This chapter is a bit of a behemoth... be forewarned also there's some smut as promised and gratuitous descriptions of muscles because I couldn't help myself haha
Rey's not sure when he joins her but he's there. Ben is there at her back on the dance floor. He's there and he's moving against her like he's… like he's dancing. Only Ben can't be dancing because that is one of the most unBen like things Ben could ever do. Ben would shave his head before he'd step out onto a dance for. He's vehemently opposed to the idea of dancing in public. In the safety of their own home he's a monster. Awkwardly moving limbs and joy as if for no other reason then to make her smile. He can't dance, she knows he can't dance. He's like a teenage boy with two left feet and a desperate need to hide his hard-on.
He flaps his hands and waves his arms around or sometimes he just bounces as he walks making that face. The one where his tongue is half out and he looks like he's going to pounce on her. That's likely because that's exactly what he does. The odd thing is she's pretty sure he can classically dance. Maybe not well but there have been a few occasions where Ben has swept her into his arms and waltzed her around their small kitchen. Even then it's not necessarily good but he doesn't trip over his own feet. He says it's because he's too long, too big, there's too much of him. Rey thinks its more an issue of confidence but it doesn't much matter because he's perfect just the way he is.
So it surprises her when he slides up behind her, his hands on her hips. When his hands slide down her arms which she has held into the air while her hips move and sway. Maybe it's because it's less dancing and more heavy petting with flare. She can feel his thighs as the bump and slide along her backside as he bends just a little as though making room for her in the hollow of his body.
Her friends are watching, she knows they're watching. They've been so apprehensive from the start. From the moment Ben Solo was no more than an idea pushed at her by the insufferable Hux. Hux who currently has Rose pinned by the kitchens. Rose who looks upset, like she's crying.
Ben's mouth is at her shoulder, his lips pressing soft innocent kisses along the exposed flesh until he meets the base of her neck. She can feel his nose as it nuzzles along her spine, while his arms wind about her middle holding tight against her belly. When his teeth graze lightly over the slight prominence at the base of her cervical spine she gasps slightly. She can feel his lips curve into a smile, his fingertips pressing just softly into her abdomen.
"Fuck, you drive me crazy," he growls into her ear. His low baritone is barely audible over the steady thrum of the music.
Jannah is watching them, her smile small but knowing as she grinds her hips into a tall fellow with a man-bun. Rey recognizes him as one of the mechanics from Falcon but can't for the life of her place his name. He's completely gone on her as men often are the minute Jannah graces them with her smile or laugh. She exudes this confidence that Rey could never quite attain. Like she knows the answers to all the questions that have even gone unasked and if you're lucky she may, just may share them with you.
Her head thrown back in a laugh Jannah's filled with pure elation. While man bun nuzzles against her ear and whispers something. Rey's not sure what but she's pretty sure she can hazard a guess as Jannah's eyes go wide and she grabs her companion by the hand. It's not even a question about what's going to happen when she drags him off the floor and they disappear down the hallway towards the bathrooms, or the coat closet or whatever nook or cranny they can fit into.
Ben chuckles in her ear and she realizes he's seen it too. The fevered touches and the look in man buns eye. In Jannah's eyes as they slipped off. Rey has no delusions of innocence, she knows what's about to happen down that hallway just as she knows while man bun may think he initiated it. Rey knows that Jannah has been working him for the better part of twenty minutes. She chose him, not the other way around and she's about to make that very clear to him in five words or less.
"They have the right idea," Ben murmurs and Rey can feel her skin flush beneath his touch. He isn't being lewd, nor is he being particularly obvious in his intent. It's almost lazy the way he moves against her, his mouth still content to kiss and nuzzle the exposed flesh of her neck. Ben Solo, adamant not dancer, pressed against her back, comfortable and content to simply drink her in. It's… more than she ever deserved.
That's when the music stops, the DJ or whatever he is is starting up the karaoke machine as a pasty drunk redhead stumbles onto the small platform where the mic and the projector are sitting. A pasty redhead who looks remarkably like… only it is… it's Hux. Armitage looks… for lack of a better word wrecked. Not drunk, not in the way that would have him forget his own name or piss the bed and never realize it. No, he hasn't had that much, Ben had been quick to turn him onto the soda waters quickly after Armitage tried to approach Rose the first time.
He looks… distraught. Like he's lost without a way of finding himself back to center. Rose had been that for him and then he'd gone and messed that up. Him, not anyone else and now he's here and he's bothering her. Or so it seems. She'd backed away from him the first time and Paige had looked positively murderous. Rey had almost wondered if Paige wasn't going to give him a crack right then and there. Instead she pointed an angry finger in his direction and said something that made his face fall. From that point on Hux had been somber and quiet. He lurked about like a shadow until he managed to corner Rose again. That's what Rey had seen moments ago. When Ben had held her in place and shaken his head. As though he knew something she didn't.
The mic whistles as Armitage hold it up, too close to his lips, his word coming out slurred and almost unintelligible. "Rose," he says and everyone stops. Finn goes to move and Rey reaches out to grab for his hand pulling him back. If Ben thinks this is ok, then it is. She trusts him. "I can't, Just let me…" And then the music starts.
