All of you who left a comment last chapter are the best! You are the true backbone to this story!

lucel18: Being blunt when it comes to medical stuff is the best way to go in the long run. I was afraid by how people would react to Harter being so forward, but I'm glad you understand. Nothing bad will happen to Ben because he was late on a couple doses of his meds. He's just paranoid. Rey finding out about his heart condition won't be for a few chapters. Obviously, they are going to be having sex at some point and that scar down his chest is pretty noticeable. So what is he going to say to her? Will he tell her the truth, or only parts of it? We shall see! Feathers: Rey has just viewed BB as sort of this thing she had to take care of now that Poe was gone. Like, she did it because the dog was her brother's. But she's realizing that the dog is, in fact, now hers. And that she has the opportunity to actually bond with him. We'll see little snippets of her trying to do this throughout the story. ldsrsc: Thanks! My beta is a major help. Thanks SheLitAFire! Aleta Wolff: Ben is so cute and innocent in this story! And Rey just wants to mount him. lol. I switched the male/female stereotype that men are the more sexual of the sexes, and instead, made Rey the one who is the more horny one. Women can be more sexual than men. It annoys me that many believe that only men want sex. Anyway, trying to cut down one stereotype after the next! But I think you're all here for that. lol. lexmckkni: Well... one of your wishes comes true in this chapter. ;) Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Nine: Consequences

Across from St. Mary's hospital was a carefully constructed grid of doctor offices, the buildings having been renovated a decade ago with a modern cream stucco exterior and an expanded parking lot. Large trees and round bushes lined the outside, the faint scent of blossoms hovering in the warm summer air.

Ben was currently in the Heart Pavilion – an unofficial name the patients called the Cardiac Center – shirtless and sitting on the exam table in a private room. The thin protective paper crinkled under his rear as he adjusted his posture. Breathing in deep, the smell of antiseptic and latex tickled his nose, the combination no longer causing him anxiety. Hadn't since he was sixteen.

Hospitals, doctor's offices, medications, IV's, shots – all those things were like an extended family to him. And all those things had saved his life.

"I think it's hard for her, ya know?" Ben said, watching Dr. Kalonia as she sat on the small stool. She was typing something into the tablet, facing away from him as she leaned closer to the counter. "To let go some of the control and let me live my life. She likes to meddle a lot."

"Leia's probably just worried," Dr. Kalonia commented as she tap, tap, tapped away.

"Yeah…" Ben glimpsed at the wall. On it hung two otoscopes, a standard blood pressure cuff, and a forehead thermometer. "It's just too much at times."

"Mmm-hmm. How's exercising going for you? Any chest pain or shortness of breath?"

"No, none at all."

Dr. Kalonia glanced his way, giving his exposed torso a clinical up-down. "You've been packing on quite a bit of muscle. I want you to be aware of your body and if it's telling you to slow down."

"I am, I swear. It's all been slow progress, nothing too crazy." Just that marathon last month. But Dr. Kalonia had okayed it after putting him through a strenuous and observed stress test. "I, uh… did have a question though."

"Ask away."

Ben found it difficult to look at her. "So… say that sex was a possibility–"

"Your heart is more than healthy enough to have sex," she said so nonchalantly, like they were having a discussion about the weather. "Just remember to be mindful–"

"Of chest pain and dizzy spells," Ben finished for her, trying to hide his mortification.

"Exactly. Wouldn't want anything serious to happen during the act."

Oh, god. His imagination started running wild from her last statement, visions of him passing out or dying in the middle of sex, just croaking out on top of Rey. Chances were now high he was going to have nightmares about it.

The door opened, a nurse walking in. Dr. Kalonia went back to the tablet, typing at a fast rhythm.

"Good morning, Ben," the nurse greeted with a tired smile.

"Hey, Nicole."

She grabbed for the thermometer, and Ben pushed back his hair so she could get a good clean swipe across his forehead. The device beeped. "98.6," Nicole said to the doctor.

"Mmm-hmm," Kalonia acknowledged. Tap, tap, tap.

Next was the blood pressure cuff. Ben stretched out his arm, these appointments second nature to him by now.

Dr. Kalonia sighed and swiveled around in the padded stool, actually making eye contact. "Well, everything's looking very good. You're doing great. How're you feeling overall?"

Nicole had a rough time trying to get the cuff fully around his upper arm. She gave up and went in search of a lengthier one in the cabinets. She must have forgotten that they had ran into the same problem the previous two months.

"Good." Ben paused, losing some of the enthusiasm. "Happy." Then like a deflated balloon, the gusto was sucked right out of him. "I mean, of course I'm happy…."

