Facing the Dawn with Sleepless Eyes ...

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han was sitting in the curved bench of the Millennium Falcon’s galley with a half full glass of a colorless liquid in his hand. It was a loose, but familiar grasp. Like he had held a glass like this a thousand times and he knew exactly how to wrap his fingers around it comfortably. Whatever he was drinking smelled kind of like what leaks out of a power coupler when it’s busted.

He happens to be drinking it slowly, at least.

His other hand is occupied stroking through over the hair of a young lady who decided that his thigh ought to be her pillow while she took a nap.

Most days on the YT-1300 were good. Better than they had any right to be.

A fact that he attributed much of to the very same lady in his company now, but the path they treaded earlier in the day had been as choppy as entering a planet’s atmosphere during a raging storm. He should have seen it coming. He did, after all, accept a job that was going to have them delivering vaporators to a collective of moisture farmers on Jakku.

Yeah. That Jakku. The very same desert planet that he had gotten the lonely girl off of. The one she spent so many years waiting on, barely scraping by sometimes, waiting for people who never did end up coming back for her. The planet she never hesitated to mention that she would be perfectly happy never to go back to.

She put on a brave face when he told her their destination. Tried to act like it didn’t bother her, but he was beginning to know Rey very well and she wasn’t quite the card player he was yet. He saw the worry in her eyes and the nervous fidgeting of her hands when she thought Han wasn’t paying attention.

Hardly ate anything all day.

Didn’t find the usual things to talk about.

The worst of it, however, was when she tried to smile for him. The occasional attempt to smooth things over and prove to him that everything was okay – but the smile was wrong. She wasn’t feeling it and it made for a lame comparison to one of her real smiles; which he was pretty sure could light up Umbara if given the chance.

Han felt terrible about everything, of course.

Didn’t even come to bed, which, Rey realized after an hour or two of trying to wait up for him. That was when she took it upon herself, blanket in hand, to wordlessly collapse on him in the main hold. It was the only way she could see herself getting any rest.

Comments

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It's tempting to counter with the notion that she should 'try to make it up to him by helping wash him down', but there was that one other crewmate that had. Who is literally going to be trying to sleep only a few feet away from where they would be showering.

"Ain't about what I'd like in this case." He says with a shrug. "I wouldn't wanna keep Chewie up any later than we have already."

Still, he's gonna lean in for a kiss. Because he wants one. Because after the events of the last hour, he probably needs one. Because it feels good to kiss her. "Meet you in bed in a few minutes?"

[thesefirststeps]

And she wouldn't even hesitate to do so! Except ... the night has been exciting enough on its own, and it wouldn't be fair to Chewie to continue disturbing his sleep. And ... that might have to wait for another time, but she'd be just as willing whether that was hours from now or months.

"Yes, that would be awfully inconsiderate of us, wouldn't it?"

Rey eagery returns the kiss - because she wants it, too, because maybe they both need to share one, because it always feels wonderful. She nods, the hint of a smile turning her lips up at the edges. "Yeah. I'll be there."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

They're way, way, waaaaaaay better off with Chewie on board the Falcon. Han wouldn't dream to suggest otherwise, but it does mean that they have to at least attempt to be considerate of him. It beats having to pretend there's no attraction between them at all, though. Not only was that rough, but he's pretty sure they weren't fooling him at all.

Anyway, with all that said and done, Han will take an abbreviated shower. He dries off just barely enough and change into what passes as 'pajamas' for him, lose pants and nothing else.

Only a few minutes spent apart from Rey. Just like he promised. The small bed always looks more inviting when she'd curled up in it and waiting for him.

[thesefirststeps]

Rey wouldn't be very disposed to behaving disrespectfully, anyway. She's the newcomer on the ship, she treats Chewie with the same amount of respect that she does Han. But it would be a lie to say that she's glad that their relationship is out in the open, because it was exceptionally difficult to try to hide it before - no way that the Wookie didn't know exactly what was going on.

