Rey Shan sighed, as she straightened up from her hunched over position at the back of Niima Outpost, the Jakku Mall's only electronics's store. She had been working since the start of her shift over an hour prior on the piece of junk laptop sitting on her lap and was still no closer to reviving it. She wondered if the owner had intentionally beat it to a pulp. She wouldn't put it past him.
Shaking her head, Rey took a break from her task, raising her arms over her head as she stretched. Her small 'office' at the back corner of the store was more like a glorified closet, heaped with broken gadgets of all kinds. There were phones with shattered touch screens, corrupt portable hard drives, and a couple of laptops. All of the objects before her were salvageable. She could get them all back to working order and returned to their proper homes. But this laptop... she had been working on it during a portion of her shifts all week. She was still no closer to getting the screen to flicker back to life.
Damn him, she thought, agitated.
Of course he would be the one to bring in a piece of junk so badly wounded she wasn't able to save it. The black laptop was a custom edition, with a solitary red line decorating the lid, ending in a frayed burst at the right edge. It had been part of a promotional line for Blue Harvest, a sci-fi trilogy of films Rey found fascinating.
Upon seeing the first film, she had immediately fallen in love with the universe of worlds and exotic creatures. Even more so, she had connected with the resounding themes of hope and courage. The coming of age tale centered around an array of characters, but the main trio was who Rey associated with the most. The group of friends was not much unlike her own, a bit eccentric and at times overbearing, but ultimately supportive and faithful. If she had been a member of the original trio, she would have been the smart-ass pilot smuggler, who needed to constantly work on his ship to keep it from falling apart. Though in the real world, she was fixing personal electronics instead of a hyperdrive converter. Rey had made a name for herself. She could fix anything that was brought through Niima Outpost's doors.
Until now.
Which led her to sighing all over again. She was beyond frustrated with the heap of plastic and metal parts in her current possession. The laptop had, at one time, been a top of the line model, with the best features available and unparalleled screen resolution. It was quality beyond compare, so why had its owner allowed it to get to this state? The computer looked as though it had been dropped off the Kessel Run bridge and run over, then set on fire for good measure. She just couldn't understand it.
"Rey!" She flinched at the sound of her manager yelling for her. Unkar Plutt was not an agreeable man. He was like her own personal villain and she often fantasized about telling him to go pound sand while she walked out of the Outpost. But she had too many bills to pay and far less opportunities to earn money, so she remained.
"Yes?" She asked, slipping out of the narrow room, to face him.
"Do you have Mr. Mitaka's phone ready?"
Dutifully, she ducked back in to retrieve the iPhone she had repaired yesterday afternoon. She handed it to Plutt without a word, knowing he'd only force her to work Saturday if he got even an indication of her displeasure. And Saturdays were her days. She'd work all the other days of the week on top of her school work and college applications, but Saturdays were her day. They were sacred.
Takodana Forest was located within walking distance from her house. It was there at the the local park she joined the other die-hard fans of Blue Harvest in a live-action role playing event every other weekend. Rey had joined the Resistance clan after her fascination with the film trilogy became borderline obsessive. It was there she and her best friend Finn had met Poe Dameron, another fan of the films, and the clan founder.
Poe was a few of years older than them, attending Eadu University. The college was one of the main reasons the group met so frequently. There was enough participation with the thriving college campus to have consistent meet-ups. With the constant rotation of new students and the upcoming release of a sequel trilogy, more and more fans flocked to the park each weekend to witness or join in the game. The game had become a fun outlet for her and Finn to destress from their senior year at Alderaan High.
Finn was Rey's foster brother. They had been inseparable since they had been placed in Maz Kanata's care nearly ten years ago. Finn, like Rey, was an orphan who had no memory of his parents. He had chosen not to bother looking for them, not caring about their story or why they had chosen to give him up. It was perhaps the only thing he and Rey disagreed on. She cared about her history. She wanted to know who she was, who her family was, and where she belonged.
Maz had told her since day one that there was nothing left for her. She had implored Rey to stop waiting. Her parents were gone. Deep down, Rey knew it was true, but it didn't stop the hurt from making her wish things were different. She had dreamed of the day her parents would find her and take her away, take her somewhere safe where she would be loved and cared for during the rest of her life. It was an illusion she clung to for far too many years. There were nights when she still held to the dream, so lonely she'd rather lie to herself than face the reality of her situation.
It wasn't that Maz wasn't a good care taker. On the contrary, she was the best surrogate mother Rey could have ever hoped for. The owner of a tavern, Maz was an acquired taste, but she was loving. Standing only five feet tall, Rey and Finn had outgrown her before they fully hit puberty, but they would never back talk their guardian. Maz was not one to trifle with. Her stout size was misleading. She was a fierce woman who demanded respect from anyone and everyone she came into contact with. She had been Rey's inspiration to take up self defense classes, which had aided her in the LARP group when it came time for combat. And it had been Maz who had introduced her young wards to Blue Harvest.
During their first week under Maz's care, Rey and Finn had both been withdrawn. Each of them scared from being shuffled through the system prior to landing on Maz's doorstep. They had each hid in their respective rooms, barely speaking and rarely leaving the comfort zone of their quiet spaces. It wasn't until Maz took off one night, ordered pizza, made popcorn, and put in a DVD of the first film. The opening theme had been what called to Rey. The impressive crescendo of music reached back through the house, luring her into the living room where Maz had been waiting with dinner on paper plates on the floor and a large bowl of popcorn in the middle of the room. Rey, who had never been to a movie before, found the set-up amazing. After seeing the entire trilogy, she was more than amazed.
Finn had taken to the films too. Though not as consumed by it as Rey, he had his own fascination with the movies. Maz had told them about when she had seen the first film in the theater as a young girl, how it had inspired her to do what she wanted and not to take no for an answer. The strong female lead in the main trio of characters had been her role model for years. Then she had showed Rey and Finn a framed portrait in her room, a picture of her with the lead actress, signed, "To Maz. May the Force be with you." After that, whenever either of them had a particularly challenging day, Maz shared the same words with them.
"What? Are you staring off into space again, girl?" Unkar shouted at her, no longer feigning professionalism with the departure of Mr. Mitaka from the store. "Back to work!"
Rey resumed her cramped seated position in the back to continue her attempts at reviving the mangled laptop. The customer identification tag hanging off the side bared the name of her tormentor.
Kylo Ren.
It wasn't his true name, of course. Kylo Ren was his LARP name. His true name was Ben Solo. He was part of the opposing clan, the First Order. Public enemy number one, Finn had nicked named him. Poe had a slightly different take, having been the guy's roommate during his first year attending Eadu. He considered Ben lost, convinced he had lost himself in his character. Rey wasn't sure what she believed. After her last encounter with him, she was more confused than anything.
