For hc-bingo
Aug. 21st, 2020 10:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: Part of the Past
Summary: Han good as grew up a slave in Proxima’s care, and some nights he forgets the past is far behind.
Prompt: Slaves
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Not usually my wheelhouse, but I’m sick of the idea of Han and Leia being neglectful/abusive.
— the sting of a whip —
— alleyways, outrunning the Corellian hounds —
— black tentacles, yanking Ben out of reach —
It was then that Han actually snapped awake, looking frantically around the room. Down the hall, Ben started wailing — it was unmistakable, that sound.
Leia woke as well, rubbing her eyes gingerly. “Han,” she said. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Truthfully, Han wasn’t, but he would be willing to put that aside just to make sure Ben was okay.
They ran down the hall, nearly tripping over some of Ben’s toys, before Han scooped Ben out of his crib. “Hey, little bandit,” he crooned softly. “Are you doing okay? Bad dream?”
Ben blinked up at him just then, sniffling.
Leia spoke. “I think he sensed your nightmare,” she said. “He sensed it, and he was scared for you.”
“How do you know?”
“I just felt it,” Leia said. “Caught snippets of it, when we were running to Ben’s room.”
“You think Ben’s Force Sensitive?”
“Probably.” Leia sighed. “Stars, I don’t want him to go through what...anyone in our family went through.”
Ben was listening, carefully. Han lightly stroked Ben’s cheek. “Hey,” he said, “It’s okay, little bandit. Daddy just had a nightmare. Everyone has nightmares. And nightmares can’t hurt you...”
Han knew nothing would, not if he had anything to say about it. The feeling...stars, if he could, he’d fight away every monster that would even think of hurting his son. And he’d known it, from the moment Ben was a concept, not even an embryo.
He knew it all along.
Han began humming softly. An old Corellian lullaby that he could remember his own mother singing to him. Before everything. Before...Proxima.
He was long away from Corellia, but it was amazing how afraid that one name could make him. Like one word, and he was a small, skinny scumrat, foraging to survive with Qi’ra.
He hoped that Ben couldn’t pick up on any of the images behind his eyes as Ben drifted off to sleep.
***
It was when Ben was safely asleep that Han lay with Leia, in their marital bed, and told her about Proxima.
“She...took me in. After my parents died.” Han laughed shakily. “ ‘Course, that woman shouldn’t have adopted any kids, let alone me. I stole for her, I endured whatever punishments she came up with...”
“You were a child!” Leia whisper-shouted.
Han snorted. “You’re assuming Proxima actually cared.”
“Stars, Han, I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine...”
“You got it rough too.” Han didn’t have to elaborate on why, actually.
“Still,” Leia said. “It’s terrible.” She smiled bitterly. “Look at us. We didn’t exactly have good parental models, did we? Except Breha and Bail...”
“You never told me about them.”
Leia smiled, more genuinely now. “Bail Organa, my father as far as I’m concerned...he was a kind man. Serious. Devoted to his work. His subjects adored him. I can remember he could be funny. He...thought the galaxy of me. So did Breha. They were both strong. Breha taught me so much about strength. So did Bail.” Her voice cracked. “I wish that I’d gotten to say goodbye to them before...”
Han knew what she meant. Of course he did. He knew about that moment — realizing that their position was correct in finding Alderaan, but Alderaan was just gone.
And Vader. He remembered times when Leia had woken up thrashing in her sleep. What kind of freak would do that to their own daughter, Han didn’t know.
“Tell ya what,” Han said, “I think they already knew. Parents just know these things.”
“I hope.” Leia didn’t cry. Her voice trembled, though. It reminded Han of Endor, and how she’d broken down in his arms after Luke had decided to play hero.
Hesitantly, Han reached out towards Leia, just to brush her cheek.
“We’ll make sure Ben’s happy,” Han said. “That he’s never disappointed.”
Leia snorted. “It’s impossible for that to be, but we’ll make sure he’s happy, yes. We’ll be worthy of people like Breha and Bail Organa. I know it.”
“Yeah.”
