Belated Birthdays
By Angel  Sept 2004

PG, SW Slash, usual disclaimers
15 minute challenge story

"You forgot?"

"Your worshipfulness--" Han winced as his bond-sister's voice went
high and shrill. He sagged against the wall of the foyer.

"You forgot!" The timbre this time threatened to make his already exploding
skull give up the fight. That'd be beautiful, just to die right here, with his poor
hung-over brains spattered all over Leia's nice shiny mavra floor.

"I went to the Rost after--"

"I don't want to hear it." Leia glared at him, and prepared to launch into
what Han thought of as Lecture Number 37: "Why a drunken spacebum
like you is unworthy of my brother, The Last Jedi."

He held his tongue as she dredged up the list of his shortcomings and
misdemeanors. Although she was thirty-five cents shorter than he, she
could still make him feel as if she was an Academy sergeant and he
was an erring cadet.

Not that he'd ever tell her. He nodded and looked penitent, knowing he
never carried that off well, and especially not when he was hung-over.

"You're just very lucky Luke is still offworld." Somehow, she managed to
emphasize her point without profanity, but left him feeling as if he'd been
bludgeoned.

"But can you help me out? I just want to make sure everything goes
right for Luke."

That softened her as he had known it would. "Of course." She went to the
wall dispenser and punched a few things on the menu. "Take these." She
tossed him a bottle of hang-over cures. "That way you can help."
She started comming bakeries.

****

Luke came home to a dark apartment, but something smelled very good.
Out on patrol for a week. What a birthday present High Command had
cooked up for him.

The lights came up to half as he stepped into the living area. Han stood
beside the table and lifted the cover on take-out from his very favorite
restaurant. And Klintaran's never did take-out. A decadently tall cake sat
on the counter, and smaller cookies around it.

"Happy birthday, Luke. Even if it is a little late."

"I know what you've been doing while I was gone."
Luke went to his bondmate for a kiss.

"Ah, Leia helped. A little."