She had been in the middle of battling against a Stormtrooper, one of the First Order's soldier classes when she had felt it. At first, it was as if there was an itch she couldn't scratch, a sensation running across the back of her neck. After she had dealt a death blow to her opponent, she turned to find Kylo Ren watching her. She couldn't see his face. Ben Solo's character wore a mask, but she knew he was watching her. She could feel his gaze on her. It had unnerved her.
He was the one member of the First Order clan she hadn't come up against yet in battle. She had defeated all the others, include General Hugs and Captain Phaz, who Poe had informed her were his roommates. She didn't like either of the snobby, posh individuals. They had an inferiority complex a mile wide, so when Rey had disarmed them both and ended their day at the event early, she had plastered a rather smug smile on her face as the marshal dismissed them from the battleground.
Her character, Kira, was an orphan, like her and had an uncanny ability for scavenging. The bow staff she had created, her weapon of choice, was made up of parts she had collected from the junk bin at work. She had needed to properly pad it down the first time she had brought it to battle, per the rules. Though she was gentle in all her strikes against her opponents, Rey loved the sound of the staff as it twirled through the air. It felt right. It felt strong.
But she didn't feel strong when she caught Kylo Ren staring at her.
No, she felt odd, as if someone had struck her for a change, sending all of the air rushing out of her lungs. She decided to distance herself from him. Navigating through the fray of fighting bodies, she maneuvered herself to the edges of the LARP grounds, deeper into the park, away from the commotion. Though Saturdays were typically busy days for the community area, the recent influx of new recruits to the LARP group had deterred many from entering during the hours of their bi-weekly sessions. Rey had been thankful for the peace and quiet. Though her time with the Resistance clan was less than a year, she had made a name for herself.
She was currently the only undefeated female contender in the Resistance and the youngest to boot. The only reason she had been permitted to join at the age of seventeen, instead of waiting for the normal age of eighteen, was because Poe and Finn (who was several months older than her) had vouched for her and she had demonstrated skill and restraint with her self-defense knowledge. She had to sign an additional waiver, but it had been a small price to pay for allowing her to dive deeper into her obsession. However, being the undefeated and youngest put a target on her back. She had been fighting all day and needed some air.
Players were permitted to yell "Hold" if they needed a time out or were injured. Rey had never taken advantage of the safety word, preferring to immerse herself in the fantasy as fully as possible. Perhaps it was due to her need for the fantasy that she didn't hear him approach, or perhaps she had been more tired than she had originally thought. Either way, she heard a twig snap mere feet from her position, alerting her to another who had trailed her away from the battleground.
Rey turned, bow staff raised slightly in a defensive position. Kylo Ren stalked out from behind a row of trees, his own weapon, a sword with blades protruding from the cross-guard. It was an imposing weapon for an imposing man. Dressed all in black robes with the mask wasn't intimidating enough, apparently, because the man before her was over six feet tall. He looked more like a monster lurking in the darkness, than a role playing character. Still, she held her position, waiting on bated breath for his advance.
For a minute, he stood still, regarding her through his helmet. Rey stared back at him, beginning to feel the same unease set into her, as the silence between them stretched. She wished she could see his face so she had some idea what was going on in his mind. Between what Poe had mentioned about his introverted behavior and how dedicated he was to his clan, Rey wasn't sure what kind of man lived beneath the mask. He was a formidable fighter, often going through a number of her Resistance comrades before focusing on higher ranking members. She wondered if he had come after her for a challenge.
"The girl I've heard so much about." His voice was obstructed by the mask, but his words were clear. They caused a shiver to run up her spine.
When he proceeded towards her, she backed up, barely taking her eyes off him to glance over her shoulder to see where she was going. She hadn't been this far into the park before and she wasn't familiar with the terrain. There were some rocks behind her and the ground was slanting upwards. She didn't stumble, which was miraculous in itself. Even more impressive was how she managed to keep her bow staff at the ready, while she worked to keep the distance between them.
Her size was what most considered her weakness. They didn't understand it was also her strength. She was able to move much more quickly than the Stormtroopers. Not weighed down by extra armor and padding, her costume consisted of layers of tanned rags, as fluid as she was. She could twist, bob, and weave as necessary, often before her opponent could comprehend. It worked to her advantage. Still, she wasn't so arrogant as to think she'd triumph over this man so quickly. He had his own undefeated reputation, which was only superseded by his other reputation for violent outbursts. Kylo Ren was known for his temper. Rey had been cautioned about it numerous times.
She should have headed her friends' warnings.
He continued to draw nearer to her, undeterred in his advance. Rey hadn't understood what was happening to her. Since he had spoken to her, the first words she had ever heard him utter, something had snapped. Her entire form felt off. The timber of his voice had been deeper than expected, yet smooth. It had her flesh bubbling with gooseflesh. Her body felt stiff and though she continued to retreat backwards, she failed to check her path. After several more shuffles, she was perched precariously over the edge of a hill, threatening to topple over.
Rey had nearly fallen the moment she realized her mistake. Her right foot had stepped back, hitting nothing but air and she had teetered back and forth in an attempt to regain her balance. Then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, Kylo's hand snapped forward, capturing her tiny wrist and yanking her towards him. She had dropped her staff partially from shock and partially from fear of falling, grasping onto his muscular arms, as her body lurched forward into his. Had she not been a full head shorter than him, they may have knocked heads. As it was, her forehead slammed into his chest, as he wrapped his arms fully around her.
Having been abandoned at a young age, Rey had not dated anyone in high school. She wasn't interested in ill-fated romance, no matter how many guys asked her out. Maz had never discouraged her from dating. Rey had chosen not to. High school relationships had a high probability of not lasting. She had dealt with enough people disappointing and ultimately leaving her. She didn't need to invest herself in someone who would be sure to do it again, so she had remained single. Her friends, Rose and Jessika hadn't understood, taking every liberty to go out with handsome jocks, exotic exchange students, and even the occasional artsy nerd. Each ended in a dramatic bout of a girl's night in binge-watching Netflix and carb-loading. Rey's experience with the male gender was limited to her best friend and basically brother, Finn. And he was as gay as a picnic basket.
So when Kylo's — Ben's — arms wove around her, she wasn't sure what to do. She had frozen in her spot, her fingers still gripping the surprisingly soft fabric of his costume. They were so close Rey could feel his heart beat and hers hammering away together. When she didn't immediately jerk away from his embrace, he lowered his head, resting his chin on her crown, while his thumb began stroking up and down her spine. Her brain had been waving red flags, trying to alert her to the danger, but she had been too intoxicated by his gentle touch, too comfortable in his arms to move. She had relaxed in the hold, turning to rest her cheek against his broad chest, eyes fluttering closed.