Rey groans, loudly. Nothing good can possibly come from this as the melody to Whitney Huston's 'I will always love you' pipes through the speaker system and Armitage looks thoroughly distraught. As though maybe he hadn't quite thought this through or maybe, just maybe he realized what an utter arse he's been. Either way, this promises to be rough.
"Did you know he was going to do this?" Rey mutters to Ben who only shakes his head as he watches wide-eyed. Armitage has obviously gone rogue, been pushed over the edge, gone crazy because there is no other explanation for this… this… display.
"If I should stay, I would only be in your way…" the words don't come out sung so much as they are said with a mismatched melody. Armie has a great many talents, may he hides from the world but a singer he is not. "So I'll go, but I know, I'll think of you every step of the way…"
This is… it's painful but when Rey's eyes catch Rose standing offside, she realizes it's maybe not as bad as she thought. Finn and Poe inspire a Disney like fairytale dream of romance and Rose is closer to Finn then she is almost anyone on the planet. So this act, this, declaration of sorts it actually seems to be working.
Rose's face is bright from tears, her eyes glittering like stars as she holds her hands to her mouth and just watches. Her body seems to shake just a little, she could be laughing. Rey kind of wants to laugh but knows it would be rude but Rose? Rose is smiling. Her lips upturned as just the corners peek out from behind her hands. She's smiling but she's crying and Armitage is still singing, or well half singing half speaking, his voice wavering as he belts out, "And I will always love you, I will always love you," Elongating the I's just a little too short for an accurate rendition but his cheeks are red and he's smiling but his hands are trembling. "Please end my misery love, please," he says with a quiet hopefulness that hits Rey square in the chest.
Ben's arms close her in as he pulls her tight and rubs his nose softly against her shoulder. He's not laughing, not really but he's smiling and he's hiding it in her skin like it's a treasure he wants to hide from everyone but her. "You big softy," He chuckles softly as Rey leans her cheek to nuzzle back against him. "Would you sing to me?"
The question is meant to tease, but when Ben asks, "Do I have to?" followed more softly by, "Do you want me to?" Rey feels like the most powerful woman in the room. It's not an admission, but a confirmation of sorts. Ben Solo, hater of snowball fights and icing. Loather of Backstreet Boys and doing anything that might remotely be considered singing or dancing in public has just given her one of the greatest gifts she could ever receive. It's not an admission of the truth. That truth that lies hidden beneath their needy touches and the way he looks at her. But, it's there, hiding beneath the surface of his words. He, Ben Solo, would do anything for her and the reality of it is crushing.
"I would never make you do something that, unless you're offering to get up and sing I want it that way in which case." she pats his leg gently and points towards the small makeshift stage. "Up you get,"
She can feel Ben tense, for just a second she's sure she has him. He's going to get flustered and tell her he couldn't, he would never but all he says is "For you…" and he leaves it at that. It's… world-altering, the husky tone in his voice as he holds her close and sways just slightly. There's even a moment, when Rose climbs up onto the and takes Armitage by the hand. When she smiles at him and pulls him into a hug that Rey thinks she might be hearing things. She's sure of it actually because there is no way Ben Solo is humming along to Backstreet Boys directly into her ear. There's absolute No. Way.
As Rose Pulls Armitage off they embrace. It's not a soft you're an idiot kind of hug either. It's one of those, I-can't-get-enough-I-want-to-crawl-into-your-skin-and-live-next-to-your-heart-forever, kinds of hugs. Rose is all hands and pawing and Hux, he just stands dumbfounded as if he can't even he sure she's real. Rey's happy for them, love is all around them. Love…
When Poe takes the stage he's laughing and smiling and shaking his head as if to say, 'oh you crazy kids'. He's that guy. The dad of the group who makes sure everyone is ok and happy and his jokes are total groaners too. But he's so loveable and dopey and completely gone on Finn that it doesn't matter. None of it does because he's found his happy too.
"I guess since we're opening the karaoke up again it's time to really get into it," Poe says with a nervous grin. He's running his palm against his pants and searching the crowd, "Finn, will you come up, I want to do this one together."
"Oh shit…" Rey mutters, her hand over her mouth, "shit this is it."
Ben has no sweet clue what she's talking about, so his reaction is more one of panic then elation. Finn pulls away from them making his way through the crowd as another Frozen song pipes through the speakers. Rey can see Finn laughing as he hops up and takes his place at Poe's side. "We doin' this then?" he asks into the mic and his grin is broad and infectious. He's happy, so so happy and completely blissfully unaware.
With a nod in Finn's direction Poe encourages him to take the lead. She can hear Finn's breathy laugh as he says, "Okay, can I just, say something crazy?"
His chuckle continues in between his parts while Poe chimes, "I love crazy!"
And suddenly it's very obvious where this is going and Rey? She loves every minute of it. The two sing and lean in as they laugh and serenade one another. Finn is more from Armitage's school of song. A lilting note that sounds a bit like talking but follows along easy enough but Poe? Poe sounds… good. It's been a while since they've done karaoke, mostly because Poe makes them all look like amateurs. She remembers him telling her his parents forced him into choir as a kid and he ended up just sort of loving it. He's her carpool song buddy. Finn often tires after a while but Poe could go on forever.
They're shoulder to shoulder when they start the chorus, belting out, "Love is an open door!" rocking back and forth against each other as they do. Poe looks like a man in love, his eyes never leave Finns as the go back and forth with the, "With you!" 's when Poe stops.
