AN: Everyone knows I don't own Star Wars. For NaNoWriMo, I'm doing Star Wars fanfiction for a series of thirty writing prompts that I found on DeviantArt, but I'm doing each prompt twice - once for Han and Qi'ra and once for Han and Leia. I think this will be fun.

Chapter 1: Han and Qi'ira – Holding Hands

"Are they gone yet?"

Han risked a peek through the cracks in the crate he and Qi'ra were hiding in. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the Corellian hounds barking somewhere in the distance.

"Can't tell," he whispered, "but I don't think we should push our luck." With the word "luck" he instinctively squeezed the dice in his pocket, letting their familiar clink-clink ease the tension of the moment.

Then suddenly, Qi'ra's hand was on his, her calloused fingers digging into his skin.

"Han?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think our lives will always be like this?"

"You mean hidin' in crates only to get home and have Proxima swipe the stuff you swiped first?"

Qi'ra snickered through her nose. "You seriously call Proxima's lair 'home'?"

"Well, what else can we call it? It sucks, but it's the closest thing we've got to a home, ain't it?"

Qi'ra sighed, making Han wish he could see her face in the darkness – she was probably shaking her head with that oh-you're-such-a-moof-milker grin. "I haven't had an actual home for years."

"Me neither, but you're at Proxima's lair, so that's gotta count a little bit towards it bein' a home."

He heard Qi'ra's head bang slightly against the side of the crate – now she was definitely shaking her head with that oh-you're-such-a-moof-milker-but-I-love-you grin. How Han wished he could see it, but he could at least squeeze her hand in his.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if the two of us could just fly off together?" she whispered, seemingly to herself. "Like, if this crate was a starship and we could just take off?"

"Yeah . . ." Han murmured, still squeezing her hand. "We could take off right now and leave Proxima behind forever. He reached up with his free hand and brushed the top of the crate. "Pick any star and I'll take you there."

Qi'ra risked a tiny giggle. "All right, how about Naboo? It's supposed to be beautiful – full of trees and flowers and waterfalls . . ."

"Trees," Han repeated. "You know, I've never actually seen a real tree in person."

"Me neither," said Qi'ra, gently stroking his thumb, "but they're supposed to be beautiful and relaxing. Normal people who can actually afford food have picnics under them and birds live in them . . ."

"Well, whenever we take off from here we'll go somewhere that has trees." Han started tracing circles on the top of the crate. "Someday places like Naboo are gonna be that close and we can have our own picnic under the trees."

"You make it sound so romantic."

"Yeah." Han grinned at her even though she wouldn't be able to see it. "Romantic." With that, he brought Q'ira's hand up to his lips and kissed it, tasting her sweat. "So, it's a date for Naboo, then?"

"Yeah, it's a date."

They lay together in the crate for an indefinite amount of time after that, their hands still clasped together. Han closed his eyes, imagining that they were lying under a tree on Naboo instead of a cramped crate. Instead of the stench of garbage and who knew what else, he imagined the smell of flowers – at least he thought he remembered what flowers smelled like. He vaguely remembered his father coming home from work at the starship factory and bringing home flowers for his mother – one time, perhaps the one and only time he could afford flowers. Come to think of it, maybe he stole them or bribed someone for them, but still, he remembered the bright colors and sweet scent – at least he thought he did.

No matter, one day he and Q'ira would see and smell flowers again and they'd learn what trees were like in real life. Maybe they'd even learn to climb trees like people did on other planets and they'd be able to gaze up at the sky through the leaves. Naboo's sky would be big and bright, not foggy and murky like Corellia's.

Maybe they'd even live on Naboo one day. Yes, a house by the lake where they could see the sun every day.

It would be perfect . . .

"Han? Han, wake up!"

Han hesitantly pried his eyes open, his mind feeling hazy as if he'd drunk too much, feeling like he'd been pried out of the fantasy he'd just been enjoying and slammed back into the reality where they were hiding in a crate. "Mmm, Qi'ra?"

"You fell asleep," Qi'ra said, a slight giggle in her voice and once again Han imagined the grin that must be on her beautiful face.

"I did?" Han felt his cheeks warming slightly. "Well, are the bozos gone?"

"I think," said Qi'ra. "Come on, let's go home – or at least what passes for home until we get to Naboo."

"Kay." Han kissed her hand one more time before they pried their way out of the crate.