A/N: Woot! Engagement! Let's push on! It turned out a little more rambly than I wanted... but fluff nonetheless. Enjoy!
BROKEN
Chapter 16: Belong
Well, it happened. Ben was officially the happiest man on the face of the planet, he realized, as he laid next to the woman that just agreed to be his forever. As she slept in his arms, he couldn't help but gently stroke her arm, lost in his thoughts of her as he beamed at her. They'd been through so much together. It was insane how much was thrown at them, really. She'd been abused all her life; he'd been neglected all of his. It seemed that both of them were extremely careful not to do that to the other. She had always been sure to help him out of his rabbit hole, as he did with her, but it was special. She had always known how to get his attention, even if it seemed he was lost. His anger had all but dissipated. It was a lot easier to be happy with her. He was still skittish around others, and downright standoffish, but with Rey... it was easier to be happy. Easier to feel wanted. Easier to belong. This was where he belonged; with her, right here, right now.
He wondered what else was in store for them, but he was content right here, right now. He'd found his home and she'd found hers. It was strange, really, how two complete strangers could overcome such difficulties with each other and change so drastically for each other. It was a lot different than being alone. When he was alone, he didn't care that he was angry all the time. He didn't care who he offended. He didn't care about anything. He did what he wanted. Whenever he wanted. But now... Rey changed all of that. She helped him change himself to better love her and make her more comfortable. Gosh, he loved this woman. She'd wiggled herself right in his heart and he didn't mind it at all. At first, it was a little disturbing that he could feel something so strong for someone he barely knew, but as he grew more comfortable with her, he realized that he didn't mind it so much. In fact, he welcomed it. And well, those feelings became stronger and now they were here.
She shifted in his arms, pressing her head against his chest with a sigh of content, her hand grabbing at his black shirt as the sun poured in through his dark curtains. His lips quirked in a small grin. He'd woken up a little while ago and all he could do was stare at her. Creepy, yes, but his mind was racing with thoughts of her. He realized that today was the day they told Luke. She'd spent a couple of days at his house already and his lonely little apartment suddenly became a home for him. Then again, she was here, too. "It's kind of hard to sleep with you staring at me, Ben," she whispered, peeking an eye open to look at him.
He chuckled and pulled her closer to him. "Sorry."
"No you're not," she yawned, stretching against him like a cat.
"You're right. I'm not," he said as he flipped them to where she was on her back with him hovering above her. It wasn't threatening, but rather intimate. She looked up at him, fear at first, then she breathed deep and calmed herself. His hand ran up her arm and laced their fingers together above her head. She used the other to pull him down for a kiss. Fire sparked between them and soon all their thoughts were consumed with each other. Before things could get too heated, however, Ben pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. He refused to take it any further until they were married, but the restraint that it took! He inwardly groaned, his body aching to continue, but his mind urging him to be patient. She looked into his eyes and he knew he made the right decision as she smiled at him, a slight hint of pink on her cheeks. "Coffee?" he whispered, earning a gentle nod. They shared one more kiss and they were out of bed.
He walked into his kitchen and put on the coffee pot, bringing down two coffee mugs as Rey took her seat at the bar where she'd sat since their engagement dinner. Her eyes caught sight of her ring and she absently twirled it. Ben watched her quietly, not daring to say anything to her as she contemplated things. Her face showed that she was lost in thought. He didn't bother her, knowing she still needed time to process things. It would take her a bit, he knew. It took him a bit to process, too, honestly. Neither one of them had had anyone that truly cared for them, but now, their world had been turned upside down. She finally had someone that cared. Someone that was willing to accept her for who she was, who she had become. And he was ok with that. He was fine having her with all her damaged, broken parts. And she was fine with him. He had changed his anger problem, she noticed. He was a lot more patient, and less likely to blow up. Her eyes flicked up to him then, watching him consider her. Their eyes met and they held the stare for a few moments, neither looking away, neither wanting to. She felt her lips pull up into a smile as he pushed away from the counter and walked around the bar, not once breaking her gaze. She turned to him and their arms were around each other and lips on the other's, sharing an intimate kiss.
When they pulled away, Ben was grinned down at her and she was smiling softly. "I love you, Ben."
"I know," he said with a grin. She rolled her eyes at him then and playfully punched his shoulder. "Couldn't resist," he said with a wink.
"You Solo men..." she said with a sigh as she started to make the coffee he'd started. She turned and handed the coffee to him before she set out at making her own. "Are you worried?"
