Rey has been kissed before, of course she had but this felt….different. The moment their lips touched something inside of her sparked and she felt as if a part of her that had been missing had finally fell into place. There was no awkwardness as Ben pushed her up against the wall and his hand gripped her hip while another cupped her cheek. She felt dizzy and heady with desire. She followed his lead when he flicked his tongue into her mouth wanting to taste him just as much as he wanted to taste her. She scrunched handsful of his soft hair within her small fists and let out a wistful moan.

When Ben pulled away he looked down at her with dark wanting eyes. Rey let out a shaky breath.

'What was that?' She asked.

'I don't know.' He replied.

Rey put a hand on his face and traced the faint scar that resided there with her thumb, running down from his forehead to his cheek, halted slightly in its tracks by one of his beautiful eyes. She had barely noticed it before, his eyes had held her so captivated. Now she wondered how he had got it.

Ben batted her hand away and turned from her. She had broken the spell and she mentally kicked herself for it.

'Ben…'

'Why don't you want to go to prom with Poe?' He asked.

Rey felt stung, surely he knew why? He had kissed her after all.

'I told you. I….I just think of him as a friend.'

'Why would you chose me over him?' He asked gesturing to himself.

Rey felt anger boil in her stomach, 'Isn't that for me to decide?' She asked taking a step towards him and forcing him to look down at her, she watched as he swallowed awkwardly.

'Girls don't like me.' He said.

'This one does.' She said gently.

Ben opened his mouth to speak then looked as if he had thought better of it.

'You better get back.' He said looking away from her.

'I suddenly find myself feeling rather ill.' Rey said refusing to take her eyes off him. She let out a fake cough. 'I think I'll go home instead. Paige kindly gave me a spare key as she has errands to run all day.'

Ben's eyes flew back to hers sharply and she held his gaze.

'Well? Aren't you going to walk me home?'

**********
Once they reached the house Ben's heart went into overdrive.

What was she expecting from him? Ben had been in fights with boys twice his size but this little girl with her expectant glances scared him more than all of them.

She popped the key into the lock and ushered him inside. The Tico residence was nice and homely, the furniture was somewhat old fashioned but there was some seriously impressive tech on view from the lighting system to the surround sound cinema.

Rey took his hand and led him into the lounge. She plonked herself down on the sofa and pulled him down towards her. She laughed when she looked at his face,

'Would you please stop looking at me like I'm going to bite you!'

'I just, ahhhh….I don't talk to girls very often and I never spend time alone with them.'

'Yeah well, there's a first time for everything.' She said with a wink.

She placed her hand on Ben's leg,

'How did you get that scar?' She asked gently.

Ben's hand immediately went to his face,

'There was this bar that my dad frequented, I went down there one night about a year ago, I was just curious. A couple of guys were beating on him. They said he owed them money for a deal gone bad. I jumped in, but one of them had a knife. I was lucky, the cut wasn't too deep, the real damage was between me and my dad. We still haven't really talked about what happened. Not really.'

'That's awful.' Rey said squeezing his thigh.

'Yeah well, it is what it is.' Ben said with a shrug, looking down at the floor.

Rey placed her hand on his cheek and gently angled his face towards hers. She placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

As she pulled away Ben leaned towards her and captured her lips with his own, unlike her soft, gently effort, his kiss was demanding and urgent. He leaned further towards her, pushing Rey down onto the sofa. She put her hands on the sides of his face and as he ran a hand up her thigh and cupped her ass. Rey gasped at the sensation of him warm large palm exploring her backside. She felt her body respond and felt a familiar wetness form between her legs.

She moaned a little as his hand moved under her blouse and skimmed the edge of her simple white bra. Her skin tingled under his touch.

With their lips and tongues locked together and his large hands roaming her body, Rey felt her temperature rise one hundred degrees. She was practically panting when he trailed his lips down her neck….

Then the front door flew open and Paige appeared with an arm full of shopping bags. Quick as a flash, Ben was upright again and sitting casually as if nothing had happened. Rey was a little slower on the uptake and had to push herself up onto her elbows first in order to regain a sitting position.

Paige looked at both of them and then at her watch.

'School isn't out for another hour.' She announced.

'Ahh yes I felt sick. Ben was kind enough to bring me home.'

Paige looked unconvinced.

'Yes well, I'm home now so I can look after you.' She said glaring at Ben before trodding off to the kitchen to place her shopping away.