Finn has his head thrown back in a laugh, the mic clutched in his hand as he waits for Poe to pick up his part of the duet. When It comes time, Poe's voice is low, a little husky, shaking in tenor, "Can I say something crazy?" The words come out not with the soft smooth of song, put a hushed question that he desperately needs to know the answer to.
Finn stops his laugh, staring now wide-eyed at Poe who is getting down on one knee. There's a soft 'oh' in Rey's ear as the situation clicks for Ben. Rey on the other hand is on the brink of sobbing. Her eyes sting as she sniffles to suppress tears that are threatening to fall. Ben's hand at her belly presses just a little firmer, his thumb moving haphazardly back and forth. It's a motion that is quite intimate. Not sexual in nature but possessive
Finn is cupping his mouth with his hand, shocked but not overly surprised it seems as Poe presents that small black box he'd shown Rey so many weeks ago. "Will you marry me?"
Not a soul moves, as though the group has taken one collective breath waiting to hear Finn's answer. In true Finn fashion, it doesn't come n the form of a simple yes or no. He's smiling, a smile that reaches his eyes and threatens to burst his face wide open. When he speaks, it's a mumbled, "You asshole," as he wipes at his cheek with the back of a knuckle. "Can I say something even crazier?" he tones happily before putting Poe out of his misery with a resounding, "Yes!"
Now Rey is not one for sports, so it's unlikely you would find her at a live sporting event or watching one at a local bar. The idea of the whole thing is a bit of a turn off actually but the noise that erupts from their group of friends is so loud and jubilant Rey can almost see the appeal. This is what she images a touchdown or a goal or whatever it's called would sound like. People whooping and hollering, people clapping and whistling. All Rey can do is cry as Poe slips the ring onto Finn's finger. Ben's heat is drawn back away from her as he claps his bear paw-like hands together, the sound loud enough for the both of them.
Rey laughs and smiles and cries some more as she turns around to look at Ben. Her mascara is going to run if this keeps up so has to be careful how she dabs at the corners of her eyes lest she ends up looking like Alice Cooper.
"You ok?" Ben asks softly, his voice barely registering over the crowd. She can see his lips move, as the tears sting her eyes and she tries desperately to curb her mounting emotions. She's not sad or upset, or angry. She's happy, so, so very happy and yet the tears won't stop. Ben takes her hand and kisses her knuckle as he nods to the patio door back over his shoulder. There isn't a soul out there now, everyone who had gone out for a smoke is back in now trying to catch what all the commotion is about. He pulls her passed Jannah who is emerging from the darkened hallway looking confused. She fluffs her hair and adjusts her top which is more a scrap of fabric that ties around her neck and around her back in delicate thin crisscrosses.
"What's going on?" she asks her voice a little rough from use as man bun sidles up behind her adjusting his waistline.
"Poe just asked Finn to marry him," Rey says as Ben grabs her coat and helps her slide her arms into it.
"And you're?"
"Just getting some air," Rey says with a soft smile and another swipe at the corner of her eye, "I'll be right back in, promise."
Jannah eyes Rey and then Ben at her back as he shrugs into his black wool coat. He pats down his pockets and then reaches for Rey's hand. He doesn't pull or insist, he just holds it and waits for Rey to decide she is ready to follow. When Jannah offers a soft albeit skeptical nod Rey allows Ben to lead her out through the patio doors and out into the cool night air.
Her skin prickles beneath the cool kiss of mid-December. It licks at her calves and her toes in her ridiculously high heels as they wander back and away from prying eyes. It's not intentional, seeking privacy, in truth it's more about huddling in the corner. Getting out of the wind. The night air feels fresh and lovely in her lungs as they make their way back towards where the severs station is usually located in the summer. It's a hallow against the building where menu's and condiments are usually kept but it serves as a decent shelter too
They're about four stories up maybe five, it's hard to tell. The world around them is dark and twinkling, as Coruscant shifts beneath their view. She'd give anything to slip her shoes off right now and enjoy a moment of blissful barefoot comfort but the ground she knows will be cold and not worth the bite. Ben is a heat at her back as she leans against the high railing and stares out at the horizon beyond. In the city, light pollution kills the view of the night sky. The haze and glimmer or streetlights and buildings boasting neon signs swallowing up the quiet dark of the sky. Instead it glows, lit up like a nightlight to keep the boogeymen at bay.
Ben's hands are not her hips, palms molded to the swell of her backside as he kneads at the flesh of her sides and then up her back. Beneath the warmth of her coat his hands feel cold, like an icepack against her tempered skin. When his hips slot against her own taking his place at her back she relaxes into the feel of it, the feel of him. He makes her feel like a teenager, or how she imagines a teenager might feel sneaking around with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend. Ben is her Boyfriend. A month in and that's still not something she can quite wrap her head around. Strange as he does all the boyfriend-y things that boyfriends do. He does more in fact. His presence in her life has become a fixture, a goal of sorts. Still, there's that nagging whisper in the back of her mind. Not good enough, too broken, too much damage. As though Ben, who has worked so hard to get to the place he's in now deserves so much more than a little matchstick girl like Rey.
