**AN: Ha! Physical progress. Don't get too excited, and get yo mind out the gutter. Our favorite couple isn't there yet. They need to put some definition to their relationship for sure. And it's a slow burn. Until it's not**
Last time on WO: Luke and Rey made strides in healing and Ben Solo got some much needed hugs.
"Luke? Is that you?" Rey asked. It was still dark and she felt so out of sorts. She went to rub the sleep out of her eyes, something routine that she constantly tried to do even after so long of not being able to. But her arm lifted and obeyed her. Startled, she sat up. She was in a state of disbelief. She was sitting up in bed, lifting her arms, and moving her legs. And it didn't
"Luke!" she called louder. He seemed to snap out of his meditation and walked over to her.
"Oh, Rey! It helped. I'd hoped it would since I was deeper than ever before. How do you feel?"
"Good, I think. Tired and sore, and weak. Oh, so weak." She was trembling with the effort. It had been so long since she'd truly used these muscles. Luke sat beside her, and shouldered most of her weight. He sent out a tendril of healing and the trembling stopped at last.
"That's to be expected, but this is such an improvement. How does the barrier feel?"
"Almost gone, it is so thin like a suge of force would knock it over. Is that good?"
"Yes, I believe so, I think that it means the swelling in your brain is all but gone," Luke anserewed.
Rey leaned the rest of her weight onto Luke, and smiled. Her body was becoming her own again. Once the barrier was gone, she could focus on pushing herself and getting back her strength. Maybe she would train to finish learning how to control the force, so she wouldn't hurt herself and others. Besides, she needed to wait until they had the artifact and broke the connection between the Sith and her and Ben's minds. But after that, well, she would have to figure it out. She still felt in the way here, and too idle. She was used to a life of labor, only being still at night and when sandstorms raged. She most certainly did not want to go back to Jakku.
But maybe Han knew someone that would take her on to fix ships. It would be quite the difference to put things together, new ship parts, and repair something that is not very far gone. The majority of her time putting things together was to give a semblance of working to Plutt. She never really had the tools to do what she wanted to the parts, but she was certain that she could learn fast.
Or maybe somehow she could study flight and be able to fly ships. She was iffy on this plan though because although she knew how to read and write Basic, and could speak and understand much more, she wasn't sure if any of that would be good enough to get her unto and through a program to be official. But she listened to Han and all of the surrounding rumores and again thought that there may be a not so legal way to be able to pilot.
She realized that Luke had said something and flushed. "Um, what? I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I was just asking if you wanted to lay back down for now. It's early yet and your body isn't used to all this excitement."
Rey nodded, she was still tired. But she didn't think she could fall asleep with her mind racing, thinking of possibilities.
Luke helped lower her back to the bed, and turned to leave. He was almost to the door, andhesitated. He stood there for a bit until she started to get nervous. "Rey. Can I tell Ben? I know he would want to know, and see you. He has been anxious."
Rey sighed and stared at the ceiling. She tried to run a hair through her hair, but felt the braids from Leia and dropped it back to bed. Ben. Force. She'd forgotten her pain for just a brief little while, and was deliberately not thinking about their connection when considering her plans. It was silent but Luke had so much patience, so he waited for Rey.
Rey decided it was time to get over herself and face her friend. He'd been nothing but kind to her, and she didn't know what the distance was doing to him, or even what his mom had told him about what happened. She'd been selfish, she realized-only thinking of herself and what she was going through.
"Yes. Can I have a few hours though?"
"Of course. He will be glad to see you doing so well, and to be able to come in with you again."
"Luke? Um… Well… Can his boyfriend not come with him right now? I know that is probably not fair to Ben or him, but I just… I'm not at my best and… Well I don't know," Rey said, getting quieter as she continued to speak.
Rey turned to look at Luke and saw an incredulous look on his face. "Wait, who? His… boyfriend? What on earth… Oh. Oh! Rey, that was Poe, one of his oldest friends. He and his mom stopped by the academy unexpectedly. Quite a character really. He could give Han a run for his money with the title of head scoundrel."
"But…" Rey trailed off, back to being confused. She thought that she had figured out who he met. And it was almost a relief that it was a man, because that meant that he wasn't necessarily rejecting her out of hand, but because he had different preferences. "Well, who is he with then?" She did and didn't want to know. But if she was facing him, she wanted an idea of what to expect so she could hopefully keep herself in control.
"No one, Rey. There is just you," Luke said. "You really should talk to him. I'll send him in a few hours." He turned to leave before Rey could ask any more.
She could have sworn she heard Luke laughing outside her door, fading with every step away. Her face burned like it did the day after being stuck inside after a sandstorm and she felt ridiculous.
Well, kriff it all to hell. Rey thought.
