The universe hates Ben Solo.
It's the only explanation that makes sense. The universe hates him. It has it out for him.
Sure, other guys have been unable to tell the girl they loved how they feel. Other guys have had to watch them be romanced by other guys. Other guys have even had to watch the love of their lives marry another man.
But how many of those guys have ever been placed in the position of being asked to give her away at her marriage?
The universe hated him.
It was the only thing that made sense.
His best friend, on the other hand, has a different view. "You're an idiot, Solo. Tell the girl how you feel. She would never have asked you to give her away if she knew you were pining away for her like a lovesick schoolboy."
"I thought you hated Rey, Hux."
The ginger rolled his eyes and reached out to straighten Ben's tie. "She's a pretty little fool. If she had accepted our job offer she'd be making three times as much as Resistance Games can pay her. She made a decision based on sentiment." Hux sighed. "But she's not cruel, Ben. She would never do anything to knowingly hurt you. Why torment yourself so?"
"Because she doesn't have anyone else." Ben looked at himself in the mirror again. He had resisted the temptation to get stinking drunk. That was his plan for after the wedding. "Han- my father- was the closest thing she had to a father. Now that he's gone, she asked me to do the honors. I can't refuse her." He sighed. "Not without telling her how I feel."
"This is a mistake, Ben." Hux laid a hand on his shoulder. "You know this is going to end badly for everyone involved."
"I won't tell her. She'll never know. It'll be fine."
"I know it's hard for someone with your ego, but forget about yourself for a moment, Solo. This marriage is doomed from the start and you know it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Where's that famed Skywalker insight? Finn used to work for us. He worked under Phasma. I've seen how he looks at Rey."
"He loves her." That was the only thing that made this bearable. Rey wasn't just marrying someone she loved; she was marrying someone that loved her as well. "Finn will be good to her."
"He'll be good to her. And he cares for her. But he's not in love with her. All you have to do is look at him- and see the way that he looks at Poe Dameron."
"He's... close to Poe." Ben looked at his hands. "That's why he joined Resistance Games. But that doesn't mean-"
"I'm not like you, Ben. I can't see things the way Skywalkers or Kenobis do- but I'm not a stupid man. I know patterns. Finn isn't in love with Rey- he may be trying to convince himself he is- he may be able to convince Rey he is- but his heart belongs to Poe Dameron. You aren't doing Rey any favors letting her marry a man who's in love with someone else."
"I'm not letting her do anything. It's Rey's choice."
"And it's your choice to tell her the truth or not, Ben."
"She'd never believe that Finn-"
"I'm not talking about Finn and Poe. I'm talking about how you feel. Tell her, Ben. She deserves to know how much you care about her."
"She has to know how I feel about her."
"Oh, you're not exactly Mr. Subtle, I'll grant you that. But Rey is clueless. She can't imagine that someone like you would ever love her."
"What the kriff does that mean, Hux?"
"She's a nowhere girl from Jakku. A pretty good seat of her pants programmer- but she's nothing. She knows that."
"She will never be nothing! Don't you dare say that about her!" Ben grabbed Hux's jacket. "You hear me? Never call Rey NOTHING."
"It doesn't matter if I believe it or you believe it, Ben. Rey does. Every day of her childhood that scum ball guardian of hers told her that she was worthless. That she was nothing. She had that drilled into her head all those years until she started to believe it herself. That's why she has no clue you've been head over heels in love with her from almost the first moment you met her."
Ben let him go. "I'm sorry, Arm. I didn't mean it. It's just my temper-" He sighed. "Another good reason for me not to tell Rey how I feel. You know how I am. I'm practically a monster-"
"And you heard that often enough as a kid that you started to believe it. Started to accept it. You're no shining knight, Solo, but you're far from being a monster. You're a flawed, ordinary man. Rey could do a lot worse. You both just have to get over your childhood trauma. Do that, and you'll be fine."
"Ben! Ben!"
Rose. Rose Tico. One of Rey's bridesmaids. She rushed forward and grabbed his arm. "You need to come. It's Rey."
"What's wrong with Rey?" Ben's heart pounded in his chest.
"Finn. He's gone. He left. With Poe. They left together." Rose was crying. Ben vaguely recalled Rey mentioning that Finn had dated Rose before they got together. "Ben- she's asking for you. Please."
"Where is she?"
"The dressing room. Do you need me to show you?" Rose was shaking.
"No. I know the way." He looked at the shaken girl. "Armitage, why don't you get Rose something to drink?"
"I could use it," Rose said frankly. She reached out and took Hux's hand. "Come on. You're Armitage Hux. The Armitage Hux? The man behind Starkiller?"
"Thanks. Yes I am." The ginger blushed.
"General Hugs himself. I love that game." Rose wiped her tears away. "Can we talk about it? I need to talk about something else right now..."
"Of course." Hux allowed the girl to pull him towards the bar. "I first had the idea for Starkiller when reading my father's memoirs ..."
Ben watched them go with an amused smile. Maybe you should follow your own advice, Arm. You're not who you think you are either. And then he realized, Rey. Rey needs me.
The guests were already starting to murmur among themselves.
Ben's uncle, Luke, stood beside the closed dressing room door. He was whispering some words of comfort that made Ben roll his eyes. Rey was very fond of Luke- had asked him to perform her wedding ceremony, in fact- but the Jedi Master was not helping here.
Ben glared at the guests and then at his uncle. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"Be careful, Ben," Luke advised him. "This won't go the way you think."
Ben growled, and then pushed his way past Luke to knock on the door. "Rey? It's Ben. May I come in?"
The door opened a crack. "Just you. No one else."
"Just me," Ben agreed. He was not exactly a small man, but he squeezed into the door and locked it behind him. "Rey ..."
Her makeup was ruined. Her eyes were red. Her lower lip was quivering.
Even so, Ben Solo thought she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "Rey, I'm so sorry ..."
"He left me, Ben. He promised he would never leave me, but he left. Just like my parents." Rey wrapped her arms around Ben's broad chest. "What's wrong with me? Why does everyone I love leave me behind?"
"I'm right here, Rey." There. He said it. Come what may, he said it.
And apparently Rey missed it completely.
"Finn … he said that he tried to love me the way I wanted, but he couldn't. That he had to be true to himself, and go with Poe." Rey raised her tear filled eyes to the man who held her as though she were the most precious thing in the world. "I've never felt so alone ..."
"Rey ..." Ben touched her cheek. "You're not alone."
Time stood still.
And he saw understanding dawn in Rey's eyes. Understanding. Surprise. And … something else.
"Neither are you."
And she smiled.