Chapter 1: Kiss Me Hard
The Resistance party on Ajan Kloss was in full swing, complete with bonfires roaring against the starry night.
But someone was missing, scholar Beaumont Kin noted, and he went up to General Poe Dameron to ask him about it.
"Where's Rey?"
Apparently, Poe had heard that one too many times that day, for he nearly threw down his plate of food in frustration. "Always wandering off into the jungle by herself. Moping around like her heart's been broken. And then she's got poor Finn all crazy about her and she doesn't care much about him!"
Beaumont blinked. "How do you know that?"
Poe shrugged, spitting out the toothpick clenched between his teeth. "You've got eyes. Use them."
Beaumont scanned into the clearing below. Squinting, he spotted Rey finally emerge from the trees, as Finn ran up to her. She then took his hand as he must have asked her for a dance. The whiskered man nodded to Poe.
"She's back."
Poe observed the Jedi and ex-Stormtrooper in the valley below too, though his expression was more pained.
Around the bonfires, Rey and Finn twirled in a shy but decent waltz. Finn was all smiles.
"Gee... at last."
Rey peered at him. "Last what, Finny?"
His grin only grew more infatuated at her pet name for him. "Oh, you know, Rey. You must know."
At this, Rey's eyes widened in understanding, and her entire expression shattered in anguish. "Oh no, Finny... please..."
"Honest to God, Rey, from the minute you whacked me in the face with your staff on Jakku, I knew it was love!" Finn's grin was positively dopey, and her heart ached for him.
"No, Finny..."
"No?" His smile dipped just a bit.
"Well..." Rey stammered. "It's just that I don't want you to build up any false hopes... I like you very much, Finny, but..."
"Oh, you mean once we get the Prime Republic treaties signed and ratified?"
"We'll... we'll talk about it then," Rey smiled weakly.
Abruptly, she stepped out of his arms, the dance swaying to a halt. The Jedi's eyes were wild and desperate.
"Finny!" she cried. "Finny, will you do me a favor?"
"Why, sure."
"Will you kiss me, right now? Hard?"
Finn shyly demurred. He had wanted to kiss her for so long, but never had he imagined (even in his wildest dreams) that Rey would ask him to kiss her - demand it. Now that the moment was here, he strangely faltered.
"... Here? Now?"
"Right here," she nodded quite seriously.
"OK, um..." Awkwardly taking her waist again, he pulled her close. "You mean... embrace you, like this?"
Rey gulped. "Yes," she rasped.
"And... kiss you? Like this?" With that, Finn closed the gap and slammed his lips against hers.
Instantly, Rey closed her eyes, and passionately mustered everything in her power to kiss him back as Finn's mouth slanted over hers. He was a fine enough kisser, he tasted nice.
But...
Rey and Finn finally broke apart. Opening her eyes, her entire face slumped in disappointment. The light in Finn's eyes dimmed, defeated.
"No fireworks or anything, huh?"
"No..." Rey sighed. "I'm sorry, Finny, I'm really sorry..." And she nearly wanted to cry. She had liked kissing her best friend... but he hadn't made her swoon. Not like the one, only other kiss she could compare it to. He hadn't kissed her the way that... Ben had...
Finn nodded dejectedly. "Sure, it's all right, I understand. Sometimes a person thinks a person is his type person and, all of a sudden, he finds that person is not really his type person and another person is his type... person." He tumbled off the end of the non-sequiter lamely, struggling to understand it himself.
Blinking back tears, Rey nodded, even as she had to hide a giggle at Finn's adorable way of expressing himself. "It doesn't always work that way, Finny..." she pointed out sadly.
Finn nodded glumly. Jerking a thumb over his shoulder, he weakly got out, "I... I think I'll grab a food plate from Rosie."
Rey nodded again. As soon as he had disappeared, she buried a face in her palm and wept.
Would she ever be free of her deceased bondmate? Could she ever live a normal life beyond Ben? Without Ben?
The answer was almost assuredly No.