How long they stood like that, she wasn't sure. It could have been only seconds or it could have been an hour. Either way, Rey had felt at peace, warm and protected in a way she had never felt before. As intimidating as Kylo Ren attempted to make himself, she was sure she would never see him as the number one enemy Finn claimed him to be. This man had kept her from harm, ignoring his opening to strike her down in order to keep her from toppling down. If he was as dark as her friends claimed, surely he would have left her to her own devices to embarrass herself and secure him the true title of undefeated champion.
"Be careful, little scavenger," he chuckled, against her ear. "The next time, I may not be here to catch you."
His taunt had slammed Rey back into reality and she had shoved him away from her, as hard as she could, side stepping to avoid repeating her earlier mistake. It was the most intimate she had ever been with another person and it had terrified her. It scared her even more than the fact she had let her guard down around him, not that she would admit that to anyone.
"Bastard," she hissed, as she squatted down to retrieve her staff.
Thankfully, the horn had sounded then, signaling the end of the LARP event. Rey started for the Resistance, knowing Poe and the group usually went back to the Pourhouse, a campus bar afterwards. Even though she was underage, on Saturday afternoons, she was still permitted to sit in the downstairs area with the rest of her friends. It didn't bother her if she was only allowed to have a glass of ice tea. After the physical nature of the event, a cold drink was exactly what she needed to refresh herself.
A tug on her belt, kept her from leaving. "We're not done yet," Kylo told her.
"Yes, we are," she hissed over her shoulder at him, glaring when she saw his fingers were still laced around her belt. "Let go."
"No."
"The event is over…Ben," she emphasized his given name, hoping it would annoy him enough to leave her alone. Where was this disastrous temper everyone had mentioned? He seemed more like a petulant child than a dangerous villain.
"I know…Rey."
The fact that he knew her real name startled her. She had barely told her name to anyone in the Resistance, let alone anyone in the First Order. She tried to keep her face neutral, unsure what game he was playing now that the event was over.
"So unhand me."
"No."
"Why?"
"None of the rest of this matters. It's just us now."
Once again, his words unnerved her. He spoke to her as if he truly believed that, as if the rest of the park had faded away, as if there weren't six dozen other LARP players within a quarter mile of their position, waiting on their return. But it was more than that. It was how he spoke about her. When he said something, he was looking at her, even if she couldn't see his eyes behind the mask, she knew. She could feel his intense gaze upon her face, studying her response, her actions. Everything outside of the two of them was no concern of his. He was solely fixated on her.
And the instant she realized that, she ran.
Rey hadn't stopped running until she plowed Poe over, sending him sprawling to the ground just outside the main battleground. He had been startled, to say the least, but Finn had used it against him for the remainder of the afternoon while they tossed back drinks (courtesy of Finn's fake ID) at the Pourhouse together. Rey had attempted to join in throughout, but her mind kept drifting back to Kylo Ren and his reason for following her in the first place. Eventually she went home early, dismissing herself from the after party to hide away in her room, her thoughts still on the mysterious First Order enforcer.
When she had finally gone to sleep that evening, she had visions of black robes and strong arms.
Ben Solo hated the Jakku Mall. He hated all the teeny-boppers, soccer moms, and other middle-class stereotypes he had to encounter when he walked through the glass doors. He despised the mediocrity of the place, pushing its consumerism tendencies at those who were willing to increase their already growing credit card debt for another worthless tangible item that would inevitably take up space in their home before being discarded after a year or so. It was a wasteful cycle in a wasteful system. He believed in a more orderly regime.
Still, he strolled through the white tiled hall, towards the electronics store. It was his sole purpose for being in the godforsaken place. He needed to check on the status of his laptop and he didn't trust the store's lax manager to email him an update. He trusted their repair department even less, knowing he'd be hung up on if he called. So here he was. Wasting his afternoon in hopes his personal property would be returned to him in mint condition because if not, he was going to need to talk to the technician.
As he neared the store, he spotted the manager, a severely overweight man, leaving, but not before yelling back into the store about pushing the weekly promotions to any customers. Ben stalled by a Pinkberry station until the man had gone before he entered the shop.
It was dead, which wasn't unusual for a Thursday afternoon. It was still too early for most to be done work and there were no major holidays or sales running to attract the crowds. A crash towards the rear of the store caught his attention and his gaze locked on the chestnut haired girl struggling to lift a large cardboard box from the storage closet.
Ben watched her grapple with the package for a moment, amused, before he intervened. He easily lifted it from her grasp, setting it on the counter to her right.
"Thanks," she breathed, before she took a step back, recognition flashing across her face.
He had that affect on people. At six foot two, he was considered intimidating by most standards. The girl, a full head shorter than him, regained her composure quickly, crossing her arms over her chest and regarded him with an annoyed glare. He laughed, his own agitation at having to trek to the mall long forgotten. The ferocious anger in her hazel eyes had captivated him since he had come against her on the battlefield.
Having been an awkward teenager, Ben had embraced fantasy and sci-fi realms as an escape from the bullying and stress he related his high school experience with. Graphic novels, role-playing games, and even the occasional fan art sketch kept him busy, allowing him to survive those painful years. Then news of the sequel trilogy for Blue Harvest had been released and suddenly it was cool to be a geek. His interests were more acceptable, or maybe it was his sudden growth spurt and collection of muscles that had made him more approachable. Either way, college had turned out to be a different experience.
His roommate freshman year, a man named Poe Dameron, had been charismatic and good looking. He made friends wherever he went and upon noticing Ben's severe lack of friends, started bringing him around on all his social outings. None had appealed to Ben, until Poe dragged him out of bed one Saturday morning.
At first, Ben thought he was dreaming or was experiencing an aneurysm. Poe was dressed in an orange jumpsuit with a white vest and some sort of belted contraption that ran down his legs and buckled around his calves. He looked ridiculous. Ben was more confused when his roommate shoved a collection of brown and cream colored garments at him and told him to get dressed. Despite his better judgement, Ben had gone along with it and eventually Poe had admitted his secret side hobby, LARP-ing at the park.
It had been a strange, almost out of body experience for Ben. After a full day of running, fighting, and learning terms and rules he had never been privy to before, he found himself asking Poe when they would go back. Thankfully, due to the popularity of the first film in the Blue Harvest trilogy, Eadu University created their own clan. Ben dedicated any spare time to the group.