Self-deprecating thoughts swallow her up as Ben's hands slip around her middle pulling himself just a little closer. He has her boxed in, not inappropriately but his hands are on her belly again and his thumb is rubbing idly there. It strikes her as odd, he's never been so singularly focused on the one place before. Sure he's worshipped her body trailing kisses from her head to toe sometimes literally. The thought of it is enough to light a fire beneath her cool skin. He's never stopped and just held or touched or minded.
Rey's mind tumbles back to Hux's comment at the beginning of the evening. The one he'd made about children. Had Hux changed his mind? Had he and Ben talked about it? About having children and what that would be like? Is that why Ben is so focused on her tummy now imagining her round and full with his child?
Panic eats away at her as Ben's pressure sits firm and sure and protective against her stomach. When his chin notches at her shoulder she jumps. Her heels have allowed the distance between them to close to some degree but Ben still needs to stoop to hold her like this.
Is this just another way she'll only let him down? If Ben wants what his parents have… and isn't that what Rey wants too? Han and Leia had Ben, does Ben want that too? Hux had said as much but Ben had never articulated anything of the likes to Rey before. Ever.
And, why would he? This was still new, but it was fast and it was heavy and it was… Rey fells, real. So very real. And Ben? Ben's older, maybe he's in a place where he wants kids, where he feels he's ready for that. Maybe… Maybe… Maybe she should just talk to him instead of spiraling through ideas that will only serve to suffocate her...
"This night is just full of surprises," Ben muses. Rey can't see his face, not with her back to him anyway but she can hear the smile in his voice as he says it. The warmth on her neck as he speaks into it. "Your dress is so… smooth, so soft. I can't stop touching it. You, I can't stop touching you."
Resting a hand on top of her coat where his lie beneath Rey smiles, "I like it when you touch me."
Ben's laugh comes as a soft puff of air as he leans in to kiss the spot just below her ear above the neck of her collar, "Good." So, he just holds her and it's easy and simple and beautiful. His body warms her back until it's toasty and in complete contrast to her front.
"Thank you," She mumbles into the night air, "For everything tonight, coming, being here, actually talking to people."
"You make it sound like I have no social skills at all."
Rey muses a moment, "No…" offering it quietly. "It's not that. You just tend to avoid it… people."
The silence that follows is still but comfortable as Rey shifts beneath Ben's lumbering form. Turning in his arms is not as easy as she originally thought. He doesn't move at first giving very little wiggle room. His hands press into the fabric, pulling it against her as she turns to press her back against the high railing that runs the length of the patio. After a minute Ben backs away just slightly, enough so that Rey can slide her hands beneath the lapels of his open jackets and tuck her fingers under his arm for warmth. His smile is lit by the nightlife beyond. A silver halo illuminating the pale tone of his skin. He looks almost angelic as he casts her a warm, sweet smile and swoops in for a kiss. It's short and soft and she can feel his lips as they smile against hers. As though just being here is the best thing he could have ever asked for.
"I just find it hard," He tells her softly, nuzzling his nose against hers. It's an action that she has come to expect, anticipate even. The way the strong slope of his nose brushes against her own. The way his breath mingles with hers as he rocks his forehead to press them together. The way he smells, always like spiced sandalwood, bergamot and that underlying bit of something sweet. Like vanilla or honey or something that just seems so very Ben. It's a smell she's come to know and love. A small that comforts and soothes. It's not even in his body wash or his cologne, though there are traces of it there. Like all of those elements combined make up a scent that is so distinctly him. Her Ben.
"I don't know why. I just… "
"You don't people well," she tells him softly, snuggling in against his chest, tucking her face in against the hollow of his throat. It's here the scent seems strongest. Maybe because the flesh is exposed like his skin is made from sweet trees and earth. Without thinking, as though driven by compulsion and alcohol Rey allows her lips to press against the warm column of flesh. Her nose tickling his jaw causes him to suck in a breath, as he angles his head back giving her more access to his throat. It's gentle, kittenish as her tongue darts passed her lips to just barely taste him. Her hands, spurred to action by his body's ready response, slide down along his torso. Exploring the deft lines and sharp angles of his chest and obliques. How he manages to stay so fit is beyond her comprehension. He runs, she knows that she's even tried going with him on a few occasions. That only served to remind her how out of shape she is or maybe, how in shape Ben actually is in comparison.
He's never mentioned going to the gym but that doesn't mean he doesn't go. Maybe he has a secret work out routine he's never mentioned. It's not as though he has to tell her everything. Whatever it is that makes his body like this, Rey finds herself grateful for it. Her fascination with muscle definition aside, she loves the way her fingers dip into his sternum where his pec muscles dip. Or the line beneath them where his obliques pop into her touch just slightly. She can feel them even now beneath his thin cotton t-shirt. Soft and pliant as though he has no idea he's been working them. It's not the hard musculature of someone who has been bodybuilding but the firm yet supple feel of someone who simply takes care of their body.
As her hands slide from his obliques around to his abdominals, she digs her fingertips in just so. Not the scraping of nails. She can't have nails for work after all but the blunt drag of her fingertips seems to be enough. Ben's gasps softly as her touch slows like she's memorizing every glorious dip. "How are you this well defined," She hears herself purr into his neck. Her nose is cold against the warmth of his jaw as she leans in and nips.
