STAR WARS: possible spoiler warning

[avali]

STAR WARS CALL OUT POST:
STEP 1: pick a muse
STEP 2: leave a comment with their name in the subject line, pictures, words or all of the above
STEP 3: profit

Comments

[compressors]

[ han holds his ground a second longer. moment he has his assurance that ben's abandoned that line of thinking — out loud at least — he returns to his previous task.

which is good because it would have been a pain to hunt down a holoprojector to sling around ben's neck: I wanted to kill the people who help fix my dad's ship. ]

Here. [ he holds out the servodriver like a peace offering. activity. his preferred form of dealing with…anything. ] Finish off those three for me, will you? You can reach them better than I can.

[narcissithstic]

[He takes it without commentary, nodding only once to effectively commit himself to the newly assigned task. Action over words: easier to endure, no matter the context.

Unfamiliar in spite of the fact that he'd only just watched Han pry and pick at the Falcon's inner network, the knowledge that nearly twenty years ago his hands had been here once before; he pins the bolts where they're half-hidden away between panels, narrow fingers deft enough, but he's twisting them the wrong way-- hissing through his teeth as he fights against his own grip.]

[compressors]

[ if he were leia, he would have leaned back a moment, see if with a little space and time ben could figure it out for himself. but he isn't. han isn't that patient, and ben may as well be twisting han's finger from the way his struggle with the falcon's bolts feels. ]

Wait —

[ a roughened hand closes over ben's, correcting the direction in a gesture he had done so often he does not think it. ] Try it this way.

[narcissithstic]

[There's only a careful, weighted pause as Han reaches in, physically correcting Ben's course with all the patience of a man who's getting punched repeatedly in his gut. Knuckles resisting the pull for a half-beat-- and then he follows along, expression tense, but tepid compared to how hot it ran only moments prior.

After a few turns he tilts his chin towards his shoulder, clearly addressing the only other person within earshot. ] I have it.

[Tight as it sounds, it's not for the reason Han Solo might expect. He hates weakness-- hates himself for being weak when all the noble notions and self-righteous stories about his birthright are stripped away-- but more than that, he hates seeing the deep, weathered scores that mark Han's knuckles. Age mapped out in spots and stripes and scars; so much older than what seems right or fair.

Having it there resting over his gloves is too potent a reminder. Stupid. Senseless sentimentality. Exhales once through his nose and sets his stare elsewhere, turning his attention to the next bolt instead. ]

[compressors]

[ nice, solo. one step forward, two leaps back. masking his disappointment, han gets to his feet. his mouth is set in a thin line. maybe he should leave this part to leia. maybe he should stop pushing. they could both use some space. ]

I'm gonna check on Chewie. [ clapping ben on the shoulder, ] Finish that up. I'll be back.

[narcissithstic]

[It isn't a debate. No bristling where Han's hand finds his shoulder, no mourning the way he excuses himself except for some persistent, digging knot that's sunk distantly beneath Ben's own ribs.

The old smuggler had endured long enough. There would be time still between them before--

Ben keeps himself focused. Fingers to the driver, mind locked on the process of twisting and untwisting whatever sits in front of him. Alone he'd never been able to clear his mind the way that Luke had insisted was necessary, but with something to do it's as close to calm as he's ever known. Not freedom, not sanctuary, just...close enough.] Understood.