Rey could barely look at Ben.

It wasn't that he was acting weird around her. In fact, he seemed animated, talking incessantly as they prepared dinner side by side, joking around with their daughter and praising her all over again for learning how to swim in a single afternoon. For all intents and purposes, he was acting like the Ben she had known for months.

He was acting as though nothing had happened in the pool earlier before Hannah had interrupted.

It must be just her then, she thought. She must have imagined it all-the way he held her, the way his heart beat against her palm over his chest, the soft way he gazed into her eyes and down at her lips, how he had tilted his head, lips parted with his heavy breaths as his face moved closer and closer to hers and…

She yelped, and stared at her hand. She had cut herself with the knife.

"Rey?" Ben dropped the ladle and hurried to her side. Rey moved the chopping board and vegetables away so she wouldn't bleed all over it, and Ben turned to their daughter and said, "Hannah, go get the first aid kit from the medicine cabinet."

Hannah didn't say the word, but Rey could hear the pitter patter of her bedroom slippers as she hurried out of the kitchen to do as her father had told her. Rey was still staring at her finger, a droplet of blood sliding down her digit in a bright red line. She almost wiped it on her shirt, but Ben took her hand in his and gently pulled it towards the tap to wash the blood down with water, all the while applying pressure to let the wound bleed out. His face was intense, focused on the task, and Rey felt a twinge of shame for allowing herself to be careless and distracted.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Ben looked at her with an encouraging smile. "No need to be sorry. These things happen."

Rey didn't say anything more, and just stared at Ben as he inspected her finger, still under the running tap water. Had his profile always looked this pleasing?

"I got the first aid kit!" Hannah declared from behind them, and Rey turned to see the girl holding the kit up high in the air. Ben turned off the tap and guided Rey to the kitchen island, where he cleaned the wound with antiseptic before sealing it with a band-aid.

"It's not a deep cut. You'll be fine," he assured as he held her hand in his, gently patting it. "There. That's better, isn't it?"

"Daddy, it's not better until you kiss it better." Hannah giggled from across the island counter, framing her face with her hands.

Rey's eyes met Ben's, but she quickly tore her gaze away just as he let go of her hand. Hannah was still grinning widely. She clearly enjoyed teasing them, and Rey's mind began to turn as she looked back at all those times that Hannah had made them take photos together, how she had made them sing together and given them time to talk to each other. Had Hannah been trying to set her up with Ben this whole time? Rey tried to push the thought aside, but it latched on to her and wouldn't let go.

"Daddy, kiss Rey's boo-boo away!" Hannah insisted, and Rey felt her cheeks heat up at the thought of Ben pressing his lips on her finger.

"That only works on little girls, Sweetheart," Ben said cooly. "Rey's a big girl. And big girls don't need kisses on their boo-boos to make it feel better. Big girls are brave that way."

"But I'm a big girl too!" Hannah said, a little indignant, and Ben chuckled before going back to the stove to finish cooking. Rey followed him back to her chopping board, and not long after, they finished making dinner, with Ben carrying the casserole of beef and vegetable stew to the dining room.

They said grace the way they usually did by holding each other's hands. Rey thought she could feel electricity where her hand rested in Ben's, but he didn't seem affected at all. Not like she was, with her trembling fingers and pounding heart. He was still his usual self, giving equal attention to her and Hannah in conversation. So maybe it was just her.

After dinner, they all gathered in the living room to watch a movie. Hannah picked out "Matilda", one of her favorite movies which Rey would later learn was introduced to her by her babysitter and Chewie's employee, Rose. Rey had seen it as a child. Ben too, in his teens. She loved the movie's themes about how family wasn't just about blood, that family could be found too.

Ben had turned out the lights for a better movie experience, although he had to light the fireplace to keep them warm. Overall, it made for a comfortable night on the couch. Maybe a little too comfortable, Rey thought, because Hannah fell asleep half-way through the movie.

"I'll take her upstairs," Ben whispered after he had paused the movie and carried Hannah in his arms, careful not to wake her.