To his credit Ben is calm, eerily calm. His hands on her hips as though he's not sure where else he should put them. There's a soft tremor there when her teeth nip at him but he doesn't press his advantage. He stills and lets her explore, as though lost beneath her touch like a man starved of attention, "I … uh…" he starts and it's hard not to smile when she knows she's got him drunk on her affection, "I workout?" he offers lamely.
Her hands push into his lower abdominals where his shirt disappears into his pants. "When do you have time to do that?" she jokes. Ben makes a noise deep within his throat, something that sounds like a muffled gasp and a groan melded together. The sound settles into her mind burrowing there. A reminder that he likes this, that she holds this power over him, that he is hers as much as she is his. When she pulls his shirt out she does so slowly, tugging carefully as she kisses along his neck, not desperate and claiming but asking permission to continue. His hands only hold her a little firmer. Fingertips pressed sharply into her hip almost to the point of too much. Almost. It lingers in that realm of possessive that she's come to love from him but doesn't push passed into ownership. It's her turn to own him.
And he lets her, "When you're at work?" As though he's not entirely sure himself, so he lets her touch and explore, much as he always has only this time he's not turning the tabes. This time he allows himself to remain helpless beneath her and its glorious. Her hands aren't as cold now, not biting and bitter as they had been at the beginning of this expedition. They're cool but Ben's skin is so warm as she slips her hands beneath his shirt and allowed herself a moment to enjoy. She can feel his stomach tremble as he takes in another gulp of air. Tracing a line around his belly button she giggles softly and traces the scant trail of hair that disappears beneath the waistline of his pants.
Instead of going straight for it though, Rey sweeps her fingers across to trace along the line of his external obliques, where the muscles dip in a sharp V. When she realizes she can't get where she wants to, where she needs to Rey fumbles with his belt. She tugs and pulls lazily until the leather is freed and she can shimmy his pants down just a little. It's only an inch or two, nothing lewd or inappropriate, not really. Enough that she can trace the deep line along his pelvis where the muscles dip further. Her thumbs sweep beneath the fabric of his jeans, stretching her palms out as her fingers splay across his abs. He feels so good beneath her hands, so warm and inviting. Every inch of him begging to be explored.
She knows how much he's enjoying this too if the bulge at the front of his jeans is any indication. Rey would be lying if she didn't admit to loving this far more then she likely should. The power he allows her to have over him is like a drug. Flooding her system and driving her crazy with the need to touch and know and own. Her hands are half massaging at the muscles beneath them if for no other reason then it's instinctual. She's never breached that line, she's never even toed along it curiously no matter how hard she has been pushed. There's a degree of professionalism that is hard-wired into her to uphold but this… this isn't massage, it's something far more intimate.
Dropping to her knees seems like the most rational thing to do next as Ben leans forward just slightly. His leg and hip sheltering her against the thick glass between him and the world beyond. Still she presses and touches and drags her fingers across the hard lines to his stomach. Angling her fingers into him, she scrapes lightly until her fingertips catch on the stiff denim at his waist.
It's then that Ben looks down. His eyes are as dark as pitch as he stares wide-eyed and entranced. He doesn't say anything, just angles his hip against the wall of the patio to better hide her should anyone venture outside. He looks completely gone, as though the slightest thing might send him over the edge of wanting. There's nothing to his eyes but the white of his sclera and the dark blown pupils that seem to eat up most of his already dark iris. "What…?" He asks his voice barely a whisper as Rey's hand's ghost over the front of his pants. It's soft at first, tentative and questioning.
She doesn't bother to answer, it doesn't quite seem necessary at this point. Her intentions are very clear as her fingers toy with the button of his jeans. The strain of denim loosens as the silver fasting pops free. Ben is worrying at his bottom lip as he watches her. Curious, hesitant and yet filled with excitement as he cautiously looks around them. They're alone but they might not be for long and the thrill of it sets her nerves on fire. With the button undone Rey teases the metal of the zipper next while Ben nervously tries to find something to do with his hands. They're on her shoulders, touching her face, the wide expanse of his thumb grazing over her cheek as he just watches. He watches her as though he's never wanted anything so much in his life. As if all his life choices have let up to this one moment. A pretty girl on her knees in front of him willing to take everything he's prepared to give her.
This has never been something Rey does, this risk-taking sexual adventure type thing. She's always thought she was more of a vanilla sort of gal. Reverse cowgirl was exciting the first time she'd tried it but that was it. There was no kink, is this even considered a kink?
No, Rey has always been pretty boring as far as she's concerned regarding sex. Truthfully, sure it felt good, but it was never something she necessarily chased. Sex was a way of showing she was useful, that she was worth keeping around. That was, after all, what most men wanted right? Most people in general? The deep pleasure of knowing someone on a carnal level. It was never enough to drive her to something like this though.
When she has the zipper open, nothing more then the dark fabric of his boxer briefs left between them Rey looks up again. His attention is laser-focused, as though nothing could be more important then what she is doing this very minute. Nothing.
It's oddly empowering.
Maybe that's the theme of the evening because Ben has given so much of it over to her.
With a grin Rey leans in and presses a soft open-mouthed kiss to the rigid clothed length of him. It's slow, and purposeful punctuated by unwavering eye contact and a promise of more, more, more. The hiss of air that escapes him sound like it could be her name, or maybe he's just surprised but it's all she needs to tell her that she should continue. She allows her mouth to trace the clothed length of him while her fingers curl beneath the waistline of his underwear. Her fingertips are still a little cool as they curl against his hip and tug. It's gentle and easy, pulling the fabric out and away until the length of him is exposed to the cool air. The noise he makes is like magic, a hiss and a groan melded together perfectly.