Over the summer that had followed his freshman year, he had spent the time off learning various forms of combat and strategy. When he had returned for the fall semester, he created his own clan named the First Order. Though he had asked Poe to join him, his roommate had remained with the original clan, renaming them the Resistance. Ben thought it was dumb. Their second year housing together didn't end well, both expressing passionately their own thoughts on rules and conduct for the game world. At the end of their sophomore year, Ben had decided to move off-campus and live with two members of his clan: Armitage Hux and Gwen Phasma.
Now, in his senior year at Eadu, he was the clan founder and the only undefeated member of the First Order. He wanted to be the only undefeated member in the entire LARP group, but he was tied for that title with a R. Shan. He wasn't as familiar with the new recruits the Resistance had acquired over the last couple of years. Asking his ex-roommate would have been the simplest method of obtaining the information, but seeing as how he was still sore with Dameron for not joining his clan, Ben preferred going after the information on his own.
For weeks he had fought against numerous Resistance opponents, trying to assess their skill level, mentally checking them off his list one by one. He started to wonder if the standings were wrong. Just when he was about to confront the moderator about the nonexistent R. Shan person, he overheard some of his Stormtroopers chatting as they exited the battlefield.
"She's a looker," the one had commented.
"Yeah, but I don't want a high maintenance girl like that," another had scoffed. "Can you imagine? She has better aim than you, Nines!"
"Hey!" the third guy had cried, outraged by his friend's statement. Then, scratching the back of his neck, he nodded, "She did get me with a pretty clean shot."
Ben had immediately started scanning the collection of remaining Resistance fighters for a female. Though the clans had both been accepting new members due to the popularity of the franchise, there were not nearly as many girls as there were guys. It made finding R. Shan elementary. She had a slim figure, draped in layers of monotone fabric, though in much lighter tones than his own costume. Her boots were real leather, as was her belt, illustrating her commitment to the organization. Only those who planned on being at the events consistently invested in higher quality materials. Her weapon, a long staff, appeared to be self-made. Though it was constructed presumably by her, he was impressed with the sturdy construct. Obviously, she took care in her character creation, paying attention to the details of her position and how she would interact with this world.
He had begun to approach her, wanting to introduce himself, and engage in a fight to test her skills. He wanted to see if she was everything people claimed, if she was indeed worthy of being his equal on the ranking board. When he was only a few yards away from her, the horn had sounded. All players stopped what they were doing and returned to reality. The First Order participants packed up and headed to Supremacy, a bar on the west side of campus. The Resistance members cleaned up and took off to the hole in the wall on the east side.
Ben had frequented the Pourhouse in his freshman year with Poe. He had since developed a taste for the finer things, preferring the cleaner, more upscale bar with a cocktail list and menu that consisted of food not fried beyond recognition. Of course, the girl went off with her comrades. He watched, irritated when he saw her jabbering away with a handsome, dark-skinned man. Nothing prepared him for the flare of anger he had when Dameron appeared on her other side. Ben had to remind himself he couldn't afford another suspension from the LARP group or Eadu, as he watched Dameron sling an arm over the girl's shoulders. He had already been asked to take a brief absence before for striking harder than necessary. Any further repeats of his violent actions would result in his probation from the group or banishment. It resulted in him clenching his fists at his sides while he watched her walk off to the dive bar with the two men she was so friendly with.
It would be two weeks until he would be able to see her again. Her face plagued him constantly during that time. He didn't know her real name, only her first initial and player profile, so he began guessing. R. Shan. Rachel. Rebecca. Raina. Raven. Reed. Riley. Randi. None of the names sounded correct. She looked like sunshine, her eyes dancing with a light from within. There was a fire there. She had the soul of a true fighter. He vowed to meet her on the battlefield.
And two weeks later, he did.
It had taken him the better part of the day to locate her. Once the event had kicked off, he was meant with challengers, left and right, some looking to beat him and some looking for a rematch. Towards the end of the afternoon, when the fighting had died down somewhat, he heard a cry bellow out, a vicious sound for such a small thing to make, but it had further endeared her to him.
Her face, usually so carefree and full of sunshine was pulled into a determined mask of concentration as she moved about, her feet shifting like a dancer as she twirled around the Stormtrooper she was engaged with. It was all he could do to watch her. She was stunning. He understood how she had been able to climb the standings to rank at the top of the Resistance. She was a born fighter, with a beautiful soul.
Halfway through her duel, she halted. She quickly scanned the area behind her, until her eyes met his. He knew she couldn't see him, not really, due to his mask, but he felt as if she could. For a time, he couldn't breathe. Her eyes. It had been her eyes that changed his mind about contending with her. The emotions within her gaze had him struggling to maintain his stance. There was anticipation there, coupled with a touch of hostility, and pure delight. He searched her face, finding her lips tugging to smile. It would have been thrilling to see her openly express her pleasure, but she was working to stay in character. Her persona was meant to appear weak, an asset for those who came at her, underestimating her skill.
She was more magnificent than he had expected. It only made him want her more. The First Order had been barely securing their victories against the Resistance the last few meet ups. It had not pleased Ben, who had offered to teach some combat skills to the weaker recruits. His style was well recognized, but his temper was too. It had sufficiently discouraged many from working with him. Hux had told him that he'd take care of it, being the more approachable one, but Ben had not been impressed with his methods. No, he needed someone with real skill, someone who appreciated his take on things, who understood him.
His answer stood before him, a warrior goddess plucked right from his wildest fantasies. She was perfect.
Rey.
He reminded himself he knew her name now. He may have slipped a fifty to one of the event's marshals before the start of the day. The freshman was easily intimidated by Ben's stature, which was even more imposing when he was in his custom boots and ebony cowl. It made him appear larger than life. The boy, because Ben couldn't condescend to refer to him as a man, gave up details on the girl without a second thought. Rules be damned.
Rey Shan was the youngest player they had, approaching graduation at Alderaan. She worked part-time at the mall and was considered by many to be a favored addition to the group. The marshal confirmed she had had some form of training prior to joining her clan, which was one of the reasons she was permitted despite being under eighteen. Her natural skill had intrigued Ben. Though they were only a few years apart, it felt like more. She was about to go off to college, strike out on her own, a journey he was near completing. Still, there was an undeniable pull towards her.
When she had won her match, sneaking away, he had seized the opportunity to corner her away from the warring members between them. She had been ready to fight him, her weapon poised to hit him. Then he had addressed her. It was as if the unknown attraction drawing him to her snapped like a rubber band. He forgot how much he hated the modified version of his own voice, forgot about winning the event, forgot how to say anything. All he could think about was her.
Like a moth to a flame, he pressed forward, intent on invading her space. The anticipation in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a hesitant fear. He didn't want that. He didn't want her to fear him. Yet, he couldn't stop himself from continuing.
