Finn scoffed before looking at Rey.

"Is he usually this observant?"

Rey only flopped down into the dirt after rolling her eyes, happy that they had made it back to the temple.

"I hate those things,"

"I think we all do,"

BB-8 gave a resounding chirp of agreement.

Finn moved back towards the speeder, retrieving his pack and digging out the communicator Rose had sent with him. He fussed with it while Ben moved towards the old campsite they'd kept here a few days ago. Rey stood up after a few moments and helped him set up camp. It started shortly thereafter, the awful throat singing - the towns people calling out with more than one voice. It sent a shiver down Rey's spine, still as horrid as it had been the first time she'd heard it. It was a sound she hadn't missed.

She pulled her blanket out of her pack and wrapped it around her, feeling like it might protect her from the noise. All she could do was drape it over her head like some sort of hood. Finn had spent a good half an hour talking to Rose and updating her on the goings on, but once he was finished, he came back to find the fire had been started. Ben had taken dried meat-jerky from his bag and handed it over to Rey, and he offered up a bag of it to Finn when the man came back. The stormtrooper grabbed it from him, before sitting next to Rey with a very resolute look on his face.

They all chewed in silence, and Rey occasionally glanced between the two of them, hoping that the tension would just fade, but it continued on, both of them stubborn enough to keep up with it. She took another bite from the dried meat, chewing idly before taking a drink of water from her canteen. She scooted closer to the fire, trying to think of something other than the horrid noises that were following them around like ghosts. Rey caught Ben looking at her, but she knew it was unlikely that they would be doing any cuddling with Finn around. He was already angry enough - Rey felt like she didn't need to poke the bear.

"I'll take first watch," Finn offered, after chewing all of his dinner. He seemed uninterested in keeping the silence with them, and he stood up and brushed off his pants before disappearing out into the night. He kept to the temple, but Rey was sure that he could see those glowing eyes surrounding the place.

Rey watched the fire dim a bit, declining the urge to poke it with a stick. Eventually, Ben got up and picked up a log he'd found somewhere and tossed it into the fire. It smelled strange, but eventually Rey got used to it. She watched it catch flame eventually, and found she had no desire to sleep. She could see Finn's back as he patrolled the temple, though she hoped that even though they had discovered how fast these creatures were - they wouldn't venture beyond the confines of the temple. He would take up patrolling, and Rey would watch him as he passed through, but eventually she had to look at Ben.

He was looking back at her, his eyes sad and searching. He glanced away, tossing the remnants of his jerky into the fire. Rey smelled it as it smoked, scooting back just a bit to avoid it. It was strange how they vacillated between uncomfortable and comfortable. Finally, Ben stood up and moved around the camp fire. He was looming again, though somewhere during the day he'd shed his cape and his jacket, leaving him decked in a short sleeved, black shirt. She could see that silver glinting around his neck, but it was quickly hidden beneath the scoop neck of the shirt.

He sat next to her, so close that she could see the silvery outline of scars that slid along the meat of his arms. She reached out, unaware of what she was doing, and let her fingers trace the scar. He didn't seem surprised, but he turned to watch her hand as it drew along his skin. He was warm, causing a tingle to fizzle up beneath her fingertips, which were ice cold.

"Is it bad?" She pointed to his middle.

"No,"

She wondered, idly, how many times he'd been injured before. She could hear pieces of his thoughts; a memory, a scar to remember what he'd done. It split your spirit to the bone. Snoke echoed fervently there, even if he was dead.

"You're not a good liar,"

"I am good liar," He said, quickly in reply. "But not to you,"

"I don't think so," She admitted. He wore everything he felt on his face. It was no wonder he had formed an attachment to a mask.

"I should keep Finn company," It was as if he had heard an echo of her own thoughts, and it was conversation he didn't want to continue having.

"Wake me up when it's my turn,"


Rey slept fitfully, and then not at all. She woke up during the dark hours of the oncoming morning, finding that Finn had taken a place near the fire and was curled up in his blanket. He was smart, he had brought some foamy bits to stuff into his ears. She smirked at him, lifting the blanket to cover his exposed shoulders. He slept tightly against himself, and his face was sort of twisted up like he was having a bad dream. Maybe this whole thing was a bad dream, to him.

Rey wasn't exactly surprised to find that Ben wasn't there, but she found herself drawn to the perimeter to look for him. She followed the trek of the parole they had set up, and became a bit concerned when she couldn't find him. What was this? Concern for Kylo Ren? She began to follow her instinct, though she was sure it would fail her considering where they were. There were whispers of him, here and there, or was it just her concern that lead her? It was hard to say, considering she felt that same smothering of the force now as she did then.

