Before he actually met her, Ben was trying to decide if he was going to like Rey or not.
He's not mad at her, not at all. His mother has chosen to step down from her role in his uncle's performance group, and she'd had the final say in choosing the fiddler that would be her replacement. But Rey's just so young, and his mother is so talented, and he doesn't like the idea of a girl who's still a few months from making it out of her teens trying to fill her shoes and embarrassing the entire show.
He's been singing in the chorus since his voice dropped at 14, thrilling Uncle Luke as he'd been looking for a new bass already. With his mother as a leading lady and his father in charge of equipment transportation, he'd practically grown up with the show and finally taking his place on stage had been like a dream come true. Ten years of near constant world tours hadn't changed that feeling.
They're meeting for the first rehearsal for the new tour, only weeks off the old one. As the fifth leading lady, Rey will be the only non-singer there, and nearly every conversation is in anticipation of her arrival. He's gathered in a semicircle with his friends in the chorus, Poe, Finn, and BB, the last of whom is speculating about the mysterious new girl they hadn't met yet.
"She's been rehearsing with the Big Four but I haven't heard anything about her. What did your mom say?" The last is directed at Ben, who shrugs.
"Not much, but she had veto power, so she must like her. She's been working with her some but I haven't met her yet. Why don't you ask your sister, Barbara?" She narrows her eyes and sticks her tongue out at him.
"She said she likes her, apparently she's pretty lively." As an alto, BB was happy with singing and swaying in the background, but her twin sister Arta was a high, clear soprano, and had garnered some following in musical theater before accepting a lead part in the group, one of the 'Big Four' as BB calls them.
Ben notices immediately when Rey walks into the rehearsal space, stopping for a moment in the door as she looks around in awe. Her hair is dark, though not as dark as his, pulled into a haphazard bun at the crown of her head, revealing a thin, pretty face. Her dark jeans are worn and ripped at the left knee, tucked into short brown leather boots, and her blue sweater is at least a size too big. Her fiddle case is slung securely across her chest, hands gripping the strap in what Ben assumes to be excitement or nerves. She grins as she catches sight of Arta and the other three lead singers, a brilliant grin that has Ben's heart stuttering in his chest as she makes her way to them.
Lively turns out to be an understatement.
Never one to stick with convention, Uncle Luke starts them with the finale, and Ben can't help but wonder if he's testing Rey - the finale features her playing heavily as she leads the group in their bows. She only grins and brings her bow to the instrument, stepping into the circle they've formed around their director for more room. She can hardly stand still as the strings wail under her fingers, hips swaying and feet stomping as the singers around her exchange smiles. Her style is incredibly different from Leia's, but also fresh and captivating to listen to. There's a distinct Jimi Hendrix feel to a few bars, and Finn laughs out loud when she can't help but begin to spin and dance in place.
Uncle Luke is also grinning broadly at her as he cuts them off at the end. There's a new energy in the room now, the air nearly trembling with potential. He sends off a quick text and tells them to do it again, and they do, and she delivers again just as well as before. The itch for her to move grows more apparent as she plays, and after the third run through their choreographer walks through the door and they begin to direct them through the song. They don't usually move onto choreography so quickly, but from the startingly thought out steps they're walked through he's clearly been waiting to play to Rey's strengths.
The freedom to dance - and dance Rey does - only rejuvenates her playing. When not leaping and twirling about the stage she bounces in place, fingers flying as she drags the bow across the strings. At one point she's stood right next to him, and she flashes him a thrilled grin as she plays that makes him nearly falter as he sings and he forgets that it's time to move until Poe is bumping into him.
The choreography is nothing too new and certainly nothing special, and they're moving through it nearly seamlessly by the time they break for lunch. Ben is grateful for the reprieve as he slips up the stairs to the roof. No one ever comes up here, so he settles comfortably against the low wall as he lights his joint. That bumble had been but the first of many, and now he's embarrassed himself before ever even hearing her speak. He leans his head back against the wall as he exhales, before snapping it up quickly as the roof access door opens again.
Rey glances around curiously before noticing him, and she smiles at him. She lights up when she sees the joint in his hand.
"Um, could I? I've got you next time."
He's too stunned to say anything but "sure," holding it out to her. She takes it as she settles next to him with her back to the wall, close enough to his side that he can feel the heat coming off her.
"You have a beautiful voice, I'm surprised you smoke."
