dirty, too over populated, never at rest. I know it's the capital planet, but if it had been left to me, I'd like to think I'd move it.

Corellia isn't as teeming with nature as Alderaan was, but it's much more preferable in my opinion.

[notsosolo]

[There had been reasons, of course. It was an important symbol, it gave them legitimacy. But that wasn't the topic for the evening.]

I'm not surprised.

[He knows her preferences, after all.]

There's room to walk around. We were on a goodwill tour, at home. And I'm pretty sure at least half of it was just an excuse to get off Coruscant for a while.

[borntorebel]

[It's a large and varied galaxy. Coruscant isn't a small planet but it feels like it's closing in on itself. And she's never liked restrictions.

But Han seems to understand her in ways that she hasn't really considered. How many times has she told him she hates Coruscant?


She still doesn't know him like that. And it's disturbing in a way.]

That's not a half-bad idea. The children would learn about the different worlds firsthand.

[notsosolo]

[He's been trying not to bring up the kids too often. It's still such a delicate point. But if she's going to...

Well, she's right. It wouldn't be good to keep them cooped up on Coruscant all the time when there was a whole galaxy out there. He didn't want that for them any more than she did.]

The kids are loving it. Seeing all these worlds out on the Outer Rim.

Keeping them out of the water on Mon Calamari got... interesting.

[borntorebel]

[She can't keep acting like these children don't exist. Han is obviously very much in love with his family. And she is grateful for it. It's the kind of life she doubted she'd be able to have after Endor.

Just...what changed her mind?]

I don't doubt it. Half-Skywalker, half-Solo, they must be brilliant little terrors. Force knows I was more than a handful growing up. My dowager aunts drove themselves insane attempting to make me into a proper princess.

They even declared me so impossible that I would never be married.

[notsosolo]

[He leans down to kiss her lightly. As far as he's concerned, she ought to be kissed regularly.]

Somehow, I don't think your aunts saw me coming.

[Just a hunch.]

Though I'm sure they wouldn't be surprised that all three are... yeah, brilliant little terrors about covers it.

[Said with the utmost affection as only a parent who adores his children but is well aware of how much trouble it would be if they mutinied can.]

[borntorebel]

[Leia can't help the slightly pleased smile on her face after he kisses her. Han is very good at it. Besides, being with him like this reminds her of those first few months together.

But it also brings to her mind Bakura. And something she's kept from him. She's still unhhappy about what happened, but she's not the blindingly angry that she thought she would be after it all fell out. Her voice is steady when she begins.]

I tried to talk to Anakin a few days ago. It went as well as you can imagine.

[notsosolo]

[Han squeezes her hand. He's not exactly the poster child for pleasant interactions with Anakin Skywalker. Son named after the man or not, he couldn't just forget what Vader had done to Leia.]

That bad, huh?

[He shakes his head. A recurring theme was emerging.]

The kriffed up time here makes everything so complicated.