Somewhere in the background the patio door opens and suddenly they're no longer alone. Rey can only make out two sets of feet, but it sounds like a man and a woman talking as they turn and venture towards the other end of the patio. If they saw her, they gave no indication. Ben's coat, left open in the dark it seems is blessedly enough to keep her hidden. The thrill of it merely serves to further excite Ben who's cock twitches, bouncing against her cheek. Rey giggles softly as she wipes away a smear of pre-come left in its wake.
"Rey…" Ben growls in warning, maybe a sign that she should stop this now, maybe egging her on, it's hard to tell. But, his hands are resting against the railing and he's leaning in to shelter her from further discovery. He wants this she realizes, he wants this and he's not about to stop her.
Rubbing her hands against his jeans to warm them up some she takes him in hand, careful at first, testing her grip and the feel of him. He's too large for her small hands to wrap around entirely a blessing and a curse to be sure. Still, it's not enough to intimidate as she allows her wrist a few easy strokes. Above her Ben doesn't make a noise. He's gone perfectly still beneath her attention, his breathing coming in easy slow bursts, his belly rising and lowering above her. When she finally brings her mouth against him she can taste his salty sweetness against her tongue. She allows the warmth of it to twirl over him before taking it into her mouth with little hesitation. Like the rest of him, he feels hard and soft, a walking contradiction. Velvety and smooth accented by hard ridges and a firm core. A marvel when you think about it, that blood pressure can provide such a specimen. Ben groans as her lips incase him. His hips still but struggling.
Her head bobs once, then twice, before she pulls back and away from him. Licking her drying lips as her hand continues to move, working her saliva over him. Going down on a man has never been one of those things that Rey has particularly enjoyed. It's not something she ever really sets out to do or even offers up often. It's more of a chore than a choice but with Ben like this, she's content to take her time. There's no rush to get this over with quick so she can get him inside her. It's an exploration that he's allowing her. Encouraging her even which is the strange part. When she takes him in this time she sinks her lips over the swollen tip allowing her cheeks to hallow just slightly. One bob, two bobs, her lower lip bumping along the underside of his glans before allowing the full weight of his shaft to slide along her tongue allowing her to take him just a little deeper.
This time Ben moans, longer and louder than he likely intended to. The sound is swallowed up by another boisterous karaoke ballad and the incessant chatter from inside. Still they need to be careful. Rey moves her hand, squeezing lightly as Ben angles his hips and his cock slides a little further into her mouth. It shouldn't be a turn on, it really shouldn't but it's hard not to be affected by it when Ben starts to babble, "Fuck," it always starts with fuck like it's his favorite word or maybe the only one he can come up with when he's in such a state of want. "Jesus… fuck… Rey." Her name comes out a keening moan as one of his hands slips from the railing to rest against the back of her head. He's careful. His head up, eyes cast down as he holds her in place just a moment.
She can feel the pressure at the back of her head like a warning as he mutters things like "So warm," and "So perfect," and "such a good girl." The last is a strange comment that rational brained Rey would have fought against. Rey is not rational brained Rey right now, Rey is horny brained Rey and horny brained Rey it seems enjoys the praise. It's hard not to enjoy the sound of him so completely gone on her, it's hard to ignore the warmth pooling within her as he practically growls out a groan and his fingers tighten reflexively against her scalp.
With a soft hum she pushes deep, feeling him brush against the back of her throat as she opens herself up to it. It lingers on the edge of being too much but she's wanted this, she's wanted this for a while now and now that he's giving it to her she refuses to waist a minute of it. His groan is visceral as she hollows her cheeks and gives a soft tug. Her name falls from his lips like a prayer, like its transcendent, beyond comprehension. "If you…" he starts as he looks down at her, then off at the city of Coruscant beyond. He's schooling his features, trying to control himself when the patio door opens again.
Rey, so engrossed in her task almost misses the sound of someone else saying Ben's name. A male someone who seems to be walking their way. Rey freezes and Ben's cock twitches again as he instinctively leans against the glass wall. At that moment, Rey has never been so grateful for being so petite. Ben's broad legs shelter her from the newcomer who sounds curiously familiar.
"Hey man, you seen Rey?" the male voice calls. She can't see anything beyond Ben's legs which would be frustrating if hey weren't so effectively hiding her away as well.
Right then moment a choice is made, probably not a good one truth be told but it's a choice all the same. Instead of stopping, Instead of extracting Ben's warm, smooth cock from her mouth, Rey stays the course and holds him deep where he is. Shifting his foot Ben taps lightly against her own in warning. A warning she chooses to ignore. Alternatively she works his shaft with one hand and cradles his balls with her other, Testing their weight in her hand as she massages them gently.
"Jannah said you two came out here together," the man says but Ben seems lost on his words. As though the concept of speech was a foreign one.
"Bathroom," he finally manages, his body shifts as though he's pointing, more likely nodding back towards the hallway just inside the doors. Their new addiction however doesn't seem like they're planning on leaving anytime soon. "Congrats, by the way. On the engagement and I suppose Happy Birthday."
