Beyond - Legends The Gifts (L/M & H/L for the MMM Challenge #7: Just for You)

Title: The Gifts (L/M & H/L for the MMM Challenge #7: Just for You)
Author: Jedi_Lover

Author’s Note: I had to write a story based on the following photo:

Spoiler

_______________________

Mara glared at the two gift boxes delivered to her from Luke Skywalker. On top of the smaller box was a big ribbon with a gold and white gift tag that said, ‘Just for you!’.

“Just for me!” she bit out, completely livid at the contents. “What a piece of work.”

She didn’t know if his intent was to insult her or his insipid rimworld mentality meant the gift as something useful and practical. No matter what, it was an inappropriate gift from a man especially after the mind-blowing night they had spent together. She would call him up and chew him a new one, but she was too furious to talk to him now. She might say something she might later regret. She was going to let herself calm down and maybe in the morning she might see things in a different light.
.
.

Luke waited in his quarters impatiently. He was sitting at his desk, his commlink in front of him as he awaited Mara’s response to the gifts he sent. Today he had stopped by just about every gift shop in a fifty-kilometer radius…or at least it felt like it…before he found the perfect gifts. He hoped she liked them. After such a romantic night together, he wanted to give her something special. He was dying to know her response. If only she would give him a call and let him know what she thought.

An hour later he stared at his commlink depressed and confused. He didn’t understand why Mara didn’t call. She had to have received the packages by now. He checked the delivery tracking site and it indicated that the packages were delivered two hours ago. Maybe the courier set them down outside her apartment and Mara hadn’t received them. He should call her and tell her to look out her front door. Or were they stolen off her doorstep? Box bandits were known to follow delivery trucks and snatch packages minutes after they were delivered. Maybe he should go to see her and make sure she got the delivery. This way if she hadn’t opened the packages yet he could see the look on her face when she did. He smiled broadly. Yes, that’s what he would do.
.
.

It didn’t take long via skytaxi to make it to her home. When he went to the front door, he noticed the packages were not there. Mara must have saw them and brought them inside. Perhaps if he waited a few moments she would call him. He checked his commlink to make sure it was on and then returned it to his pocket.

He waited for about five minutes before he decided the packages must have been stolen. He should tell Mara so they could file a missing package slip with the courier office. He stepped up to the door and knocked. After a long pause Mara opened the door just wide enough that she could peek through. “What can I do for you, Skywalker?”

“Umm,” he muttered suddenly nervous. “I just wanted to know if you got my packages?”

“Yes, yes I did.”

There was a long awkward pause that usually would be filled with expressions of gratitude, but Mara did not expound on her gifts.

“Umm, did you like them?”

“Do you really think I would like those gifts?” she said harshly.

“Ahh…I was hoping you would. I thought you would get the hidden meaning. Well, I guess it really isn’t a hidden meaning, but I think you would get the general idea,” he said softly feeling very uncomfortable with the situation. “If you want to try it on for size, I would love to see?”

“Kriff you Skywalker! If you have a problem with my body, then come out and say it. Don’t send me hints.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t understand?”

She flung open the door and grabbed the front of his tunic, pulling him inside. She dragged him over to her dining table where two wrapped packages sat. She let him go so she could simultaneously remove the lids of both boxes. She then glared at him before reaching into the packages and pulled out a bathroom digital scale and bodyfat analyzer with one hand and a low carbohydrate diet book with the other. “You tell me how I was supposed to interpret this gift?”

“Oh, kriff!” whispered. “Oh, kriff’n Sithspit!”

Mara’s ire faded a bit when she felt his shock through the Force. “You didn’t send this to me?”

“No!” Luke said forcefully. “I went shopping for you after our wonderful night together…it was so special I thought I would buy a romantic gift for you. While I was at the store, I saw this scale that my sister had been going on and on about. She said she wanted one, but Han thought they were a waste of money. She was self-conscious about the extra baby weight she retained after the birth of the twins. She asked me to hint to Han to get it for her, but he said that was a trap. He was positive that if he purchased Leia a scale, he would be sleeping on the couch for a week. So… I bought her the scale and a diet recipe book I saw on sale. I asked the clerk to have them wrapped and delivered. You got Leia’s gift.”

Mara’s anger completely slipped away and was immediately replaced by amusement. “What did you get for me, Skywalker?” Her grin grew wider. “If I got Leia’s gift, then can we assume she is going to get my gift…a gift to her from you?”

Luke ran a hand down his face, looking pale, and on the verge of vomiting. “We need to call and stop Leia from opening her boxes!”

He grabbed up his commlink and keyed the code to his sister’s house. After a few buzzes, Han answered. “Luke,” Han said drolly, “Leia and I were just talking about you and the lovely gift you got her.”

“Oh gods,” Luke moaned. “Han the store mixed up some packages. That package was not for her? It was for somebody else. You have to tell her.”

“Are you sure Luke? It is a very romantic gift….and I remember that kiss on Hoth. A kiss that seemed to make quite an impression on you. If I remember correctly you gave me a smug look of male satisfaction after you two broke your liplock. You looked pretty proud of yourself. I just thought those emotions might have resurfaced lately…especially since we all know you don’t have a special woman in your life. I mean, if there was a special woman in your life, I guess I could tell Leia she was not the intended recipient.”