Things were going great with Rey. Everything had been resolved with the Primate House on Tuesday during the meeting with Kay, Ben agreeing to give Rey the fifty feet after seeing that the Lion House wouldn't be affected. They ate lunch and spent their breaks together during the day, took turns hanging out at each other's places in the evening for dinner, talking or just watching a show. Rey trusted him, he could tell by the way she looked at him as he listened to her speak.

Ben was definitely the more open and sensitive of the two. Because of that, it had been easy to put Rey in his heart and soul, despite the secrets he kept there. He wanted to be confident with her, to just tell her the truth about the transplant, but then old insecurities came back for another jibe…. What he hid from her wasn't going to just magically disappear. It wasn't like a summer cold that passed quickly, or a piece of dirt that could be swept under the rug.

What was going to happen if they got physical? He had a huge scar down the middle of his chest. Anyone with half a brain cell would know it wasn't there because of cosmetic reasons.

The whole hand-holding business had certainly excited Ben when it had happened, but since then, he'd been too nervous to do anything more. He hadn't touched her since Monday – had it really only been four days since that happened? – and Rey hadn't tried anything either.

They were at this weird, physical standstill.

"Good." Kalonia took out a white pad, writing something down.

Ben shrugged. "What else am I going to be?"

Lonely. Guilt ridden. All the synonyms that encompassed depressed.

While Ben was certainly happy during the hours he spent with Rey, they always eventually ended. And what did he think about? If it weren't for someone dying, he wouldn't be having those moments with her. Did the donor's family miss spending time with their deceased loved one?

No matter what he did, Ben's mind always came back to the same questions, an endless cycle that was slowly eating away at him. It was weird – he'd never been so happy in his life than when he was with Rey. But when alone, the self-deprecation he thought he had under control would come back with a vengeance.

"Well, we all have our days." Dr. Kalonia ripped off two pieces of prescription paper, handing them over to Ben. "Add those to your morning meds."

Ben grabbed them, his hand falling hard into his lap. More meds? And just when he was starting to believe they were cutting back on the pills. He was getting awfully close to the amount he started with right after the transplant.

Even as a veterinarian, Ben had a good understanding of the human body. Logically, he knew that switching up meds was a normal thing. He knew that.

But mentally? Ugh.

Nicole came back over and velcroed the new cuff around his bicep. The inflating pressure tightened around his upper arm, cutting off blood flow to his hand.

"I don't feel like I should have 'days'," Ben said with a certain desperate edge to his voice. "I should be happy just to be alive. And I am. I'm alive because someone else is dead." He paused, pursing his lips together. "I should just shut up and be happy. Right?"

"Mmm-hmm," Dr. Kalonia commented before clicking off the tablet and standing up. "Okay, you can put your shirt back on when Nicole is done. See you next month. Say hi to your mother for me."

As the doctor left, Ben couldn't help but feel dejected by her. The emotional part of him thought she really didn't give a shit about him, but the rational portion asked him why that even mattered? Dr. Kalonia was there to save his life by performing a rigorous surgery, not coddle and hold his hand through the tough times that came after.

"She's a great listener," Ben said to the nurse.

Nicole popped the tip of the stethoscope out of her ear. "What's that?"

He sighed. "Nothing."

With his monthly doctor visit checked off for July and dressed in his work boots, jeans, and the dark green Lincoln Park Zoo polo, he ventured outside, finding that he had a bit of time before he had to head into work. Ben told Kay to expect him at 10:30, giving himself plenty of time in case Kalonia's office was running behind. Much to his surprise, two minutes after checking into the lobby, Ben had been brought back to a private exam room. Dr. Kalonia followed five minutes later. It had to be a new record, one that was probably never going to be repeated again.

But what to do with the hour and a half that he had left?

His mom did live two blocks away. She had purchased the apartment during the really sick period of Ben's life, both of them living there so he could be close to the hospital. Leia had taken him to his appointments, watched over him, and made sure he took his meds.

Sure, she had problems with being emotionally available to him, but her actions certainly qualified her for sainthood… if she wasn't Jewish.

Ben should be a better son to her, and it had been a while since he visited her at her place.

Having made up his mind, Ben dropped by Leia's favorite bakery on the way over and picked up a few of her best-loved treats: a cinnamon roll, coffee cake, chocolate chip walnut cookie, and a few muffins for him and Rey to snack on later.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. Probably his mom asking how the appointment was going. Walking on the sidewalk, he glanced at it, seeing that it was actually a text from Rey.

From Rey:

Hope your physical goes well! Just remember to cough really hard when they tell you to bend over. ;)

Even though he had lied to Rey about the specifics of the doctor's visit, Ben still smiled at her message, pushing aside the deception. He quickly sent her a reply.

