**Last time on WO: They find a good source that may help prepare them to retrieve the artifact. Luke, Leia and Han get a front row seat to our favorite space couple's explorations **
The next morning Ben led Rey to the training rooms, and she looked around in awe. "I've never seen this many weapons all together. Do you know how to use them all?"
"I've had basic training with them all, but students are encouraged to find one they are most comfortable with, and everyone does saber training," Ben explained, walking over to the rack. "Do you want to start with a staff? We can see how strong you are after everything."
Rey nodded as she walked over, smoothing her hands over several until she found one that was about the same height as the one one she used back on Jakku. She grabbed it and tested its weight, giving a few twirls and jabs. Ben was leaning against the wall eyeing her intently. She had a good stance and grip. She would be easy to work with compared to most of the padawans he had worked with. Ben led her to an empty training room after grabbing his own staff.
They faced off, eyeing each other. He found her ferocity rather hot. So when she smirked at him and raised her eyebrows rushed at him much faster than he expected and jabbed at his side. He grunted as he was forced back a step, knowing he would probably bruise. He'd gotten distracted and underestimated her.
"Sorry, I thought you were ready," she said sheepishly.
Ben blushed and replied "I am now." He went on the offensive, seeing how her defense was. He figured that was her weakness since she was fast and brutal with her hits. He noted she unrefined, unlike how they were trained here at the academy, but she blocked each of his hits. He started slowly, with barely any force but she swatted those away like a desert fly. He swung at each of the weak spots, going through a basic but effective form. Over her head, both sides, knees, trying to sweep her feet out from under her, and spun around to jab at her backwards. He added a little more speed and strength behind his hits but she met every one of them. She seemed to know that he was testing her defences but he could tell when she got tired of it.
Because she went on the offense. Rey seemed to temper her hits at first, not wanting to hurt him again but she realized that she truly had taken him by surprise with her first jab, so she went at him hard. If she landed a hit, that is when she pulled back her strength, something she noticed he did with her.
Ben was in awe, she had much more skill than he'd thought. She was scrappier and much faster than she looked, and he could see where she got the reputation not to mess with her. Ben knew that she was tempering her hits but they still stung when she managed to get by his blocks. They both kept the force out of it for now, but he wondered if she hadn't subconsciously used it back on Jakku. Not that she needed it but latent powers tended to express themselves somehow.
They were both sweating and as their match went on Ben constantly checked the bond for any extreme fatigue or pain. One such instance Rey completely got through his defense and came in super close. Her staff went right by his side, and he knew that she aimed it there. It would have been enough to cause some internal damage. She was in his space starting up at him, both of their breathing accelerated. He stepped in until their bodies were flush and bent down to kiss her.
Someone cleared their throat and they both stepped back looking sheepish. They had attracted a crowd without them really noticing so there were a lot of people watching through the glass. Most notably Han and Leia. Rey picked up her staff that she'd dropped when Ben's lips met hers and they left the training room. The other students cleared out, returning to what they were doing before Ben and Rey gathered attention with their sparring. A lot of the older students, in fact pretty much every guy over the age of 16 had gone up against Ben, and only a few lasted as long as Rey had.
"Well, I supposed that is one way to distract your opponent, though I can't say I have tried that method before. But, Rey? It might have helped if you didn't drop your weapon," Han said as they were leaving the training area.
Ben smirked at him, and shook his head. He and Rey were about to turn down their hallway when Leia spoke up.
"Rey, do you think that you could take a walk with me?"
Rey eyed her, wondering if she was upset that she was being so physical with her son. But she just nodded and told Ben she would see him later. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Leia guided them out the door. The sun was shining brightly and Rey lifted her face to it and smiled. She was still not really accustomed to being inside so often, a lifetime of working outdoors had left that mark on her. The sun was different here somehow. Softer and not as brutal.
Rey was surprised when Leia broke the silence by blurting out "Are you and Ben having sex."
Rey's mouth dropped open briefly and her face colored. "Uh, no. Just… other things."
Leia seemed to consider that and finally nodded. "I guess that I should have talked to you before now, but I guess I was in denial a bit. When I look at Ben, sometimes all I can see is my little boy, not a man. But after what I saw yesterday, I figured that it was past time. Do you know, really understand what sex is?"
"Yes, " Rey answered quietly. "I had a vague idea before but Ben explained a lot to me.
Leia suppressed a smile, trying to imagine Ben fumbling through that conversation. "Do you have any questions that he might not have answered?"
Rey considered, she couldn't decide if she wanted to answer or if she would ask Ben another time. It was embarrassing but Leia was a woman too, and maybe she knew things that Ben didn't. "How is he ever going to fit?" She finally blurted.
Leia tried to imagine that she was talking about anyone besides her son. "He should prepare you. He's touched you right? Or did you notice the way you felt when you were...on top of him?" She plowed through. She knew that Rey didn't really have any friends that were girls, and Leia didn't know what she would have done when she was a teen if she didn't have someone to talk to. When Rey nodded, Leia continued. "That will help but a woman's body there stretches a lot. After all when you have a baby, it is bigger than a man's… penis."
Rey squelched the need to laugh, something about this was so surreal. This was his mom, a powerful woman in politics and she just said penis like it was a dirty word.
"Though, it may hurt a little the first time and there could be a little blood. But I found that when Han gave me a minute to adjust, it felt good really quickly after that."
Oh, stars. Now Rey had a tootally unwelcome vision of Han, that way. But she figured it was even because Leia was talking about her son. "Well, I think that's the only thing I was wondering about. Though if I have any more questions, I can come to you, right?" Rey didn't wait for an answer, she was just ready for this conversation to be over.
"Wait, Rey. One more thing. Have you two talked about protection? I know that it can be easy to get caught up in the moment."
Rey turned and looked at Leia. She considered just nodding to get herself out of the situation, and not look any more ignorant or naive. She finally decided that this was probably something that she wasn't supposed to know the answer to. "Protection for what?"
"Birth control. It can be best to get something now, before it happens. There are things that can last for years if you want but are also easily reversed. There are also things you can use in the moment or even afterwards but the other way it is something you don't have to think about. You can talk to a droid or the doctor and I can come with you if you want."
"I'll let you know, okay?" Rey said. She was on information overload and was ready to find Ben.
In Ben's room things were much simpler. Han gave him a smile, handed him condoms and told him to make sure to be safe.
Ben nodded and after Han left, stuck them in the bedside table for when Rey was ready for that step.
