Pairing: H/Lu
Rating: R. Sliding the slippery slope from raunch and slut- puppy-ness to mush, like an over-ripe banana. Um, it's late, I'm tired, give me a break. :)
Series: #2: Sequel to "Brief Encounter".
Spoilers: Starts right before the attack on the Death Star in "A New Hope", and ends after the end of the movie.
Summary: Han answers the musical question, "Will You Remember Me?"
Warnings: I don't use betas. :( Any mistakes are solely my fault and the fault of my *#^&@ spellcheck.

Han lifted the last few crates into the cargo area on the 'Falcon, barely noticing where he was dropping them, muttering to himself. "'Why don't you come with us? You're good in a fight. We could use you.' Right, Solo - why didn't you just hug him and ruffle his hair? Maybe buy him a glass of milk and tell him your life story. 'We' - 'we' could use you. I could use you. I could think of a few things to use - "

Chewie leaned out of the hatch and waved at him.

*RrrRRRrrrR*

"What? Oh, leave me alone. I wasn't talking to you. Don't you have some couplings to fix, or something?"

*Rrrrr--*

"Nice language for a Wookiee. Yeah, yeah, yeah - I'm coming, I'm coming..."

He walked over into the ship and settled into the cockpit. Have to wait until all of the Rebel ships have launched. Damn fool 'mission' they're on - blowing up the Death Star, right. Be lucky if they didn't get themselves killed. You wouldn't catch this ship anywhere near the Death Star - Even if Luke does need me to watch his back. Hell, he's got a fleet to watch it, now...

"'May the Force be with you.' Did I actually say that? What am I turning into? Spend any more time around him and I'll start to believe all of this pseudo-religious mumbo-jumbo - "

*Rrrrwwwrr-*

"Yeah, start it, Chewie. There's only three of them left, now - Luke'll be gone. Then we can go."

*Rwwrrr*

"He can take care of himself."

*Rrrrr*

"Well, he's not my problem, okay? Just do the final check and let's get out of here, already."

He sat back and said, under his breath, "That's just what a need - a Wookiee with a conscience..."

He looked out the viewer, catching the flare lights of the X-wing engines, all around. It had been a long time since he'd been in the middle of a fleet that wasn't after him. It was a nice feeling, somehow.

"'Take care of yourself - that's what you're best at.' Well, hell, yeah! Wouldn't have gotten this far if I didn't! Nobody around watching my back - "

*RRrrrRR*

"You know what I mean, buddy. We watch out for each other, but Luke - " Han waved his hands out the viewer, where the rebel fleet were getting into formation, "Luke has them - the Rebellion and the Princess. What more does he need?"

Chewie went to lock down the hatch - Han always forgot to do it - and Han sat there, waiting.

"What would a kid like that need with a guy like me?"

Chewie came back and sat down, looking at Han expectantly. His friend had been in a funk ever since they'd left Mos Eisley - something was bothering him that he didn't want to talk about, but Chewie had an idea it had everything to do with the blonde, blue-eyed human cargo they'd been transporting. Practically every sentence that came out of the pilot's mouth had the word 'Luke' in it. He said nothing, waiting.

"What? Ready? Well, let's go, then." Han powered up the engines. "Nothing keeping us here at all. . ."

Chewie shook his head. Humans took far too much trouble with their mating rituals. Now a Wookiee - travel the galaxy for a couple of centuries, try not to get yourself killed, then find a woman, settle down, have some children - how hard was that? He snorted.

"Oh, quit snorting at me and let's get out of here."

Maybe if he said it a few more times he'd start believing it.

Fifteen minutes later, it still wasn't happening. The other ships were just barely in view behind him, the fight - although he was making a big deal out of 'not watching' - was not going well for the Rebellion. It was to be expected. Suicide mission - it was what he'd told Luke in the first place.

Luke.

"Looking like a sad puppy - what did he want me to do? Fly into that thing with the 'Falcon? I just got her back - I've got to take this to Jabba's, try to get the bounty off of my head - what did he - "

*RrrrRR*

"I know, I saw it - But listen - "

*rrRRRR*

"You know I have to wait until the calculations are right to go to lightspeed. I was just saying - "

*RRRrrrr*

"Okay, okay. I'll shut up. You're getting really testy in your old age, you know that?"