Ben looked at her for a moment, slightly curious as to what she was thinking. That's when he picked up on the anxiety that was just pouring off of her. He reached for her hand, entwining their fingers, giving it a soft squeeze. "Not a bit. Unless you're having second thoughts?" The question was simple enough, but it hurt him to say it. He saw her bite her bottom lip, worrying it a little as she seemingly thought about it for a moment. "Rey...?"
She wouldn't look at him. "What if you marry me and... I make you unhappy?" She looked up at him and saw shock in his eyes, like she'd just grown five heads or something. "I mean, think about it, Ben. I have issues... I probably won't be able to do... that for a while... Would you be ok with that? That's not really fair-"
He sighed and couldn't help but let out a laugh. It was a genuine laugh, full of mirth and amusement. It took her aback as she listened. She was trying to have a serious conversation with him, and he was laughing at her?! He then turned his gaze to her, a full-blown grin on his full lips. "Do you think I care about that?" Rey squinted at him, as if that would help her hear. "It's part of life, sure, but you can't miss what you've never had, right?" he asked with a wink. Sure, he wanted her, but he wouldn't push her either. "I know what I'm getting into, Rey. I'm not marrying you for that... I'm marrying you because of you. I love you, not your body." She shrank a little as he grabbed her face in his hands, the most delicate of touches as always, despite how large he was in comparison. "Though that's a perk." She started to laugh then as she brought her own hands up to hold his on her face, understanding in her eyes. "Don't back out on me, Rey," he pleaded softly in a hushes whisper. She noticed the desperation in his eyes then and she felt the overwhelming urge to console him.
"I'm not, Ben. I promise. I want this as much as you do... I just... don't want you to be stuck with me..."
Ben rolled his eyes, something she hadn't seen him do in a while. "It's not being stuck if I willingly stay, Rey." True... She smiled at him and nodded. "Great. Now let's go tell the hermit." He kissed her chastely and flipped her over his shoulder, carrying her into the bedroom. She smacked his butt on the way, earning a laugh from Ben at her boldness.
An hour later, they were showered and dressed, Rey wearing some of Ben's clothes, and on their way to Luke's. He watched her slide into his Nissan and smiled down at her, knowing that that was going to be her place for the rest of their lives. He shut her door and walked over to his own. After he started the car and started driving to Luke's, her hand found his, the comfortable silence taking them again. When they arrived not too long after, Ben helped Rey out of the car, hugging her tight and whispering confidence into her ear. "It'll be all right. I'm more concerned about Maz," he said with a soft chuckle, earning another chuckle in response from her.
"Ah, there you are!" Luke called from the garage. The couple turned to look at Skywalker as he walked out with his cup of coffee, brow raised at the two hugging in his driveway. "As cute as that is, I don't think it will draw customers," he said with a small grin. The two rolled their eyes at him and walked over to him, hand-in-hand. "So... how long are you back for this time?" he asked as he escorted them into the kitchen. He didn't miss the glance they exchanged and he just chuckled. "Ah... I get my house back then."
Rey tilted her head at him. "What-"
Luke motioned to her left hand with a wink. "You don't think I know what that is and what it means?" He was clearly amused, but Rey noticed his voice cracking as he said it. She frowned, knowing it was difficult for him. She'd been with him for a while and she knew he looked at her like a daughter... but she'd never really seen him show any emotions except the usual caution, compassion and snark. Luke turned his attention to Ben, who was carefully studying Rey to see how she was going to react. Luke saw tears flowing from Rey's eyes then. "What's wrong, kid?"
Rey shook her head as she walked to him and hugged him tight, a motion she only once initiated herself. Luke's eyes widened as he looked at Ben, then looked down at her. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around Rey, unsure of what to do with this. Ben suppressed a laugh at his uncle's awkwardness. The old hermit didn't hug much. And when he did, it was like this. Luke gently shushed her as he took to rubbing her back now. "No water works, kid. I'm happy for you." He pulled her away to look down at her. "You've grown a lot, Rey. I'm glad you could find someone that understands you and cares for you. Ben will treat you good," his tone held a threat to it as he cut his eyes up at Ben, who was smirking and nodding at him. Luke looked back down at Rey to see her smiling wide at him. "Have you met Maz yet?"
Ben and Rey both broke into laughter at the same time. "Yes," she said with a smile. "She said we'd be married within a year."
Luke's brows went up quick, as if to say 'ahh.' "Maz is never wrong," he said as he shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. "So then... I take it you're here to gather your things?" Rey blushed and nodded quietly. Luke nodded knowingly. "All right. You still want your job?" Rey nodded eagerly. He laughed. "Ok, it's yours." Rey hugged him one last time before taking her spot next to Ben again, hand in his. Luke rubbed his beard for a moment and shrugged. "I've been looking for someone to take over the business anyway," he said as he walked into the kitchen to pour more coffee.