To Rey:

All done. And the physical wasn't that in depth.

From Rey:

In depth. Lol

Ben bumped into an older woman, apologizing before getting back to his phone.

To Rey:

How old are you again?

From Rey:

Ha. Ha. When you getting here? Seems like you got done early.

To Rey:

Stopping by my mom's place then heading over. Will maybe get there around 10.

From Rey:

I'll meet you in the break room!

The walking signal dinged, and Ben hurried across the street with the rest of the pedestrians.

To Rey:

Already in need of a break?

From Rey:

I've been in need of a break since the moment I woke up. Can't wait for Friday to be over so we can hang out tonight.

To Rey:

I've been counting down the hours.

From Rey:

Tbh, so have I.

There went those butterflies in his stomach again, getting him all hyped up and giddy.

Arriving at the high-rise, Ben pocketed his phone and went up to the sixteenth floor. He stopped in front of apartment 1609 and knocked.

Nothing.

He knocked again, this time a little louder.

Nothing.

His mom didn't like to schedule things early in the day. With older age, she preferred a slower start to her mornings.

Ben tried calling her. Voicemail.

He glanced at the punch-pad above the handle, remembering the passcode. But he didn't live there anymore. Would it be imprudent to just let himself in? Maybe. But if the roles were reversed, what would his mother do?

To that, Ben unlocked the door and went inside.

No one in the living room, and the immaculate kitchen was empty. "Mom?" Ben called out. He received no response.

He placed the bag on the quartz island in the kitchen, getting his phone out. He started typing a text to his mother, explaining that he had dropped by to see her and left some sweets from her favorite bakery in the kitchen.

Halfway through the typing, Ben froze, his head snapping up to the hallway that led to her room.

He heard something.

Had something happened? Did she fall and hurt herself? Was that why she wasn't hounding him about his appointment with Dr. Kalonia? She always checked in with him on the days he had checkups.

Moving across the hardwood floors, he stopped in the corridor, getting a clear shot of his mother's bedroom door. Was that giggling? There was a high-pitched screech, followed by a round of laughter. And then it hit him… what was going on.

His mother had company over. Like, man company.

"... and don't forget to cut up some strawberries," he heard her say.

He was about to high tail it out of there, get out of this nightmare, but then–

"Anything else, princess?" Ben's stomach knotted upon hearing that voice.

The door opened, and even though Ben knew that scruffy tone belonged to his father, somewhere in his grey matter he'd been trying to come up with a rationalization that it didn't. But nope, it was the one and only Han Solo who walked out of his mother's bedroom, butt naked, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Ben wasn't sure what he did next. Did he have a seizure? A spontaneous concussion? Because everything fell away the second he met his father's stare. It was like a dry eraser had hit his world out of nowhere and now he couldn't even remember why he was there.

Startled, Han covered his nether region and said something. It didn't register.

Ben couldn't calm the rush of emotions that overtook him. Didn't even try to fight it. Neglect was a beguiling thing: the feeling didn't lessen over time. It festered in the part of the soul that housed love and affection, a poison that slowly worked its way through until you realized that you had a huge fucking problem on your hands.

And Ben had a huge fucking problem on his hands… in that he hated his father.

Where was Han when Ben was recovering? Not visiting him, that's for damn sure. There were days where Ben's mind had felt electrocuted, so violently defocused and alone, the emotional pain over knowing his own father didn't give a shit about him almost making him crumble. Just like when he was younger, when his father walked out on him and Leia again and again and again.

Ben had tried giving this man his love, but Han had disregarded and stomped all over the offer.

Was Ben angry? Yes. Adding to that he was also bitter, and that was worse. Anger faded with time, but bitterness? That shit lasted forever.

Ben's breathing came out hard as he loomed over his father's sprawled out form on the floor, his mind playing catch up as he remembered rushing down the hall and decking Han right in the face.

Blood pooled out of his father's mouth and through the hands that were trying to stifle the bleeding, sliding down his chin and neck. Leia was kneeling by Han's side, a robe giving her modesty, eyes darting in panic.

Ben hurried to the kitchen, grabbed the bag from the counter and left, ignoring his mom shouting his name. It wasn't until he got outside that he stopped and took in big gulps of air, the pain that was shooting up his right arm finally getting his attention. He brought his shaking fist up to view, the skin miraculously only red and not broken.

He hit his dad.

His. Own. Father.

It didn't feel like a triumphant moment in the name of his past self. No celebration needed. No award given.

Ben took no pleasure in taking his father down. None. And didn't that just make him angry.

But at least he had the wherewithal to snatch the bag from the bakery before he left. Those two certainly didn't deserve it.