Two more flashes of light, and two of the damaged but not destroyed X-wings pulled away from formation. There weren't that many left. He wondered if Luke was in the middle of it, or if he'd come to his senses and flown back to the Rebel base. He knew that Luke hadn't come to his senses. No way would the kid turn tail and run, not from this fight, not even if it meant certain death. He had balls, he'd proven that by his stubbornness in saving the Princess right under the Empire's nose. He'd left to get into his ship with that look in his eye, that real determined one that meant he was out to do just what he set his mind to, just like that night on Mos Eisley -

"Shit!"

*RRRrrrr?*

"Turn around, Chewie! Don't ask questions, just turn it around! We're going back!"

*RRRRR*

"I know what I said! I also said we're going back, and we're going back."

Han turned to look at his co- pilot and best friend. "And the first 'I told you so' that comes out of your mouth, I swear - "

*rrrrRrRrr*

"Yeah - laugh it up, fuzzball. There's time enough for that, later. Now, we've got to go and save the kid." Save him so I can kill him...

The Death Star exploded in a flash, like a supernova, debris streaking past the 'Falcon and the remaining X-wing fighters returning to base. Han let Chewie land, he was so distracted, and raced out of the 'Falcon practically before the engines were off, headed straight for the mob around one X-wing.

Luke's. It had to be Luke's.

The kid flew at him, smile a mile wide, wrapped around him before Han could say a word. He was all legs and arms and his exultant "I knew you'd come back. I just knew it!" sang in Han's ears. It was infectious. Han hugged the kid back, hard. He couldn't do anything here - there were too many people around.

And there kept being too many people around - they were passed from one dignitary to the next, among the groups of pilots, hell, half the Rebel fleet had to be there, half the entire Rebellion. And then a medal ceremony - and a dinner? Han didn't think it was ever going to come to an end. He watched as Luke lapped it up - for a while. And then the crush of people became too much for the farm boy who had grown up practically alone on a desert planet, and he sneaked away, unaware that there was still one pair of watchful eyes on him, giving him a few minute's head start to get back to his quarters.

Now, Luke, Han thought, as he waited for his own chance to slip away from the party. You'd better have a damn good reason for not telling me who you were...

The medal shone dully in the muted light of the room Luke was given, his lightsaber on the table beside it, the bright yellow jacket flung down on the bed. There was a light on in the bathroom, so Han quietly slid the door closed and locked it behind him. No sense in chancing an interruption. He sat down on the bed, taking his own medal off and pocketing it.

Luke was rubbing his face off on a towel when he emerged from the bathroom, his boots off, the top couple of buttons undone on his shirt. He stopped short when he saw Han sitting there, waiting.

"Han. What are you doing here?"

There was a touch of strain in his voice, now that they were alone together. Luke had kept Leia close by since they'd come back to the station, and Han was determined to find out why he needed her to buffer between them. He knew the kid had a crush on her - hell, she was pretty, and his devotion to her was obvious - but it was more than that.

"So, kid - I wanted to ask you something, and I never got the chance."

Luke threw the towel down, still standing, hands crossed defensively across his chest.

"Sure. What?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were the one I met that night on Mos Eisley?"

Luke stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, not meeting Han's eyes.

Han grinned. He was sure, now. "Look, it's no big deal, I was just curious. When Ben offered me the job at the Cantina, you acted like we'd never met, so I never gave it any thought. But when I remembered - "

"And when was that?" Luke said, harshly.

"This afternoon."

Luke nodded. "How do you know it was me? Could have been any one of a hundred other guys - "

Han stood up, crossed the distance between them in two steps and grabbed Luke by the wrist.

"A - I don't sleep with hundreds of guys, no matter what you might think. B - I had a lot to drink that night, if you'll remember, but I never forget a face."

He let Luke's wrist go, and grinned. "Eventually, they all come back to me."

Luke rubbed at his wrist. "I thought you were remembering in the 'Falcon, on the way to Alderaan. I thought you were going to say something in front of Ben."

"I wouldn't have."

"It wouldn't have mattered. I'm pretty sure he knew."

Han looked shocked. "You told the old man, and you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't tell him. He just - " Luke shrugged. "He just knew."

"Because of the Force?" Han said, skeptically.

