They called it the island —given it was the largest spot of "land" on this otherwise uninhabited oceanic planet, and had spent the past week camping there as a mean to get away from the rest of the galaxy, which still was desperately in a struggle against the last of The First Order.

Six of those days had just been exploring alone. A partially submerged Star Destroyer as it turned out, was quite scenic. Deep inside of it, there were cavernous tunnels and half-flooded rooms that had lain untouched for over 40 years. And while it wasn't uncommon to stumble upon the occasional skeleton here and there, both Ben and Rey found the experience serene and decided to stay for a bit.

Up on the highest levels with views all across the horizon was where they slept. The ancient metal with cracked glass in the windows that was overgrown with various vines and flowering plants. It allowed visibility yet privacy at the same time.

Rey's palette was in what used to be the control deck, made from a bunch of old mattresses and cushions retrieved from the officer barracks and blankets from the falcon. She'd insisted on sleeping in the ruin even after Ben suggested they'd stay on the ship instead —and so he, in turn, chose to sleep in the adjoining room across from her, closer to where they'd parked it. Nights were cool and windy and both frequently found themselves dreaming of one another. Of course however, that had become quite normal now.

The last 7 days, busy as they were with all of the research and strategy put into their work towards determining the future of the force —they had been very relaxed. Now that Ben and Rey were engaged, tension from all those years ago had long since worn away. Their work was frequently laced with kisses and affection. Small things here and there... Until at last, the day came.

The wedding was simple as they had wanted it to be. Each wore only their Jedi robes which had been handmade, and Ben wore a small silver headdress that Rey had fashioned out of some shiny metals retrieved from inside the crashed ship. She'd even found a pearl —which had been woven into the center of the piece. They had hosted the ceremony on the beach, which was right out on the bow of the ruins, where sand and seaside plants had taken root long ago. It was peaceful. A quiet serene experience. Hand in hand the two recited their marriage vows, and in a moment of silence the quiet lapping of the water was all to interrupt the kiss that would seal fates.

After the ceremony, they sat on the beach by the light of a campfire. They feasted on fish Rey had caught as well as greens and fresh rufa Ben had painstakingly gone out of his way to find and harvest. Widely regarded as one of the rarest foods throughout the galaxy —rufa, as it turned out, flourished in the tide pools deep inside the ship where seawater was still and had little sunlight. That was where he'd found one growing, and had been so excited to show it to Rey, who at first he'd assumed had no idea what it was.

And later that night as they passed it to one another, marveling at its delicious taste, Ben no sooner eventually found himself telling the story of how he tried it during a trip to Jakku long ago with his father. He had been just a boy when it happened, and Han had been in a deal with a former friend of his; a merchant named Tirez-Arat who needed the fruit for his business. As he told the story to Rey, he was amazed to find that she did in fact, recognize the name.

"So you knew him?!" Ben exclaimed, wide-eyed in awe. He could not believe what he was hearing.

Rey laughed, taking another bite. The juice dripping from her lips. "Yep!"

"Wow." He shook his head in astonishment. "I mean... I know that the galaxy is huge but this..." Scoffing to himself, he nestled a bit closer beside her. She held it up to him questioningly. He shook his head, already full from the meal.

"Well..." She continued. "It wasn't that close. It was back when I was too young to go out and look for parts and I spent my days running around the marketplace doing odd jobs for anyone who was willing to pay me. He often sold exotic foods at his tent and sometimes he'd toss me scraps and things. Once he gave me the rind of a rufa... That's how I know the taste!" She finished off the piece, being sure to eat every last bit of the sweet pinkish flesh that remained, and then tossed the rest into the ocean.

"Amazing." He grinned at her. She returned the smile.

"Was he still there when you left?"

She frowned slightly. "Actually... No. He left a long time ago. When I was about 11 or 12."

"Oh. My father never spoke of him at all. Where did he go?"

"To see his family, like anyone else would." She shrugged. "I remember though... The day he left I had come to the market to trade for my evening meal and he was packing up his tent and items, and loading them onto a ship. I asked him where he was going, and if I could come." She shook her head sadly, wincing in disdain. "I was so desperate back then... So lonely. In those days I would've done anything to have a parent. Perhaps I thought that maybe I could be a slave or something stupid like that... I didn't know. I didn't care." She looked out to sea. Ben could see her eyes glazing over with tears.

"But of course he said no. Politely and kindly. That was new to a girl who'd been raised an orphan on Jakku. And when I asked him why... well..." Ben silently watched her with pity. If only he'd done something. If only he'd been there.