However, she was sure she could feel him, pushing at the edges of her consciousness.

When she finally spotted him, he was standing still against the backdrop of a strangled, vine infested planet. She could hear the beast moving, knocking plants and trees down in it's wake. It was a familiar sensation, causing Ben to reach out and stop her with his arm before she moved any further. She felt the strength in him, the pure desire to keep her from going any further. Did this mean that they were still able to sense the force, through each other?

She felt it flare up as he touched her, felt the beat of his heart and the life that was still living on this planet. She felt each thrum of the destruction that the beast caused. Ben must have not been expecting it, because he pushed back as if he'd been shocked. They were unable to keep staring at one another, as the burst of energy seemed to outright alert the creature that had once been destroying and grazing.

"Run," He murmured, firmly, and they both turned, attempting to sense the beast behind them as it began slumping after them.

It was then that Rey got a glimpse of it, as harried and fearful as it was. It was huge, and it was so many shapes that Rey had a hard time taking it all in, considering they were currently running away from it. She could tell then that whatever the vines were that were strangling the planet, this creature had something to do with it. It looked almost like a jumble of vines itself, and Rey could make no heads or tails of it. Ben had longer legs than she, but she managed to keep up with him in any case, though she could see his jaw tensing before she saw him reach out and grab her hand, pulling her along much like Finn had once done. They didn't have time to argue, and once they were both back inside the barrier of the temple, they held their breaths in the dark, hoping that whatever it was would not follow them here.

They stood there with their backs pressed against the wall as they heard the thing groan outside, knocking over more detritus in it's wake. They both held their breaths, their hands grasped tightly together as they tried to wait the tense moment out. Eventually, after what seemed like a very long time, they heard the creature lose interest and move off into the distance. Rey hadn't realized it, but the throat singing had stopped - only to start again once the thing wandered off to wreck more of the planet. Rey was the first to release his hand. She let hers drop to her side before she turned to get a better look at what was going on beyond.

Rey initially thought that the sudden shock of the force had something to do with the creature, but when she was looking out across the dark night, covered with a slate gray sky and dotted with what seemed to be a thousand glowing eyes, she felt Ben touch her. He brushed a curl of her hair from the nape of her neck, and it sent another strange shock down her spine, allowing her to sense more than she had before. She could tell the result was much the same for Ben, as he drew his fingers away again as if shocked.

This time, it was less abrupt.

He swallowed visibly, and she watched as his lips pursed together just a bit. She found herself feeling his reticence, heard an echo of his thoughts. She reached out with both hands, resting each on either side of his neck, one thumb placed idly on the dip of his jaw (which was currently tensed). Rey's thoughts were totally blank. There was only the peace of the void beyond, and the complete sense of the man standing in front of her. She had almost touched it before, but now it seemed there would be no one to interrupt them. Finn felt miles off, on the other end of the atrium.

They appeared to be trying to steady themselves with each other - or at least that was what Rey told herself.

Ben's fingertips grasped her clothing, pulling it taut against her body. The sensation felt completely foreign, and it caused her to gasp. She felt the uncanny warmth of his hands bleeding through the layers of her clothing, which caused the blood to rush directly to her face. His mouth found hers in a heated connection, and he kissed her until they were both breathless, causing him to pull back just to take a breath of air before he kissed her again. She might have felt suffocated, but she felt the alluring pull of him against her - and for once her mind wasn't pushing her to stop. (Stop this. Stop this madness.)

There was a rush, and there was no time to undress completely.

It happened quickly, a shedding of what was necessary. They both seemed to move without thought, Ben nearly tearing away her clothing and Rey nearly returning the favor. Their lips never seemed to disconnect, until she found his mouth on her neck, trailing the column of fair skin before he pressed his lips into the dip where her collarbones met. She felt it everywhere, the subtle heat of his mouth sending a flash of fervor through her body. She released a strangled moan, clamping her mouth shut in an attempt to keep herself silent.

When the calloused pad of his fingertips brushed the bud of her nipple, she released another such noise, which Ben silenced with an all consuming kiss. She felt bruised, exposed, and vulnerable. When she felt him enter her, she released one ragged moan into the kiss, glad to find it was swallowed up by his mouth. She felt so loud, unable to gauge how silent they were being. He gave a groan to match hers, which melted into her, and they began moving together - drawn forward by some sort of furious intent.

