A/N: Thanks again to my wonderful beta, Jenny CBS, for helping me figure out ways to improve this story, and for reminding me that the world won't end if I am late with an update. Lolol

And thank you all for your patience as I edited. Here is a longer chapter for you to enjoy!

OK, on with the story!

Chapter 5

With the kids sound asleep and Han returning soon, Leia decided to make room for him on the room's only "seat" by drawing a bath for herself. Yes, it was somewhat risky, in that a child might need to use the fresher, but she had pulled the curtain closed. And a bath really was the most practical choice, she told herself. Any pleasure she derived would be simply a secondary result, a happy accident.

Leia slipped into the water, leaning backward until its warmth caressed her face and her long chestnut locks floated freely around her. Running her fingers through her hair, she resurfaced, then reclined her head and shoulders against the cool porcelain of the the small rectangular tub. She stretched her arms in front of her and rested them along the sides. Her skin tingled as the foaming bath salts dissolved, their floral fragrance permeating the air and stimulating memories too intimate to be preserved in a holo-album.

She recalled a natural hot spring shimmering under a blanket of stars, which had provided a welcome respite from Hoth's bitter cold. That long-ago supply run to Naboo had been an escape from their comrades, whose intense curiosity she and Han couldn't avoid while on base. They weren't together… publicly. In private, however, their interactions had progressed beyond friendship and flirting. Having spent her entire life under the galactic spotlight, Leia had wanted to keep their romance under wraps for a while longer, as something special, just for them.

The opening and closing of the hotel room door interrupted Leia's reverie, and she opened her eyes as the fresher door swooshed wide, then shut, its locking mechanism clicking into place.

"Hey Sweetheart."

A large hand pulled the curtain back, revealing the tall, handsome form of her husband. His eyes roved over the parts of her not obscured by the thin sheen of bubbles, then lingered on her barely-concealed breasts.

"You're late."

"Looks like I arrived at the perfect time." Han placed a crinkled tan package on the counter, then sat down on the closed toilet. "An' I got the best seat in the house."

Leia raised her eyebrow. "What's in the bag, Hotshot?"

He reached back to retrieve it. "Got somethin' for you." His twinkling eyes and lopsided smile made her heart skip. Their gazes locked on each other, and after a few seconds, Leia noticed that he'd made no further effort in regard to the gift, its packaging still hiding the mysterious contents.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Han countered.

"Are you going to show it to me?" Leia responded, with a coy tilt to her head.

Han glanced at the bag, then back at Leia. "You want this," he teased in that soft baritone voice that never failed to send a wave of pleasure through her body.

"Scoundrel."

"Who, me?" Han pointed at himself, his expression one of mock disbelief. "I'm a nice man."

"No, you're not," Leia admonished as she held his gaze. "You're a scoundrel, making me wait." Her lips were pursed in a pout, yet twitching to grin as she suppressed a rising urge to giggle at their familiar words.

"Whatcha gonna do about it, Princess?"

"Mmm…" A flush of anticipation spread through Leia's body. She fingered the facecloth that lay under her hand, inhaling deeply as she reminded herself that their current situation wasn't conducive to a night of passion. But as playful possibilities began to dawn on her, Leia's eyes sparkled with mischief. She immersed the cloth in the bath, then looked at Han, whose lopsided grin made her flush. Yes, she wanted the package. But mostly, she wanted his soft lips moving against her lips and his talented hands roving over her body. And if she had to work for it, then so be it.

Leia tilted her head, then lifted the dampened fabric to her exposed neck, savoring the sensation as well as her husband's rapt attention. Warm water ran along her skin, traveling over her collarbone and following the rise of her chest before merging with the bubbly surface. Han swallowed hard, his intense gaze generating a flutter of excitement. With lips turned up in muted delight, Leia raised her knee, then slowly extended her leg out of the water as she smoothed the cloth over her glistening skin.

She closed her eyes, relishing the soft warmth. Calloused fingers cupped her heel, then enveloped her ankle, and she opened her eyes to see Han now sitting on the side of the tub. He grasped her foot with his other hand, and began gently massaging her toes. Continuing to support her ankle, he gradually brushed a hand along her lower leg, kneading her calf with sensuous ministrations that made her pulse quicken. A niggling concern about their current close quarters inched its way into Leia's awareness, and she pushed it away, distracted and desirous for more.

"You like this," Han murmured. His careful attentions softened to a delicate touch while he began to move both hands up her leg.

"Mmm…" Leia closed her eyes, enjoying the heat of their abiding attraction.

Han's fingers grazed her knee and trailed slowly upward toward more intimate areas, one hand reaching her waist while the other massaged her inner thigh. Leia arched her back and his thumb brushed the underside of her breast. She gasped, her body craving more, much more. But she knew that her desires could not be fulfilled here and now.