He hurried to the nearest bus stop, probably looking like a crazed Neanderthal. He noticed the stares, but shook it off.

Phone in hand, his thumb hovered over Finn's name… but didn't press down. Finn knew his parents well. Like, on a personal level. Would he listen to Ben rant and rage about what he just walked in on?

He opened the text folder with Rey.

To Rey:

Coming to work now. I'm gonna need to take a break right when I get there.

From Rey:

Everything ok?

How honest should he be with her?

To Rey:

Found my parents hooking up after my dad walked out of her room naked. Then I punched him in the face and left.

From Rey:

Was not expecting that. Duck.

From Rey:

Duck

From Rey:

Omg I mean Fuck. Stupid autocorrect. Are you ok?

Ben boarded the bus and found a seat near the back, the throbbing in his hand gradually worsening. He flexed his fingers.

To Rey:

I don't think I broke anything in my hand, but it hurts.

From Rey:

And mentally?

To Rey:

Angry? Idk. My thoughts are all over the place.

From Rey:

Come to the break room right when you get here. I'll be waiting.

()()()()()

Matters of the family tended to be tricky. Growing up in a small unit with just her and Poe, Rey would never claim to be an expert on familial matters. Having a sibling? Sure, she could dish out some knowledge on how to survive that. But that was as far as she dared to climb on the familial aptitude scale.

Through the swirl of a tense atmosphere, Ben kept pacing, having gone into more detail about finding his parents together in his mother's apartment. For one, this whole scenario was waaaaaaay out of Rey's ballpark for her to even consider giving him a sliver of advice. Two, she did not personally know his parents. Ben tended to steer clear of talking about his dad whenever the topic of family came up.

So as she sat in the break room, seated at one of the three circular tables, eyeing the unopened bag from the bakery, Rey nodded and gasped during the spots that called for it. Her opinion was Ben's opinion since she was obviously biased to the whole matter. She cared deeply for him, would stand in his corner if needed. His parents? To be determined, but the verdict wasn't looking good.

"I just… I don't get it," Ben said. "Han's a loser. He'd leave without even telling us and be gone for weeks at a time. He missed birthdays, anniversaries, holidays. Hell, when my mom had a miscarriage, do you know what he did?" Rey had a pretty good guess, but figured it was rhetorical. "He left to India or some shit. And none of those absences had anything to do with his commercial flying, either." Rey lost count how many times Ben ran his hands through his hair. At this rate, he was going to go bald… which would be a travesty. "I watched as my mom cried over that useless fucker for years, and now she's sleeping with him? They're divorced, for fuck sake!"

Rey could definitely see why Ben had a problem with his father. She would too if she were in his position.

"Maybe they're lonely," Rey said more as a comment than an actual answer.

"Can't she find someone else, though? Like, why Han? Why?"

Rey shrugged. "People are comfortable with the familiar?" She was starting to run out of things to contribute to this conversation. And she wanted to contribute. She wanted to help Ben sort all of this out. But the words… she needed the right words!

His phone vibrated against the table. Ben slowly turned it over, bracing himself as if a creature were going to pop out of the screen and maul him to death. He sighed once he saw the caller ID, making no move to answer it.

"Your mum again?"

Ben plopped down into the chair next to her, elbows on the table and head resting in his hands. "I can't talk to her right now. Or ever."

"She doesn't seem like the type of woman who would just give up."

"I just…." He groaned and aggressively rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands. "God, every time I blink, I see my dad walking out of that room. I want to light my eyes on fire right now."

"At least it wasn't your mother who walked out of there without any clothes on."

Ben groaned again, louder and longer. Rey winced. She always had the curse of saying the quiet parts out loud at the most improper moments.

Ben glanced at her, seeing her torn face. "I'm sorry."

Rey frowned. "For what?" She was the one who made a pitiful attempt at a joke.

"Sitting here, complaining about my parents when yours…." He let that trail off and bit his lip.

"When mine are gone," Rey finished for him, nodding, understanding his line of thought.

Ben's eyes shifted to the vending machine, and he took a deep breath. "Makes me feel like an inconsiderate asshole."

Rey wanted to take his hand. Make some sort of contact. Like they had when they were overlooking the city. But that day had been an anomaly, it would seem. They had held hands the whole way down the lift and during the ride to her place, only letting go when they said their goodbyes and parted. But since then? Nothing. Rey had waited and waited for Ben to bring it up.

He hadn't.

Ben was unfailingly polite, as open as a summer night sky, and apparently snail-pace slow on the uptake that she desperately wanted him to make a move. It didn't have to be much; hand-holding was fine. Maybe even a kiss. She didn't want to rush into deeper physical endeavors.