She slips into the bunk, trying to find a comfortable position in which to lay before Han joins her, which turns out to be much sooner than she was anticipating. All the better, though, so that they can find some rest together. It's been a long day for both of them.

There's no helping her pleased little smile, and no hiding the way she looks him over from head to foot, appreciative of the sight. And she flips the blanket off, inviting him into bed.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Those amorous glances. Han rarely appears to be lacking in confidence, but now that there was a Rey around to shoot him looks like that ... it spurs him on all the further sometimes. There isn't more than a couple of steps between where they wash up and where the bunks are, but Captain Solo has a little (more) swagger in them as he approaches.

There's a lean in close and a kiss that happens before he gets into the bed, but when that matter is settled, he will join her under the covers.

[thesefirststeps]

There's never a bad time for something as simple and as meaningful as those glances, whether they're heated and hinting at something better done in private, or gently admiring. Either way, when she catches his eye and he returns it, she always feels a thrill.

Just as she does now, watching him breach what little distance there is between them in order to climb into the too-small bunk with her. It takes some doing, but eventually, they find a comfortable position, and she's soothed by his arms around her, and her head on his chest.

And although she's very well aware that he knows exactly how she feels, she thinks it bears being said out loud, albeit in a quiet whisper. "I love you, too."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

There are a few more quiet murmurs exchanged, but not many. Consideration for the Wookiee they share a cabin with and all. Then it's holding each other and staying close until they fall asleep, which actually goes a little bit better than Han was expecting considering everything.

Among all the creeks and groans of the old YT-1300 traveling through hyperspace and the occasional beeps and chirps of various systems that keep the freighter flying, the one that can (and often does) wake Han up from sleep is deceleration warning. There's no reason to leap out of bed like there would be for certain other kinds of alarms, but by the sounds coming from the washroom ... Chewie is in the middle of grooming.

So, for the sake of making sure someone was at the console when they dropped into realspace, Han gets up. He dips his feet quickly into a pair of boots and grabs a shirt that he can pull on while heading toward the cockpit.

If all went right, they should be approaching Jakku.

[thesefirststeps]

It's late, after all, and there is plenty of work ahead once they land. So Rey contents herself with allowing the best of his heart underneath her cheek to lull her into sleep, and doesn't wake up (or, thankfully, have another nightmare) until the insistent beeping of the deceleration warning stirs Han and ensures that he had to extricate himself from the tangle of arms and legs in order to make his way to the cockpit.

There's really no point in trying to go back to sleep when she knew damn well that she'd never be able to find the same comfort alone as she does when he's with her, so it doesn't take long before she's dressed and following his lead, leaving her hair long and loose and messy for the time being.

She offers a soft hand at his shoulder before she takes a seat in the co-pilots chair, pulling her feet up and under her, quietly watching as Jakku comes into view.

There's an ice in her veins at the sight, but she hardly wavers. He'd promised that everything would be alright, and she has no real reason to believe otherwise.

She'll be fine. This is only just a job, after all, nothing more.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

The sound of Rey's footfalls heralds her arrival even before her hand does, though he's appreciative to feel it at his shoulder anyway. He can almost feel her curling up into herself before he can see it out of the corner of his eye. The taupe colored planet begins to take up more and more of view though the cockpit window.

"You could have ..." He stops mid-sentence. He was gonna say 'stayed asleep', but he's started to notice that she very rarely could rest when he wasn't there with her. "... stayed in bed, sweetheart."

[thesefirststeps]

It's meant to say good morning just as much as it's meant to steady hers, as well. At the moment, a kiss would be too distracting, so she'll have to save it for later. Besides, with Jakku looming larger and larger the closer they get, she needs all the concentration she can pull together to keep from working herself into another worried frenzy.

The last thing any of them needs is a repeat of just a few hours prior.