"Ben," She muttered his name, breathless, using her hands to try and grasp the earth and stone that was underneath her, trying to keep herself from free falling into whatever it was they were doing. He didn't respond, but continued his onslaught, moving inside of her with such a ferocity that she found herself wrapping her legs around him in an attempt to give him more leverage.

It was over relatively rapidly, the sudden outpouring and intensity of it condemning them both to a brief interlude. There was a building of pressure, and then Rey's vision went white, washing away the entire galaxy with it. They were both robbed of their voices, Rey so much so that she could hardly breathe and air was caught in her throat. She tried, she tried to keep the noise from escaping her, but she couldn't help the last pretty moan that drew itself out of her throat. When the overwhelming sensation came to an end, and her vision returned, her chest heaved up and down as she attempted to regain her breath. She was intensely aware of Ben; his heavy breathing, the weight of him, and the chill of the soil beneath her.

She felt oversensitive to everything, the feel of the clothing against her skin, the brush of his breath tickling her neck as he sought refuge against her. She reached up, pushing her fingertips through his dark hair. It was a tangle of curls, and it looked like a shimmering bird feather in the moonlight. In his own way, he was beautiful. Her thumb-tip traced the scar she'd given him, feeling out the ridges of flesh before his eyes were drawn up. There, in the light, they certainly resembled amber. Her hand wandered across his features.

An understanding seemed to pass between them - they could have stayed there, but both of them realized the importance of being back before Finn woke up. He was the first to stand, righting himself and his clothing. He got a good long look at her in the moonlight before she stood, readjusting her own clothing. They watched each other curiously while they composed themselves, but for the time being, the connection to the force flowed through them both without any interruption. She could tell he was relieved, and she felt as if they might have a chance to get off of this planet.

How strange, that it would require reliance on one another. Would they both blame Snoke in the morning, when they were full of regrets?

Until then, Ben took her hand, and they meandered very slowly back towards camp - a secret held between both of their bodies.


The morning held very little excitement. They kept mum about their wandering away from the campfire, unsure of how to tell Finn what they had seen. Finn seemed to sense that something was going on, and spent a good twenty minutes looking between both Rey and Ben while munching noisily on his breakfast. BB-8 also seemed to pick up on something, though he could only give a defeated trill of annoyance when it became clear that they might not figure out what it was that day.

Finn had found some fuel for the old cargo speeder they had managed to rescue the day before. Rey had the sunburn to prove it, though she felt strangely at odds with herself as well. Something had changed. They all gathered up BB-8 and all of their equipment, hoping not to have to spend another night above ground if possible. They worked together in silence, mostly, trying to exchange lame pleasantries and make their way to where Poe had said the Falcon would be without any incident.

They found the bog, but the situation was more dire than any of them had known. The ship had sunk completely into the swampy area, and only a small part of it was above mud. The three of them hopped out of the speeder, moving towards the bog, which seemed to be stealthily swallowing up the ship the more that they stood there watching it.

Finn was the first to speak.

"Who wants to go for a swim?"

"I doubt we will be able to get into it with all of the mud," Ben said, somewhat abruptly.

"Oh yeah? You got a better idea, fly boy?" Finn said, reaching down to grab a handful of stones and toss them into the mud, hearing a few of them thunk off of the exposed bit of the ship.

"I think Rey and I can pull it out of there,"

"What about all of that 'we can't feel the force' poodoo?" Finn asked, glancing at Rey.

"I think we might have found...a workaround," Rey fought the urge to choke on her own words.

"Oh great, a workaround. How convenient. Well, go on then,"

Rey and Ben took hands. It might have not been necessary, but it connected them both to the power they had so been desperately missing almost immediately. They both closed their eyes, hands gripped loosely before they began to focus on the task at hand. At first, it seemed as if it wasn't working, and Finn gave a scoff to indicate his disapproval. Still, they both continued to focus, feeling the waves of energy floating out around them - pulling from them to try and rattle the Falcon lose from the mud.

There was a rumbling, as they pulled the ship from the mud. Inertia fought them the entire way, but when they gripped each other's hands, it seemed to give them a surge of power that shook the Falcon halfway from it's watery grave. Rey had a small doubt, hoping that what they were doing here would not wake anything up. They fought, both of them breaking out a sweat, holding onto each other in much the same way that they had the night prior.

