oratorical | IC Contact

[han comes home at the usual time, tonight, but rather than throwing the door open and bellowing for leia, he just lets himself in like a normal person. he trudges through the living room, a tired thousand-yard gaze to his face, and drops his pack in the corner before disappearing in to the bedroom.

see, he had an interesting talk with rey about chewie today. and while it really warmed his heart that his crew sees chewie as a person, as someone valuable, talking about him with someone who clearly adores him is making han miss the big furry guy more than ever. it's not unusual for him to get moody about chewie not being around, but usually he gets it out of his system while no one's home. he's not usually this dramatic about it, either, but it hit him hard and unexpectedly this time.

in the bedroom, he considers just flopping on the bed fully clothed but isn't so lost in thought that he doesn't think leia won't have his hide for that, considering the state of his work clothes. instead he strips down and, after a bit of rummaging around, decides that a pair of pajama pants will be the most comfortable option. that done, and deciding he doesn't quite want to be alone, he trudges back out of the bedroom and flops on the couch, heedless of anything else other than leia's presence somewhere in the house. nope, he doesn't have anything to say. he's just going to lie with one arm dangling off the couch and sigh.]

[That's strange. All of it, from the quiet to Han actually willingly putting on pajamas while the weather is warm to him just lying down on the couch like that. She notices him as he heads toward the bedroom, confused by the lack of bellowing. Because as much as she complains about the bellow, she's come to expect it and associate it with Han being in a normal mood. So the lack of a bellow, plus Han walking out of their room wearing pajamas has her concerned.

After a quick trip to the kitchen to grab any medicine that may have been left over from the last time Han was sick--because the last time he offered to willingly wear pajamas was when he was sick and trying to entice her to stop sleeping on the couch--Leia joins Han in the living room.]

Did something happen?

[Her tone is soft, gentle, and reassuring. But she can't quite keep the concern out of her voice at Han acting so uncharacteristically quiet. ...And so pajama-friendly.]

[pajamas are comfortable sometimes, okay? but only when han chooses to wear them. he sighs again at her question, not bothering to look up.]

No. [not quite true, though it's fair to say that nothing happened today specifically that was terrible.] I'm just thinkin', is all.

[but not thinking about his precious reputation at the moment, obviously, as he's too busy thinking about chewie to bother hiding how morose he sounds.]

[so, not sick. Probably. Leia sets the medicine down on the closest table and steps a bit closer to Han, placing her hand lightly against his forehead. It works both as a way to check his temperature and as a way of giving some sort of physical comfort.

Sure enough, no signs of any sort of fever. So, she brushes her hand back into his hair, and takes a seat on the edge of the couch.]

About what? Do you want to talk?

[he considers that question for a moment, weighing his pride against how much he likes it when she pets him. finally he reaches for her blindly, seeking out her other hand but unwilling to move his head.]

I really miss Chewie. [there, he said it. no need to be ashamed. he's probably even told her that before, but he likes to think she hasn't noticed his little moods here and there where he actually gets sad about it.] It's like somebody cut me open and it won't heal up 'til he's here or I'm back there.

[they're supposed to be together, dammit. han solo barely exists without chewbacca, in han's opinion.]

[she reaches for his hand, lacing her fingers with his, while leaving her other hand resting in his hair. It's no secret that Han misses Chewie. Even without his moping moods and Chewie showing up in the smoke from his candle at Selenium, it would be obvious to Leia. Chewie and Han were always together, had been together for the better part of the last decade probably. Even more than that.

He may not be looking at her, but any worry drops from her expression, leaving only sympathy behind. Because while she also misses Chewie, she knows it's nowhere near as much as Han must be.]

I know. I can't pretend to imagine how hard it is for you.

[well she misses Luke, but it's not the same. Luke had been here before, and her last memory of him before arriving here was a good one. Quite the opposite from Han and Chewie, she knows.]

Was he okay the last time you saw him?

[rey's comment about chewie being hurt in the future has been a worry on his mind, too. he sounds anxious, almost antsy. it's knowing that his closest friend could be in danger but not having any way of getting to him.]

He was. Perhaps the best I've ever seen him.

[banged up and bruised and sore? Probably. But they all were. And there's no denying Chewie was just as overjoyed and celebrating as much as the rest of them. He even seemed to have made friends out of the Ewoks.]

The last time I saw him, he was celebrating with all of us.

[some of the tension drains from han's body at that, and he shifts a bit, turning his head to look at her. he would much rather hear this than think about the distant future.]

After the Emperor was killed, right?

[and she has no problem sharing stories about what Chewie happened to be doing back home when she left, especially if it helps to put Han's mind at ease. Both in terms of missing his best friend and his worries that Chewie may have been hurt.]

Right. He was with us down on Endor, for the battle and the victory celebration.

[that part, she's sure, is no surprise to him, that Chewie would want to be by his side.]

Is Chewie fond of parties?

[she doesn't really know, she never thought to ask. There really weren't many opportunities for parties in the rebellion. At least none as wild as the party on Endor was.]

[he seems to be settling down a little, that much is certain. it's much better to think of chewie having a good time somewhere out there.]