Finn.
It's Finn, of course, it's Finn, the only other options for sheer and total embarrassment would be his parents or maybe Poe. "Thanks," Finn almost sounds hesitant as he says it, as though weighing the truth behind Ben's words. "Really, thanks for coming and well everything really." he offers and Rey can hear the smile there. Finn is smiling at Ben who can do nothing more than nod as Rey carefully bobs her head again.
A moment passes where they two just stand there facing one another. Rey, with nothing better to do to pass the time moves her head back a little more, wriggling her tongue against the head of Ben's cock. He's smooth, she'll give him that, his body still as he stares down her best friend in the world. BB aside of course. "Happy to," Ben chokes out as Rey gives a careful tug, working her hand in tandem with the slow shifting or her lips.
"Mmm," Go inside Finn, go inside, Rey thinks but Finn continues. "Look man, I know we've been… not the friendliest."
"It's ok." Ben tries but his voice seems to waver on the K sound.
"No mate, we've been shitty to you. I appreciate you being fair about it but we worry about her. I'm sure you can see why it's just…" Finn sighs, "She deserves so much more then the lot life has given her."
Pulling off him a moment Rey works the length of him with her hand, giving him a break from the onslaught of warmth that is her mouth. She's firm, allowing her now swollen lips to overtake the tip and simply lick at it a moment. "She… She…" Ben's speech is still broken, but he's trying to keep it together, trying and slipping quite fast, "has you guys." He offers to which Finn scoffs a little.
Not the response she was expecting.
"Yeah, yeah she does," but the way Finn says it makes it sound as though it wasn't enough. "It's hard not to love her once you get to know her. She's managed to make friends with Hux after what happened with his car and he's a total knob. Sorry I know he's your friend."
Ben nods, "No, no." he chokes out and thankfully Finn seems to take that as more of an incentive to keep talking.
"She brings people in, collects friends like some people do stamps and then she just gives herself to them. She'd do anything for them and asks for nothing back." Ok now, this is getting a little awkward. She pulls Ben deep into her mouth again, suctioning her lips as she bobs, as much to distract herself then it is anything else. It makes her ear's hot to hear Finn talk about her in this way, as though she was something more than she actually is. It's not that she doesn't feel… special and all of that but hearing someone talk about so candidly when they think she's not there is strange. Made even stranger when she's in the middle of fellating her boyfriend.
"Yeah… she's." Ben starts but his words die in his throat, his hips shifting ever so slightly as she picks up her speed just slightly.
"You ok man?"
"Oh… yeah, yeah just." swallowing hard Ben tries his damnedest to school himself. It's cute really and only provokes her further. "Needed some air, bit light-headed." his voice has a deeper huskier tone to it, one Rey knows quite well at this point. One Rey chases with the knowledge of what's likely to come. And come hard.
It's hard to tell whether or not Finn buys any of it. Maybe he's being kind, maybe he's blissfully unaware. Rey likes to believe the latter because what he says next makes her stop dead in her motions. "You really love her don't you." As though he's seeing Ben for the first time, as though he's just now realizing Ben is in fact a person.
Leaving Ben stuck between a rock and a hard place Rey doesn't expect his response to sound so real, so sure. His, "Yes," comes with no hesitation, no time for thought or hesitation as if it's the only answer he would ever dream of giving. "She's…" And Rey swallows around the cock in her mouth, a reminder that she's there if the searing heat of her mouth wasn't enough of a giveaway. "She's everything."
"Maybe tell her that. She likes to act tough like she's put together but she's still that little girl sometimes you know. The one who needs to be protected. She cares for you though, like nothing I've seen and I've known her a while." it's true but made all the more real when it falls from the mouth of your best friend. "Anyway, tell her I was looking for her. I wanted to say thanks for helping Poe and we're getting into the cake soon and she will be fierce if she misses that."
Both men chuckle and she can hear Finn's footsteps as they carry him away. Rey continues her assault with renewed vigor when Ben stammers, "H-hey Finn," If Finn turns Rey can't see but Ben doesn't mean to keep him long, "Thank you." he says and it's real and true and perfect.
When the patio door closes Ben lets out a soft huff and pushes deep. She's determined as she bobs steadily. Groaning at the taste of premium as it coats the back of her tongue.
"Evil," Ben grounds out "Delicious, beautiful evil creature." the words fall from his lips softly as he rocks into her mouth pushing deeper. Her throat is relaxed now so while it takes her by surprise it doesn't leave her choking on it. In fact, it only makes her work harder, faster, more intent of bringing him to his end. She can feel his balls tighten in her hand as she squeezes them lightly. His cock twitching against her tongue, and when she hums lightly Ben groans, and this time it's loud.
Whether or not the other couple has gone back inside is lost on her and really it doesn't matter. Ben's hand is back on her head, fingers through her hair which she had done up in a nice braided twist especially for the occasion. A lovely look now ruined but Ben's desperate tugging at her roots. It should burn and maybe it does but only a little and truthfully she's always enjoyed having her hair pulled. "F-fuck," he growls and Rey knows he's close. She can feel the way he throbs in her mouth ready for release. "Rey… I… God your mouth." There's a soft whimpering noise from above and when Rey looks up he's looking down at her. She hums softly around him and… "I… Rey.." He's breathing through his teeth as his cock throbs again and she knows he's there, teetering on the edge, "If you… I… f-fuck…" It's music to her ears, "I'm gonna… fuck Rey… I… "
She nods her head as she hollows her cheeks and it's as though the permission was all he needed because that's when Ben gasps and groan and bucks his hips just a little. He comes in quick spurts, warm and thick filling her mouth and coating the back of there throat. As quick as she can swallow he fills her mouth again, as though weeks of pent up sexual tension are being released all at once. She holds him there a moment, swallowing around him until he's spent and left softening against her tongue.