"I don't know. Maybe because we were friends. Maybe because he was a friend of my father's. I don't know. He just did." He could tell that Han didn't believe him. "I didn't tell him."

"All right, I believe you. You still haven't told me why you didn't tell me, kid."

"I wish you'd stop calling me that! I'm not a kid."

Han's eyes flickered over Luke's body, and he sat down again, on the bed, leaning back on his elbows. "Yeah. I remember."

Faint colour rose in Luke's cheeks, which made Han grin even more broadly. "What was I supposed to say? I could see when we met at the Cantina that you didn't remember me, and I thought it was better that way. It wasn't exactly something I wanted Ben to know about - he thought I was as much of an innocent kid as you do - did. I just let it go." He raised his eyes, irony shining in them. "Besides, it wasn't exactly flattering."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I wasn't entirely sure at the time that the whole night hadn't just been a really good wet dream brought on by about a case of quarter-moon wine."

Luke made a face. "What that what that stuff was?"

"Did it taste like old engine lubricant?"

"Yeah."

Han chuckled. "That's the stuff. Anyway - I'd had enough of that stuff to go legally blind, I meet this incredible-looking kid - " Luke narrowed his eyes, and Han held up his hands to mollify him. "This incredible-looking guy," he amended, "who pulls my blaster on me and proceeds to have his way with me. And when I wake up in the morning, I'm alone - naked, sick as a dog, and alone. What was I supposed to think?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't know."

"I thought I'd dreamed it all. It wasn't until you gave me that look that you gave me on your way to your X-wing - that 'to hell with you, I'm doing this and you can't stop me' look - that it hit me that I'd seen just that look before somewhere. And when I remembered that - well, everything came back to me." His eyes resumed their trail over Luke's body.

"So you remember," Luke said, his voice husky. "And what does that mean, exactly?"

"That we're better friends than I thought." Han cocked his head to one side. "You went to that Cantina a lot?"

"About as often as you got kicked out of it," Luke retorted.

Han raised his eyebrows. "That many times? Geez, kid - " Luke had to laugh. "Well, maybe not that many. You weren't the first," he said, jokingly.

"I could tell." He paused, his body's lust making its way to his dark eyes. "Wait a minute - how old were you, then? You're only eighteen now, aren't you?"

"Uh - yeah."

Han shook his head. "It figures. I could have been arrested for corrupting a minor who was corrupting me!"

Luke laughed again, and sat down on the bed. He put his hand over one of Han's, and said, "I wouldn't have pressed any charges, believe me. And you could have had me up for coercion, anyway. I was the one with your blaster, remember?"

"Yeah."

Han moved his head closer to Luke's intending to capture those soft lips of his in a kiss, when Luke moved away. He pulled back on Luke's hand.

"What is it?"

"I don't know if this is such a good idea."

Han leaned back. "Because of the Princess?"

Luke lowered his eyes. "She likes you."

"I don't think so, Luke."

"Oh, she does. I can tell. She just pretends not to."

"Well, she's got that 'pretending' thing down pat."

Luke looked at him, and he allowed, reluctantly, "I like her, too. She's a tough broad."

"She's a Princess!" Luke said, astonished.

"Yeah, well - I've met more than one Princess in my life. They're a dime a dozen, around here." Han waited a moment, and then said, "If she's what you want, kid, then I wish you luck. I'm sure you'll be happy with her and her Rebellion." He stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You're going? Just like that?"

"I was supposed to be gone hours ago, kid." He shrugged. "Places to go, you know."

"You came back for me, didn't you?"

Han grinned. "I couldn't just let you get shot out there, could I? Somebody once said when you save someone's life that you're responsible for them afterwards. Well, I couldn't save you from that swamp- garbage snake just to have you killed by the Empire right after that, could I?"

It was Luke's turn to come over to him. "Stay. For a little while. I don't know what you've got waiting for you out there, but it can't possibly be so important that it won't wait just a little while."

Han opened his mouth to protest, but Luke leaned in and took advantage, kissing him.

"Stay," he repeated.

"What about the Princess?"

"I don't know. I know I want you to stay." He licked his lips. "Please."

Han didn't say anything, but let Luke lead him back over to the bed, and he stayed silent while the kid undressed him, dropping his clothing in a heap on the floor. He heard the medal drop out of his pocket and roll along the floor, but by then he was too busy to pay attention. He could always find it later.