"I know", she murmurs, glancing at him quickly, offering a tight, nervous smile. "But I'd rather be out here. Just in case you need me."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It's possible for one person to land the Millenium Falcon by themselves. The usual checks and commands run by the co-pilot just get sequenced by the ship's 'intelligence' and the pilot handles business as usual.

It's not optimal, Han never likes to rely that heavily on the droid brains, but you can do it easily enough. If they needed to, he's pretty sure Chewie or Rey could handle it too. But the wisdom of his partner seems to echo in the back of his mind. There are three of them onboard the ship. There's no need to do it the hard way.

He offers a half smile back to Rey.

"It's always easier to bring her in with two."

[thesefirststeps]

Rey's gotten to know the Falcon as well as she has its pilot and copilot, and she knows that her presence is not required to ensure a smooth landing. In any case it can't hurt to offer another pair of eyes and ears and hands.

Even if she doesn't actually offer any assistance, she still wants to be here to help.

"I know. I'm happy to help in any way I can. "

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"You don't have to leave the ship while Chewie and I are unloading."

He figures that couldn't hurt to remind her one more time. He suspects that Rey probably will anyway, when all is said and done, but if she's really feeling skittish about being left behind ... staying on the ship is the best way to assure her that he (and Chewie) have no intentions of that.

With that said, Han grabs the headset and begins the song and dance that is speaking to planet Jakku's transit authority. It ought to go pretty easily this time because unlike many of the other times he has to get permission to land on a planet, he's not actually doing anything illegal this time.

[thesefirststeps]

She considers the option very seriously for a moment, and ultimately decodes against it. She's a grown woman, after all, and giving into a completely irrational fear makes her seem... childish. Besides, the more hands at work, the quicker the unloading will get done, and the quicker that happens, the quicker they can take off for better places.

"I know", she answers, shrugging. "But I'm going to do my job, anyway. You didn't hire me to sit here and look pretty."

This time, the smile she offers is a bit more real, a bit more amused. Hopefully, all would go well so that they could leave quickly. She doesn't want to stay for a moment longer than completely necessary.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

He has a smart answer for that, as he does for so many of the things people say to him. Making a fist around the microphone portion of the headset and thereby blocking out the sound of his voice from the people on the other end, he tells Rey this:

"I don't have to pay you extra to look pretty, darling. I get that for free just having you around." And then he offers her the smile that had help him charm so many others in the past and he winks at her.

Now, back to business.

Han releases his grasp on the mic, but taps his finger against it twice. It creates a thumping noise over the comm channel. "Sorry transit control, we had a burst of static." He drawls. "Can you repeat back the last transmission. Over."

[thesefirststeps]

Rey hardly ever expects anything different! Still, he catches her completely off guard as he effective puts the conversation with transit control to a halt in order to, what ... fluster her?

The comment was more than enough to do it. The wink just adds to her amused consternation. Still, there's no helping the way her smile curves and grows upon her lips, nor the way she can't quite keep from blushing a faint pink color.

He's good at that.

Han returns to his communication, and Rey just watches, utmost fondness in her eyes. Yeah, she's sure, this is exactly where she's meant to be.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

After another minute or two of very hum-drum discourse with the people who give clearances for the sandy rock they're about to land on, Han eventually does get his permission to land. He records the string of characters that get read to him into the ship's log and then, he hangs up the headset.

He expected everything to go right and it did. Still, he's glad to have it be over. He's not particularly fond of talking to people over comms.

"Alright, Rey, let's bring her in." Han murmurs as his hands begin to dance over the control panel. They glide from one switch to another trigger so fluently, it makes you believe he could do this with his eyes closed if he wanted to.

[thesefirststeps]

It probably was a very dry conversation, at least on Jakku's end. It wasn't as though she'd known very many people very well, but she'd learned early that they weren't exactly known for their sparkling wit or senses of humor. Luckily enough, once the clearance is given, that conversation can cease.

There were probably better things to focus on, anyway.

