You paced the room, your hand running through your hair; a nervous attempt to calm yourself down. In front of you, leaning against the counter-top stood Han, the back of his finger grazing his lower lip in contemplation. One leg crossed over the other made him look like a model, the silhouette of his body softning the darkness of the room you resided in.
"Han, you said one more job..." You spoke calmly, raising your eyes to his, batting your lashes against your cheeks; a feeble attempt to hold back the tears you didn't want to become visible.
"This'll be the last one, I-I promise" He stood straight now, moving toward you and cupping your hands in his. Han bent his knees slightly, his eyes now level with yours, his lips knit tightly together.
"Last time was one too many. I... I don't know what I'd do if I lost you..." Your voice broke slightly, the words you spoke coming out as a weak whisper you weren't sure was even audible.
The last job you and Han went on was supposed to be simple: Steal the Coaxium from the mauraders and get out. You'd done other jobs similar in the past, each time leaving the bandits in a worse state than yourself. But this job was different. The being you had accepted the task from, the so called 'Crime Lord' Jabba the Hutt, had proposed the same job to other smugglers; Making the prize a fight to the death. You and Han barely escaped, the fight leaving you both badly beaten and bruised.
"Last time was different, we'd never worked for Jabba before, we... We didn't know what he was like, how he did things..." Han tried to calm you down, to justify the last mission, his voice soft and soothing. You sat on the chair behind you, Han kneeling in front of you, your hands still held gently in his. His eyes looked into yours, a mixture of hope and vulnerability laced within the depths. You sighed, giving into his tearful looks, your features suddenly turning soft.
"Han... Do we need this? Do we need this job?" You began to consider the idea of going through with Han's proposition. He bit his lip, pulling his eyes away from yours and glancing down. He began to nod.
You let out a sigh, copying Han's actions and nodding in return. "Tell me about it, first. Before I agree to anything I shouldn't..." You sighed again, disbelief swimming in your mind. Why were you even entertaining the thought of going ahead with this, when last time you vowed to never pull another job again?
Han's eyes stopped on yours; their deep, earthy colour marrying your spring time green.
Then it hit you. The man standing in front of you, the reason you were alive, made you do reckless things. You'd follow him to the edge of Corellia and back if he asked you to. He made you weak, yet strong enough to fight on your own.
"Jabba said it'll be... simple" He stopped before the final word, as though questioning whether he should go through with the details.
"We get the Coaxium and run. That's it..."
You gulped.
"That's it?" You bit your bottom lip scoffing slightly, pulling your hands away from Han's and placing them gently on his cheeks. You moved closer to his face, until your noses were almost united. "That's what he said last time... And we almost died, Han" You moved your finger up to his cheekbone, tracing the pale, ash wood of his skin where a once blue and purple wound lay. You then moved your thumb down to his mouth, remembering the neat cut that sliced his lower lip.
"Han... Do we need this job?" You asked the question once more, trying for a different answer from the man knelt in front of you. However the answer was the same. Once again, Han nodded, this time instead of dropping his eyes to the floor he brought them to yours, taking your hand in his and bringing it to his lips. He placed a small kiss on the back of your hand, never breaking his gaze from yours.
"I'll keep you safe..." He whispered into your hand, the heat from his breath searing into your skin.
Several moments passed before Han stood up, offering you his hand which you gratefully took. You wrapped your arms around his waist as he pulled you into his chest, resting his hand on the back of your head. You sighed heavily, breathing in the familiar scent that came with the feeling of safety; a feeling you always felt in Han's arms.
"Promise me you'll look after yourself" You spoke into his chest, feeling the vibrations from your voice bounce off his shirt. You looked up into Han's eyes, blinking away the impending tears already gathering.
"I promise. You have nothing to worry about..." A small smile danced on his lips, and he drew you closer to his torso, leaving a neat kiss on the crown of your head.