Interrupted Moments

Hey guys! This is a series of vignettes I've been itching to start, all inspired by the best "cock-block" we know- good ol' Threepio. Essentially, the series will range from the end of ANH to points in ROTJ. Each chapter will cover a different moment in the progression of the relationship between Han/Leia- all the moments that are interrupted by the people, the droids, the creatures, and the war around them. These moments will range from cute to angry, from passionate to humorous. This first chapter takes place almost directly after the ceremony at the end of ANH.

I'm pretty new to this, so please- criticism and support would be highly appreciated. If I don't get enough response to this, I'm not quite sure if I'll continue...I hope that motivates you to review. :)

Chapter 1- Just a Dance

The Yavin commemoration ceremony was going splendidly. Once medals were presented, the Rebel Alliance had cleared out the chairs in the room for some music and general celebration.

After a long time of mingling with guests and putting up a good a face, Princess Leia glanced around furtively. She needed to get out of here. She was suffocating in the crowd, and she wasn't quite sure why. Making sure that the coast was clear, she quickly edged out of the side of the ballroom, walking through the open door onto the large terrace patio.

As she walked through the doors, she looked straight up at the sky, the wind whipping her loose strands of hair about. She took a needed breath of air, closing her eyes before reopening them. Yavin was beautiful, especially at night. The green outline of the thick forests complimented the purple-blue shades of the night sky.

Tilting her head forward, she looked around the terrace. In was simple- just a bench on the side, overlooking the trees, some plants scattered on the floor. She walked over and sat down on the bench, smoothing her dress out to make sure she didn't leave any crinkles. Turning to the side, she looked over the railing of the balcony and onto the trees below. The music from the celebration drifted outside through the open doors.

Biting her bottom lip, she shut her eyes, trying to get the gloomy thoughts out of her mind. Alderaan. She hadn't cried yet. Even when she had been pushed back into her prison cell on the Death Star, she had not cried- she couldn't. She had known that she needed to stay strong, that she had to get out of there. Curling up into a ball, she had fallen asleep on the cell bench, her dreams filled with disturbing nightmares, the screams of all those that had been lost…until Luke Skywalker had come running in to save her.

She sighed, the sound lost in the wind. She didn't know why she was even sitting out here, contemplating all of this. She should be inside, having a good time with everyone else. Who knew when the Rebels would have a moment to celebrate again? Luke certainly seemed to be enjoying the attention, the last time she'd looked. She smiled softly at the thought. Han, on the other hand-

Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. "Well, fancy seein' you here." She turned, immediately identifying the sound. Captain Han Solo stood at the doorway of the terrace, leaning against it with one arm as he held the other hand on his hip. "Mind if I sit down?"

Not waiting for an answer, he grinned at her, approaching the bench and sitting in the empty spot next to her.

"What brings you out here, Han?" she asked quietly, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Me?" he asked nonchalantly, leaning back onto the bench. That's right Princess, just focus the conversation away from yourself, he thought. "Eh. Not really my version of a party." He said with a small chuckle of laughter. "Besides, it was getting a bit hot in there." He turned to look at her, seeing if she would meet his eye. She didn't.

"You?" he asked, attempting to be subtle. He wasn't about to admit that he had noticed her quickly exiting the room from across the crowd. He definitely wasn't going to admit that it was curiosity that had driven him to follow her.

Leia bit her lip, trying to stay composed. "Oh, same thing, really. It was getting too warm for my liking in there." She managed to say, before realizing how lame of an excuse it was.

Han considered pushing her further, but he decided against it. After a small interval of awkward silence, he decided to pull in a neutral subject. "Yeah, the kid seems to be enjoying himself in there." he said with a grin, thinking about all the attention everyone was lavishing on him. "Those ladies definitely seemed interested in his Death Star stories," he added offhandedly, turning to Leia to see her reaction. What? He was just curious.