She had backed herself up too far. When she slipped, he had acted on pure instinct. Thankful for speedy reflexes, he let go of his sword, reaching out for her. He caught her wrist, stunned by how little it felt in his grasp. She wasn't a frail bird, but against his massive size, it was hard to see her in a different light. He brought her to his chest, rapidly, a rash tug resulting from his own fear of her being injured and his uncertainty on how to act around her. He didn't have much experience with the opposite sex.
Ben was delighted to feel her tiny fingers searching for purchase against his chest. She trembled slightly, releasing a shaky breath. He thought of how his mother had comforted him as a child and lowered his head to rest on hers, while he rubbed her back. Comforting another was not an act he was practiced in, however, with Rey it didn't feel awkward or forced. It felt right. The way she fit perfectly into him was as if she had been made to exist in his arms. It was oddly calming.
The thought of her being harmed was enough to destroy his calm. Though there were rules in place to keep the game players free from injury, accidents happened and at times, the term accident was applied too liberally. With her reputation, he understood she'd be the one to beat, a prize for anyone who was able to end her streak of victories. If in the attempt to nest her, she was hurt, it would be cast off as mishap. Ben's blood boiled at the mere thought of one of his members touching her.
No, he would never allow it. She was his. She belonged with him...to him. He was sure of that now. He had never been so sure of anything in his life, but holding this woman here, in the quiet section of the park, he had found a peace. She centered him. He would not risk losing it or her. All thoughts of fighting against her banished. He would fight with her. They would be unstoppable.
He only needed to convince her.
"Be careful little Scavenger. The next time, I may not be here to catch you."
He thought it was one of his better lines, smiling beneath his mask at his ability to actually speak eloquently in her presence. Apparently, she did not respond well to chivalry. Rey shoved him with more strength than he had believed possible for such a small person. Hissing an expletive at him, she made to depart.
Desperate, he latched onto her belt. Maybe he needed to try again. Maybe he could prove to her that they made sense together. He could be persuasive. Perhaps if she felt the same strange connection to him that he felt towards her, she'd let him hold her again. If he had only tilted her chin up, he could have brushed his lips against hers. Would she sigh? Would she kiss him back? Once again, he was grateful for his mask, keeping his flushed face from her.
Rey had pointed out the event was over. He realized he should let her go. It was against the rules to keep her engaged and he couldn't afford another penalty, but then she said his name...his true name. And God, if it didn't sound like the most precious thing rolling off her tongue. But there was that defiance again, her pointed expression daring him. So he replied with her true name, a pleasurable ping running through him when she gave a slight jolt.
Oh, this woman would be his end for sure. He had no doubt he'd unravel in front of her, but the feelings coursing through him were too delicious to deny.
They exchanged playful banter back and forth, while he continued to get her to stay with him. Eventually it became too much and she twisted out of his grip, darting off before he could catch her.
Ben had returned to his apartment that evening, not joining his clan at the Supremacy. Instead, he locked himself in his room, looking up the hours for the Jakku Mall. He had an errand to run.
As his memory of their first encounter faded, he Ben realized she was still glaring daggers at him. And he recalled she had never seen him without his mask.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Surveillance camera," she pointed to an outdated camera aimed at the entrance.
He chuckled, running a hand through his shoulder length dark hair. "You looked me up."
"Apparently we have that in common," she retorted, gesturing to the fact he was standing at her place of employment.
Touché.
She was sharp and not afraid to go toe to toe with him. It made her more attractive. He could feel himself falling into those brilliant eyes of hers. He needed to remain level-headed. He had a purpose to his visit, but recalling how she had scared in the forest, he decided to proceed with caution.
"Are you planning attending Eadu in the fall?" He asked, conversationally, sliding his hands into his pockets, lest he try to touch her again. There was a tendril of hair falling across her face. It was taking all of his concentration not to reach out and brush it behind her ear. He knew himself well enough that if he were to do that, it wouldn't satisfy his urge to have her in his arms again.
"Yes," Rey answered, unaware of his internal struggle, as she began stocking printer cartridges. "It's close to home and they offered me a scholarship." Ben followed her through the store. From the way her manager had yelled at her upon leaving, he assumed the man wasn't lenient. He considered buying something just to keep Rey busy and in her boss's good graces. "Plus, I already know some people through the clan."
"Will your boyfriend be joining you?" He asked, trying to remain nonchalant about it, as he perused the phone cases. There was one with a large tabby cat on it. He wondered if Hux would like it since it had a resemblance to his cat, Millificent. He heard Rey's shoes squeak against the floor as she spun around to face him, her stocking task forgotten momentarily.
"N-no." He caught her chewing on her bottom lip, a strange expression on her face. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"My mistake," he shrugged, moving to the side to round the aisle. He had to hide his relief at her answer. He had been worried all week that she was hooking up with either Dameron or another member of the Resistance. If she was unattached, it made his next move far easier. She'd have less of a loyalty to her clan.
"Did you come in for an update on that?" she pointed to the destroyed laptop, behind them. "Because I'm still working on it."
"I'm not here for that," he replied, dismissively.
"Why are you here then?" she asked.
He strolled over until he was standing directly in front of her. "I didn't want to wait two weeks for this."
"This?"
"Rey, I want you to join me."
"Join you?" she cocked an eyebrow, her arms crossing over her chest once more. The printer cartridges were forgotten, as she examined him. He wondered if she could read his thoughts. Did she have any idea what she did to him? He'd spent the better part of the week taking cold showers and all because of one insignificant moment in the park. He was losing his mind, or maybe he had lost it long ago. Maybe this was what happened when you put off relationships and letting people in. When one person actually did get under your skin, they became your ultimate obsession.
"As in the First Order?" she questioned, looking rather unimpressed. "Pass."
Damn.
Before he was even aware of what he was saying, he changed tactics. "No," he felt his cheeks flush. He was terrible at this type of thing. It was one of the reasons he had thrown himself so fully into the fantasy world he had created, but Rey was proving his fantasy wasn't complete. She was better than any fiction he could craft and twice as challenging.
"Then what?" she pressed.
"Would you join me for dinner?"
He watched her expression change. Her arms went slack at her sides and this time both eyebrows threatened to disappear into her hairline. "You're asking me out?"
"Yes."
If he couldn't make her join him in their role-playing world, he wasn't holding his breath to have her join him in real life. She was beautiful. Even in her drab garb for her job at the mall, which he loathed, she stood out. It was the light in her eyes, her inner fire. Despite his nerves around most people and his dislike of social situations, he maintained his composure, trying to remember how Dameron had acted when they had been friends and channel the charming guy. He waited, willing himself not to fidget while she studied him, considering.
