Disclaimer: Nothing's mine.
The opening dance of the gala was supposed to be led by the CEO of the Skywalker Enterprise but of course, the man who he had dubbed 'the Asshole' was nowhere to be found. The Asshole's fiancé stood at the side of the enormous dance floor alone: she was stunning in her evening gown, but a hot flush of embarrassment on her cheeks and the back of her exposed neck didn't suit her at all.
Everyone knew who she was and that her partner stood her up; all eyes were set on her and the crowd buzzed with quiet murmurs. He had been discreetly watching her for the last 20 minutes and was, therefore, a silent witness how her mood had changed from cheerfully excited, to nervous, to anxious, to resigned and now, betrayed. He couldn't stand it, the way she seemed to shrink under the gazes, and he saw how her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Putting away the glass of champagne, he resolutely strode across the floor, catching the attention of the people as he went. Sweeping one arm around, he spoke loudly, "Being the boss of almost forty thousand employees is not an easy thing and it seems that our Director was delayed. However, I believe he would encourage all of us to continue as if nothing was amiss! To the dance floor, ladies and gentleman, if you please!"
He did not need to tell them twice – members of the prestigious Skywalker-Solo clan were well known and more than a little feared in the community, the spheres of their influence spanning from industry and international politics to the military.
The music started to play, and he bowed to the stunned woman and with a broad smile asked, "May I have the honor, my dear Rey?"
"You're a savior." Her smile was brilliant as she accepted the offered hand and they started to waltz. "I don't know what I would do without you."
"I think one of the many handsome men here would have found his courage and approached you."
"Well, I'm dancing with one of the most handsome men I know… and then there's the fact that no one would dare to ask me. I'm part of the scary Skywalker-Solo family. You're the only one who talks to me normally at the office. The others tiptoe around me as if I was old Anakin incarnate."
"I don't know why people think we are that scary… but your position in society doesn't do much to impress me, you know. I'm not even afraid of the infamous possessiveness men in our family allegedly display. Just thought we could enjoy the evening, hmm?" He tried and succeeded in focusing Rey's attention away from the faint blush which had appeared on his cheeks when she had complimented him. The girl probably had no idea what she did to him.
"You plan to stay for more than a few minutes?" Rey asked, surprised. He loved the way her eyes would reflect her emotions, and now they sparkled with curiosity.
He usually didn't enjoy these sorts of events – too many people and too many opportunities for them to annoy him. Lately, he could hardly stand to stay for an hour or so – ever since the Asshole had started to bring Rey as his date. She had been his co-worker and friend first, and then he had made the stupid mistake and introduced her to his family and – him.
"I could hardly leave you alone to that pack of wolves." He just smiled and brought her slightly closer, his fingers at her back curling into the material of he dress. He felt her shudder and fought the urge to close the gap entirely; well aware they were not alone. Possessiveness ran in the family, and no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, there were moments when it reared its ugly head. Right now, he would like to claim her as his, but he was stronger than that, disciplined.
"You dance well. Why have I never seen you dance before?" Rey changed the topic and was it just him, or did she move even closer at her own will? He made it a habit not to dance whenever he was forced to attend these events. He wasn't a graceful dancer, but with Rey, it was easy. He led her through the steps and marveled at the way Rey made them look as if they had waltzed every day of their lives together – and wasn't that a painful thought?
He could imagine it easily, how different it could be; leading her through every song of the night, keeping the smile on her face, never straying far from her side… loving her the way she was missing, and in the morning, every morning, wake up with her. He wouldn't need much more to feel insanely happy.
The thought made his heart ache. He hadn't though being in love could ever hurt this much, but here he was, hopeless, condemned to watch her from afar, playing the role of a friend. Suddenly, it was too much, being here with Rey so close.
"So, any idea where is he?" he asked.
Rey's smile dropped. "No."
"Of course." He tried not to scoff but judging by her expression, he failed. Their dance was ruined, either way, so he continued on, gazing down at Rey with a beseeching look. As if he couldn't help himself, he spoke again, "I think he's not right for you."
"Can we not discuss it now?"
"We have been putting off this conversation for a long time, and you can tell me off again… But I want to talk about it now… Because, Rey, I don't understand it. Tell me why you are wasting time…"
"Please…"
Rey's eyes filled with tears and she gripped his shoulder tightly. He hated the expression on her face, cursed himself for bringing it up now, but he had had enough. He couldn't keep silent.
"He's always putting you in these situations… wrong, uncomfortable situations – can't you see? A girl like you deserves a gentleman… or at least someone who would treat you better. Can't you see that I…"
"Mind if I cut in?" A voice sounded from the side, and he took a deep breath and turned his head to look at the intruder. It was the Asshole. Of course, there had been a time when the two of them had been on much better terms, they were family after all, but the time was long gone.
For one second he imagined that he would punch him and wipe the self-assured expression from his face and then turn to Rey and just kiss her in front of all these people.
"Of course not. I was planning to leave after the opening anyway. Enjoy the rest of the evening."