Once he disappeared up the stairs, Rey stood up from the couch to sit on the floor in front of the fire, holding up her hands to the warm glow. She still wasn't used to Coruscant's weather. Maybe she should have taken a robe with her after she showered and changed earlier. Her t-shirt and pajama pants were doing little to keep her warm.

She heard Ben come back to the living room, although she didn't look up at him until she felt him put his robe over her shoulders.

"Thanks, Ben," she said as he sat down beside her. "What about you? Aren't you cold in that tank top?"

"Nah, I'm used to it," he said, stretching his long legs and propping himself up with his palms on the floor. The creases of his sweatpants made for some unusual shadows over his crotch, and Rey was suddenly reminded of his tight-fitting swimming trunks earlier.

She looked away and hoped the firelight would hide the color on her cheeks.

After a companionable silence, Ben said, "I'm sorry about Hannah and the whole kissing bit earlier. She loves to tease."

"Yeah, I know." Rey slipped her hands inside the robe and tightened it around herself.

"It's kinda stupid," Ben continued, "but she sort of has it in her mind that we could be...together. Like, together, together."

Rey turned and found Ben staring back at her with an unreadable expression, face half-bathed in orange light, half-bathed in shadow.

Butterflies in her belly began beating their wings frantically, and she let out a laugh. "That's funny, Ben."

"Yeah. Hilarious," he said with a slight smile before facing the fireplace.

Another moment of silence fell, though this time, Rey felt a bit more tense. So, she wasn't the only one who noticed Hannah's behavior. Ben noticed too.

"Why would she think that though?" Rey asked. "She knows we're just friends."

Ben sighed. "I don't know what goes on in that girl's head sometimes. I guess she's not that different from other kids who want their parents to be together. Then again, she's never teased me this way with the other women I've dated." There was a pregnant pause before he quickly added, "I'm not saying we're dating. I mean, the other women that have been in my life, dating or not dating."

"Yeah, I kinda got that." Rey nodded and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. For some strange reason, she found the thought of Ben with other women...uncomfortable.

"Rey, can I ask you something personal?" he said after a time. "It's okay if you don't answer though."

"Shoot," she encouraged. She didn't mind him prying, really. It wasn't like they hadn't gotten personal these last few months. In fact, they had gotten pretty up close and personal in the pool…

"Why don't you have a boyfriend?" Ben asked, shaking her from her thoughts. "I mean, I remember you saying you weren't looking to get into a relationship right now. But why?"

Okay, that was a little more personal than she expected, and she was silent for a moment before answering. "I just have a lot of baggage in my life right now. Responsibilities that require my full attention. A boyfriend won't be able to deal with that."

"Why do you think a boyfriend won't be able to deal with you having responsibilities?"

"Because that's why my ex-boyfriend broke up with me."

"Oh."

Silence fell in the living room once more, making the cackling of firewood seemingly louder.

It took a while for Rey to speak again. "His name was Tommy. We were seventeen when we met in college. I introduced him to my grandfather and everything. We fell in love fast and he even planned a future for us. But after Grandpa was diagnosed, he broke up with me because I couldn't give him the time and attention he needed."

Ben's reply was swift. "Well then, he's an idiot. Any man worth his salt can see what an incredible thing you were doing for your grandfather."

She couldn't stop herself from smiling at that. "Thank you, Ben."

"I'm just stating facts." Ben shrugged, then paused for a moment. "So you've never had a boyfriend since then?"

She shook her head. "No. I just didn't want to go through all that again. Maybe one day, I will, but not until I get my life together." She let out a breath before turning to him with a smile, her tone mischievous as she asked, "Enough about me. How about you? I remember Hannah saying you've never had a girlfriend."

He shrugged again "It's true."

"No way. Not even once?"

"No. I dated a lot in my younger years but was never serious until Hannah came along." He wiggled his toes in front of the fire, and Rey found herself fascinated with how big his feet were. "After she was born, I tried to get into more serious relationships so she wouldn't grow up motherless, but it never worked out for me. Which is why I'm glad you came along, Rey. Now Hannah has the mother she's always dreamed of."