Rey blushed as they walked to the door. If Paige hadn't walked in what would have happened?!

'Will I see you tomorrow?' She asked shyly.

Ben leaned down and placed a hand on her hip as he kissed her cheek.

'I'll walk to school with you.' He said.

Rey smiled at him.

'Okay. See you tomorrow.' She said.

'Tomorrow.' Ben said with a half smile.

Rey watched him leave through the window.

'You're going to be trouble aren't you?' Paige said her voice tinged with amusement.

Rey turned around and tried to feign innocence.

'I don't know what you mean, I really was sick.'

Paige snorted, 'Yeah right, and I assume that boy was giving you a physical on the sofa right before I appeared?'

Rey presses her lips together to keep from laughing. Mmm….the thought of playing doctor with Ben was quite tempting though….she filed the image away for later.

**********
Two weeks and many make up sessions later…..

Ben was whistling when he arrived home.

'You're cheerful tonight, kid.' Han observed from his seat at the kitchen table as he finished off a beer.

'Yeah.'

'You seen that girl again?'

'Yeah.'

Han nodded his head in approval.

'So when do we get to meet this mystery lady?'

Ben stopped in his tracks.

'What?'

'Well aren't you going to bring her round for dinner one night? I know your mother would love to get to know her.'

'Dad, I've only know her for two weeks.'

Han frowned, 'She's real right? The girl? You didn't make her up?'

'Dad! Yes, she's real!' Ben shouted.

'Well then what's the problem?'

'One dinner with you and Mom and she will probably decide she wants nothing more to do with me.' Ben grumbled.

'Well If she scares off that easily she isn't right for you anyways.'

'What's going on?' Leia asked as she entered the room.

'Ben is refusing to bring his new girlfriend round to meet us.'

'Oh! Please bring her home Ben! I would love to meet her.'

He should have corrected them. He should have said that she wasn't his girlfriend, but he liked the sound of it too much to refute it.

'I'll think about it.' He said with a smirk and he couldn't help it, it felt nice to see both of his parents smile at him warmly, maybe also with a little bit of pride?

'Find out what her favourite food is.' Leia asked excitedly.

Han snorted, 'Don't you remember being a teenager, darling? I doubt they come up for air often enough to say two words to each other!'

Leia battered his arm, 'Han!'

'What?' Han asked honestly perplexed at why his wife was hitting him.

Ben rolled his eyes and walked past them to his room. He could correct them about the girlfriend thing later. Maybe.

**********
The next day at school…..

'Just think about it mmm?' Poe asked leaning up against the locker next to hers and treating her to one of his dazzling smiles.

'I told you, I don't want to go to prom. It's just a silly tradition.' Rey replied.

'Well I think you just don't want to go with me, you've been spending a lot of time with Ben Solo recently….'

'We're just friends!' She said quickly. The truth was they were a little more than that. Every chance they could get they were locking lips, but he hadn't asked her to be his girlfriend so maybe that's all it was? Just a physical connection? It wasn't that she minded but she was hopeful that he wanted more….

Poe interrupted her train of thought,

'All I'm saying is why not go with me? Ben isn't going and you don't want to miss out on this American right of passage!'

Rey smiled, despite everything, she really did like Poe and she would have agreed to go with him if they could have kept it a friendly affair but she knew that Poe would want more and if he made a move on her she didn't know what Ben…

Speak of the devil….Ben appeared and slid up next to her,

'Hey.' He said from his position behind her and she suppressed the shiver that quivered down her spine.

'Hey.' she replied angling her neck back to smile at him. She held her position for just a second too long, if he had wanted to he could have lent down and kissed her…...No such luck. She sighed and returned her eyes to Poe's.

They had made out so many times at Rose's house, but he never made a move on her in public. Was he ashamed of her? So why keep making out with her? For practice? Maybe waiting for a better offer to come along. She pouted at the thought.

'Hi Ben.' Poe said warmly. Rey was happy the two friends were getting along although she suspected it was because they both had secret agendas involving her which they weren't sharing with each other. Oh well, at least she wasn't breaking up a fist fight in the middle of the corridor.

'I was just asking Rey about prom.'

Ben's smile dropped.

'And I was just telling him that I don't plan on going.' Rey said with a shrug as she placed some folders in her locker.

'I think you should go.' Ben said.

'What?' Poe and Rey said in unison.

'I think you should go. Poe is right. You don't want to miss out on this, you're here to experience life as a typical American teen.'

