Chapter title comes from a line in the lyrics of Faith Hill's "I Want You": "I'm on fire when we touch". Take a listen. :D

Chapter Ten

On Fire When Touched

Saving grace: Anakin was going to be fine.

He truly gave them all a scare. Dr. Abrax informed all of them that it had just been a mild heart attack, and quote, "more of a wake-up call than anything". Which also meant life changes had to be made. And to think the chest pain was just a rib being cracked from the desk corner when he fell. Everyone was relieved that Anakin was going to be all right.

They were allowed to see him for just a little bit, since he really needed his rest. Abrax also told Ben in particular that his grandfather wanted to see HIM especially, but warned him to not talk about anything related to the shop for the time being. Ben had to smirk at the man and tell him, "As if he'd listen to me." All it took was the doctor stating he'd have a better chance than anyone.

"You gave us a hell of a scare," Ben told the old man upon entering the room, where the latter lay on the biobed, looking smaller than he was every day - and somewhat frail. It was almost sad. He knelt down on the side as there was not a chair to pull up.

Anakin snorted before coughing, closing his mouth while doing so. "I confess I scared myself first," he said, calming down and clearing his throat. "I always hated being weak and helpless." He laid back and scowled up at the ceiling, though his eyes twinkled. Being this way made Ben think about his younger days, and it made him smile.

"Anakin, you really do need to start taking better care of yourself after this."

"I am considering it. Also, I like it better when you use 'Grandfather'." So do I.

He looked down at the hand which held onto his now, at how broad and tapered the digits were, the firm touch matching. It made Ben's chest clench when he put his remaining hand over it. He shook his head at the thank you. "You should thank your pod race. If not for the fact it's a habit, we never would have known something was wrong."

"Oh, a note of apology can always be written." Anakin laughed at his own joke before sobering. "I meant thank you for coming home, Ben. I missed you the most." He lowered his voice in case both his children and his daughter-in-law overheard from outside.

Ben himself just about sealed the deal: "...I missed you, too, Grandfather." And this threatened to dislodge the feelings he kept at bay for so many years. He had to leave now that everything was fine. "I'll be back soon. Dr. Abrax says you need to -"

"Yes, I have no choice." The old man's face twisted before softening into a smile. "You'd better keep that promise and come back soon."

"You can hold me to that." And that left him seeing the rest of the family, and it was no surprise cousin Shmi avoided looking at him, earning a whispered warning from her mother who looked at him with just a nod of acknowledgment, telling him she was glad to see him, too. Uncle Luke followed with a wink. And that left...

While he and Leia hardly said much of anything other than her saying she missed him, he admitted to himself he liked the fact that the feared unwelcome would be present. It just resulted in only one person - and it was then that the lonely feeling immediately washed over him like a great oceanic wave. Now that the scare attack was over, he lost control and threatened to drift out to that sea or perhaps into the air. He really needed a form of connection to keep him stable.

Rey.

She'd been there for him when they found Anakin, even when Leia demanded information from the hospital staff about her father - but when he went back out into the corridor, she was gone.

~o~

She had to leave because while everyone was glad she was there, she was still just the assistant and the family was more important in being there. Ben had them despite whatever happened in the past. She went right home, but when evening fell, she was surprised as to who visited her. He's supposed to be at the hospital with his family, but here he is. What's more: I never even told him where I lived.

Didn't erase the fact he was here. Just by looking at him on the security screen next to the door, his midnight eyes looking at the door directly, a thrill ran up her spine before she pushed it down. Ben being here meant that something must be wrong, so she wasted no time pushing the button for the door to rise above their heads, and he stepped in before halting abruptly. His eyes roaming up and down meant he was taking in her crinkled nightgown dyed from top to bottom with white, tan and olive green. Her hair was let down her back. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Not at all," Rey answered. She'd been watching the HoloNet, catching a few escapist comedies just to make her relax for the night, not being selfish and ignoring the fact her boss might die. She wasn't sure she could stand losing him like she'd lost her grandfather. "Is something wrong with Anakin?"

He smirked. "Besides being grouchy and taking it out on the hospital staff, he's just peachy."

The way he said all of that made her laugh, and she exhaled with tremendous relief. "Thank goodness!" However...she noticed there was something else off about him in terms of the reddened cheeks and tension in his jaw. And he was in simple black which was rather loose, making him look exhausted but still tragically handsome. It made her feel tiny and fragile compared to him.