Luke gritted his teeth, thankful that Mara couldn’t hear Han’s side of the conversation. He put the commlink on mute and turned to his lover. “Mara, I need to tell Han about us, or he won’t let Leia know that the package she received wasn’t for her.”

Mara smirked. “Are you going to tell me what you got me?”

“I’d rather not. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“Well, whatever it is, I bet it really surprised your sister.” She grinned. “I’d rather we keep our relationship quiet for a little longer.”

He sighed deeply before unmuting his commlink. “Han it was for a woman I am dating, and I don’t think she is ready to go public.”

“Hey, that’s fine with me, kid. Keep it a secret…I’ll just let Leia believe her brother gave her a very inappropriate gift. She is beside herself and feeling dirty…horrified at what you sent. I think you better come over and apologize. Then you can tell her yourself.”

“Fine!” Luke turned off the commlink and repacked the scale and diet recipe book back into their gift boxes. “I have to go to see Leia and fix this. I’ll be back later with your gift.”

“Oh no, you are not leaving without me. I want to see you explain this to Leia.”

He gazed at her, totally exasperated. “Mara, if you come there, then they will know we’re dating. You said you wanted to keep our relationship a secret a bit longer.”

“True, but I think this is going to be worth the price of admission.”

He made a frustrated grunt as he nodded and motioned for her to follow.

“What did you get me.” Mara asked. “You can tell me, Farmboy.”

“Nope, it is going to be a surprise.”

They took a skytaxi to the Imperial palace and the two walked down the corridor to Leia and Han’s residence. They knocked at the door and a smirking Han Solo let them in. “Hello Mara, what a surprise to see you.”

“Can it, Solo.” Mara shot back.

“Han, this is for Leia.” He handed the boxes to Han who opened the larger of the two and pulled out the scale. “And before you jump all over me about the inappropriateness of giving a woman a bathroom scale…Leia had been wanting it for a while and you wouldn't buy it for her.”

“It is a hell of a lot more appropriate than the other gift,” Han assured him. “I am sure Leia will really appreciate this practical and non-cringeworthy present.” He motioned to the foyer table. “The other gifts are over there.”

Luke went over and opened the boxes to check their contents. He smiled, closed the lid and picked them up. “Thanks Han. I’ll give this to the intended recipient.”

“You mean, ‘My darling Mara Jade, the love of my life’,” Leia said as she came out of the back bedroom while reading a greeting card that Luke forgot he added when he purchased the gifts.

Luke glowered at his sister. “You knew all this time the gift wasn’t for you.” He spun on his heel, returning his attention to Han. “And you let me believe Leia was horrified by my gift.”

Han started cracking up. “Hey kid. We just wanted to see your face when you had to come retrieve the red silk lingerie and lace panties with stylish matching men’s silk boxer briefs with a contoured pouch. Oh yeah…that toy…you know the one that looks like a lightsaber but only vibrates.”

Mara turned bright red as she stared at Luke in shock. “What?!”

Luke gave Han such an angry glare that Mara thought he might shoot Force lightning out of his fingertips. “It is a lightsaber!” Luke said through gritted teeth. “It’s missing the crystal. I wanted Mara to pick one out. The ignition switch pulsates electricity…that is why it’s vibrating.”

“Sure kid, whatever you say.”

Before things could get out of hand Leia walked over and put and arm around her husband and smiled at her brother and Mara lovingly. “Congratulations, you two. I know you’ll be very happy together.”

“Yeah,” Han said as he handed Leia her gift. “You make a good team.”

Leia looked into the box and beamed. “Thank you, Luke. It’s what I wanted.”

“No problem,” he said tersely, still irritated with his sister and brother-in-law for all the teasing.

“Well, you two kids probably want to open your gifts and have a fun night,” Han said with a huge grin.

Luke felt sick to his stomach, but Mara must have overcome her mortification faster than him. She slid her arm through Luke’s and guided him to the door. “You got that right. Thank you, Leia and Han, for getting this all straightened out.”

“As I am sure you will get something else straightened out tonight,” Han said teasingly, before his wife jabbed an elbow into his ribs. “Ouch, that hurt.”

“I think we harassed my brother and Mara enough for today.”

“You’re right,” Han agreed. “There is always tomorrow.”

“We’re leaving.” Luke said brusquely.

“Han, Leia,” Mara said softly. “Can you please keep this between us for now…me and Luke dating, that is. As soon as the media finds out we’ll never get any peace.”

“We will.” She turned to her husband. “Won’t we, Han?”

“You have my word. Have fun you two.”

Luke and Mara left the Solo household and walked quietly down the Imperial Palace corridor for a long time before Mara spoke. “Your apartment is closer than mine…you want to go there and get an early start with my gift…the non-vibrating one that is.”

Luke smiled broadly. “That sounds wonderful”

 

!!!! and SQUEE! A wonderful bit of mush and teasing, very much in character! Han and Leia definitely had Luke convinced of her irateness. The gifts were indeed perfect, and I know Mara was pleased when she got the correct ones.

 

Hahahahahaha!!!! Well played, Han....well played.

Thanks for this!

 

I am really bad at replying to comments. I guess my excuse was I was really sick in December. Thanks everybody for reading!

Thanks! When I write I picture them talking in my head. I’m glad they weren’t out of characters.

Han was really mean to poor Luke. Lol! He is never letting Luke and Leia forget about that kiss.