I bet he'd like that kind of party. Surrounded by friends right after a big fight? There's no way we'd miss it. Besides, he likes a good beat. Did we have a live band?

[it takes the sting out a little bit, too, for him to play along as though it's already happened to him too. thinking about timeline shenanigans stresses him out too, so he does his best not to seriously ponder it.]

[with him settling down slightly, Leia nudges him gently in an attempt to get him to sit up so she can slide in on the couch next to him. She doesn't want him to fully sit up, just move enough so she can sit more comfortably and he can lay on her lap if he wants to.]

I don't know if I'd call it a band, but there were drums and instruments.

[close enough to a band, she supposes. It's enough to give a good beat at any rate.]

[he shifts a bit at her nudge, twisting up a little to try and figure out what she wants him to do. there's room for her to scoot back when he does.]

Even better, he could sing all he wants. People tend to frown on that in, uh, reputable establishments.

[she's quick to scoot back and into a much less perilous seat on the couch once he twists up. As soon as she's settled, she pushes gently on his shoulders, hoping he'll take the hint and lie back down if he wants.

She does feel bad about just how much Han misses Chewie, but she can't help the obviously amused smile spreading on her face at the very idea of Chewie singing. It's not hard to imagine why most places wouldn't exactly approve of that sort of music. ]

I didn't know he liked to sing. Did he do that often when it was just the two of you flying together?

[he takes the hint almost eagerly, lying down and even snuggling into her leg a bit, not that he would use that term if his life depended on it.]

Men don't just randomly burst into song, you know.

[is his immediate and gently indignant response. he's a MAN'S MAN!! no whimsical stuff will be admitted to! although he does tack on,]

Not that he's a bad singer, I mean, particularly if you have an appreciation for Wookie lore--

[good job, han. he cuts himself off, clearly feeling better enough to embarrass himself again.]

[it's snuggling, don't pretend otherwise. She knows. But once he's settled back down, her hand is instantly back in his hair, like there's some kind of magnetic pull there or something.]

So what does he usually sing?

[because between his indignant response and embarrassment, she's taking this as 100% fact that Chewie used to sing a lot when it was just Han and him on the Falcon. And as always, she's interested in Han's life before she knew him and his friendship with Chewie.]

Wookie stuff.

[if he was in a better mood he might warble at her, but as it is he just sounds like a kid who got caught out at something. call it boyish charm, maybe.]

You know, family stuff, climbin' trees, hunting...Wookie stuff.

[for now, she'll give it a pass. Since she knows Han is still upset and missing Chewie on top of being slightly embarrassed.]

I'll have to ask him the next time I see him.

[partially because she wants to know Chewie's opinion on things Han has said, and partially because she's really curious about his singing talents now.]

It's not something that ever came up when talking with him.

Edited (Icons >:|) 2017-05-16 20:00 (UTC)

What'd you two talk about then? Me?

[he says this not defensively, but like he fully expects that he would be the topic of conversation and wants to know the details.]

[well he isn't wrong. And even though she does roll her eyes in a lighthearted sort of manner, she can't even really admonish him for having an ego here, since his tone doesn't sound like he's being full of himself.]

About you, yes. And about how his missions were going, and whether he was okay.

[and probably just as much about how she was holding up while they were searching for Han, but that, she's sure, goes without saying.]

How long was I, uh, out of commission?

[it hasn't really occurred to him to ask before, but chewie taking missions makes it seem like he was an unfeeling slab of mineral in jabba's palace for a long time.]

[he never thought to ask, and Leia never really wanted to bring it up, considering it wasn't the easiest time for her, either. Han is here and he had been rescued back home, and that's what was most important. But if he wants to know, she'll share with him.]

...a few months. It took us a while to find any trace of Fett, and to plan how we were going to take you back from Jabba.

[a few of the hardest months she's been through, since all she wanted was to immediately find wherever Boba Fett had run off to and take back Han then and there.]

Sorry.

[he reaches up with his free hand and caresses her face, feeling a bit bad for bringing it up.]

I used to think, [he hesitates, but only for a second. he's already embarrassed himself today, what's the harm?] that the carbonite killed me and this place was some kind of purgatory. Then instead of bein' worried about everybody who ain't here I was just relieved.

[sometimes he still wonders, honestly, but in moments like this he chooses to believe he's still alive and kicking.]

[Leia furrows her brow, slightly confused about why Han is apologizing. Since, in her opinion, she should be the one to apologize. It took far longer than she liked to find him, and he had been stuck in carbonite for such a long time as a result. But even that confusion doesn't stop her from leaning into his touch.

And just like that, with his admission, any lingering confusion is gone and replaced with only sympathy. It's not hard to see why he would've thought that, but that doesn't mean it isn't an upsetting thought.]

You're very much alive. All of us went to go rescue you. Even Lando decided to help us.

I feel pretty alive.

[that ought to sound like an innuendo, but he's being sincere. he'd rather believe he's really holding leia's hand than anything else. after he indulges himself by stroking her face some more, coincidentally reinforcing his point, he takes his inevitable jab at lando.]

Did he decide, or did you and Chewie convince him?

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