Rey gawked for a moment. "What?"
Luke shot a, "You heard me," over his shoulder.
Rey looked up at Ben, mouth wide and he looked down at her with a confused shrug. "Luke, what-"
Luke turned to look at them then. "Look, kid. I'm not going to be around forever. And I didn't have any kids until you came here. So when I die, the business does, too. But it doesn't have to be that way. You two know your way around the garage and how to fix things, so why not? Do you want the business or not?"
Rey didn't know what to say. Ben was speechless, too. He stepped forward and stared at Luke for a moment before offering his hand to his uncle. Luke shook his hand with a curt nod. "Luke... thank you."
Luke shrugged at him. "No problem, kid. Least I could do. Anyway, be here tomorrow morning so we can start to go over the legalities of it all. For now, maybe you should start getting your stuff," he said as he walked out to the garage without another word.
X~x~x~x~x~X
It didn't take too long before they had everything packed up and loaded into the back of Luke's truck and some in Ben's car. With one last look at her old room, Rey walked out, closing the door behind her. It was bittersweet. She'd lived the best part of her years here in this room, with Luke. He'd helped her through so much. He'd gotten her to open up to him and to help her move past some of the trust issues. He'd kept his distance and listened patiently. He'd been so understanding. He'd become a father figure to her, one that was welcomed. At first, she wanted to know why Leia didn't want her, but now she knew that Leia was trying to pull her own family together. She knew that if Rey had come to live with her, things would get even worse, and it wasn't the best environment for Rey. No, Leia and Luke knew what they were doing. They knew that Luke was more capable of handling her, issues and all. And it had all worked out. Rey had grown into a competent woman, no fears of cars and fixing things. She knew more than half the guys around here about cars. Cars... Cars led to Ben Solo.
She smiled at that as she got into his car, lost in her thoughts. Ben could tell it was hard for her to move and leave Luke, even if they were ten minutes down the road. It was more a shift of environment for her. More of a scenery change. She was fine staying the night at his apartment, sure, but... living somewhere else from what had been her sanctuary... that was a different monster altogether. She was taking it well though, he noticed. She seemed a little uneasy, but she seemed happy. Unless his mind was deluding him to thinking so. That was a possibility, too. He felt the need to stay silent though as she worked it all out in her head. He knew that if she had a problem, she would tell him. He trusted her to tell him. When she was ready.
They pulled into the apartment complex and Ben signaled for Luke to park next to his car. Luke backed into the space as Ben shut the car off. She went to get out of the car, but Ben grabbed her hand gently. She turned to look at him, her eyes full of question. There were plenty of things he wanted to say to her... but instead, he gave her a small warm smile. "Welcome home, Rey."
That seemed to be the right answer because she hugged him across the car and kissed his cheek. "Home is where you are, Ben." She pulled away to see his face. He was moved, apparently, but he was also biting back a soft chuckle as he got out of the car, too. They helped Luke unload as Ben led the way upstairs to the apartment. He unlocked the door and went inside, Luke letting off a whistle of amazement.
"You got a good place here, Ben. Dark... but good." Ben snickered at his uncle. Always the anti-dark person.
"It will lighten up soon when Rey finishes her part," he said with a wink, kissing her temple and running back downstairs to get more boxes.
Rey looked at him curiously before Luke set a hand on her shoulder. "He wants you to redecorate."
The move went smoothly. All of Rey's stuff was moved in and now Ben's apartment-... their apartment looked crowded. But it wouldn't be that way for long. Once they put everything away, it would be back to how it was before. They sat on the couch, Ben handing Luke a beer as he looked at Rey to gauge her reaction. She smiled at him and nodded. He popped the top off and sipped it. He held it out to Rey to try and she hesitantly took it. He took her free hand, reassuring her that if she didn't want to, she didn't have to. She swigged it quietly and made a face at the taste, causing Ben to laugh softly. "We'll have to see what you like, if you're up for it." Rey blushed and nodded with a small smile. "Rey, you don't-"
"I want to. I'm curious," she said with a smile. She couldn't hide from alcohol her whole life. Just because of a few people. She wouldn't cower in fear over something that a few people ruined for her. She had to make her own decisions about it. And besides, Ben wasn't a jerk when he drank. He seemed to know his limit. And when he met his limit, he stopped. It made her trust him more.
They chatted for a while before Luke started to yawn. He stood from the recliner and nodded at the two. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Have a good night." Luke wasn't one for hugging so he just left with a wave, seeing himself out.
