Not for Prying Eyes.

Overdue Reunion.

Han had been waiting for nearly an hour and a half when he finally heard footsteps coming up the ramp of the Falcon. He knew that Leia didn't really need much sleep but it was already 0200 hours in the morning and he knew she had the morning shift in only a few hours, but he just needed to talk with her before he went insane worrying about her, and he knew that at any other time, she would make excuses about being busy or on a tight schedule.

Her footfalls were soft and slow, evidently she was trying not to make a lot of noise as though she was sneaking in like she didn't want Han to hear her. By now, Chewie would be asleep and Han would usually be asleep his his own cabin because he liked to get up a little earlier than most so he could take his time making his first cup of caf for the day, but Leia was usually up and gone by the time he woke up. She would get in later than him and leave earlier than him, did she even get any sleep?

"Leia," Han mused softly, void of his usual teasing nicknames or his regular sass, this was serious.

She had just ended the main living area, thinking she had snuck past him, only to jump at his voice and turned in alarm at where he sat at the small holochess table. He had wrapped a blanket around him as the Falcon always did get a little cold when powered down for the night. She was about to chastise him for scaring her and that he should be asleep right now, but looking at him now, the smug expression she had assumed he would be wearing at catching her off guard was no where to be found. Instead he looked worried and serious, feelings all too familiar with herself, and she noticed the blanket, he had been waiting for her.

"What?" She asked as innocently as she could, though she sounded slightly bitter.

"I just wanted to know what's happened?" He answered, faking the same innocence as her.

"Why would you think something's happened?" She shot back a bit too defensively, only to shift her weight onto her other foot as she knew that wouldn't fool Han at all, he was smarter than most people give him credit for.

"I've been gone for months and when I come back, you're acting different. Everyone else had noticed too but-"

"What exactly does 'different' mean?"

"Well, for one, there's the fact you've fallen behind on pretty much all of your assignments in the past week, according to some at the communications center, you're quick to anger - which in retrospective isn't entirely different but it still stands - and you've been avoiding me like I've just contracted the Blue Shadow virus" Han explained accusingly as he shifted along the bench to gesture for her to sit as well.

Tentively, Leia approached in silence and sat down with a considerable gap between him and her as she straightened her back like she was ok trial.

"I'm a big boy now, Leia, I can handle the truth, whatever it is. You've moved on, found someone else, come to your senses - I don't care what it is, just tell me-" Han started, breaking eye contact momentarily.

"It's nothing like that," Leia interjected quickly, shuffling closer in haste to bring his attention back, "I didn't know you thought that..."

"Well what am I supposed to think? I come back after months of essentially being dead, and you can barely look me in the eyes anymore, and you won't talk to me either so how should I know?" Han shot back, annoyance lacing his voice along with the concern.

Leia slumped slightly in shame as she looked away as she wanted to hide her face because she knew here eyes were beginning to prickle with tears and she knew that if she let one go, the waterfall would finally burst and she hated crying to herself, let alone with others in front of her, especially Han.

But she owed him an explanation, it was well beyond overdue and she hated that Han was being to suffer from her own idiotic actions. He had done nothing wrong nor had she any cause to hurt him but it was true, she had been avoiding him and had given him nothing but excuses.