IMPORTANT NOTE: The cover photo for this fic is a beautiful drawing done by a Russian artist named Anastasia. You can find her on Tumblr at the name: "medeakarn". Go follow her and give her some love.

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Please remember to review this story and let me know how I'm doing, also feel free to make any suggestions as far as the plot of the story goes. The Last Jedi was basically a Reylo fanfic in and of itself. A beautiful agnsty fanfic. Which I find to be hilarious, it's like Rian Johnson took all inspiration from the fics written on this website. Anyways, this is rated M because of possible suggestive moments in future chapters. Once again, please review and May the Force be with you. -HairTheColorOfWheat

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My panicked frame is carried out of and delivered from flames and terror, by none other than this...this monster. He held me close against his chest, hands bare and unmasked. His strong arms cradling me and taking me to shelter- God knows where. I felt myself growing weak, being seduced by whatever he brought forth.

Darkness? No...How can this be darkness? He feels like light...He feels like love..

I force myself out of this dream. Waking with a start, I sit up straight and feel the sweat running down my spine. My breathing heavy and my heart pounding, I feel a sudden wave of peace rush over my entire being.

Ben Solo's Force embodiment stands at the edge of my bed. I want to shout and take immediate action, to alert the resistance or fight him myself, but my body is completely frozen. Adjusting in my bed, I pause, examining his sullen demeanor. His lip trembles and I am brought back to the moment in the throne room, when he made his offer…

"Please.."

Now he stands, seemingly defenseless. The supreme leader of the First Order, watching me...peacefully.

"You're resisting me again." He finally speaks, his voice heavy with sorrow and dread. I know my response almost immediately, but I wait a moment and move towards him.

"It's not you that I'm resisting."

His shoulders slump forwards slightly and he lets himself sink to the bed, sitting down and staring back at my kneeling figure. He speaks again, this time with a quaking voice and glassy eyes.

"...The First Order...it- it's bred itself into the galaxy. We cannot vanquish what Darth Vader started, we can't even try...Evil will always have a place here, in our hearts and minds and souls. It's immovable. Even without me, without Hux, without a fleet of ships and troopers constantly threatening the weak- it will carry on. It is in our deepest desires to be self-interested. Nobody is truly good. Not even you, Rey."

His gaze meets mine as he says my name, so much confusion and misdirection in his expression. I shake my head, my hair falling lose from it's already-falling apart updo.

"No, Ben. The Force has bred itself into the galaxy. Those who try to use it for self-seeking interests, they fail! They become decrepit and crooked. Even without a resistance to rise up against the Dark Side, it's believers will never live a truly fulfilling life...And- and you are wrong. I am good. Your mother is good. Your father was-"

"Enough."

"No!" I move even closer, feeling brave. Taking his face in my hands, I force him to look at me.

"You can be good, Ben. You can come back!"

"Stop it. Stop now or- or I'll.."

"You'll what?" I take my hands away from his face, letting them fall to my lap. "You'll kill me?" His brow furrows at the words as they leave my lips, as if he's tasted the bitterness of death itself.

"I won't keep visiting you. These meetings through the force bond...I know they keep your nightmares away at night, Rey." He begins making threats, like a child.

"You think you can manipulate me like that, Ben? I don't care if I never see you again- all I want is for you to accept the light that resides inside of you."

Truly, his threat did poke at my resolve. Though I did not want it to be true, there was something inside him that I needed and craved. To deny it continuously to myself would be torture.

"Why, Rey?!"

He suddenly moves forwards, gripping my face in his hands. They are warm and bare, just like in my dream…I cannot speak, just stare back into his anguish-filled eyes. He whispers now, low and gentle like the force itself, humming through my ears.

"Why has destiny bound us together...I want to be rid of you so badly but I- I'm not strong enough.."

"You don't have to be.." I reply, softly reaching my hand up to his own face now, thumbing away his tears. I feel his scar underneath my fingertips, a sudden pang of guilt washing over me.

"Rey. I promise you- No matter what the First Order does, no matter how many they wipe from any number of galaxies, I will never hurt you. I won't fight you, I won't let my troops hunt you or threaten you, Rey, I promise."

"But the Resistance, I am with them, I am part of their-"

"I don't care about them. I know you could never love me like this, while I'm doing what I am doing. I know that I am the reason you have to fight and suffer. But even if I have to stop them myself, I won't allow the First Order to hurt you. There will be direct orders, I'll set them in motion as soon as the suns rise…"

"Ben please, that isn't what I-"

And just like that, his presence, his warmth...Gone. I feel my fingertips snake across his skin as he slips away, leaving me alone in my hut. Utter silence and dread fill my mind like countless times before, as I curl up on my side and hold my knees. Like a helpless child, I wait for daybreak. With Ben's promise in place, it should be easier to infiltrate The First Order's base.

That's all I care about anyways, right? Aiding the resistance….Block him out, Rey….block him out...