When a house is marked, that meant the consummation of a marriage was happening.

No one else was allowed to go inside the house and knew not to by the symbol. Ben stared at the red mark in awe and traced along the dips and curves. The red will fade but the mark will be forever engrained into his house, as a sign that they were married. He pulls away from the sight and goes to his new wife. He locks the door, slow and careful as ever. Ben doesn't want to seem too eager but he's been waiting for her for years.

She was his and always will be.

He turns from the door and finds her not where he left her (which was on his bed - or their bed now). Rey's walking around his house in deep fascination. She's still soaked from earlier. She must be cold. "Your house is nice," she gives him a smile. Her eyes twinkle in the dim light, green and golden.

Ben couldn't help but to blush. His house wasn't much and like all men who prepared for this time, he maintained his home for his future wife. "Do you want to change into something warm?" he offered. He bit his lip. It seemed silly since they will be naked soon but she looks so content with getting acquainted in her new home. He will let her do that first.

Rey nodded.

He shows her to his wardrobe and points at the selection of shirts of her to choose from. He gestures her to change behind the wooden dressing wall as he handed her a towel to dry herself up. It seems very, very silly but he wants to give her privacy. He's known her since she was a little girl and he never wants to ever hurt her.

Ben moved away from the corner of the room and decides to make her some tea. She likes tea, this his knows very well. He heats up the veggie stew he made for her in advance. He wants nothing but to make her feel welcomed. As he's setting the table, she comes out in nothing but one of his tunics. She's small and it pools around her like a dress. Her hair is brushed and shiny and pushed off to the side. She looks so delicate like this, feminine and graceful.

"You made me food?"

Ben shrugged, trying to hide his embarrassment. She's smiling at him again in such a gentle manner. She hasn't looked at him like that in years. "I knew today was going to be a while and figured you would be hungry," he explained.

"Thank you." She sat down and so did he. Ben focuses on everything but her. It's not to stare. She's not wearing any bindings and he can see her nipples pebbling through the thick material of the tunic. Rey watches him as he prepares the tea. Her eyes lit up again in recognition. "That's my favorite tea blend!" she said in awe.

"I know," he cleared his throat. His hands are suddenly shaking for some reason. "I see you make it all the time at the quarters and I wanted to make you feel right at home." Ben slowly hands her the cup of tea and she takes it with ease.

"How kind of you!" Ben tries to smile but for some reason, he can't. This feels too surreal. They were finally together and she wanted him too and yet his mind could barely register it. Rey blows her tea and takes a long sip before becoming transfixed by her surroundings. There's things in his house that were clear that he was nesting for her specifically. Books on medicine and healing. A new shelf. A vase filled with flowers. There was a moment of silence. "You were only going after me?" her voice went low.

"It's always been you."


The material of the tunic feels thick in his hands and yet thin altogether. Ben brushes his fingertips against the hem and her bare thigh before lifting her in his arms. She's so light, as if she belonged in his hold. He should take out the light from the lanterns but he wanted to see her. He knows she's shy, can tell by the color developing across her face of a soft rose shade.

Ben rubs his thumb on her cheek to comfort her, keeping his gaze on her as he gently laid her back onto the bed. He rolls himself over her like a wave against a human, with exert force and impact and yet surprising delicateness. Rey's shoulders tense as she stared at everything but him. She's so timid, so afraid but he wasn't going to hurt her at all. And she knows this. That's why she went to him willingly. He bends his face closer to her so she can find his stare. His eyes are deep and dark opposed to the life her eyes emulated that it causes his wife to tremble.

He shakes his head softly.

Rey nodded back.

Ben's fingers find her hair. He runs through the soft damp waves as any child would with a doll. He's wanted to do this for years, to have her - to protect her. To have her as only his. She lets out a sigh. He presses his lips on her temple and then traces his way to her soft, full lips. He's so much bigger than her, the mere pressure of him hovering her causes the bed to shake. The bed will break. He'll simply get another one but for tonight he'll have to make do.

The slightly bruising of her mouth causes her to whimper.

Ben moaned quietly into her throat. He's trembling for it's taking so much out of him to refrain himself. He finds his way back to her and kisses her. The last few years imagining didn't compare. For this very moment, their first kiss was so much more. She tastes sweeter than he could ever imagined. She's more willing that he's ever dreamed. Her fingers curl naturally into his and he holds them tight.

This moment was so perfect.

He could kiss her forever.

Ben pulls away and strokes her hair and confusion away. "We don't have to tonight," he says gently. It might ruin this moment and he wants this to be purely innocent. He wants to remember this night as their first kiss. First embrace. He doesn't want her to be in pain. He doesn't want her to cry.

"I want to," Rey assured. "It's just - I don't -

"Want this moment to end?"

Rey nodded.

"I don't too." Ben bit his lip but kept touching her hair. He's slept with the local women before, the women that made profit of sex but this was different. He loves Rey and doesn't want to hurt her at all. He's loved her before he knew he was in love with her.

"We have to though to consummate our union -

"We will eventually when the time is right," Ben glossed over her concern. "No one else has to know."

"But, that's not how it's done." She sits up then, perking up. Ben chuckled and kisses her forehead.

"No one has to know," he reminded her. "We are married regardless. I carried you and I marked my home. But you mustn't tell your mother," Ben said sternly. "She will see our marriage as invalid and will make you come back home."

Rey swallowed hard. "I don't want that at all."

"You don't?"

Rey chuckled. She kissed him on his cheek. "Of course I don't. I want to be with you."

"How long have you felt that way?"

"Since I first saw you."