Rey takes a moment to marvel at her handy work. Ben's body hovering over hers left panting as he gasps for air and struggles against some unseen weight. Ever so carefully, as easily as she tugged them down really, Rey pulls his boxer briefs back into place. She places soft kisses along the curve of his lower oblique as she tries with great effort to stand. Her feet at this point are blocks of ice, her quads both protesting and celebrating the change in position.
Her sudden shift forces Ben to stop back a little, looking around them to see if they're being watched. At this point Rey isn't sure she even cares anymore. She simply tugs his pants up and pulls his shirt down over his stomach which is still contracting slightly beneath the aftershocks of his orgasm. He looks… wild, recked, completely destroyed and utterly desperate for more. "Rey…" His voice still carries that deep husky tone but it's lined now with a softness that she has come to love. "You…" he starts but his thumb pressed against the corner of her mouth. Mistaking it for further sexual advances Rey turns to kiss the pad of it while Ben laughs. "No, no," he shushes as he shows her. Lingering at the corner of her mouth had been the remnants of his spend. Carelessly he wipes it off on the side of his leg before tucking his shirt in and buckling his belt again. His movements are sluggish and far less even as he straightens himself out and then leans in to press a kiss against her nose.
It's sweet, his palms pressed against her cheeks as he holds her face in place. His lips find her nose then her forehead, then her temple and then finally her mouth. Lingering there for a moment as his body shudders and he groans again. When he pulls away, he's smiling, that Cheshire cat grin of a boy who'd just tricked a girl into kissing him. Only she'd done a lot more than kiss him. Still he looks content, his eyes filled with something that looks almost like…
Finn.
"Rey… you're… that was… I can't believe…"
"You love me?" she asks suddenly, cutting him off from his inane babbling. It catches him off guard, not something that's necessarily easy to do with Ben. Like his mother he's a hard man to get one up on but he's looking at her now utterly speechless.
It's like he's at war with himself, trapped between a conversation had with Finn just moments before and staring her in the eye. Careful hands reach out, lacing her fingers between his if only to pull one hand back just so. When she kisses his palm he relaxes. When her lips find the pulse on the inner ulnar surface of his wrist she feels his touch deepen just ever so slightly. "It's ok…" She starts to tell him. He doesn't need to say it, she never should have brought it up in the first place, pinning him beneath her need to hear the truth.
But he stops her, pulling his hand from her grasp in order to hold her fingers tight, "I do." he says breathlessly and his kisses mirror hers. Working backward from her wrist he kisses beneath her thumb and then her palm smiling into it as he says, "I do, fuck I'm sorry." the words come out in a rush like he's afraid to stop talking or maybe afraid to start, "I know it's fast and it's crazy and I'm… and you're…"
"I love you too," she rushes out quickly, stopping him from his spiral into self-deprecation.
"You do?"
She nods, her smile threatening to crack her face wide. It's one of those smiles when she feels her lips curl against her teeth leaving nothing but the glowing white of a grin that's almost too big. "I don't think I've ever told anyone that before," she whispers almost to herself distractedly as Ben swoops in for a kiss. It's nearly bruising, his lips broad in a grin as he tries to be sweet. He tries to be soft and kind and gentlemanly but he's lost in it. In the words, in her presence and Rey gets it because she feels it too. This indescribable draw to another human being. This need to allow them to hold your heart within their hands and treasure it, keep it safe.
"Fuck," he says again, that word and it's wide range of uses, "I love you so much," And when his hands pull at her backside she jumps into him. The skirt of her dress is unforgiving, the material slippery so it's only for a moment he's able to hold her up against him but it's enough. It's more than enough, it's perfect.
When he sets her down it's with careful ease, spinning her away for the four-story backdrop. He's nudging her towards the door and she half wonders if he's intent on taking her home to finish what they've started. Truthfully she hopes it but Ben, perfect, handsome, loveable Ben. Her Ben says the one thing that emphasizes the absolute truth behind his words, "Come one," her murmurs against her lips, because of course he's kissing her again or maybe she's kissing him, it doesn't really matter, "We don't want to miss the cake."
Ok, sorry this took so long, I hated so much when I started it so I took a break and then life and now I'm happy sort of... I tried to make the smut not too smutty? or tastefully smutty? These two are more cute and fumbling and lost on each other so filthy smut wouldn't have made sense. Anyway, Ben made my heart soar in this chapter, what do ya'll think? sweet and dirty Ben is the best kind of Ben in my humble opinion. However filthy-mouthed Ben also makes my smile but that's neither here nor there. Anywho, Armitage kind of came out of nowhere, I hadn't intended on that but it ended up being a good segway into the proposal anyway, I digress. Let me know what you think lovelies, your comments make my little heart warm in these cold and scary times. xoxox