Shower Scene
She found him in the shower of the squadron locker room. It had taken her quite some time as he rarely showered there. He was in the group shower that housed about twenty showerheads in total, standing about halfway down the left wall. His forearms rested against the metal of the wall before him, his hands meeting at a point above his head. His head hung low, the top of it resting against the wall beneath his hands, his profile almost completely hidden to her by his arm. His dark hair was plastered to his face as the water streamed steadily down upon him. Steam rose as the warm water met the cool air and someone had dimmed the lights, leaving the room looking as dismal as she knew him to feel. Her heart beat fiercely as if it too could feel the pain encased in his own.
His naked form was magnificent, even in its defeated state, and she couldn't help but admire his shape as she quickly undressed. Finally, clad only in a tank and her panties, she padded slowly to where he stood. The cool of the tiles beneath her feet contrasted sharply with the warm mist that caressed her bare arms and she shivered involuntarily.
"Han…" her voice was soft when she spoke his name. She detected a slight stiffening of his muscles, but that was the only indication that he had heard her at all.
She moved closer and her bare feet rippled the water that had pooled on the cool floor. As she neared, she noticed the layers of dirt still clinging to parts of his skin. 'You've been in here for over an hour and you're still dirty,' she admonished silently.
She stood beside him and ran a hand lovingly down the back of his neck. She pressed a kiss against his shoulder and remained there, her lips pressed against his warm flesh, her hand stroking his back, letting him know that she was beside him, in more ways than one. He took a deep, shuddering breath, but otherwise remained frozen in place and in time.
She waited and waited for him to turn to her, to let her give him the comfort that he needed. And yet, she knew that he blamed himself too much to allow that comfort. But she continued to wait, waiting for him to turn to her, waiting for him to accept what she offered, waiting for him to hold her as she held him, because she needed his comfort as well.
She spied the soap in the dish beside her. 'Well, Han,' she thought, 'if you won't let me help you emotionally, you can't stop me from helping you physically.' She lathered the bar in her hands and moved to stand behind him. Her slicked palms slid easily across the broad expanse of his back. She applied more pressure, rubbing away the dirt and ache and hopefully some of the internal pain as well. Her hands slid down the centre of his back, only to slide up along his ribs on either side. His sharp intake of breath reminded her that he had been a part of the battle as well and she moved to inspect the bruise that had already begun to form on his side. Satisfied that it wasn't too serious, she reached for the bar, applying a fresh layer of soap to his upper arm and across his chest.
"It's not your fault, you know."
She moved behind him, keeping her body in contact with his, offering every ounce of solace she could give in every way that she could find. Returning to the side where she had begun, she lathered his chest, ignoring for the moment how the taut muscles of his abdomen felt beneath her fingertips. She stretched to her tiptoes to scrub his forearm, wishing he would at least respond by moving it from the wall to help her in her task.
"These things happen sometimes. It's unfortunate, but they do."
She knelt beside him and vigorously rubbed the soap up and down his leg. She blushed as she recognized the picture they painted should anyone happen upon them, but quickly shook the thought out of her mind. He was hurting and he needed her and she wouldn't worry about anyone else right now. She rose to her feet, caressing his backside with her soap-filled hands, before kneeling to treat his right leg as she had his left.
"You did everything that you could."
She stood, only this time, she pushed her way between him and the wall. His head sheltered her face from most of the water and she looked up at him. His eyes stayed closed to her, his breathing steady, altering only once as he swallowed noticeably. She traded her bar of soap for a bottle of shampoo and managed to squeeze some into her palm in spite of the close quarters. Closing her eyes, she reached up and began massaging the gel through his hair. Her fingers worked in a gentle rhythm and his forehead dipped lower until it rested against hers. Clear water eventually replaced the foam and her fingers stopped their motion. Opening her eyes, she brushed at the strands that hung in his and reached up to place a tender kiss on his lips.
"There was nothing else you could have done."
She kissed him again and this time his lips returned the pressure she placed upon them. The moment was brief and then he buried his face against her neck, pulling his arms from their station against the wall and wrapping her in his embrace. She nearly collapsed as she took his weight almost fully and leaned back against the wall for support. His body shook as gut-wrenching sobs overtook him. His knees gave out and she eased them both to the floor, knowing that she wouldn't be able to hold him upright for very long.
She whispered soothing words of nonsense, stroking his back as the water continued to rain down upon them. Her back rested against the wall, his head rested against her stomach and his arms were wrapped around her in a fierce embrace. She held him, with her arms and her legs and listened as he recounted the horrors of his first mission gone wrong. The first time he had been asked to lead and had lost one of his followers. She listened as he bemoaned the young life that had been lost instead of his own. She listened as he questioned every moment, every decision and offered no answers, knowing that he knew every answer she had as well as she did. She gave him all the time that he needed even though she knew they didn't have that time to waste. Because she knew that it wasn't wasted.
Many more minutes passed and his breathing steadied, telling her that the worst had ended. It was still many minutes more before he moved. They rose cautiously, the floor slick with cleanser and their joints stiff from their awkward position. He stood before her, eyes focused on the floor and she knew that he felt embarrassed by his outpouring of emotion. She looked down too, and, realizing the condition of her white tank, felt some measure of embarrassment herself.
They didn't have any more time to waste and in this case it was wasted. The base was moving and they both would be needed to oversee the evacuation. She hadn't yet told Han that his mission had both resulted in the loss of life and the discovery of their location by the Imperials. There was time for mourning, but there was none for unproductive emotions.
They both stood as the waters continued to rain down on them, staring at the toes of the person before them in silence. Leia allowed her gaze to travel up the length of him one last time before calling an end to their brief reprieve from the rebellion. Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed the manhood that had finally taken notice of her. Brown eyes met hazel and the half smile that she found beneath those eyes seemed to suggest an apology and something else entirely.
"You know, Han, I've had many fantasies about you in the shower, but I must admit that none of them have been quite like this."
She left the shower then, seeking out a towel so she could dry herself before getting fully clothed. She laughed as he called behind her: "Many huh? Exactly how many is many?"
A/N: So, what did you think? Not exactly the shower scene that I'm sure many of you were looking for, but I hope no one was too disappointed. Please let me know your thoughts and take the time to review.
Scarlet.
Oh yeah, since it worked so well last time I posted: "Go Tigers!"