She lifted her head and saw that Han's expression was no longer playful. His eyes, now darkened with need, mirrored the fantasies galloping through her mind. If he could join her in the bath, she would move to straddle him… Her thoughts were jumbled, and she sifted through the fragments to remember her original goal: the package.

Leia struggled for a moment to find words. Han's face was moving ever-closer to hers, now mere centims away. "You didn't answer my question," she whispered.

Han sat back slightly, and Leia noticed his eyes raking over her body once more. "What..." he began, his voice foggy as if with sleep, then cleared his throat. "What question?"

Leia grinned, pleased that their passion had derailed his brain as well as hers. She looked leadingly toward the neglected bag, now lying on its side by the door.

Han's eyes followed hers, and a sheepish smile crossed his face. "Oh, yeah." He picked it up from the floor, and began to unfurl the top.

"Bedding's in the room, by the way. We got the last comforter, but I know you'll still stick your frozen toes under my legs anyway."

"Han, I only do that on ice planets."

"That's 'cause you know I'm hot."

Leia rolled her eyes, and Han's expression turned mock-serious. "Leia Amidala Organa Solo, you will sprain your eyeballs if you keep doing that."

She laughed at his rather accurate impersonation of a statement she had repeated several times to the twins of late.

Han pulled out a bottle of ale and placed it on the counter. "Corellia's Finest," he said, reading the label, then grinned at her. "Hey, it's me!"

Leia raised an eyebrow, then squinted as she made out the other words. "Does that say... Butt Cheek Brewing Company?"

"Yep. Classy little operation out in the countryside. Brewmasters are a bunch of ladies who really know their stuff. But I have something else for you." He took a small dark bottle out of the bag. "This ain't much, but it fits the occasion."

Upon first glance, it seemed to be an inexpensive bottle of red wine, the kind available at most every fueling station. But then Leia noticed the script on the white label, which read 10 Years. She smiled up at her husband, then read the smaller print: Celebrating a decade of fine wines by Mantelli Vineyards.

"Happy anniversary, Sweetheart." Han's deep voice sent shivers down her spine.

"I love you," Leia replied, watching curiously as Han turned to place the bottle on the counter, then reached for another object beside the sink. He proceeded to remove the wrapper, revealing a plastene cup. Tossing the trash into the small receptacle in the corner, he picked up the bottle again, then began to pour its content into the clear cup.

Leia suppressed a laugh when she realized that she and Han were about to celebrate their anniversary, their tenth anniversary, by drinking cheap alcohol in a tiny hotel fresher. Not wanting to insult his effort to present a meaningful gift, she concealed her grin with her hand, then found herself distracted by a sensuous mouth, a strong jawline, stubbly skin she longed to touch, and hazel eyes that were looking into her own.

"See something you want, Your Highness?" He leaned forward, offering the drink to her.

Her gaze flicked to the cup, then back to her husband. She raised an eyebrow. "Fancy."

"Hey, it could be worse!" Han quipped as she took the cup from his outstretched hand. "You could have to drink out of the bottle!" He winked, then gave his bottle of ale a slight tip in her direction before taking a swig.

A small grin tugged at her lips as she watched her husband swallow, his Adam's apple moving up and down. She held her cup just under her nose, swirled the contents, and inhaled, noticing the spicy yet sweet aroma. Considering his joking declaration, she sipped her wine, savoring the intermingling full-bodied, complex flavors.

"True. We've endured quite a bit of worse." Her voice now soft, she glanced from her drink back to Han and continued. "No regrets?"

"No regrets, Sweetheart," he replied.

They looked at each other for a moment, and the sincerity of his words filled her awareness, resonating with her own sentiments about their life together. Leia grinned, and stretched her legs until her toes touched the end of the tub. She wiggled them. It wasn't that she ever doubted his feelings for her; he had demonstrated his devotion to her—to their family—innumerable times. However, it felt good to hear him say it.

"I'd let you marry a gorgeous guy like me all over again." Han looked pleased with himself.

Raising an eyebrow, Leia replied, "I'm not sure we could squeeze a third wedding between your assignments, my meetings, and the kids' Jedi training."

"Good thing you finished your own training, or we'd really be swamped."

"True." Leia smiled, then took another sip of her wine. "And it's a good thing that our first trip here was postponed or this may have happened very differently."

"You mean we wouldn't be drinking in a hotel bathroom on our anniversary? 'Cause I'd rather celebrate another way."

Leia rolled her eyes at his exaggerated leer. "Well, so would I. But that's not what I'm saying. When the original Ord Mantell supply run was planned, I'd just finally let myself like you."