But seeing how she was the one who initiated the first contact, wouldn't that mean the ball was now in his court to do something next?

Instead of touching him, Rey said, "It's okay. Really, Ben." He looked at her skeptically. "You're, like, the most considerate person I've ever met. And I know that everyone has different circumstances. I'm not going to tell you that you should be happy they're back together and just appreciate the fact that your parents are alive. Saying something like that would be excusing them for how they hurt you, and make your feelings out to be invalid when they matter."

His eyes clung to her. "That's… thank you, for understanding."

"Just…" How did she express this correctly? "I don't want you to hold back telling me things because you think you'll offend me or something. It always bugged me how people reacted when they found out my parents were gone and it was just Poe and me. They'd start telling me stories about how families weren't all that great and their parents nagged them all the time and their five siblings bullied them relentlessly growing up. Like, they don't have to make a family out to be this horrible, inconvenient thing just to make me feel better about not having one. It's okay for people to have an intact family unit. But it's also okay to have a dysfunctional one, or not have one at all. Life is different for everyone."

The pride in his stare was so much like Poe's. "That's a very mature way to look at it."

Rey hadn't always felt that way. Her twenties consisted of a bitterness that rivaled black coffee and a jealousy even Heathcliff would disapprove of. Then one day, she realized she hated carrying around all that envy and strived to love her life for where it had taken her. Aging either cultivated anger, or it granted perspective. Rey was strong enough to reprogram her brain for the latter.

She nudged his leg with her boot. "I told you I'm an adult… even if I don't eat my vegetables."

"Well, I know some adults who eat their vegetables and they still act like five-year-olds."

"See? You shouldn't be so prejudiced against us non-plant eating folk. We can be good people."

His expression softened. "Yes, you can." Rey's breathing shallowed, his pensive look melting into a smile as soft as a setting sun.

"Is there"– Rey gulped, voice lowering –"anything I can do to cheer you up?"

He didn't blink, his attention raptly focused on her. "Just being here and talking to me is enough."

"Okay. Talking I can do," she said, voice breaking on the last syllable. Rey wondered if she could, indeed, keep talking. If he kept staring at her like that, speech was going to evade her real quick.

She blurted out the first question to come to mind. "Are you a sad nap, or a sad shower type of person?"

"Huh?"

The jitters gradually dissipated as she explained. "You know, when you're sad or feeling emotional – kinda like right now – would you take a nap to feel better? Or a long, hot shower? Baths can also count."

Ben chewed at his lips. It was supposed to be just a playful change in subject, but he was taking it so seriously, that Rey couldn't help but find him endearing. "I guess… I'll have to go with nap. What about you?"

"Shower. Definitely."

"Why definitely?"

Rey tapped at her temple. "Too much going on in my head already when my mood is normal, but when I'm emotional? It's like a rollercoaster of thoughts going on in there and I have a tough time going to sleep. A scalding hot shower helps me feel a little better."

Ben was affronted. "Scalding? You like burning your skin off?"

"Mmm," Rey reveled, imagining herself under a stream of blistering water. "Anything less and I'll get hypothermia."

Ben chuckled. Rey eyed the bag from the bakery. "Are these treats up for grabs? Or–"

"Oh, yeah." Ben pushed the bag closer to her. "I actually bought some muffins for you, but you can have whatever you want."

"Look at you, feeding me," she said, taking a peek inside. Rey settled on the cinnamon role, munching on it as they kept talking.

She grabbed a napkin and asked, "Are you religious?"

"We're finally getting to the controversial stuff, huh?"

"Everyone can believe in whatever they want. Nothing controversial about believing in, say, the Holy Trinity."

"You mean Bob Ross, Mr. Rogers, and Steve Irwin?" Ben deadpanned.

Rey coughed and nearly choked on the pastry as she tried to stifle a laugh. "Obviously for you, Steve Irwin would be God in this scenario."

"Obviously. Man, I cried for a week straight when that guy died. His show on Animal Planet was my favorite. But to answer your question, no, I'm not religious. I'm part Jewish, though."

"Your mum?"

"Yep. But she isn't orthodox or anything. What about you?"

Rey chewed and swallowed the last bite, shaking her head. "Nah. Never really got into doing the whole church thing. But I'd like to think that there's something out there, though… watching over us. That this life isn't all there is." Because if she could never see Poe and her parents again? Let's just say, Rey's ability to get through the day would become way more difficult.

"You believe in heaven?"

She licked her fingertips. "I wouldn't say 'believe'... more like really hopefully optimistic that it exists."

"Me, too," Ben whispered gently.

