Bones sinking like stones
All that we've fought for
Homes, places we've grown
All of us are done for
"Don't Panic" by Coldplay
Rey has found herself at the most awkward family dinner ever.
It's a Friday night in the middle of February, and Rey is sitting in a booth at an upscale Mexican restaurant close by the studio. Ben sits next to her and his parents sit across the table, Leia sitting up straight and Han slouched and uncomfortable.
And she thought the most exciting thing about tonight was going to be the new episode of Boy Meets World.
Ben has his elbows propped up on the table, his eyes pointed up toward the ceiling. He's been extra surly lately, snapping at anyone about anything, and tearing up his own artwork if he's unsatisfied with it. In fact, he's been in such a bad mood this past week especially, that she had been tempted to say 'no' when he all but begged her to tag along tonight.
But she didn't.
And by the way this dinner is going, Rey is beginning to understand why he's been so irritated as of late.
Senator Organa has been talking about colleges for the last twenty minutes. Ben has been completely uncooperative, attempting to change the topic every few minutes with no luck.
This is Rey's first family dinner that she can remember ever participating in, and at this point she'd rather be anywhere else. She twiddles her thumbs underneath the table and tries not to sigh. They've run out of cheese dip.
"Ben, your artwork is incredible. No one is disputing that—"
"You are," Ben interrupts, "by implying that I can't make a living off of it and therefore should go back to school." He's still looking at the ceiling.
"I'm not saying you can't make a living off of your art." Rey can just barely hear the strain in Leia's voice. The senator keeps glancing at Rey, and Rey is getting the feeling that if she wasn't there Leia would be making much sharper comments to her son. "I'm just saying it doesn't hurt to have a degree under your belt if for any reason you stop wanting to do your art. I can easily set you up a meeting with the dean at—"
"No." Ben's gaze has finally dropped from the ceiling and he's staring at his mother with thinly veiled disdain.
Han flags down the waiter and orders more cheese dip and a pitcher of margaritas with extra tequila.
A few long minutes of silence pass, and Rey is beginning to wish she hadn't turned down the kid's menu with the crayons. She had asked to order off the adult menu instead, to seem more grown up. She regrets that now.
The waiter returns with more dip and the pitcher, and Han wastes no time pouring himself a drink. He looks just as out of place at this booth as Rey feels.
She wonders if she could sneak away and play the claw machine. She bets Ben would give her a dollar if she asks—
"Ben," Leia begins, slightly hesitant, "at least let me arrange an interview with Ackbar. You know he'd hire you—"
It's the last straw for Ben. "I said NO! I don't want to meet your fucking friend that's a dean, I don't want a fucking interview with Ackbar, and I'm not fucking wasting my time by going to school when I've been studying at one of the most renown art studios in the country for the past ten fucking years!"
His shouting is so loud that a hush has fallen over the other restaurant patrons.
The mariachi music is obnoxious and blaring compared to the deadly quiet that's come over their table. Rey can feel the anger and frustration radiating off of Ben. She reaches up and pats his shoulder and he finally tears his eyes away from his mother.
"What?" he snaps.
She says the first thing that pops into her head. "You have a booger in your nose."
It's not true, but it does the trick. Ben's face goes blank with surprise, and Han snorts loudly. The tension diffuses a little at their table, and the rest of the restaurant returns to their dinners.
"You're full of shit," Ben says, but his mouth quirks a little.
Rey pokes his arm. "Can I have a dollar for the claw machine?"
Ben gives her five. She manages to win a stuffed frog.
By the time they return to the studio Ben is in a stormy mood again. He disappears into the backroom to keep working on a project he's had going on for a few weeks now. Rey can hear him stomping about, and a second later furious music starts up.
From the other end of the hallway Luke sticks his head out of the kitchen-office. He peers down the hallway at the room Ben is in, then looks back to Rey. "Dinner went that well, huh?"
Rey groans in response.