He looked at her then, and there was softness in his eyes she had only seen a few times-when he had listened to her the first time she told him about her parents; when he had sung with her in that restaurant; after he had hugged her when she thanked him for her truck; and only recently, when he had held her in his arms in the pool.

She turned away, her mind scrambling for what else to say until she settled on a subject. "You never told me much about your mother. Or your father for that matter, except about that last argument you had with him."

She dared a glance at him, and watched him chew on the inside of his cheek, his eyes fixated on the fireplace.

"I don't have much to say, really." He sighed. "I was a latchkey kid. They were both working all the time. Mother was a lawyer and as you know, Father was running our shipping company."

"You call your parents 'Mother' and 'Father'?" Rey asked. "That's...pretty formal."

"That's 'coz I grew up being taught I had to be." Ben's laughter was dry. "You don't know how many charity functions and galas I'd had to go to growing up and being forced to mingle with people who have sticks up their asses."

"And yet here you are, pretty crass with your words." Rey playfully shoved him on the shoulder, and he flashed a toothy smile at her.

"Learned it all from Uncle Chewie. My mother was appalled to say the least when I first said 'fuck', but eventually I'd had to reign myself in around her. Father may be best buds with Uncle Chewie, but he didn't like seeing my mother upset."

"He must've loved your mother very much," Rey commented.

"He did," Ben agreed, though Rey could detect a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Sometimes, I think that maybe they loved each other so much that they didn't have any love left for me."

Hearing his words was like taking a knife to the heart. "Oh, Ben. I'm sure that's not true."

"Maybe." He lowered his gaze, mouth set in a grim line. "Hard to believe that though when they weren't very affectionate with me, which was the complete opposite with Hannah. They doted on her the way they never did me. It's difficult not to be bitter about it. But I try to think of it this way: that having Hannah was the one thing I did that didn't disappoint my parents."

Rey wasn't sure what to say to that, so she scooted closer, and after a moment's hesitation, put her hand over Ben's.

He trembled underneath her touch, but it got him talking again. "I suppose having Hannah was a selfish decision, not just of me, but of the entire family. Father wanted a grandchild so badly before he died and pressured me into it, so Mother did too. I allowed myself to get talked into having Hannah because I wanted their approval so bad. As it turned out though, Hannah was a blessing. After she was born, my parents and I bonded over child-rearing, especially me and my mother. That, and Hannah's presence actually kept Father alive up until last year."

Rey smiled. "I guess we both had Hannah in order to extend the lives of the people we loved."

"Yeah, but you did it for selfless reasons though," Ben pointed out, his gaze on her as warm as the fire before them. "It still amazes me, the lengths you went through and the sacrifices you made for your grandfather. You're an incredible woman, Rey."

Rey looked down shyly, her hand over Ben's tightening involuntarily. She yelped when she pressed her wounded finger too hard against his knuckle, and he quickly held her hand in his, leaning over to inspect the band-aid, his shoulder touching hers.

"Does it hurt?"

"Yeah. I think I pressed it too hard and-"

Ben kissed her finger, and she froze. It was a quick peck, but it sent shivers up her arm and down her spine, and she looked at him with wide eyes, watching his own panic flit through his features.

"S-sorry," he stammered and let go. "Force of habit."

"It's fine," she mumbled, placing her hands on her lap and staring at her splayed fingers. It was nothing. He hadn't meant to. And yet she couldn't look at him. She tried opening her mouth to speak but words failed her. What was she even supposed to say after that?

"I think we should call it a night," Ben said, much to her relief, and he stood up from the floor, turned off the TV before holding his hand out to help her up. She took his hand, wobbling a little on her feet but he quickly grabbed her by the elbows to steady her. "Whoa. You alright, Rey?"