Rey's heart sped up….was he going to ask her?

'Why don't you all go in a group?' Ben suggested.

Rey's heart sank but Poe's soared.

'Yes! That's a great idea! Finn and Rose and you and me and Hux and Phaz and however else wants to tag along!'

Rey looked at Ben. His face was unreadable. Did he really want her to go? Was this his way of telling her he wasn't really interested in her?

'Erm, I'll think about it.' She replied as Poe started to excitedly make plans.

Ben gave her a half smile as he walked away. Guess that was her answer then, she thought miserably.

She started to walk home alone that evening but Ben appeared by her side after a few blocks.

'Hey.' He said.

'Hey.' She replied frostily. She was still feeling somewhat put out by the earlier prom conversation.

'There's something I want to ask you.' Ben said.

Rey felt a surge of hope. He was going to ask her! He just wanted to wait until they were alone! She forgive him everything in an instant and looked at him expectantly.

'Ahhh, would you come to my house for dinner tomorrow night?'

Rey blinked in surprise, then felt disappointment creep into her consciousness. But this was good though right? He was asking her to come to dinner at his house...that means….

'Are your parents going to be there?' She asked trying to act casual.

'Yes, they want to meet you. I hope that's not a deal breaker.' He replied nervously.

Rey's heart flipped. Meeting the parents was a big deal right?

'No, in fact I would love to meet them.' She said with an easy smile.

Ben let out a breath and smiled back.

'Okay, Leia wanted me to ask what your favourite food is?'

'All food.' Rey replied and Ben laughed until he saw the serious expression on Rey's face.

'Okay, good to know.' He said.

They walked in silence for a few streets until Rey couldn't hold in the burning question any longer.

'Why won't you go to prom?'

Ben let out a long sigh, 'Because it's stupid and everyone will stare at me and I will probably end up punching someone and getting expelled.'

'Oh, Okay.' Rey looked down.

'You should go, just don't go with Poe alone.'

'Why don't you want me to go with Poe?'

'You know why.' Was his only answer.

'I think I know why but I would rather you said it.'

'We're here.' Ben announces gesturing towards the Tico residence.

Rey huffed out a breath.

'To be continued.' She said pointedly before heading to the door.

**********
School the following day was a blur. Rey spent all day waiting for the final bell to ring and sneaking looks at Ben every chance she got.

Her heart was beating so distractingly fast as they arrived at Ben's house that evening she jumped in shock as a older version of the boy at her side peeped out at her from the open garage door with a lopsided grin.

'So, this is the girlfriend huh?' He asked fixing his warm eyes on Rey as he rubbed his hands on a rag.

Rey's eyes widened. Girlfriend?! What?! She looked at Ben.

Ben tried to change the subject, 'Dad why don't you show Rey your….'

But Han wouldn't let it lie.

'You are the girlfriend I've heard so much about aren't you?' He said coming right up to Rey.

Rey's mouth went dry, 'What?'

Han frowned, 'You're Ben's girlfriend aren't you? He told me you two were going steady or whatever you kids call it these days.'

'Erm…' Rey looked to Ben for help but his eyes were firmly glued to the floor, his face from his neck to her hairline was bright red so she suspected he had been economical with the truth in relation to their 'relationship.' Even his ears were bright red.

It was….adorable.

Okay, guess I'm going along with this then. She thought to herself.

Last thing she wanted was for Ben to lose face in front of his dad. Not after everything he had told her about him, plus a little voice in her head told her it would be an excellent way to get Poe off her back. She ignored the way her heart beat joyfully at the idea of truly belonging to Ben Solo, that obviously wasn't what this was, but it could be fun to pretend….

'Oh yes. Sorry. I didn't hear you! Yes we're together or 'going steady' as you put it.' She said with a smile and reached up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Ben's hot cheek.

Ben put his hand to the spot where her lips had just been and looked down at her with astonishment.

Rey beamed back and tried to signal with her eyes that he should play it cool.

Han smiled at them both, 'Excellent, and you're staying for dinner? Leia will be dying to meet you.'

'Absolutely.' Rey said threading her fingers through Bens and squeezing in an effort to get him to wake up. He still said nothing but he did squeeze her fingers back which made her shiver a little.

'Great! I'll go tell Leia there will be one more.'

He walked away and Rey turned to face Ben who looked decidedly sheepish.

'Okay Mister, no more stunned silence. Explain.'