She recalled Ben saying something about getting her a muffin. Rey went on the hunt for it. "Did you always want to be a vet?"

"I didn't really make the decision to pursue it until my last year in high school. And I have no regrets." Rey placed one of the poppy seed muffins in front of him, wanting to share since there were two. "I love what I do, and I love the animals I meet."

She peeled off the lining. "But you don't have a dog or a cat?"

"Uh… well…" Ben picked at the little domed cake. "Because I helped out my mom so much when she was sick, I didn't want to get a pet I couldn't give a good amount of my attention to."

Made sense. "What exactly was she sick with, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ben hesitated. "She… she had–"

Armitage walked into the break room, his surprise at seeing both Ben and Rey very blatant. He glanced from her to Ben, before settling on Rey.

"Rey." Dressed in khaki shorts and a beige button up shirt – the attire he wore whenever he showcased any of the birds in front of an audience – Armitage moved so he was standing in front of her. "How are you?"

Rey remained seated, her right pointer finger starting to pick at the skin around her thumbnail. "Good. You?"

"Getting by, same as always. I was wondering… how's your phone?"

"My phone?" She began to internally panic, foreseeing where he was going with this.

"I've been texting you, trying to set up another time for a date and you haven't responded." While his face held civility, something in his voice warned her to be cautious. It was difficult to hide her annoyance, though. When Armitage had started texting her, she asked Kay if she gave him her phone number. She hadn't. So where did he get it?

"Oh, sorry. I've been meaning to text back," she said, trying to come off as an airhead. "It's just things were really hectic for a bit."

And you're transitioning from the douchebag territory and into the creepy.

"Have they slowed down?"

"A little."

He smiled a charming smile. He was handsome; she'd give him that. But it was his personality that made him unattractive. "Then how about we try this date thing again? I could take you out tonight?"

She glanced at Ben. His stare was focused on the muffin in his hands. Talk about peak awkward. "I actually already have plans for tonight."

Armitage caught how she had looked to Ben, his grin faltering. "When would be a good time, then?"

God, Rey hated this part of dating. She really did. She had turned down a handful of men in her time, and in turn, she had been passed by as well. Being on both sides of a dismissal, she could attest to how much it sucked and tended to punch a hole into your self-esteem.

But she needed to put her big girl panties on and stop trying to avoid Armitage by coming up with another excuse as to why she couldn't go out with him. People deserved the truth, even if that person treated restaurant employees like they were less than and were questionable on a stalker-level.

Rey uncrossed her legs, only to recross them, her body becoming antsy. "Look, Armitage, I'm going to be honest with you because anything else would, I fear, be very misleading. You seem like a nice guy, but I'm not interested in getting involved with you in that way. Your effort is commendable and I'm sure you'll make another girl really happy. That girl just won't be me."

Not the worst delivery she'd ever done. She made sure to sprinkle in plenty of compliments, hold eye contact, and made her tone sympathetic.

Armitage was silent for a few beats, face tightening as his narrowed eyes bounced between her and Ben. "I've noticed you two have been hanging around each other a lot lately."

Rey could feel her body heat starting to rise. She just wanted him to go away. "Is that not allowed?"

"Just makes me wonder if you ditched me at the restaurant so you could go hook up with him."

Rey's eyes popped wide. "Excu–"

"And how would that have worked?" Ben abruptly asked, no longer able to sit on the sidelines once he was brought up. "I was tending the bar all night."

Armitage shrugged. "Maybe she snuck in through the back, gave you head while on a break."

Rey's mouth fell open, and for the first time in a while, she was speechless.

Ben shot Armitage an are-you-fucking-serious. "Ya know, whoever told you to be yourself gave you some really shitty advice."

"Should I call up the restaurant and get you fired?" Armitage challenged.

"If you hadn't been interrupting me every five seconds that night, you'd know that I don't actually work there. And I doubt they would take the word of a customer that was kicked out."

"Then I'll just report you to the Director of the Zoo."

Rey bolted to her feet. "For what? You're the one implying that I'm a slut." She was so tempted to slap this motherfucker senseless, but she kept her heels firmly planted where they were.

Armitage scoffed. "You don't even work here. Everyone lets you walk around like you own the place just because your brother was some kind of god to these people. But you?" He switched his attention to Ben. "You operated on an unauthorized animal using zoo resources. Seeing how that's against policy, I'd say you have a good chance at getting fired." Rey blinked, shocked that he had found out about that. "Yeah, secrets don't last long around here."

Rey swallowed back her surprise, squaring off at him. "Do it, asshole, and see what happens."

"Oh, I've already reported him."

"You what?!"

Armitage cocked his head. "Which part didn't you understand? That I reported him? Or that he's going to be fired?"