"What did he say then?" He asked gently, leaning in closer. Rey sniffled and brushed away a tear.

"He told me that... Even if he wasn't there to see it, he knew that one day my family would be found..." She smiled at the memory, gazing at the horizon with a distant look in her eye. All those years ago and she remembered that conversation like it was only yesterday. Tirez had been the only one who'd ever truly believed in her family coming back. Until of course, Everything happened.

"...And now you've found them." Ben said quietly. Rey paused. She turned and met his gaze with a mesmerized expression, speechless.

The tone of the conversation had completely changed now.

Rey looked around. They were still on the beach. It was daybreak. The sunset was a brilliant orange and red that resembled the heart of the flickering firelight that danced on their backs... And it was fading fast in the sky. The twilight surrounding them. A cold sea breeze blew now... She shivered. Not because of the chill, but because of that feeling that returned to her. She had just remembered something.

Of course. They were married now. Rey knew that now was the time to ask. "...Ben?..." She whispered. She knew they had both been thinking about this for a while. Ever since they'd started seeing visions of the future... Ever since the day he'd come to her from the sky. And even now as he stared back at her knowingly, his face hovered inches away from her own.

"Do...Do you want to..." He stopped her lips with a kiss. "D-Do you..." Rey stuttered, further interrupted by more kisses, instead forgetting what she was about to say. Her eyes fluttered shut, Ben's arms slowly wrapping around her as they slunk to the ground, engrossed in their affection. She could feel the warmth of the sand through the many layers of fabric she wore. When they pulled away, their cheeks were flushed pink. The headdress had slipped off and was lying in the sand beside them. "Really what now Rey?" He uttered softly, as he kissed her again.

What now? She wondered. What now indeed.

And then she felt it again. Deja Vu. Even with the warm embrace and a fire just beyond them, she felt a sudden chill.

This moment felt centuries old. Everything up until now suddenly felt as though it all had happened centuries ago. Like she had simply lost track of time. She knew what would happen next. It was just her and Ben now... and... Her husband. Ben.

Looking into his eyes, Rey realized it then... She hadn't any need to ask him a thing. This is enough. She smiled. This is all I need. In that moment everything was perfect. That was truly a feeling she'd never felt before.

"Yes?..." Ben whispered, taking her hand in his own as he realized he couldn't pull away anymore.

Their lips met again.

...Yes. Her head was swimming with reaction to that simple response as he lifted her up slowly into his arms. Only the roar of ocean waves was all Rey could hear as it filled her ears. From an ocean that stretched endlessly into the horizon, and the sunset disappeared behind it... The night already setting in.

As Ben marched away with her, growing further and further distant from their campsite. He took no notice of the headdress that still lay there, the light of the flames glistening off of its metallic surface —and then his robe that lay right next to her own, untouched. The roar grew quiet, the air turned warm and she could hear his footsteps bouncing off the walls in an endless echo. Rey clung to him tightly, kissing him everywhere her lips could reach. She didn't have to open her eyes to know where they were going.

The next thing Rey felt was the cool linen sheets of her pallet beneath her and her lightsaber, which she shoved away to make room for them both. Gently he lay her down. Their lips parted, and she opened her eyes, beaming at him and taking in his beautifully ruined face. She loved that face. Every mark, every scar... All of it. Slowly, so slowly he removed his hand from her shoulders, reaching to undo the bun in her hair and admiring the loose waves that spilled out across her cot behind her. It was soft and smelled of ocean water, albeit slightly damp and dusty from a long day of work. Running his fingers through it, he felt as though he could lay there forever, gazing into her deep green eyes. Eyes the color of the forest where they'd first met all those years ago. He could not help kissing her again. And again. His hands trailing away from her hair... Finding that he could not pull away from her lips... And neither could she.

As their breathing grew erratic from a refusal to break away, so did their desperate hands trying to shed each other's clothes. A newfound ache to feel their skin. Ben hurriedly removed his robes and tossed them aside, then proceeding to help Rey with her own. He unbuckled the belt and rid her of layer after layer of the coarse, thick fabric until they were left wearing nothing but their undershorts... And Rey still in her bindings. With impulse he reached to undo them, but then she hesitated —flinched at his touch and stiffened, shoving him away.

"...Rey?"

No response. Shakily she rose, taking a few steps away from him. Oh no... He knew he had gone too far. Ben worried she was going to leave again, but she only stood there, her back still turned to him. "Rey... I-I didn't mean to... I'm so sorry-"

"No." She interjected.