"Y-Yeah. Just lost a bit of feeling in my legs." She looked up at him and found him staring at her with that look in his eyes again. His hands were still on her elbows, her own hands clenching at her sides when she saw his pupils dilate, his nostrils flaring, and his gaze moving to her mouth. Her own gaze moved to his lips, in much the same way they had earlier in the pool; those plump, soft-looking lips that at first glance, didn't look like it belonged with the rest of his masculine features, and yet they fit perfectly on his face.

His throat bobbed as he cleared his throat, and he let go of her. "Let's go to bed."

Rey swallowed and nodded, watching him put out the fire before walking beside him in relative darkness until they reached their respective bedrooms. She opened the door to the guest room and saw the bed empty. Ben must've put Hannah in her own room, she thought.

She turned around and saw Ben still standing by the open door to his room, eyes fixed on her, his hand tight around the door knob. She suddenly remembered she was still wearing his robe, and she took it off before stepping forward to hand it to him.

He quietly moved closer to take it from her, their hands brushing beneath the fabric, lingering for a moment that seemed too long in her mind. She continued to stare back at him, her shoulders stiff and her arms pressed tight to her sides as she waited. Waited for what, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that her chest was starting to hurt from all the hammering her heart was doing against her rib cage.

Then, Ben took a step back. "Good night, Rey."

"G-Good night," she stuttered, and watched him enter his room and close the door. She turned and hastily entered the guest room, closing the door behind her. She leaned her back against it, a hand over her heart as she willed it to slow.

She would be sleeping without Hannah by her side tonight, but for once, she was glad. She didn't want to wake her daughter up with all the tossing and turning she was bound to do the entire night.


Nothing had happened.

Not in the pool, not in the living room, not in the hallway.

Nothing.

Ben thought he should be glad of it; be proud that he had managed to get a hold of himself, yet here he was, lying down on his large bed, a hand moving feverishly up and down his stiff cock as images of Rey's face swam through his mind.

He'd wanted to kiss her. Fuck, he'd wanted to kiss her so bad. In the pool. Under the warm glow of the fire that made her eyes shimmer. In the hallway as they said their good nights. He'd wanted to pull her into his arms, devour her lips, suck the breath out of her until she was weak-kneed and leaning against him.

He gritted his teeth when he stroked himself in a particularly pleasurable way, Rey's pink lips behind his closed eyes. The same lips he couldn't seem to stop staring at. The same lips he wanted pressed against his own lips...gliding over his skin...stretching around his cock…

Fuck!

His back arched, hips slowly thrusting into his curled hand, one arm over his eyes, blocking out what little luminance his bedside lamp provided in his darkened room. He wanted her. By God, he wanted her, even though he knew he shouldn't. Loved her even though he knew he shouldn't. Loved her so much, his whole body physically ached for her, to be as close to her as humanly possible. To be buried and enveloped in her until he lost himself inside her.

Over and over he kept telling himself he shouldn't think about her that way, that he should think about her as nothing more than a friend but she wasn't making it easy. Not with the way she looked back at him, eyelashes fluttering and lips parting. Not with the way she had lingered in the hallway, looking expectantly at him, and he'd wanted nothing more than to sweep her in his arms and carry her to his room. Lay her down on his bed, peel off the layers of their clothing until there was nothing but skin on skin. He wanted to kiss her lips, to suckle her breasts and swirl his tongue around the nipples he had seen protruding through the white of her bathing suit. He wanted to slide his hand down the curve of her ass and pull her hips flush against his while he buried himself in her heat. Over and over.

He loved her. Loved how she listened to him, how she understood him like no one ever had, how she made him feel safe enough to open himself up to her. He loved how she made him feel whole, and he wanted to show her just how much he loved her. He would worship every inch of her, make her body come alive under his touches, make her come undone with his name on her lips.

He quickened his strokes, moans and grunts escaping his lips as a well of emotion built up inside of him. Oh, to have her call to him breathlessly. To hold him close to her as though he was the person dearest to her. To hear her whisper that she loved him back, and it was that last thought that finally made him fall over the crest, and he moved his hand from his eyes to his mouth so he could bite down and keep himself from crying out Rey's name as thick ropes of cum splattered all over his stomach.