"I'll make you a deal," she offered. "If you beat me next Saturday, I'll go out with you."
"And if," he had to clear his throat so his voice came out clearly, "And it's a big if, but for the sake of being a gentleman," he grinned at her, "if you beat me next Saturday…"
"You have the First Order officially surrender to the Resistance and your clan buys us a round at Pourhouse."
Ben had to smile at her boldness. Not many people stood up to him and even fewer attempted to bargain with him. Hux and Phasma were accustomed to his antics, well as accustomed to it as anyone could be, and even they didn't bother to try dealing with him when he had his mind set on something. But Rey was special. He had known that from the first time he had seen her in action on the battleground. He couldn't predict her the way he could others. It was one of the reasons he was so drawn to her. So he agreed to her terms.
"Agreed. Until then," he promised, before picking her hand up to plant a kiss along her knuckles. Now she blushed, the color blooming across her cheeks and down her neck. "I'll be the one in all black." He left it at that, not wanting to further embarrass himself. He needed to end on a high note, have the last word in so he'd be on her mind until the next event. She would surely be on his.
"Oh and Ben," she called after him. He paused in the entrance way. She hoisted the dead laptop up in one hand. "Next time, don't torch your computer just for an excuse to talk to me."
He smirked. "I didn't. The laptop belongs to Hux." He winked, loving how her face lit up with laughter at his admission. She was still giggling when he left the store, to return to his apartment. The joy in her eyes was motivation enough.
Ben would be training hard until next Saturday. He was going to win at all costs. Once he beat her, he'd offer to teach her. She wouldn't go down without a fight and he was sure she'd be defiant until the end. Still, after she was defeated, he'd take it as an opportunity to show her how to improve her form. It would be the first step in coaxing her to join his side. Having dinner together wouldn't hurt either. If she saw him outside of the group, outside of his character's intimidating costume, maybe she'd be more agreeable to his logic. He was sure she would see his side of things. He'd have her.
And once she was by his side, his fantasy would be complete. It would be real.
The next several days flew by in a haze. Rey picked up some extra shifts at the Outpost to keep her mind off her agreement with Ben Solo. She hadn't expected to see him outside of the park. Poe had mentioned he was a loner, often only joining the real world when he had to go to classes, but from how he had confidently strolled into the mall she struggled to believed it. Ben Solo didn't appear to have any issue with speaking to her.
There was something about him. She couldn't place it, but she felt as if she was trapped by him, falling further down the rabbit hole that was this enigma clothed in black robes and who chose to hide his handsome face behind a sinister mask. She couldn't understand why. She had spent the better part of a week trying to unravel the mystery, only to find herself tumbling deeper into his world.
When Rey's shift had ended last Thursday, she had gone home and researched characters in their group, scrolling through multiple First Order documents on the clan's Wiki, before finally just clicking on the section for leadership. There wasn't much on Kylo Ren. She practically screamed at her screen in frustration. Skills, known associates, power level, etc. — it was all basic information she could have guessed on her own. None of it explained who he was or why she was so drawn to him.
The night before battle, Rey was quick to go to bed and rest up. However, on this particular evening, she was lying wide-eyes in bed, tossing and turning. Her mind kept replaying his words from the forest.
It's just us now.
There had been no reason for him to keep her after the end of the event had been communicated. The game was over. As she repeated the words once again in her mind, she focused on his tone. It was difficult with how the modulator altered his voice, but she didn't think he had been Kylo Ren in that moment. He had been Ben Solo.
The same confidence, the same single-mindedness existed in those words as it had when he had visited her at her work. There was only one word for a man like him: intense. Rey rolled over again, her legs becoming tangled in her sheets, almost as tangled as her thoughts had become.
For hours she heard him speak the words to her over and over again, puzzling what would happen after tomorrow if she won? Or if he did? Eventually her nervous energy became too much and she succumbed to sleep, but he was there, a shadow in the darkness, even in her dreams.
She had woken up to Finn, shaking her awake. Realizing she had overslept, she roughly shoved her foster brother from her room and hurried through the space, throwing pieces of her costume on her bed, while also stripping out of her pajamas to get changed. Less than five minutes later, she was exiting to an amused Finn, who was regarding her with a lopsided grin.
"Late night?"
"Don't start," she smacked his arm.
"Come on," he wrapped the same arm around her, guiding her to the front door. "Poe is outside. He's going to give us a ride over."
They said goodbye to Maz, who was to enthralled in a trashy soap opera rerun to do more than wave. Rey took a deep breath, hoping it would still her fluttering heart beat, but the moment she stepped out of the house, all she could think of was him.
Did he truly want her or was this all a fantasy?
"Why are you combing your hair?" Hux snapped. Ben knew he wasn't a morning person, but he must be a special breed of asshole because this morning he was barely tolerable.
"It's important to me," he shrugged, not needing to divulge his true intentions to Hux.
"Whatever," his roommate grumbled, walking into the kitchen to pour himself a mug of coffee. Ben prayed it was enough to keep the red head in check until he could take out his aggression on some poor, unsuspecting Resistance fighter.
Today was the day. He was going to prove to Rey she belonged with him, in the First Order, and at his side. After their conversation at the mall, he had spent all his down time training in the gym and with the top fighters in his clan. He was not arrogant enough to think he'd beat her without honing his technique. Besides, his goal was to defeat her, not to vanquish her spirit. He needed to win, but he needed to do so in a way that appealed to her curiosity, to her own desire to improve herself.
When he won, he'd not only secure her as his partner on the battlefield, she had agreed to go to dinner with him. The mere thought of seeing her in something more flattering than the tan rags she wore to the park, or the tasteless uniform at the mall, had him frozen in front of his mirror. He hadn't gone on a date before. He hadn't realized what he had said until the words and already left his mouth, but once it was out there, he couldn't take it back. Miraculously, she had seemed more open to the idea of dinner than being a member of the First Order. Ben was still confused by that fact.
Even more confusing were his nights. He had assumed the rigorous training would have him sleeping steadily through the night. Instead, he was plagued by juvenile bodily reactions to dreams of a woman with chestnut hair and fiery eyes. The past few mornings he had woken up with a disturbingly visible reaction, requiring a long and cold shower to rid himself of it. Ben had never been one to get worked up over a girl, let alone one he had barely held a conversation with.
Counting down the hours until the park opened for the event was agonizing. He felt as if he was standing on the edge of precipice, hovering between falling backwards onto himself or pitching over into the unknown. He was unsure which outcome he'd prefer more.
He was about to find out.