He retreated, hands fisted and jaw clenched tight, breathing hard. They were family, alright, but it didn't change the fact that he wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp for the way he was behaving toward his fiancé. She could do so much better, deserved so much better, and was wasting her time with the Asshole. He wanted to be the one to show Rey the difference.
True to his word, he left the gala shortly after. When he got into his car, he realized how close he had gotten to ruining everything. He had almost confessed his feelings, and that was a scary thought.
He spent the rest of the evening trying to think up ways how to approach Rey in the morning and salvage their friendship. He cherished their easy camaraderie; she was one of the few people he could talk to as he was without any pretense. He could be just himself around her – not the man the public usually saw. He believed that the best marriages were based on those things… mutual respect, understanding, affection, and love.
He also understood, however, that he had no right to try and push Rey into anything she didn't want. For the time being, he wasn't the one she wanted. Should she give him a sign, though, just one sliver of hope… like she had done at the gala…
He heaved a sigh and poured himself a glass of wine, staring into the flames in his fireplace.
Around midnight, someone knocked on his front door.
He was stunned to see that it was Rey in her pretty dress and with smeared makeup, shivering in the cold night air without a coat on. Taillights of a taxi were disappearing around the corner.
"Oh my God, Rey! Are you alright? What happened?" He ushered her inside. "You look cold, I'll just go and grab you something to wear…"
"No, no, wait!" She stopped him, putting her hand on his arm. "That will wait. I just… I need to talk to you about what you said before…"
He froze and refused to turn to her. He also refused to have this conversation in the hallway. Taking a deep breath, he patted her hand and took it in his to gently lead her into the living room where he sat her on the couch.
"What do you mean, Rey?" he asked as he put a blanket over her shoulders, well aware of her big brown eyes following his every move. He put more wood in the fireplace. "Tell, me what happened?"
"We had a fight."
"Yeah…" He had already guessed that and remained silent, watching her fidget, utterly terrified of what was coming.
"He heard the end of our conversation and wanted me to explain what it meant. I couldn't." Rey sniffled, and he produced a clean hanky from the pocket of his pants. She took hold of his hand again a pulled him to sit next to her. Their legs were touching, and he felt the warmth spread all over his body. "He kept asking what was between us because we had been very close during the dance and that we had been spending so much time together… He said you were trying to get into my bed. I had no idea what to say to him, you know."
"I'm sorry I put you in that position, it wasn't my intention…"
"Can you promise me something?" Rey asked quickly, nervously. "Promise me honesty."
"You know I won't lie to you," he breathed. She was still holding his hand, and he was somewhat distracted by the fact that Rey was drawing small circles over the knuckles with her thumb. What was she doing? Why did she insist on being so close to him? Didn't she know what it was doing to him?
"What were you going to say as we were dancing?"
He wanted to leap to his feet and pace around the room. The warmth of the fire was too much, he felt hot and thirsty, his heart was trying to pound out of his chest and looking at Rey was taking his breath away. Even with the tracks of her tears on her cheeks and ruined makeup, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.
"Tell me, please. It's important. Why do you think that he's not right for me and that I'm wasting my time with him?"
He didn't want to say it now, but he had had too much wine to drink and was tired of hurting all the time, always fighting his impulses, the damn Skywalker possessiveness which haunted all men in their family.
"'Cause even I can treat you better than he can," was torn from his lips against his better judgment but as the words were out, a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders, and he took a shuddering breath. "I can't just pretend anymore that it's not killing me to see the two of you together. The way he behaves as if you were just a nice… nice lamp brightening his office! A decoration on his arm to be put away and ignored when not needed! You can stop that anytime, and you let him do that to you… I don't want you to suffer such treatment."
When he finished, Rey had fresh tears in her eyes. She whispered, "I broke off the engagement. In front of everyone."
"Wha-what?" He stuttered, shocked, and blinked several times as he tried to process Rey's words.
"Are you… trying to get into my bed? I need you to be honest one more time." Rey was suddenly sitting somehow even closer, leaning toward him, and laced their fingers together. Her eyes were trained on him, soft and vulnerable. "Tell me, what has been happening between us? Is this thing… just physical?"
He swallowed, a million thoughts racing through his mind. Was this it? Only a few hours ago, he had held her in his arms, desperately wishing to be her man and now she was sitting basically in his lap and was giving him so much needed hope. What was he waiting for? He was afraid to say something, to do anything. Only one of his frantic thoughts made it out of his mouth when he blurted, "I'm in love with you. You should be with me instead. I can treat you better than he can… the second you say you'd like me to."
"You are in love with me?" Rey's lips curled slowly, and she cupped his cheek with her free hand. "I hoped you would say that."
"You did?" He leaned into the touch and smiled, resting his forehead against her, content to simply stare into her eyes for the rest of the eternity. "I never thought… you didn't look at me at all like you did at him…"
"You're not very observant. Even he noticed the way I was looking at you, long before tonight…" Rey closed the gap between them and kissed him, his name escaping her lips as a benediction. "Luke…"