His chest rose and fell as he squeezed every last drop before he let go, his body aglow from his release until the euphoria ebbed away, and he opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling.

Oh my God, what had he done? He had turned Rey into a mastubatory fantasy! Rey, who'd been nothing but loving and nurturing to their daughter. Rey, who'd been nothing but the sweetest, kindest, closest friend he had ever had in his entire life.

Rey, who would not want anything to do with him except in friendship.

He grabbed his discarded tank top and began wiping the evidence of his sexual act. Anger bubbled up inside of him; not towards Rey, but towards himself. How many times had he told himself that he could never be with her? That she only thought of him as a friend? Too many times to count, and yet his heart, body and mind yearned for her, and there seemed to be nothing he could do to stop it.


As she had expected, Rey did not have a good night's sleep. Her body had been tired but her mind ran a hundred miles a minute. She couldn't seem to stop replaying all the scenarios in her head-of Ben gazing at her the way he did. In the pool. By the fireplace. In the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Everything about those moments, from his dark, intense eyes, his deep, shaky breaths, to the long, lingering gazes at her lips all told her one thing.

Ben had wanted to kiss her.

Looking back, she had, in a way, tried to test that theory by waiting for him to make a move in the hallway. But he hadn't. And she didn't know what to make of her feelings because of it. She was relieved of course. They both knew perfectly well that anything more than friendship between them would only lead to unnecessary complications, yet at the same time, she found it almost impossible to ignore her disappointment. She chalked it up to vanity, to her insecurities that maybe Ben just didn't find her attractive. Then again, why should she even worry if he was attracted to her or not? That shouldn't be an issue at all since they were just friends.

She sighed. She didn't know anymore. This was all too confusing. The simple solution really, was to forget those moments even happened. It wasn't like she was certain he had wanted to kiss her. He could have if he had wanted to, especially since she had left herself vulnerable in the hallway, but he hadn't. So maybe he hadn't wanted to kiss her after all. Maybe it was just all in her head.

The conclusion satisfied her, and it was further driven home by the fact that Ben wasn't acting any differently from yesterday. Or maybe he was just trying to act normal. She wasn't sure. She would just have to try not to think about it too much and just go about spending as much time with Ben and Hannah. It was, after all, her last day in Coruscant, at least until the next weekend.

Time, however, flew by far too quickly for Rey's liking. She supposed that was the only downside to having so much fun. They had all had breakfast together, gone for a morning swim and followed it with a hearty lunch. Hannah was as chipper as can be, and rather than being sad about her mother leaving that afternoon, she focused more on her excitement for the next visit.

"We'll go to the park. This time, for sure," the girl said with a determined glint in her eyes. "We'll ride bikes, and race, and eat candied apples and ice cream and hot dogs until we get sick!"

"That sounds great." Rey giggled as she put the last of her things in her duffel bag. She slung the strap of the bag over her shoulder and turned to Ben, who was leaning against the door frame of the guest room, watching her pack. "What do you think, Ben? The park sound great to you?"

"Uhm, yeah, sure." His smile was small. "Anywhere is great as long as it's with you two."

Rey beamed. Ben really knew what to say to make her feel better. And she needed to hear that now more than ever especially since she was starting to feel some separation anxiety again.

"Let's take more photos," Hannah said, holding up her phone.

"Sweetheart, you've already taken a million photos of us," Ben complained, but nonetheless, took Hannah's phone so he could take a selfie with all three of them. "There. Happy?"

"Not yet. I want to take more photos of just the two of you." She grabbed the phone from her father's hand and climbed up the bed, pointing the phone's camera to where Rey and Ben stood by the door. "Rey, can you put down your bag for a second?"

Rey did as she was told, and stood beside Ben, leaning a little to his shoulder while Hannah took the photo.

The girl frowned. "You two look too stiff. Like you're not even friends. Daddy, can you put your arm over Rey's shoulder? And Rey, can you put your arm around Daddy's waist?"