Somehow, it was easier to accept that Corellia was part of the past.
Summary: Han good as grew up a slave in Proxima’s care, and some nights he forgets the past is far behind.
Prompt: Slaves
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Not usually my wheelhouse, but I’m sick of the idea of Han and Leia being neglectful/abusive.
— the sting of a whip —
— alleyways, outrunning the Corellian hounds —
— black tentacles, yanking Ben out of reach —
It was then that Han actually snapped awake, looking frantically around the room. Down the hall, Ben started wailing — it was unmistakable, that sound.
Leia woke as well, rubbing her eyes gingerly. “Han,” she said. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Truthfully, Han wasn’t, but he would be willing to put that aside just to make sure Ben was okay.
They ran down the hall, nearly tripping over some of Ben’s toys, before Han scooped Ben out of his crib. “Hey, little bandit,” he crooned softly. “Are you doing okay? Bad dream?”
Ben blinked up at him just then, sniffling.
Leia spoke. “I think he sensed your nightmare,” she said. “He sensed it, and he was scared for you.”
“How do you know?”
“I just felt it,” Leia said. “Caught snippets of it, when we were running to Ben’s room.”
“You think Ben’s Force Sensitive?”
“Probably.” Leia sighed. “Stars, I don’t want him to go through what...anyone in our family went through.”
Ben was listening, carefully. Han lightly stroked Ben’s cheek. “Hey,” he said, “It’s okay, little bandit. Daddy just had a nightmare. Everyone has nightmares. And nightmares can’t hurt you...”
Han knew nothing would, not if he had anything to say about it. The feeling...stars, if he could, he’d fight away every monster that would even think of hurting his son. And he’d known it, from the moment Ben was a concept, not even an embryo.
He knew it all along.
Han began humming softly. An old Corellian lullaby that he could remember his own mother singing to him. Before everything. Before...Proxima.
He was long away from Corellia, but it was amazing how afraid that one name could make him. Like one word, and he was a small, skinny scumrat, foraging to survive with Qi’ra.
He hoped that Ben couldn’t pick up on any of the images behind his eyes as Ben drifted off to sleep.
***
It was when Ben was safely asleep that Han lay with Leia, in their marital bed, and told her about Proxima.
“She...took me in. After my parents died.” Han laughed shakily. “ ‘Course, that woman shouldn’t have adopted any kids, let alone me. I stole for her, I endured whatever punishments she came up with...”
“You were a child!” Leia whisper-shouted.
Han snorted. “You’re assuming Proxima actually cared.”
“Stars, Han, I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine...”
“You got it rough too.” Han didn’t have to elaborate on why, actually.
“Still,” Leia said. “It’s terrible.” She smiled bitterly. “Look at us. We didn’t exactly have good parental models, did we? Except Breha and Bail...”
“You never told me about them.”
Leia smiled, more genuinely now. “Bail Organa, my father as far as I’m concerned...he was a kind man. Serious. Devoted to his work. His subjects adored him. I can remember he could be funny. He...thought the galaxy of me. So did Breha. They were both strong. Breha taught me so much about strength. So did Bail.” Her voice cracked. “I wish that I’d gotten to say goodbye to them before...”
Han knew what she meant. Of course he did. He knew about that moment — realizing that their position was correct in finding Alderaan, but Alderaan was just gone.
And Vader. He remembered times when Leia had woken up thrashing in her sleep. What kind of freak would do that to their own daughter, Han didn’t know.
“Tell ya what,” Han said, “I think they already knew. Parents just know these things.”
“I hope.” Leia didn’t cry. Her voice trembled, though. It reminded Han of Endor, and how she’d broken down in his arms after Luke had decided to play hero.
Hesitantly, Han reached out towards Leia, just to brush her cheek.
“We’ll make sure Ben’s happy,” Han said. “That he’s never disappointed.”
Leia snorted. “It’s impossible for that to be, but we’ll make sure he’s happy, yes. We’ll be worthy of people like Breha and Bail Organa. I know it.”
“Yeah.”
Somehow, it was easier to accept that Corellia was part of the past.