"I am not afraid... Not anymore."

Lifting a trembling hand, she reached for the knot holding the tightly bound strips together. Delicately she untied it and Ben could only watch as her bindings fell away completely and were tossed aside. She took a deep breath, for a moment wondering if she was doing the right thing, and then finally allowed herself to turn around.

His eyes widened. "Oh..."

Across her chest was a long white scar stretching from her shoulder blade to the end of her ribcage. It was so large. Of course he'd seen it before, as it would occasionally stick out of her tunic, but he had never anticipated the intensity of that pink. That raw jagged slash that made his own scars look like paper cuts. His shock must've been showing on his face, for she then instinctively covered herself with her hands, turning red with shame at the realization of what she had just done.

"Rey." he whispered. "You're beautiful..."

Absolutely beautiful. Ben was taken aback by the way she had responded. Rey was not one to care about what others thought of her appearance. It was as though he were seeing a more sensitive side of her. A side that had been hidden underneath all of those years of being alone. The scar was huge and he dare not imagine what it must've felt like when she'd received it. Rey hung her head slightly, certain she had made a mistake. "I-...I'm sorry..." She muttered, sheepishly reaching for her bindings.

But then she heard the rustle of fabric, and to her wonder looked up and saw Ben removing his own undershorts, stripping them from his legs and standing up slowly, completely naked. Now it was her turn to be stunned.

"Do you see ME now too?" He asked. Rey stared, visibly blushing now. Indeed. All of him. He was scarred as well... yet so confident about his vulnerability when around her.

He took a few steps forward, placing reassuring hands on her shoulders. Rey was still speechless from his gesture, but just managed a nod, remembering how good his touch felt. "And now you can see me..." He murmured. "...Like I see you."

They were nose to nose now. Her heart pounded in her ears. "Take me Rey." Ben whispered. "It's just us now." Those words were dizzying to her. " We don't have to worry about anything else. "

He pressed his forehead into hers, his lips hovering over her cheek. "...And if we were to have a child?..." She repeated softly. Rey was nervous. Ben knew that. He was too. She took his hand and placed it over her scar —right where it crossed over her heart. Was this it? Was this her way of saying yes? She kept it there and Ben did not move. He was entranced by the calmness of the moment, affectionate as it was. She reached out with her other hand to touch his cheek. There was the scar she'd made that night in the forest. It had healed, but the mark made on his soul was still there. It had shaped him into the man that now stood before her... And yet so different from the one she'd left behind.

He smiled, pulling her closer into his arms as he trailed his hands away from her shoulders to her sides. It set a fluttering to her heart when he lightly teased the waistline of her undershorts and then slid them over her hips.

They fell to her feet. Now he could see all of her too —though Rey had forgotten that, hardly taking notice of anything beyond the warm feeling that returned to her. It was the same one she felt after that first kiss. Ben gently took her hand, lowering her back down onto her pallet with him. He had just allowed her enough to fall back onto the sheets and then she pulled him back onto her, adorning his face with her love.

He held her closer against him, finding that he could easily feel each of her ribs. Beneath all that muscle Rey was so frail and lean from all those years of not having enough to eat. He caught her bottom lip between his own and bit it lightly, savoring the small broken moan it caused. She had to pull away to catch her breath, her head dizzy with the kisses and yearning for more.

"A child... " Ben gasped, cupping her face in his hands. "Yes." He leaned in, kissing her again with a fervor. "...I'd very much want that..." He blissfully smiled against her lips at the thought, carefully easing them open to find her teeth and then the sickly sweet taste of the rufa lingering on her tongue. She let go of him only long enough to grapple for the sheets of her pallet, gently sliding it over their entangled figures. There was no turning back this time, not anymore.

Ben angled her face upwards, going for the places he knew she liked. Teasingly, he grazed the arc of her neck, nipping as he did so. He groaned a little bit when Rey dug her fingers into the back of his own, though she only succeeded in further rousing him. From there he trailed his lips into the dip of her shoulder, placing sloppy kisses over every inch of her before shifting downwards into the valley between her breasts, lips trained onto her scar.

The scar. Ben couldn't take himself away from it. It was just there. Merely a part of Rey now, like the rest of her beautiful self. He wanted to take away whatever pain it had caused her so many years ago —to kiss it. Heal it. Like she had healed his.

Rey lay back against her pillow, well aware of his intentions. She clutched Ben closely to herself, trying to coax his lips back onto hers, watching him as he moved over it, open-mouthed and running lips over everywhere it graced. It was only when the grip in his hair grew impatient that he ceased attention to the scar, and shifted back up to her with another kiss. This time however, the kiss was ravenous and ardent.