The moment the event kicked off, the clan members were rushing at one another. Ben hung back, searching the sea of chaos for a flash of sand-colored fabric or the unique three bun hairstyle he knew Rey wore. It took longer than he wanted, but eventually his eyes fell on her form. She was surrounded by three of his Stormtroopers. Keeping in constant motion, she managed to avoid each of their strikes, ending them one by one until she was standing over their still forms.
He grinned beneath his mask. His warrior goddess was rough and reckless, making him slip farther into his need for her. She had brought her A-game today. He was certain it would not be easy to overcome her, but it would be satisfying to secure his desired outcome.
In his observation, he forgot himself, his mind consumed by thoughts of her lithe form. He didn't hear the Resistance fighter sneak up behind him.
"Ben!"
It was her voice, calling out his true name above the thrall, which alerted him to the attack just in time to duck out of the way. He made quick work of his opponent. When he straighten up, he locked eyes with her. Rey's face was flushed from her prior exertion, her eyes wide.
Had she been worried for him?
The concern in her face twisted something inside him. She had been worried. She had warned him, kept him from being dispatched from the event before he had a chance to contend with her. If she only wanted to win, she could have left him to be taken down by his own ignorance. It was within her best interest. She would win and he would have honored his agreement all the same. Instead, she had granted him a chance to best her, a chance to resign herself to be at his side.
It gave him hope.
Ben nodded to her, a silent sign of acknowledgement and thanks across the field. Her expression relaxed into a smile. She pointed to the forest, gesturing toward the path that led off away from the main event, the same path she had taken two weeks prior, the same path he had followed, chasing after her. Before he could nod again, she was taking it, slipping away unnoticed by her peers.
And he realized he'd follow her wherever she led — in this world of fantasy or the real one.
Rey attempted to control her breathing. In and out. In and out. Somewhere in the back of her head, Maz's voice chanted, "The sun is warm and the grass is green. Clear your mind to behold the unseen." It was a calming mantra her guardian had repeated to her more than once when she had woken in the middle of the night from bad dreams. Rey found it did little to help her restlessness now.
Traversing further and further back into the woods, certain sounds faded while others became more apparent. The shouts and cries of the fighting started to dim into a dull roar. The stomping of big leather boots, however, became almost defeating as Ben Solo followed her, gaining ground due to his much larger stride.
She made sure to steer clear of the hilltop this time, not needing a repeat of her miscalculation from their last meeting. Pivoting around, she readied herself to face him. The stakes were high. She needed to win. She could only imagine the look on Poe and Finn's faces when she walked into the Pourhouse with Kylo Ren in tow. It would be a story for the books and would help gain her more friends within the club before she started university in the fall.
When he entered the clearing, having gone along the same trail as her, he had his sword at his side. The unspoken truce they had shared across the field earlier was no longer there. It had been her choice to alert him, her decision to face him one on one. She wanted to win this fair in square. She wanted to prove she was the best by beating the best. If she had let him take the hit and be disqualified, she would never know and the uncertainty would eat away at her. No, she needed to do this the right way and prove herself once and for all.
"Ben."
"Rey."
"Take off the mask."
He did. Discarding it without any hesitation. It dropped from his hands, rolling under a bush at the edge of the clearing.
For a moment, they stood there, staring at one another. Rey could hear her pulse. It was pounding loud and clear in her eardrums. She was convinced it was loud enough that he heard it as well. Ben didn't seem to care, if he could hear it. His eyes were locked on hers, watching intently for her attack. The way he watched her was intense, the same intensity he had exhibited last time and it made Rey more nervous than before. It promoted her to charge, before he could.
Rey broke her own rule about being the first to move. On the best days, it was foolish, on the worst, it revealed too much of your hand, allowing your opponent an opening. She went for him with her staff, angling it to smack him across his shoulder. He deflected easily with his sword. She rose her arms up, bringing the full lefty of her staff up just in time to block his advance. As he twirled his sword to come back at her, she kicked out her leg, colliding with his shin and knocking him to the ground.
As soon as she did, she realized her error. As real as this felt, they were not truly fighting. This was LARP. They were not meant to injure each other or physically assault their opponents. Rey stumbled back, aware of how deeply into the fantasy she had gone. Ben was breathing heavier now, bends over slightly to rub at his shin, but he remained silent.
Before she could open her mouth to apologize, he pounced. Rey scrambled to find her footing, startled by his abrupt recovery. The heat in his gaze triggered her nerves all over again. She continued withdrawing, half walking, half running while blocking hit after hit. He was relentless. He was well trained, much more so than she had been and it took every ounce of her power and determination to keep him from landing a strike on her.
The more ground Ben gained, the more Rey felt her limbs becoming laden with exhaustion. She blamed her poor night's rest, wishing she had been able to come to battle with more energy. Ben's sword cut through the air, aimed for her midsection. Rey crouched down and rolled away, barely missing the blade's impact. She heard Ben growl, but didn't have time to savor her minor victory before he was thrashing about near her again.
His next swing brought he sword towards her face and Rey swung in time, mirroring his attack. Their weapons clashed together, meeting each other with singular focus and strength. Across from one another, Rey watched Ben's eyes darken as he stared at her. He looked like a feral animal, ready to go in for the kill. She kept pressure against her staff, not enough for him to manipulate against her, but enough to keep his sword still. While she contemplated her next move, she heard Finn's voice call out through the park.
"Kira?"
Ben was the first to flinch, his jerk reaction, twisting the sword and dislodging both their weapons. Rey watched his sword fling a few meters away, her staff thrown in the opposite direction.
"Kira?" Finn shouted, louder this time. He was almost to the clearing.
Rey lunged for her staff, hearing the shuffle of Ben going after his sword. She took off running, deeper into the brush, away from the clearing. The clomping of his boots warned her of him following her. She expected him to come at her again. What she didn't expect was for him to get to her so soon. His sword appeared in front of her, blocking her path. She swerved, stepping back, and right into a tree.
With a grunt, she blinked against the sudden pain of her impact on the rough bark. Ben's weapon presses against her own, keeping her pinned in her position.
This was it, Rey registered. She had lost. She wasn't the best fighter in the group. The title belonged to Ben — Kylo Ren — and she would have to honor their agreement. She would have to go on a date with him.
The last part actually didn't sound so bad, though she'd never live it down with her friends. Rey considered how dark his eyes had gotten, in contrast to how gently he had held her two weeks ago. There was something there, something between them hanging in the air, unexplored but waiting.
Ben hadn't moved to finish it. He was staring at her again. The determination was gone from his eyes. There was something different in its place, different, but no less predatory. It was a hunger, she noticed much like her own, a strange intoxication that came from being so close to him, yet separate.