She cleared her throat and tried to act as a host. "Want me to get you anything while you're here? Tea?" Because who the hell has caf when night falls?

"I'm all caffeinated out," he said dryly. "Could use something stronger if you have any..."

She wished she had brandy, but she did have emerald wine - thanks to Grandma saving it for special occasions - and he couldn't care less as long as it had alcohol. He followed her right into the kitchen where she fished around the utensils for the bottle opener; he watched her back and forth while leaning against the counter. Just being scrutinized like that made her sensitivity rise even as he took in their surroundings, and how farfetched it was from the Luxury 3000 or even his Grimtaash: the countertops were sandstone within these pristine white walls, the cabinets blue as the great lake and skies joined together. Everything was crisp but simple, and Ben just seemed like a work of art amidst all of it. And she still didn't know why he came here. As if reading her mind, he spoke. "You left the hospital without a word."

No one said a word when she left, and she'd thought she had done a good job making sure no one would notice - but he did. "Didn't want to disturb anyone while they were visiting your grandfather - especially you. You need something?" she asked.

"...I do."

She wasn't sure how to feel about that extended look he was giving her. The air was broken with a soft hiss from the wine bottle she opened. "Oh...I'm very sorry. But you said he was fine?" He nodded, accepting the glass she handed to him. After taking a long sip, he told her the progress: Dr. Abrax wanted Anakin to stay at the hospital for a couple more days. And while the old man had no choice but to accept it, it seemed he resigned to his fate...and he might have been more scared than he let on. And after one more long drink, the glass was empty. This told Rey something was up. Gone was the commanding presence she witnessed in the waiting room; in its place was an exhausted shadow. Even when he asked her for another glass to pour, this confirmed how shaken up he was. Made her wonder about the rest of his family.

"I always thought of your grandfather as unstoppable." But it shows that the greatest can still be taken down.

Ben snorted with a laugh. "Yeah, we all give that impression, but we're just like everyone else." He looked around again. "This is nice. But where's the rest of your family?" Her skin tingled.

"Mom and Grandma are both off on a 'romantic escape' -" She used air quotes with the last two words. "- but it befits my mother more."

"She has a boyfriend?" His mouth twitched as though trying not to grin again, making her do just that.

"More like for the week, and it's not the first time." Talking about Lilé caused the lump to grow in her throat. It made her recall last night with this man, which was the last thing she wanted to think about - and that tired, sad voice made her decide she wanted to console him somehow, since that must have been why he came here. So, perhaps talking about her family seemed like a good idea, as to stop her from doing something she shouldn't. "And, um, you said you needed something. What is it?"

She made the mistake of looking into his eyes when he said the one word: "You."

She was just closing the bottle with the cork when it threatened to slip and smash to the floor. Her grandmother would hang her by the hair if that happened. "M-me?!" she uttered.

"Yeah. I could have commed you instead, but it didn't seem right. I wanted to thank you for everything today. You were there when we needed you; it meant the world."

While she felt special just a little, she wished those words didn't make her brain fuzzy, the sensation going to the rest of her body. "Thank you, but - what about the rest of your family?" Maybe she shouldn't have brought them up, if she'd known she'd expect that irritated expression now crossing his face.

"They're doing just fine without me. They did before, so far." That cousin of yours - is that what's bothering you? "Know what's funny, Rey? That old saying where you can choose your friends, but family's forever. If only." The melancholiness was back, making her sadder.

Was he regretting leaving his family, or coming back?

Some time passed before he broke the silence again, looking at the empty glass but not asking for more. "...might not surprise you I was raised to run Grandfather's shop. I used to want to despite that fact, but things change. Not everything in life goes as you plan." He snorted again. "Yet people like Anakin Skywalker keep on fighting to the sour end. You'd think he'd learn by now that some things can't be fixed." But it's all that's kept your grandfather going after losing people he loved all his life. Now he slapped the glass on the counter, taking care to not shatter it. "Damn it, everything that happened has made me want to sleep, but I don't think I will."

Rey agreed. "I know what that's like, especially when the one you care about is hurt." His eyes met hers again; they were so dark now that she couldn't see the separation from iris and pupil. They were filled with such a deep sorrow as if he wished he didn't have these feelings. There was so much vulnerability that she didn't witness before, causing her heart to fill and pound with something that wasn't pity or sympathy, but something much deeper she was afraid to label.

She had enough. He came to her for comfort, so she was going to give it to him.