He went to her breast, taking it in his hands and then lowering his parting lips onto her nipple. He kissed it lightly, sucking and laving his tongue around it, all the while gently rubbing his thumb over the other one. Rey's breath shortened and then grew heavy at the sensation. Her eyes fluttered shut as she lay her head back and gave soft little sighs of pure enjoyment. Ben found that he liked watching her do so. He knew she trusted him, how she ran a hand through his curls in raptures. Seeing that she was content was all he needed.

He soon tired of her breasts, and took to her stomach, gripping her hips as he kissed and pecked his way to the join of her leg. Rey spread them for him eagerly but much to her dismay, he did not respond. Instead, he continued to pattern her leg with more impassionate kisses. Shifting in between her and dragging his lips across her inner thigh as he went. Oh Ben... she groaned, exasperated. He was teasing her now, ignoring her pleas vying for release. Inducing that sickening feeling of lust that made her even more desperate.

"Oh please Ben..." she stuttered breathlessly. "Please... Please Ben! " She tugged at his hair in desperation, trying to push him into the spot she wanted him —where she NEEDED him. And then he paused. Rey could feel his breath on her thigh. It was hot and heavy like hers. Ben reached for her outstretched hand, intertwining it with his own in a reassuring clasp. His way of trying to quiet her pleas momentarily before nuzzling his face right in between her legs. He pressed his lips to her folds, placing a delicate kiss on them... and then he dragged his tongue over her center, soaked with heat.

With a gasp she lurched forward, arching her back as she fell against the sheets —giving a cry of pleasure that made his insides grow fervid with heat. With sudden urgency, Rey grasped his head, forcing him deeper into her and holding him there... And then eliciting a loud blissful moan when he nipped at the tiny bundle of nerves in her very center that begged for his touch. She tugged at his dark locks, letting the noises escape her lips freely as she slips into an unfamiliar cadence of desire. And the way he hums against her center... The way his shoulders heave when he kisses her between her legs. She was silky and sweet, her delighted cries were harmonious to his senses. Something she never thought she'd want that leaves her yearning for this feeling... For more.

"... Love! Keep still..." he pleaded. She was losing herself in the fire.

He continued to ravish her as she gripped him even tighter, bucking her hips into him each time. The kisses only grow more fervid, further provoking Rey. His tongue is inside her and she is coming undone now —repeating his name in gasps and pants, wantonly hiking her legs up over his shoulders as though asking for more. Ben loved hearing her moan.

And then the sensation brought her to the edge. With a final exalted cry and no sooner was she spent. Only shivering slightly as Ben carried on licking her until she fell silent, her chest flushed red with heat and rising and falling with each shaky breath. She stared at some point in the collapsed ceiling high above them, falling back down to the earth. He shifted slightly between her legs.

"Rey..." She slowly looked back down at him. Ben gazed back, breathing hard as he rested his head on her stomach. His nose and lips were swollen and slick with her.

For a moment she was lost in that gaze once more. What he had given her and she had taken. Rey managed a weak nod, grappling for his other hand and pulling him back on top of her. He too was drenched in sweat...and hard. Achingly hard. She could feel it against her. With a delicate hand, he brushed away the small trickle of saliva from the corner of her mouth, ignored in the heat of the moment. And when she tried to do the same for him he stopped her, taking her hand and licking the rest off of her fingers. Urgently she guided him back to her lips and now tasted herself on them.

"D...Did you like that now?..." he breathed, softly grinning. "Are you okay?" Rey pressed her forehead to his, tired yet energized. "...Yes." They lay there for a quiet moment, Ben restfully stroking her cheek and Rey trying to remember a time where she'd felt pleasure like that before. The sheets had been kicked away, exposing them to the drafty air that came from the cracked window beyond. With a sigh, she took her hands away from his shoulders and adjusted herself so that she was directly under him. Ben stretched himself over so he could climb back on top of her. His hips hovered above hers now as he held himself out. "Rey...Are you sure about this?..." He whispered, the room suddenly feeling cold. He scanned her expression for even the slightest of hesitation. A reason to withdraw. But he found only a gaze of contentment in her eyes. She nodded, brushing a loose curl out of his face. He was always so careful now. Careful to make sure if she was okay. To see if she was alright with what was about to happen. And she was. She really was... and she knew he was too.