She wasn't sure which of them moved first, but their weapons fell away, leaving them both unguarded and panting. Rey reached for him the same instant he adjusted to hold her. The space between them disappeared. His arm was wrapping around her waist, while his free hand groped her chin, tilting her face up. He studied her, carefully, soundlessly asking permission. As soon as she nodded, he ducked his head down, pressing his full lips against hers.
The kiss seared through her, turning the heat she had felt into an all out fire. She moaned lightly against him. Sensations rippled through her, unnamed and unaltered. Rey felt herself melting into him, meeting heat in his touch, as his hands roamed her. She raised up on tip toes to reach his hair, winding her fingers in it. His locks were soft, silky under her touch and she recognized he must have some sort of top secret hair routine he followed to get such results. She'd need to interrogate him about it later. Right now, her mind was occupied on other things, like the fact she was now actively pressing against him, vying for control of their kiss.
He let out a half-growl, half-moan as she nipped on his bottom lip. His grip tightened on her and it sent a thrill through her. It was electric, this feeling, whatever it was. It felt good. It was quite possibly the best feeling she had ever experienced. She wanted to see how much better it could get. She continued to bite playfully at Ben, soothing each time over with a caress of her tongue. It was her best attempt, never having done this before, but by his response, she was sure he was enjoying it as much as she was, if not more.
The moment was perfect.
Until her brother ruined it.
"Kira!" Finn's shouting was nearing panic mood. Rey shifted to look past Ben's wide form. She couldn't see her foster brother yet, but she was sure he would be coming this way shortly.
"We should go back before my brother sends the entire Resistance after me," she told Ben, finding her voice came out more timid than she had thought possible.
"And say what exactly?" he quipped, a playful expression on his face.
"That you surrendered."
"Hardly, my little Scavenger." Ben leaned down to press another kiss at the corner of her mouth, teasing without going in for a full lip-lock. He trailed a few more light kisses along her cheek, up towards her ear. The sensation was making her feel warm all over and she was finding it difficult to breathe regularly. What was this man doing to her?
"Well then, what's our story?" she asked, grabbing onto his arms, and shoving him back so she could think clearly.
"We were fighting, when we got interrupted and realized we were outside the group's zone, so we came back to the battlefield. Unfortunately by the time we got back, the chime rung and the day was over."
Rey smiled, shaking her head. "The chime isn't due to go off for another hour or so. What are we going to do until then?"
"Oh, I can think of a few things," he mused, dipping his head down again.
"Rey!"
She jumped in Ben's hold, at the sound of her real name coming from Finn. It had to be serious if he was calling for her this way. Or at least seriously annoying. He never came after her. Then again, she didn't usually go off on her own either. When her true name sounded a second time, she sighed, pressing her forehead against Ben's chest, before she stepped to the side.
"I'll be right back," she promised Ben, before ducking out from under his hold to meet her brother.
He let her go.
She almost wished he hadn't.
Finn's face relaxed, as she stepped into the clearing. "What's going on?" she asked, approaching him.
"Poe said he saw you go off alone. What are you doing out here? The boundary is right there," he pointed to a point in the park where the LARP group had determined out of bounds.
"I got into a fight with Kylo Ren," she replied, honestly.
Her brother's eyes enlarged. "Did you kick his ass?"
"Stalemate," she admitted, seeing him looking about, as if he expected the black robe-clad man to appear out of thin air and attack them. "You can head back. I just need to find my staff."
"You lost it?" There was a hint of skepticism in Finn's voice. Rey told herself to tread lightly, not wanting to share more with her brother than she was ready to.
"It got tossed during the fight."
"Rey," he groaned, making a fist with his hand and tapping it against his forehead, as if he had warned her about this a dozen times before. He hadn't. She wasn't sure why he was in such a mood.
"I'm fine. It's fine. Don't worry," she assured him. "It went into the bushes over there. I'll find it and be back before the bell."
"I'll help you look" Finn offered, moving to follow her back the way she had come.
"And who is going to look out for Poe?"
He stalled. Game or no game, it was no secret Finn was into Poe. He would have taken hundreds of strikes if it meant Commander Dameron was left unaffected. Rey waited patiently, holding her ground. After another moment, her brother nodded and turned toward the main path.
"Back before the bell," he repeated, pointing a finger at her.
"Yep," she flashed him her most convincing grin.
With that, Finn headed back to the battlefield and Rey headed back to her own struggle. The one where she didn't know what she liked more — the fact that Ben Solo had kissed her or the fact she had kissed him back.
When Rey returned, Ben felt relieved. After her darting off, he had been worried she'd rethink what had happened between them. Her need to meet up with her friend had annoyed him, until she had informed him that the dark-skinned man was her brother. Then his jealousy had faded. His mind was still reeling trying to make sense of it. He had had her. It would have been the easiest thing to simply jab her and then it would be over. She'd had to go to dinner with him and he'd be able to continue pushing her into corners until she agreed to join the First Order with him.
But he hadn't.
He had kissed her. And she had kissed him back. He wasn't sure if his mind would ever be able to unravel that cosmic mystery. He had hoped for it, of course, had even spent time dreaming up how it would happen, though the actual event was much more satisfying than what he had pictured in his mind. She was so responsive, so eager. He could scarcely believe how compatible they were. The moment he had gone for her, he was met with her own reach for him. The connection was indescribable.
Now that he had had a taste of her, he was certain he'd never let her go.
The talk she had had with her brother must have taken more time than he realized, because before he could sample her lips again, the bell chimed, announcing the end of the event. Ben turned to Rey and cleared his throat, "Remember our story?" She nodded. "Any questions?"
"Just one," she smirked. He shot her a look that said I'm-going-to-regret-this-aren't-I? before she laughed. "Who won?"
"Me."
Rey scoffed. Ben wrapped an arm around her and pulled her so that their hips mashed together, or more accurately his upper thigh and her hip. "Ok," she drawled, sarcastically. "But I disagree."
"I assume you believe you won?"
"Well, you did need my help to even get this far," she pointed out. He chuckled, angling her in a way so he was able to deposit a kiss on the top of her head.
"I'm never hearing the end of that, am I?"
"Nope," she replied, happily.
"Then I propose a tie."
Rey pretended to think it over, stroking her chin melodramatically. "Hmmm, ok. Tie it is!"
"You still have to have dinner with me."
"Alright," Rey agreed. "But dinner's on you and we are going now," she told him, pulling herself out of his hold, to stand in front of him. "...to the Pourhouse with the Resistance crew." She took off like a shot as soon as the words left her mouth. Ben ran after her, chasing her through the park towards the entrance, her laughter ringing in his ears.
Fantasy be damned.
This life was about to become his new favorite reality.