Rey's eyes shot up to meet Ben's, and she saw him roll his eyes. They both knew now this was one of Hannah's little ploys to get them together.

Ben leaned down, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered, "Let's just go with it since it makes her happy."

Rey found herself not really opposing the idea. She nodded and settled herself against Ben as he put his arm over her shoulder while she snaked hers around his waist. Hannah's face was practically radiant, and she was all smiles by the time she finished taking photos. Rey's smile, however, faded as she extricated herself from Ben and slowly walked with them out of the house.

It was time for her to leave. Time to go back to reality. Back to her routine in Jakku. Back to her job.

Back to Plutt.

She stopped in her tracks by the garage entrance. Plutt. She had completely forgotten about him. She had been too wrapped up in the safe haven with Ben and Hannah that she had momentarily forgotten what had happened days ago.

Ben was quick to notice her sudden change in demeanour, and he looked back at her with worry etched on his face. "Rey? Are you alright?"

She looked at him then, unsure whether she should tell him what had happened. If Ben knew that the restored truck was what led to Plutt leering at her and touching her, he'd blame himself. Heck, if Ben knew Plutt had touched her…

"Rey?"

"I'm fine, Ben." She tried to smile. "I guess I just don't want to go back home yet."

"I don't want you to go back either," Hannah said, walking over to hug her and press her head against her stomach. "I wish you could stay here forever, Rey. That someday, this would be your home."

Rey's first thought was to make the girl understand that she couldn't, that Jakku was her home but for some reason, that last part was beginning to feel like a lie. They say 'home is where the heart is' and once upon a time, Jakku was where her heart was at. With her Grandpa Ben, and his warm smiles, big hugs and gentle nature. Now all that was left was a rickety old house in a small plot of dusty land. It was a shell, empty except for her and memories of her grandfather. But she couldn't leave. She was desperate to cling on to the last vestiges of Ben Kenobi, the same way she had for the past nine years. She never imagined even considering leaving, but now she was starting to falter.

She shook her head and wordlessly held her daughter, running her fingers through the girl's dark, wavy hair. No. This was her life. She had resigned herself to it. Accepted it. She couldn't, wouldn't waver now, not even for the happiness she felt with Hannah and Ben. She had spent almost all her life trying to pay back her grandfather for taking her away from the horrid life with her parents, for saving her from a future of ending up like them. She couldn't stop now, not even after her grandfather's death. There were still debts to pay, a house to fully take back and memories of him to preserve.

She thought of all those things all at once yet none of the words made it to her lips as she leaned down to kiss the top of Hannah's head. There was going to be a hole in her heart with Hannah's name on it until she got back to Coruscant, and she had to tell herself that she didn't have long to wait.

She turned to Ben and without hesitation, put her arms around him in a tight hug, tucking her head beneath his chin as he enveloped her in his embrace, and she took in the scent of his cologne. He smelled of cedarwood and pine, with a hint of aftershave.

Heart pounding, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, and he did the same, though she thought he lingered for a moment too long. Or maybe she did. She was unsure.

Pulling away, she got inside her truck and started the engine, the noise filling the garage. She gripped the steering wheel but didn't drive off. Not yet.

She glanced out the window, watching as Ben picked Hannah up in his arms so she could have a better look of her mother. The girl waved at her, her little hand listless as she did, and Rey felt her heart break.

Then, an idea.

She stuck her head out the window and said, "How would you guys like to come to Jakku next weekend for a change? We could go dune sledding in the desert and go camping under the stars like what me and Grandpa used to do."

Hannah and Ben looked at each other, and Rey's heart soared when she saw smiles dancing on their lips.

"We'd love to go," Ben said with enthusiasm.

"Awesome! I can't wait." Rey beamed, already brimming with excitement at the prospect of having Hannah and Ben stay with her again. Her house in Jakku may be a shell, but if she could bring her heart-which was with Hannah and Ben-into that shell, then maybe it would once again become a home, even for a little while.