Rey opened her mouth. Closed it. Floundered for something to say. "Are you seriously doing this because I won't date you?"

The hard smile Armitage sported was like seeing the devil take pleasure in enacting cruelty. "This is where being a rude bitch gets you."

Rey took a step toward him, not willing to back down. "I could be the most ladylike bitch on the block, and yet, I still wouldn't fuck you."

"Fucking whore–"

Ben stood so fast, he knocked over his chair as he got right into Armitage's face. "Disrespect her again, and I'll beat your head against this table till you no longer have a fucking nose to breathe through."

Any warmth in the room immediately evaporated.

Rey watched the two men without turning her head, heart hammering at the sudden aggression Ben was exuding. The threat had been delivered so smoothly, without even a stammer or blink, that she knew it wasn't just a veiled warning. Ben's brows were down low, his heavy shoulders set like beams for a house. She'd never seen him this threatening before… this terrifying.

"Ben," Rey said. "Ben." But she wasn't catching his attention.

To Armitage's credit, he didn't move away. He'd gone pale from fear and his eyes widened, but he stood his ground. "Touch me and you go to jail." It was like Armitage was trying to provoke him. "Go ahead, throw your career away."

And then Rey saw it: Ben's balled fists, the twitch under his eye, the tight look of rage pulling at his facial muscles.

Ben was going to see his threat through.

"Ben," Rey said cautiously, pulling at his arm, getting between the two men. "Hey, he isn't worth it. Think of your job."

Rey was right in front of him, but he kept looking at Armitage, grinding his molars so hard that his temples were visibly protruding.

Armitage had the gall to snicker. "That's what I thought."

"Get out," Rey snapped at the man over her shoulder. Armitage held up his palms, backing away until he was out of the room.

The exhale out of Ben's mouth lasted well into next year.

Rey didn't take her eyes off of him as he began to pace between the vending machine and wall. The tension in the air was so thick, she could tug on it like a rope. Maybe use it around Armitage's neck so she could choke him to death, fucking prick.

With such a masculine face and huge body, Rey could understand why Ben would unsettle most people. Before this, he never came off as threatening or mean or malicious. For some reason, Rey had believed him incapable of being any of those things.

That had been naive of her to think. For one, she hadn't known Ben for long. And two, he looked so formidable that even she had to a reflexive step back in the name of self-preservation. Which was ridiculous. Ben would never hurt her. She knew that.

But human survival was rooted in instinct, not logic.

Rey started to ramble, feeling the need to calm him. "Hey, it's going to be okay. Nothing's going to happen to your job, alright? I'll call Kay and we'll figure something out. And D'Acy loved Poe; I doubt she would take any serious action against you. Maybe a slap on the wrist and a long lecture to Kay and the other vets for trying to keep this quiet, but she wouldn't fire you. Armitage has only been working here for a year. He doesn't know these people like I do." Ben had stopped with the back and forth, eyes fixated on the corkboard covered with candid pics of zoo employees and animals. "Ben?"

"I can't believe he called you a whore," he said in disbelief.

That was not what she'd been expecting him to focus on. "I hardly think that's important right now."

Ben turned to her. "He called you a whore and a bitch. To your face. How the fuck can he talk to a woman like that?"

"I've been called worse, trust me."

Ben grimaced, then shook his head. "I'm sorry for interfering. I tried not to. I know you can handle yourself. I just… felt this need to protect you… I don't know."

What he said reminded Rey of Poe, of how he always promised her that he would protect her against anything. No matter what.

"No, don't apologize. I was actually about to punch that ginger pig in the face," Rey said, trying to lighten the mood. "But I think you intimidated him way more than I ever could. You have that I'm-going-to-kill-you stare down pat. Whenever I try it, I just end up looking like an angry toddler who skipped nap time."

The attempt at levity didn't change Ben's demeanor.

He drew his brows in tight. "I… I'm not a violent person," he said softly.

"I know."

Hands on his hips, his shoulders slumped, like he was caving in on himself. "I mean, I had anger issues when I was younger, initiated some fights because I was stupid, but I'm past all that now. I do things that help me keep it under control."

She closed the distance between them, placing a hand on his arm. "I believe you."

He considered her, features pained. "But I wanted to hurt him. I could envision taking him by the neck and slamming his head against the table. It would've been easy."

"Some of this aggression could be left over from the confrontation with your dad earlier."

Ben groaned, head lolling back. "Right. My parents. For a second, I forgot all about that."