Even at that early point in their acquaintance, Leia had known that her feelings for Han greatly exceeded like, but after losing everyone she loved, she had feared opening herself to the possibility of more loss and pain. Then there had been the guilt... She'd not permitted herself to pursue something as frivolous as romance after the Empire had destroyed her planet and victory seemed nowhere in sight. But then, the handsome smuggler from the garbage smasher had found his way to her heart. They'd endured many obstacles together, yet he had remained at her side, first as a courageous and steadfast friend, and eventually as a lover.

Leia's eyes moved to the cup in her hand, and she remembered the long-ago Hoth day when she first acted on her growing feelings for Han. Protected only by thin gloves, her hands had been bone cold in Alderaanian terms, so cold that she could barely feel her fingers, even after Han had invited her onto the Falcon. Although she'd attempted to conceal her discomfort, Han had noticed. Leia had felt as if time stopped when he took her hands in his. She remembered thinking, Oh, yes, as he'd pulled her closer.

Although the moment had been lost when an exasperated Wookiee interrupted them, Leia had stayed, and Han had served her favorite drink, hot chocolate. He'd also given her his much thicker gloves. The warmth of Han's gifts had been more than physical; his kindness had comforted her lonely soul. So she'd mustered her resolve and asked him to accompany her on the Ord Mantell supply run. When he accepted, she'd felt both elated and relieved, as if the two of them had found and placed a missing puzzle piece. Being with Han felt right. The kiss she'd placed on his cheek, although innocent, marked the beginning of a very different type of relationship and a new world for both of them.

Shortly thereafter, Leia had fallen ill, as had almost half the base personnel. She hadn't been surprised when Command had cancelled that initial mission. However, despite her fever and weakness, she'd been frustrated and disappointed rather than thankful at the chance to recuperate. But Han had taken good care of her during and after her recovery. Very good care, she mused. And she had reciprocated.

Then, six months later, High Command had rescheduled the Ord Mantell run, sending Han and Leia to this "land of casinos and nature's wonders," as Han had described it. There, they had met with their supplier, a fellow Alderaanian who owned a large orchard just outside of the city in the foothills of the Juvel Mountains.

They'd spent a bright afternoon together, filling the Falcon's cargo hold with crates of much-needed tangelina and limon fruits. Han had taken Leia's hand, but this time she wore no gloves. She could feel the calluses on his work-roughened hands as he rubbed his thumb tenderly across her palm.

"Got somethin' to tell you." His serious tone made her stomach drop.

Was he leaving?

"Come 'ere."

Gripped by uncertainty, she glanced up. At the sight of his grin, hope had replaced anxiety.

Han had led her toward a grove of fruit trees with large orange and white blossoms. There, as they faced each other under the fragrant branches, he'd taken her other hand. "I'm stayin' with you. An' with the Alliance."

Leia recalled how her heart had leapt, how she'd thrown her arms around him and kissed him despite the fact that they hadn't yet made their romance public. In that moment, she wouldn't have cared if the entire Alliance had seen them.

And their kisses had deepened once they returned to the privacy of the Falcon. What wickedly wonderful things they'd done with each other that night… Those memories still made her face flush and her body tingle.

She and Han had finally emerged from his cabin to take a speeder into the city, one they'd borrowed from their supplier. Under assumed identities, they'd planned to go to dinner at Paradisi, where the finest chefs on the planet prepared unique dishes using fresh ingredients from local orchards and farms. Given their usual diet of years-old processed and preserved foodstuffs, eating fresh and local was an opportunity they couldn't resist.

If only we'd not left the Falcon… The thought had occurred to Leia many times, but less frequently as the years passed and new memories—happy ones—soothed her pain.

"You definitely liked me," Han said with a smirk, bringing her attention back to the present. "Just took you a while to admit it."

Leia rolled her eyes. "A long while," she quipped. Her thoughts flashed to images of exchanges relatively early in their… what would she call it? Friendship was too standoffish, and relationship was too open. Past platonic but not yet a couple...

As if he had read her mind, Han chuckled and shook his head. "We were somethin' then, but we sure didn't know what."

Leia sniffed her wine again, then ran a finger around the rim of the glass. "We were wasting time. Two-and-a-half years..."

"Nah, Sweetheart. It wasn't a waste. We just got to know each other real well." Han waggled his eyebrows at her.

Leia huffed in amusement. She still very much enjoyed their gentle banter. At the beginning, their intense interactions had been fortified by their mutual strong feelings for each other, which neither had been willing to acknowledge. Even then, she had found those encounters energizing for reasons that she had refused to say, even to herself.

Leia looked up at her husband. "You could be a real nerfherder sometimes. But I wasn't perfect either." She smiled. "I knew there was more to you than money."