His eyebrows arch up. "Um, thank you. It's never really affected it all that much." He accepts the joint when she hands it back, more grateful than ever for the calming effects the drug is already making him feel. She makes him nervous in a way he hasn't been since high school, and he's not sure why he likes that.
"You're welcome. I'm Rey." She holds out her hand to shake, which he accepts, joint dangling from his lips.
"Ben."
His heart flutters when her eyes light up. "Oh! You're Leia's son! Your mom is so incredible! She talks about you all the time, I feel like I know you already." She nudges her shoulder against his, smiling broadly. He smiles back as he passes off to her.
"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or embarrassed."
"Probably both, to be honest," she laughs, and he groans, running both hands through his long hair.
"Let me guess - she told you about the time I rode my dog Chewie like a horse in my underwear and cowboy boots."
"She absolutely did!"
"I was three, and it was her idea!" But he's laughing with her and they begin to talk as they pass the joint back and forth until it's gone. She'd been adopted as a baby, and is an only child. Her father is a luthier and she's played since she could hold a fiddle, exasperating teacher after teacher when she refused to play by standard rules or keep still, resulting in being mostly self-taught until she was eleven. He doesn't notice the plastic bag she brought with her until she's digging through it, pulling out an orange triumphantly. She peels it quickly, before puling the fruit in half and handing one over. He doesn't usually eat lunch, but he accepts it anyway and they eat in comfortable silence.
It isn't long before the door opens and a head of short red hair pokes out. Ben sighs. He comes to the roof for privacy, and while he doesn't think he could ever mind Rey intruding on him his friends are frankly the last people on his mind just now. BB rolls her eyes as though he can hear his thoughts while Poe and Finn follow her through the door. They introduce themselves to Rey, 'ooh'-ing as she produces a bag of chocolate kisses and passes them around. She winks when Ben catches her eye, and he blushes.
His mother is there when rehearsal is over, and she hugs him before waving Rey over. "How was your first rehearsal, dear?"
"I loved it!" she all but gushes, stars in her eyes. "Ben let me sit at his lunch table and I met all the cool kids." Leia's eyebrows go up at this, looking between her successor and her son. Ben narrows his eyes at her. He doesn't trust those eyebrows.
"Ben's coming over for our weekly family dinner tonight. Would you like to join us?" It's all he can do to stifle his groan at his mother's words. He does not need her to try and play matchmaker for him.
Rey looks for all the world like she wants to say yes as she glances at him, but she bites her lip. "I wouldn't want to intrude on a family event."
But Luke is coming up behind her, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "No, you should come! I'd love to talk to you about the Foxcatcher-"
"No work at the table, Luke," Leia scolds. Her brother only smiles.
"It won't be at the table!"
Rey says she'd love to come to dinner, and when she smiles it's at Ben.
She's the perfect guest all evening, polite and offering to help even as she's turned down every time. Uncle Luke of course talks work at the table, but Rey just laughs when Leia huffs and answers his questions. After dinner, the family retreats to the back porch while Ben is banished to do the dishes, but she slips in quietly after a couple of minutes and picks up a dry dishcloth, holding her hand out expectantly. He laughs and shakes his head, but hands her the now clean plate to dry. They talk more, and Ben thinks his smile might split his face when he makes her laugh so hard she snorts.
He glances at the back door at one point to see all three of his elders pressing their noses against the glass window, nearly drops the plate in his hands in his surprise. Rey notices this, turning around to see them before they can scramble away from the door. She throws her head back as she laughs, but her cheeks are pink and the next time she meets his eyes she glances away quickly.
Ben dries his hands as she dries the last dish, before crossing his arms over his chest and leaning one hip against the counter. She copies his position, looking up at him from beneath her long lashes. He meets her eyes, wondering how he she can make him feel weightless and grounded at the same time. He clears his throat.
"Would you maybe...like to get coffee with me?"
Rey smiles, bites her lip. "Like a date?"
"Yeah," he breathes.
She nods. "How about now?"
He blinks, surprised. He glances back at the door, where three faces are once again smushed against the glass. Rey laughs without turning around.
"They're watching, huh?"
He nods, smiling, and she turns around to wave at them. They once again scatter immediately.
Ben pushes away from the counter, holding his hand out to her, and her smile is brilliant as she laces her fingers through his.
If you must know, this is modeled after Celtic Woman, and the song they're practicing is Mo Ghile Mear as performed at Powerscourt House and Gardens. I was listening to it at reading Reylo fanfiction and this just happened and I'm sorry. I don't own Star Wars or Celtic Woman.