Ben and Rey looked at each other and she curled against him with a small sigh, his arm finding her side to gently rub affectionately. He was starting to wonder if it was too much for her. They'd gotten engaged a few days ago, and now they were living together, starting today, and Luke was giving them his business. It was so much so fast, he realized. His own head was reeling from it all; he could only imagine how it was for her. She seemed to be taking it all right... but he just didn't know. Maybe she just needed to process it for a while? "Rey-"
"I like it here," she whispered as she curled closer to him.
"I'm glad."
"It'll take some getting used to... but I like this. Being here with you. It's nice," she said as she yawned, leaning her head onto his chest, fingers splayed out over his shirt. He looked down at the ring on her finger then and kissed her forehead, leaning his cheek against her. "We should see Maz soon," she whispered, voice heavy with exhaustion.
"We will," he whispered to her. "Good night, Rey."
She mumbled a good night and fell asleep almost instantaneously on him.
X~x~x~x~x~X
They awoke the next morning, comfortable in each other's presence. It didn't take them long to get dressed, grab some coffee and head over to Luke's. They had a big day, they realized. They had to discuss business matters with Luke, visit Maz, and put her stuff away at their apartment. Sure, it was no rush, but it was something they both wanted to do, so it stood to say that they were comfortable with their plans. They also wanted to talk about a date for the wedding, both of them eager to get it done with and make things official. Ben was trying not to push, though he was really excited, and Rey was trying not to overwhelm herself and him with thoughts of it. Nothing had been worked out, nothing had been discussed. It was just a calmness that overcame them both, with an underlying excitement bubbling up occasionally.
Things had been going well with Luke passing the business down to them. He'd already called and met with lawyers to transfer the business and they were actually there when Ben and Rey arrived, which made things a lot easier. When it came time to sign her name, Rey blushed for a moment and then scribbled out her signature: Rey Solo. Ben could have died with how happy he was to see that on paper. She knew it made him happy, and it made her happy to see it on paper, too. It was like it was official already. After the lawyers had advised them on their next step, telling them to wait for the official paperwork to be sent to them finalizing everything, Luke had led them both around, showing them the ins and outs of the business.
From ordering, to scheduling, to maintenance and repairs, Rey and Ben had their hands full. They already started to make their own individual checklists and delegating things to each other. Something they found they were on the same page about when they had actually talked about it. Luke's only request was that he be kept on payroll until he retired, which apparently was going to be soon-ish. He also showed them the ropes with that. They were so grateful that Luke was helping them along because it was definitely difficult for them.
Once things were done over there, they decided that it was lunch time. After exchanging mischievous grins, they both decided silently that it was time to go visit Maz. They'd drove over there, talking about the business and Ben could already tell that Rey would make an excellent business owner. She was itemizing and delegating and talking out loud for plans of weekly and monthly maintenance checks. He couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. He knew it wasn't in her to fail. At anything. They'd pulled into Maz's before she realized it, looking up when he stopped the car. A dark blush appeared on her cheeks when she realized she'd been talking the whole 20 minute drive to Maz's. Ben helped her from the car and pulled her for a kiss. "I do hope you'll put as much enthusiasm into wedding plans, Mrs. Solo," he said as he kissed her again, earning a blush from her as well as a soft laugh.
"We'll see about that, Benny boy."
They walked into Maz's and the greeter opened her mouth to greet them, only to be cut off by Maz's boisterous laughter from the back. The tiny woman walked down the aisle, clapping her hands in excitement to see the two again. "Benny and Rey! Good to see you again. Come, come, have a seat." The two walked with her and sat with her again, just like last time. Once she put in the orders for them, she turned her attention back to them. They both seemed to glow and Maz didn't fail to notice. "So... when's the date?" she asked nonchalantly.
Rey and Ben laughed in unison. "You tell us," Rey said with a challenging smirk.
Maz stared at her for a moment and then she let out a loud laugh. "Oh, dear. I don't see you two putting it off any longer than a couple of months," she said with a sweet smile.
Rey thought about it for a moment. They were currently in September... She then smiled and nodded quietly. "November then."
Ben shot his head over to look at him, dang near giving himself whiplash. Rey looked up at him with a warm smile. After a few seconds of staring at her, searching to see if she was really ok with that, he gave her a gentle smile. "November." He knew that was more than enough time to get things situated.
Maz clapped her hands happily. "November it is then. I'll do the catering, naturally!" Ben and Rey didn't hear her. They were too lost in each other, having finally set a time together. And Rey had been the one to set it up. And he was ok with that. Maz went on without a word being heard. "Rose can do the flowers... I have the catering... Luke can get the venue set up... Leia can-"
Ben kissed Rey and their world melted away. This is where they both belonged.