Boldly, which she never thought she was, she reached over to him and laid her palm on his cheek, caressing the smooth, strong contours. She had no more words to say, having no idea what else.

His eyes softened, the mist clearing of the sadness, and there in place was something much more untamed. Her own craving burst to life, coursing through her body when his eyes journeyed over it again. Her lungs closed in as she was finding it much harder to breathe...

~o~

Upon leaving the medcenter, Ben resolved to find her, so he headed back to the mechanic shop thanks to a transport he'd called for, and with C-3PO's help, he located where Rey lived, and it overlooked Aldera Lake in a relative neat area if nothing lavish. All he could ever think about was the brisk night air and her calming presence - anything to get away from the rest of his family, especially his embittered cousin...and he got her answering in disheveled purity, hued with snow down to sand and then forest. Her long hair loose, silken as fur.

The sooner her hand touched his face, all bets were off.

No time for taking it slow or building up.

Ben was positively sure that if Rey could still breathe, from the way he pressed his mouth to hers with a lawless intensity, then her breath was being taken away. In response, her body all but acted on its own against common sense. Her tiny length against his bulk, hands latching to his shoulders and threatening to slip off - this was enough to tell him that she wanted him as much as he needed her, more than anything she could have asked for in her life.

"Rey...sweet Rey..."

Saying her name over and over like a mantra was foreign but so right to his own ears. He whispered in her ear as he laid a kiss on her shoulder which was exposed by the crinkled fabric of her gown falling off there. "May I?" He tugged on the sides of her sleepwear for emphasis, seeking permission before he shocked her by doing it anyway. She nodded with only a single breath escaping her lips.

The dress was off and pooled around her feet, and here he was gifted with a straightaway surprise. Should have expected. She was damned tiny compared to him; his body against hers could swallow it whole. Some of her hair fell over her shoulders, framing those small but plump and perky globes, the peaks soft pastel. It was then that she caught where he glimpsed and brought her arms over her chest, giggling nervously and shyly. How much sweeter could you get?

Part of him said he didn't deserve someone like her.

She didn't have both hands to cover up where his attention lowered to, but when she became aware, she did just that; he had enough time to take in the small but wild layer of dark curls. He was glad he didn't get lucky with a far more voluptuous female who was so sure of herself and could use that to her advantage.

Right then and there, he remembered they were still in the kitchen, the emerald wine bottle still on the counter, but her family was away and wouldn't come back until who knew when. He doubted it would be soon. Last thing he needed was to have them walk in on him seducing the daughter and granddaughter...no, seduction is too tawdry. It's something much more meaningful.

She reached and tugged his shirt up, him raising his arms above his head to let her reveal his contours he worked long and hard for. He leaned in, allowing her to bring her hands to his chest, tracing the expanded pectoral lines and traveling down to his eight-pack. His nipples hardened despite not being touched. The sensations made him shudder. He'd never been touched like this, so her being the one felt like an honor that he shouldn't be ashamed of accepting, if his lava-roused manhood was anything to go by...

...which also meant they had to take this elsewhere and not the kitchen where anyone could easily walk in on them.

He could not get enough of everything about her when they took it to her bed, which was made for one but thankfully big enough to let him spoon from behind in the aftermath. He couldn't get enough of her plump but small-scaled breasts as much as her vestal gateway which was no longer untouched. Just the way she fastened onto him after he gently eased past the barrier, then taking the lead right after he finished his part - though pulling out at the last minute because he wasn't sure an unplanned child could be the right thing at the moment - and whispering that she was here for him just as he wanted...

Making love to her had been the last thing he'd thought of when coming here, but it happened anyway. Did he regret it? Not at all. He just should have thought it would come to this. Visiting her couldn't have simply been drinking and talking. And with those brown eyes looking at him the way they did, the message was along the lines of this: I understand; you're no longer alone.

All he'd been aware of was the sensation even when her hand rested on his face. All he wanted was to feel her, her to touch him inside as she did on the outside.

He half-sat up, looking over her peaceful form. Rey curled in front of him, but the side of her face available for him displayed that smile of satisfaction on her lips, a strand of hair over her eyes which he reached and brushed out of the way, bringing forth a soft sigh. Knowing he was the cause of all of this made him swell with pride.

However, there was the major question of what next. As mind-blowing as tonight was, Rey didn't deserve to be tossed aside after a single night. He wasn't that kind of man. He refused to hurt her like this.