Luke smiles a little, shaking his head. "I told you not to go."
Rey rolls her eyes at him and starts to wander down the hallway toward Ben, content to watch him paint for the time being, when there's a honking outside of the studio.
Rey groans again. Maz is here.
She bolts out of the studio and across it's small but tidy front lawn toward Maz's car, waving for her caretaker to roll down the window.
"What is it?" Maz asks, attempting to peer around Rey. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" She puts her hands on the door and bites her lips. "Can I stay another couple of hours?"
"Nope."
"Please, Maz? It's important."
"Not important enough. If you wanted to stay later you should have called me before I left. Come on, get in."
Rey looks back over her shoulder toward the brightly lit studio. Ben is in there, upset and frustrated and in a piss poor mood.
"Get Paige to pick me up."
Maz doesn't look swayed. "She's busy studying. You know she won't want to."
But Rey is prepared for that answer. "She owes me. If she argues, remind her of the rat incident."
"The what incident—"
"Please please please!" Rey cups her hands together and bobs on her feet, pleading. "Only for a couple of more hours!"
Maz watches her for a long moment before letting out a breath and relenting.
Rey shouts 'thanks' over her shoulder as she rushes back into the studio.
When she finally makes it to the back room where Ben is, he's slumped on a stool, staring at the easel in front of him.
The painting is a forest in wintertime. There's snow covering the forest floor and pulling down the branches of the trees, and the sky is dark and dotted with stars. Two figures stand facing each other amongst the trees, but the painting isn't finished, so Rey isn't sure what they're doing.
"Are they fighting?" She shouts a little to be heard over the music.
Ben doesn't seem surprised that she's behind him, even though there's no way he could've heard her come in. "I don't know," he answers, clearly unsatisfied. His fists are clenching and unclenching at his side, and Rey can practically see the conflict on his face. To rip it apart or not to rip it apart.
It's too beautiful to be destroyed, Rey thinks.
The angry, bumping music isn't helping. She turns and walks right up to Ben's old, paint splattered stereo and presses STOP.
Ben freezes and turns to stare at her, and Rey remembers the first time she'd found him painting in this room. How hilariously furious he'd been when she'd messed with his music. This time, though, this time he simply watches.
She swallows and turns back to the small table the stereo sits on. There's a massive, slightly crooked stack of CD's next to the stereo. Rey begins to rifle through them, feeling Ben's burning gaze on her back. He's testing her, she realizes sharply.
She chooses a CD that she hadn't realized Ben owned. Paige had shown it to her and Rose not long ago, and Rey found it peaceful to sketch to.
She pops it in and presses PLAY. The opening chords start and Rey turns back to Ben. They listen for a moment and he nods, looking a little more relaxed. Rey grabs an extra stool and sits next to him as he begins to mix colors. An hour passes, the only major movement being Rey getting up to replay the CD.
Ben fleshes out the figures amongst his forest trees. They are fighting, Rey comes to realize.
There's a soft knock on the door, and Luke is informing her that a very crabby Paige is here to pick her up. "I'd hurry. She is not happy."
Ben is still frowning deeply when Rey says goodbye. He nods, giving her a little wave, focus never really leaving his work. There's paint smeared on his fingers and hands, and he's even managed to get a little on his nose.
For a moment she considers giving him a kiss on the cheek, because it would take him aback and perhaps make him laugh. Nervousness wins out, however.
Instead she places the stuffed frog on top of the stereo and leaves.
A/N:
Thanks so much for the lovely response to the last chapter! It made me laugh how many of you wanted Ben to get a girlfriend so we could see jealous!Rey. Y'all must be masochists just like me.
We'll be meeting another major character next chapter! Very excited to be bringing them into the fold. If you liked, let me know!
Also, a lot of you have been asking questions in your reviews. I personally despise this site's messaging system, so if you want to ask questions about the fic or just want to hit me up in general, I have a tumblr! .com