Luke fit perfectly into his arms, and he stayed awake long after the kid had dropped off to sleep. They were lying together, spooned up, and Han trailed his hand up lightly over Luke's skin, from his hip up to the curve of his neck, watching the movement of his chest as his breathing deepened, the soft brush of lashes against his cheek, and bit tiny red marks into his skin with his kisses.

It was good here - it felt too good. It would be easy to forget everything that was waiting for him halfway across the galaxy and just stay here - in this room or a room like it, with this young man, so open, like light. Here, there was nothing but Luke; out there, there were a million things that would want to tear them apart.

He turned, a little, letting Luke's body fall flat against the mattress, and moved, covering his mouth with his lips, teasing them open, waking him in tiny increments, until he felt Luke's arms come up around his waist. Whatever happened tomorrow, Han knew that he needed one more night like this, without thinking.

Luke's lips were against his ear. "Hi," he whispered. "Is it morning already?"

"No," Han said.

"Oh."

He felt Luke shift underneath him, spreading his legs out. His hands came with instinct, reflex, to help, pressing against Luke's thighs. He let Luke lie there, passive, as his mouth worked a trail down the soft skin, down to his hardening cock, licking and sucking at it, and then abandoned it to go further underneath, to the small opening of his body.

It suddenly struck Han that they had been like this before, but it had been a negative picture, exactly opposite - Han underneath, Luke on top of him, fucking - and it was as clear in his mind as if it had just happened, instead of being months ago. Luke tugged at him, pulling him up again.

"Han?"

"Yeah?"

"Fuck me."

He found the lube and applied it, hardly moving away from Luke's arms. He didn't want to - he wanted to be close, as close as he could be. He entered quickly, carefully, pushing against flesh that welcomed him inside, and soon was lying flat on top of Luke again, barely moving, just together. Luke's hand were moving into his hair, combing through it, and his body started to thrust, encouraging movement, forcing Han to fuck him. He needed the contact; his body too soon accustomed to the invasion, he needed more. Han held himself up with locked arms and thrust, pushing in and pulling out, feeling the familiar tension rise in his body. He bent his head down to kiss Luke again, thrusting his tongue inside the boy's mouth. They were together, fully, and he felt the muscles squeeze around him like a clenching fist when Luke came, pulling the come out of him, forcing his own orgasm.

He didn't want to leave, wanted to stay there, forever, but he had to, he had to keep himself from crushing Luke, from hurting him. He had to leave the warmth of his body, the comfort, the safety. Staying there would hurt Luke. He knew it.

This time, sleep came, and when he woke up, disoriented, he wondered just where he was. The bed was empty save for himself and the tangled blankets which had been carelessly tossed over him. It came back to him, slowly, that he was still on the Rebel base. He wondered if Chewie had tried to find him last night.

He wondered where Luke was.

The bathroom door opened and Luke tiptoed out, damp hair plastered on his forehead, stopping when he realized that Han was awake. Smiling, he launched himself across the bed, coming to rest directly on top of Han.

"Morning."

"Uh - morning, kid. Did anyone ever tell you you wake up way too damn happy?"

"Can't help it," Luke said. "I am happy."

He started to kiss Han, but stopped himself from pulling away the blankets and starting something.

"We've got to go. They're having a breakfast for us in half an hour."

"Ugh," Han groaned. "Not another dignitary-speech-and-rubber-food banquet? Count me out. 'Sides, I've got to have a shower. Somebody let me sleep in."

"You looked so cute," Luke laughed, pulling on a fresh shirt. "I thought you could use the sleep."

"I could, at that," Han said, yawning. "It's been a while since I've been in a bed like this. Spent most of the past few months on the 'Falcon."

Luke grinned happily to himself at Han's inadvertant admission. "Why don't you stay here and sleep in, then? I'll come and wake you up when it's all over."

"Works for me."

Luke nodded, and grabbed his jacket.

Before he reached the door, Han called out, "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Have a good breakfast."

Luke smiled, ear to ear. "I will. Get some sleep."

"Aye, sir." Han threw him a salute. He could hear the echo of Luke's laughter down the hall, and then rolled over on the bed, burying his face in Luke's pillow.

This was good. Too good. It couldn't possibly last. But Han was damned if he wasn't going to enjoy it for as long as it did.

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