"Your thoughts?"

Her soft, sleep-ridden voice and heavy-lidded eyes made his train of thought cease. His chest tightened as he answered her honestly. "Just dwelling about how beautiful you are...just like an angel." Just like Grandfather said he called Grandmother the first time they met as children, before they knew they were meant to be. The compliment made her cheeks blush a soft rose. And moments ago, she flushed with passion. He suddenly wanted that again with more ferocity that he never had in him. "Did you smile because of a good dream I interrupted?"

She laughed. "No, you're fine." She turned into him then, sliding further into him, face into his shoulder. "Best dream I had in a long time." Her being so close to him like this, her skin against his and the flickering within himself was as if someone threw on the machinery mechanism to get it going.

But if Ben Solo was the smart man he was, he should just run while he had the chance. But he stayed where he was, in her arms.

His sleeping beauty was about to drift off again into dreamland, but he really wanted her alert just so he could enjoy post-bliss. At this, he could have sworn he saw disappointment in her eyes, before it was gone along with any other emotions, and Rey bolted upright before he could blink.

"Damn, I left my gown in the kitchen."

He burst out laughing; why did she have to worry? She shouldn't be so embarrassed that she wanted to cover up her lovely naked body on his account. He couldn't care less after what they'd just done. Next thing he knew, she was out of the bed and tightly covered with a sand-colored throwover. Said she was going to get her robe from the fresher.

He wasn't sure what was going on. Why did she have to get up and cover herself? Why wouldn't she stay in bed with him? And why wouldn't she look him in the eye?

"Of course, I didn't expect you to stay. You don't owe me anything, either. It's been a long and stressful day, so I was glad to be the lifeline for you to hold onto during the storm." Now she looked at him with what looked like a quivering smile. "You don't have to worry about me, Ben. I'm a big girl and know how these things work, as well as the consequences. I'll deal with it just fine. Now, could you give me a minute so I don't end up walking you to the door in just my skin?"

The fresher door closed, Ben laying back down and staring at the ceiling, wondering once more what the hell just happened.

~o~

Every kiss, touch and caress was everything from her dream. Nothing else matters, except him.

Who cared about tomorrow and reality, when no future lay on the horizon for them together?

But now she was here in the privacy of the fresher, looking at herself in the mirror and the woolen throw wrapped around her nude self. Her eyes burned with tears she was struggling to keep back. The woman looking back at her was hardly recognizable in terms of the tousled hair and swollen lips. This wasn't the restrained, conservative girl she'd been before, but a woman who had just been satisfied sexually. Ben really commanded the environment in this area as he did in life, and it was divine.

Rey once again reminded herself to NOT get carried away, as she'd done all her life. Because Ben sought comfort and nothing more, because of how today went. She'd known it when she returned his advances and wouldn't make it harder by expecting too much, which included letting fantasy cloud reality. He was a fantastic lover, but she had to deal with this with the maturity she built for herself.

But...why the hell was her heart partially ripping the way it was, against her control?!

She washed her face off and then yanked her robe off its rack next to the door. When she was done, the fabric wrapped around her, there was Ben redressing himself and in full when she exited. It relieved her that he wasn't going to spend the night, since she wasn't sure how much she could bear. Though, how would he get back to his place -?

"You don't have to worry about how I'll get home, Rey. It's not like the streets are unsafe at this time of night." From the way he spoke those words, it sounded like he was eager to just escape her company, bringing back the tears to the corners of her eyes.

Thankfully, some of the hurt went away when he managed a smile for her, when he let her walk him to the front door, and that was when she seized the chance to pick up her nightgown from the kitchen floor. Thank gods everything might get back to normal.

"I'll come by tomorrow, if there's not gonna be any testing I don't want to interrupt."

Ben's eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion as he nodded. That glaze just about made her body almost betray her again. She was still feeling it between her thighs, followed by what was left of the tingling pain of her virginity taken. Saying good night to each other didn't make it fade, not even him leaving.

Reylo FINALLY did it. :D It's only been days since they started to know each other, but sometimes things happen. It's not the same with everyone in terms of how long it takes for you to connect. I also know some of you might be pissed at Rey for your own reasons, but let's not forget her trying to deal with this like a mature adult who won't let herself get hurt like her mom did time and time again. Ben is definitely befuddled and a little hurt, but he doesn't know the entirety of her story.

Reviews are absolutely appreciated. :3