Inhaling deeply, he slowly guided himself into her... pausing for a moment, and then he pushed in, groaning against her chest. Rey's breath caught in her throat as she felt something break, followed by sharp stabbing pain that made her eyes water... And then she dug her fingers into his back, shrieking in agony.

He instantly pulled away, her cries startling him. "Oh Rey!" He gasped. " I'm sorry! Is it too rough?!" Her face was in a tight-knit grimace. "...J-just a little!..." She swallowed, forcing back tears. Her center stung and hurt now like an open wound. Was that how it was supposed to feel? Ben hesitated, afraid to continue. Only then did he notice the bruises on her neck where he'd kissed her too much. He didn't want to hurt her... especially not on a night like this one. She had enough scars already.

"...Should I stop?"

"No... Please!... Keep going!" She sputtered, wincing as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He met her lips with another kiss. "It's okay... it's my first time too. Just hold tight..."

He moaned loudly as he shallowly rocked his hips against her own. They gripped one-another with every fiber willingness, panting as he pushed in deeper, skin scraping on skin. Rey forcefully bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out when he entered her all the way...Only to gasp when she felt him inside of her. An unnatural fullness. It still hurt, but not nearly as much as it had before.

He began to move, at first only in short, shallow thrusts, gasping against her lips as he did so. Rey had forgotten her pain now. he took her hand again, clasping it like it was his lifeline. Rey was unwinding once more in his arms, and Ben was too now. They were soaring. Quite literally soaring high above the world, and he welcomed this feeling of losing one-another for the other... He is unable to contain his loud and impassionate moans that surface each time Rey met her hips with his in a steady rhythm. Two bodies coming together, giving into the flame.

He broke away from her lips again, this time hitching one leg up over his shoulders to push himself deeper into her —and ensuing pleasure that followed was almost enough for Ben to lose his balance. Rey gave a short cry of pain only to have it fade into a moan as he continued to drive into her. She soon found her strength.

"...Rey!..." He groaned, "T-turn over..."

He turned onto his side, allowing her to pull herself on top of him. She wailed a bit when Ben shifted beneath her and another stab of pain arose from deep within... and then his hands go to her hips, holding her steady as she started moving again.

It was torture. Lovely torture to her. he knew that. Her breasts heaving as she rose and fell atop him. Her head careened back and agape in a relished moan as he took one in his hands with a caress. Provoking her with a vigorous rub of his thumb over her nipple. Nothing he wanted more than to see her lose herself even further. The feeling inside was becoming all too much for Rey, and she simply collapsed over him, her body still heaving in longing thrusts. Crying his name and clenching his hand. He held her still, gasping and glorious yet awestruck by the beauty of it all.

And he wasn't far off now. Watching pleasure take her body was becoming too much for even himself. His center was now white hot with heat. he grabbed her with sudden force, jerking her back against him, rolling her onto her side as he tumbled back on top. Even then she never ceased to bring her hips to his, savoring every guttural gasp and moan she drew from him. Rey's name was a prayer on his lips, breathlessly uttered as he drove into her —harder and harder each time. Her hands clawing at his back as she kissed every inch of his lovely face, soft moans muffled against his lips begging for release. He felt it coming on. Ascending higher through advancement. The wave was about to break... And with one final heave, it sent them careening over the edge. Through her dizzying ecstasy, she heard Ben cry out, and then the explosion of heat overtook the both of them. The world erupted into stars before her very eyes as she screamed his name in climax... And with that, he slumped over her with a groan —finally spending himself away within her sweat-slicked body.

She crushed him to her chest, brushing her trembling fingers through his hair as she tried to remember how to breathe again. And when the stars began to vanish she found it was her that he called to over and over. "Rey, Rey... Oh Rey..."

He nestled closer to her, feeling her still-beating heart, dazed from their climatic end. As they lay there, their breathing began to slow, and they were soon silent. Listening to the roar of the ocean in the distance, the faint rumble of metal as wind and waves whistled through the ancient vessel. Sounds that had been only ignored in the midst of their lovemaking. Through his weary mind, Ben assumed that by now it must be close to midnight. Sleep was soon to arrive.

He lazily traced his hand across the gash from her scar, now flushed red with the rest of her chest. Admiring how it curved gracefully under her breast and how it ended where his began, right on the side. Through all this giving and taking both had found a peace in one-another. Now they could be scarred together.

Rey leaned in, pressing her lips to his damp forehead. "Thank you, my love." She whispered softly. Ben smiled to himself, looking down at their clasped hands and thinking of all the places they'd been before... And then she leaned back against her cot, gratefully closing her eyes as she wondered where life would take them next.

.oOo.