"Sorry." Rey paused, abdicating her touch from his bicep. "Do you still want me to come over tonight?" She wasn't sure if he wanted to be alone after everything–

"Fuck yes," he said with so much force, Rey slightly jumped. Ben winced, realizing his delivery was too much. "Sorry. It's just, you coming over is the only thing I've looked forward to all week."

Rey grinned bashfully. "Same for me."

As she looked at him, that stare of his bore into hers. It burned in a way that took her back to that moment where they first met, gazing at each other through the throngs of people at the café.

Rey's heart leaped in her throat.

Ben glanced at her lips and she knew in an instant what he wanted to do. And it surprised her just how ready she was for it. How much she needed it. After the emotional ride she just experienced, she needed to have him close. But when all he did was a whole lot of staring, Rey couldn't wait anymore.

Her mouth suddenly locked with his, kissing him, hands grasping at his shirt to pull him closer. Those plump lips of his were velvety and warm, a liquid gold that sent heat spiraling through her veins. Eyes closed, she wasn't met with darkness, but with a passion that blazed her brain asunder.

She'd never experienced this before. Not with any man she'd been with. Those experiences had been like what you had on a summer night, sitting by a small fire that didn't really need to be there to keep you warm, but just something that helped you feel a little less lonely.

Being with Ben was like Rey had been lost in the middle of a forest, feet of snow surrounding her and the wind chill about to kill when she suddenly came upon a conflagration of flames, acres upon acres ablaze with a fire that was uncontrollable, but in that moment, lifesaving. Rey had been dying, freezing to death, body growing numb. But fate had sent something to save her in the most fantastical and dramatic of infernos in order to thaw out her frozen soul.

Rey upped the moment by drawing her tongue over his lips, trying to gain entrance. Ben moaned and drew her closer with strong hands at her hips. Rey swallowed his pleasure as they slid closer to each other, no visible gap between them, their bodies pressed–

The door opened. Next thing Rey knew, she was met with cool air, Ben having jumped six feet away from her.

Jess walked in, her long black hair up in a high ponytail. "Ben, we've been trying to get you on the radio–" The woman's monolid eyes rebounded between them, her stare narrowing. Rey was trying to slow her breathing. Epic failure. "Everything okay in here?"

"Yep," Rey said too quickly. "We were just… discussing BB. About how he's doing."

"Uh-huh," Jess said, not at all convinced. If Ben could stop looking like a deer in the headlights, that excuse might have worked. "Well, if you two are done with your 'discussion,' Camille the Camel has what looks like an abscess growing on top of her head."

"Head?" Ben seemed to have a hard time shifting his focus over to Jess, as if the intimacy of the moment he'd been sharing with Rey was something he had to travel back from. "Not the hump?"

"Nope, which is why we're wanting to have you take a look at it."

"How big is it?"

"About the size of my fist."

That solidified his curiosity. "And no one noticed this yesterday?"

"According to Josh, it wasn't there when he put her in her stall last night." Jess glanced at Rey, eyes knowing. "I'll give you guys a minute. I'll just wait out in the hallway."

As the door shut and they were left alone, a heavy silence settled over the room, heavier than the sexual attraction that had been between them only minutes ago. Unsettled eyes unceremoniously glanced around the break room, both trying to avoid eye contact.

Ben ran a hand through his hair. "I'll, umm… I'll see you tonight?"

Rey's mouth was almost too dry to speak. She nodded eagerly and croaked out, "Yes." She cleared her throat. "And I'll pick us up some food on the way over."

"You don't have to–"

"I want to."

"...Okay." Ben did that thing with his lips and jaw, the rounding and pursing that told her he was either concentrating or nervous. "So, yeah…" He motioned to the door. "I should probably–"

"Get back to your job," she finished for him. "Of course. That camel isn't going to heal itself!" Rey said with way too much gusto. Her blush seared through her cheeks and for a second, she wondered if her face was on fire.

Ben chuckled. "Yeah…." He hesitated, took a step toward her, then course corrected for the door. "Text me if you're able to talk to Kaydel?"

Right. She forgot about the whole Armitage thing. And that was way more serious than the fact that they had kissed and were now acting like it never happened.

Rey nodded. "Everything's going to be fine," she assured him. "Don't worry. We'll figure it out." Ben smiled. It was small, but just enough to make Rey's heart skip a beat.

After he left, Rey just stood there, thinking.

There was no way in hell she was going to let Armitage ruin Ben's career. Rey wasn't one for passive aggressive bullshit. So if she had to go toe-to-toe with Armitage, the guy better be wearing battle armor.

Because Rey protected what was hers with a tank-like ferocity.

A/N

Things are heating up... well, sort of. But hey, we got a first kiss! Next chapter is when things start rolling with their physical relationship. Hoping to update next week. Thanks for reading!