Like the way she's transfixed by the swift motions of his hands dancing over the control panel, so practiced and sure, never missing a step, a beat, a switch, trigger or button. It's beautiful, really, and she thinks that she could watch him pilot like this all day.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"So long as we're not touching during a sandstorm this should be pretty easy."

Generally, speaking the desert planets were a little less concerning with erratic weather. On the other hand, they're hot. Even though the Falcon's climate controls are working to keep them cool; as they get closer the planet, the temperature of the ship's interior raises a few degrees.

Han glances over his shoulder at a display placed behind him before his eyes flick forward again. The ship sighs when they hit atmosphere, but it doesn't tremble all that much. Han's hand breezes through another sequence of movements and sublight engines reduce their speed as they sink towards the planet.

[thesefirststeps]

"This time of year, they don't usually kick up until nightfall. As long as we're long gone before then, we should be fine."

If anyone would know, it's the girl that had spent the last fourteen years on said planet, day in, day out, memorizing everything about it, including weather patterns. Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done about the heat, already creeping through the closer they get to landing.

Rey brushes her hair out of her face, and glances at the gauges nearest to her, unsurprised to note that everything was working within the correct parameters. This ship never fails to deliver.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"Good. I don't plan on being here more than two hours."

The ship seems to go through cycles. Maybe now that there are three of them on board, ship maintenance won't get skipped as often as it has in the past. They still won't have a tremendous parts budget, but hey ... one problem at a time. You can't fix everything at once.

Somewhere in the back, Chewie has left the cabin and is doing something in the galley. Perhaps near it? Han can't quite tell and besides, his mind is on landing the ship.

Han guides te ship toward the northern hemisphere of planet. They happen to have exact coordinates for the farm that they're looking for so that will make finding the place fairly simple.

[thesefirststeps]

She'll work harder than she's ever worked before in order to make that wish a reality. "Get in, get out."

Rey's pretty good at jury-rigging parts to make them work, and if necessary, she can do the same with the Falcon. With the utmost care, of course, and respect for Han's ship. It's been with him a whole lot longer than she has, after all. With time, if given the opportunity, she'd get her back in perfect working order.

With her in the co-pilot's seat, Chewie can feel free to do as he wishes - it's not like all three of them needed to be here for the landing. In fact, her presence isn't strictly necessary, but still, here she is. Just in case.

Thankfully, it looks like they're not anywhere near where she'd made her home. And that knowledge makes another little bit of worry seem to melt away.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It takes a few minutes of flying over a whole lot of sand and not very much life before Han does eventually find the place. He's looking a few of the readouts on his instruments, and he's frowning. Han's worried about putting the ship on unstable ground.

"Hey Rey." He says, the unusual presence of concern is touching the Captain's voice. "Where would you set the ship down around here?"

[thesefirststeps]

And that is Jakku, as succinctly put as possible, a whole lot of sand and very little else. It's amazing she hadn't gone crazy being stuck in the middle of nothing for so damn long.

"Hm?", she asks, glancing at Han, all wide eyes and confusion. "Oh - as far away from the ridge as possible. It's too unsteady to hold. Our best bet is the flattest part of the plain."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It says a lot that Han is willing to trust anything other than his own gut when it comes to the fate of his ship. He feels like it makes sense to, in this case. Who better to ask than the girl who spent years upon years in this place and knows the way the terrain behaves better than anyone.

Besides, the few times that Rey had been in control of the ship, she had proved her own good instincts as well. And he's validated by the fact that she picked the same place that he would have.

So Han guides the Falcon to the ground and keeps away from the unstable looking area by the ridge that Rey had pointed out. The landing is relatively easy, since they're not fighting any weather and sand is among the more forgiving surfaces to put a starship on - when it's not gonna sink your poor ship entirely, that is.

The noise of the ship builds to a crescendo as the Captain touches the freighter to land. There's a groan as the ship settles and a long sound that almost seems like a hissing sigh. And then ... the ship quiets as the flight systems begin to power down.