Finn started getting excited the more that they drew the ship upwards, until it was as if one great, invisible hand had plucked it up and dropped it aside. Finn gave a whoop of celebration, but the celebration was short lived when they realized how clogged up with swamp muck the ship had gotten. It took a good two hours until they could enter it, and even after they had dug the mud out strange slugs clung to the hulls of the ship and occasionally flung themselves in the direction of the nearest person.

"Han would be so pissed," Finn said, though there was an awkward silence that reigned after both he and Rey shot Ben a look. He acted nonplussed, and they began the process of trying to fix the ship so that they could get a signal out to the alliance.

Rey found no sense that her lightsaber was still there, even as she reached out and tried to find it. Neither she nor Ben seemed to have any idea where it had ended up. Perhaps it was still in the swamp, but stranger still was how it had even gotten off of the ship. Had she mistakenly taken it with her in her zombie state? Had she left it somewhere?

Finn took his muck covered pack from his shoulder and dug out the communicator, tinkering with it and moving around the small hull until he got a response. When Rose finally broke in, though very weakly (likely because of the distance), she tried to talk and troubleshoot Finn through fixing the ship just enough to get a signal out. He explained that he wasn't sure how likely it was that they'd fix the Falcon. In her distraction trying to help Finn explain, she hadn't realized that Ben had wandered off. She followed him, or rather the sense of him, down the hallways where his father had once been not so long ago.

He seemed afraid to touch anything. She expected to feel that anger rise up in her, but when she began reaching for it all that remained was sadness. What Snoke had said was true - it had split him, right down the middle. It was too late to take back what he had done, and she felt a tear rolling down her cheek as she watched him. Still, she sensed that it was likely better to let him alone for the time being - and returned to help Finn try and figure the signal out.

They must have lost track of the time, because once they saw the sky again, they realized it was getting dark. They had managed to send off a signal, but really, none of them knew if it had worked. It was obvious they were all exhausted, and Finn thought they might make it back to the underground before it got dark. Rey began to see the strange people coming out from somewhere while they were zooming through the streets. She expected that they would be chased, but instead, the strange people just stood and stared, before returning to their obvious activity of chewing on the vines. She wondered if they would go back to normal once the beast was dead...but she found she thought that was not likely.

She wondered if any others survived, and had taken to going underground like the other creatures. They were a silent group on the way back, though Rey found she was thankful for the speeder. She felt as if she couldn't stand another night sleeping in that temple with these two silent men who very clearly had nothing positive to say to one another. Not that she blamed Finn, and Ben, well Ben seemed to keep his mouth shut just to avoid saying anything at all because of her. They were all trying to survive this, and Rey felt a sort of sadness clench up in the middle of her chest when she realized what they would all return to. The fight - and this strange few weeks on this planet would seem like a dream.


The slug back to the main area was slow, and tiring. They got lost once, but eventually they found the small "town" that had been carved into the cave. Finn and Rose gave each other an awkward hug, considering they were all covered in muck before disappearing, likely to go wash off and change. Poe was nowhere to be found, but Rey thought it was likely he was trying to find out more information about the creature above. She would corner him later and ask what he had found out.

Ben turned to look at her, and a beat of something passed between them, causing Rose to pause and give them both an extra long look. Rey finally said: "What?" Though Rose only shook her head and went back to working on making food for herself. It was likely she could feel the tension rolling off of all of them, though none of them said anything before going their different ways.

Rey felt like she needed to be alone for just a moment, and she dropped her belongings in her small room before heading towards the pools where she could bathe in silence. She found the hot water to be extremely pleasant, unaware of how bruised she was from the expedition. Her arms were sore, as if she'd been carrying tension in her neck. She tried to force herself to relax, sinking deep into the water and closing her eyes.

It was of no use, every time she closed her eyes she was haunted with his image, and the feel of his hands ghosting along her. It was like she'd been infected with some sort of virus, and the symptom was to never have a clear head again. She found herself wishing he was there, just so that she could touch him and feel the quiet of the void again.

She sat up with a start, shaking her head and opening her eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to balance herself. It came after she began to focus on the small sound of the water moving around her. Some part of him was always there, though - pushing around the edges of her consciousness.

She was becoming sure that no matter how far they got from one another, they might not ever be able to break this bond.


(sorry this chapter is so short, it seemed like a good place to end it. also, this fic is now mature hooeheheuhu sorry, cover your eyes if you shouldn't be reading! i'm super unsure about this chapter, so any feedback would be appreciated. also, if you're curious, this is the song i listed to while i wrote it: watch?v=fA8paY4oKoI ENJOY!)