Leia finally turned to face Han and smiled softly. "I saw." Surprisingly, she didn't find herself upset at the thought of Luke flirting with girls- or really, girls flirting with Luke. She supposed that she should, but she just…didn't.

Han smiled at Leia, intrigued by her lack of reaction. "Jealous, Princess?" he asked, asked, his smile lifting into a smirk.

"Hardly," she muttered sardonically, before realizing the tone she'd used. Han's eyes crinkled as he let out a laugh. This girl never stopped surprising him- even he'd only known her for a few days.

Her soft brown eyes met his, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Shouldn't you be in there too, drowning in all the attention?" she asked with a small smile.

"Ah, me? No need to. I get enough attention as it is." he answered, a large smirk on his face. In reality, he'd found the attention to be slightly suffocating. He preferred to stay in the background of things- he wasn't a big hero, like the kid was. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he'd be staying with this crazy lot. No need to get anyone's hopes up.

"How about you, your Worship? Shouldn't you be in there, acting the part of the big diplomat?" he asked with a grin that quickly faded away when the smile wasn't returned. She looked down, shuffling her feet a bit, before looking up again. He noticed that her face had visibly hardened. She began to answer with some other excuse when suddenly, her eyes widened. Was that what she thought it was?

There was a silence between them, and then she heard it again- the soft sounds from the famous Alderaanian waltz, drifting through the open doors. She bit her lip, quickly looking down, unable to meet Han's eyes. She knew this dance so well. Nearly ever royal ball she'd ever attended ended with this dance. Thoughts of her father, her planet, her people began to flood into her mind, until a voice cut in.

Han had placed his hand on her knee, and his voice was low. "Wanna dance?" he asked, a smile adorning his features.

The boldness of the man! She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Surprising herself, she did neither. "I'd love to." she answered steadily, looking him in the eye as she took a deep breath. He nodded, standing up and giving her his hand before pulling her up from the bench.

She was mildly surprised when he pulled her so close, his hands wrapping around her back and her face pressed against his chest. Not many would dare to dance this close to the Princess, especially during a first dance. She was even more surprised when he began to lead the waltz, making the steps as though he did the dance all the time. There was more to this insufferably cocky pilot than money. She wondered if she'd ever get the chance to discover what "more" really was.

They slipped into and comfortable rhythm, silent as they danced. She didn't dare look up- she was trembling and she knew it. The song was bringing back such strong memories, the guilt was practically eating her inside- yet, she couldn't help but feel comforted by this dance. Finally, she began to tilt her head upwards, meeting Han's eyes, when she heard a voice to the side of them.

"Er, Princess Leia? Captain Solo?"

The pair quickly moved away from each other, turning to the source of the voice. It was Wes Janson, standing awkwardly near the terrace entrance.

"Yes, Janson?" Leia answered. Han couldn't believe it. It took her about 2 seconds to transform back into diplomat mode.

"Mon-Mon Mothma's looking for you, your Highness." he answered, gesturing back inside. "Sorry." he added quickly, glancing between the two of them.

"Oh, it's no problem. Captain Solo and I were just sharing a dance, that's all." she said, smiling regally, trying to dispel any of the potential rumors running through Janson's brain. Any of them.

Han nodded swiftly. Leia turned to Han, her persona completely different than the one of a few minutes ago. "Thank you for the dance, Captain."

"You're welcome, your Highness." he said a bit forcefully, raising an eyebrow at her as he emphasized her title. She gave him a quiet nod, taking a deep breath before turning back to Janson and following him inside.

Han scrunched his eyebrows together, lifting his hand up to scratch his head as he turned to look up at the stars. Kreth, that girl was a confusing one. He wondered if she would ever have a moment to truly be upset about anything.

Blegh. Why was he getting so caught up in this? How long was he even going to stick around with this lot? He looked back into the doorway, his eyes spotting Leia talking with Mon Mothma, her smile so forced. Couldn't they all tell?

He sighed, looking back up at the sky. He supposed staying a few more days wouldn't hurt.

Well, what do you think? Love it, hate it?

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