The Academy

[haveyourmoments]

Leia goes to the library, hoping for some peace and quiet amidst the chaos of the start of the new semester, old friends greeting each other and new enemies sizing each other up. She knows she’s doomed to be an outsider, being both a new student and younger than the average age at the Academy.

She has her nose in a stack of books about diplomacy when someone with an entourage arrives loudly, flinging the door open with a carelessness that makes her cringe. She peeks around a corner and sees an overly tall, not at all attractive, scruffy looking…nerfherder holding court with his subjects, and her eyes practically roll out of her head.

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[haveyourmoments]

Leia just rolls her eyes, but it’s good natured, and starts to lead the way. She explains the gardens’ structure to him, how they’re modeled after different star systems native plants, and which ones are her favorites.

[going_solo]

“That one, huh? It’s pretty, I guess, if you like that sort of thing. Say, what’d happen if I picked one of these? Think security would be on me in a light second?” But he’s obviously teasing.

[haveyourmoments]

“You can’t do that!” She gasps, missing the joke for a second as she grabs his wrist. She blushes when she realizes he was only teasing, laughing softly at herself.

[going_solo]

“The protector of plants, today, and someday planets,” Han says, half teasing and half serious. It’s really something, she’s really something, and he decides in this moment that he needs to know her better.

[haveyourmoments]

She blushes furiously at that, probably the biggest compliment she’s ever had directed at her. She looks up at him through her lashes once she’s gathered her emotions, and gives him a small smile. “Thank you.”

[going_solo]

He shrugs, but smiles, then ducks down to smell a flower only to be sprayed by its rather pungent scent. Gasping, he pulls back and then starts to laugh as the scent evaporates.

[haveyourmoments]

She gasps, laughing too as she jumps backwards, avoiding the spray. “Haven’t you ever been taught to keep your nose where it belongs?” She asks teasingly.

[going_solo]

"Believe it or not, there haven't been a whole lot of people around to teach me much of anything," He shrugs before wandering a little ahead.

[haveyourmoments]

“No?” she asks, interested, as she follows along behind him. She doesn’t know much about him, so she’s careful not to assume too much, not wanting to offend him. “That’s a shame, I bet you were a cute kid.”

[going_solo]

“Apparently not cute enough,” Han says, glancing back at Leia and thinking that, yeah, she probably had all the adults wrapped around her little finger. “Where to next?”

[haveyourmoments]

She thinks about it for a second, and decides to show him her absolute favorite spot, the one she swore she’d never share with anyone. She leads him to the woods, and points to the tree that’s easiest to climb. “This is where I watch the ships come and go.”