A cold wave washed over her. What just happened? Did Ben run because he kissed her? Or because of her reaction?

She had to find him and she had to find him now.

But when she reentered the ballroom, he was nowhere to be seen. She scanned the crowd. He was tall and should be easy to find, right?

Wrong.

She was about to head to the other entrance to the ballroom when Solé Parnelli reappeared and blocked her path.

"Looking for Benjamin?"

Rey's concern for Ben overrode her irritation at the woman. "Yes, have you seen him?"

Solé examined her nails idly. "I did. He seemed like he was in a real rush. What did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything," Rey returned defensively. Nothing that this condescending socialite needed to know about, anyway.

"Then why was he in such a hurry to get away from you?" Her smile was unkind.

The words stung, because he had run away, hadn't he? But she needed to find him to know why. "Either tell me where he went, or get out of the way."

A flash of surprise passed over the woman's face before she rolled her eyes and moved aside.

Rey was two steps closer to the door when Solé spoke again.

"He'll never be yours, you know."

"What?"

"Benjamin Organa is one of the most eligible bachelors in the galaxy. I wouldn't be surprised if his mother already has someone lined up for him to marry. He'll never be yours."

Rey shook her head and turned away quickly before the woman could see tears in her eyes. What did she know? Nothing. Ben had kissed her. Ben chose her.

She clung to that as she made her way through the crowded room and up to the fourth level, where Ben's room was.

She knocked on the door, shifting anxiously as she waited for a response.

None came.

Rey frowned. She was almost certain he was in there. She knocked again, louder.

"Go away!"

Surely that didn't apply to her? "Ben, it's me."

Once again, she was met with silence, and she was about to try knocking a third time when the door opened and she had to quickly hide her surprise. Ben looked wrecked. His hair was disheveled and sticking up in odd places, his tie was gone, his eyes were red-rimmed and watery. His right hand was partially hidden behind his hip and he regarded her warily.

A tense, awkward pause hung between them, before she blurted, "What was that about?" He'd just run off on her, without even an explanation!

His jaw tightened. "I'd rather not talk about this tonight. Can we talk about this tomorrow?" The words were stiff and formal, and she hated them.

"No, I think we should talk about it now."

"Okay," he muttered, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I'm very sorry, Rey," he continued in a close-to-normal tone, though it remained unnaturally stilted and dispassionate. "What I did was uncalled for and unprofessional. If you no longer want to be my partner, I understand, and I won't hold it against you."

She stared at him, eyes wide. He was apologizing again, and she still didn't understand why. "Do you regret it?"

"Yes," he responded instantly, though his expression told a different story.

Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. He thought she was upset about the kiss! He'd taken her teasing comment to heart and thought he'd broken some kind of trust.

Oh, Ben. As if I could do anything but care for you. "I don't."

"What?" The word came out as a gasp, or a sigh, and his eyes darted up to meet hers.

She smiled softly. "When you asked me last night what I wanted us to be, I said partners because I thought that's what you wanted." His mouth parted in surprise and her smile widened. "I'm getting the impression that was incorrect."

He nodded, jaw working in his distinctive way. "I didn't think you'd want," he paused, huffed a laugh, "me."

"Do you still think that?"

"Starting not to," he breathed with a smile. He went to reach for her before pausing midway and dropping his hand back to his side. "Now what?"

"Now, you promised me a party, with food and dancing, and we haven't done any dancing. So I think we should go back to the party, instead of hiding around up here. But first, I think you should kiss me again."

He chuckled. "Rey, if I kiss you, I don't know if I'd stop."

"Maybe later, then," she said, and reveled in the way he choked.

He absently ran a hand through his hair and that's when she noticed the marks on his knuckles. "What happened?"

He froze, hand still tangled in his dark hair. "With what?"

"Your hand. What did you do?"

He shifted so the hand was partially behind him again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She rolled her eyes and wordlessly held out her hand.

His gaze dropped before meeting her eyes again, his expression unsure. She waited. Finally, he slowly placed his hand in hers.

The skin was broken over his knuckles, and he winced as she ran her thumb over them. "What happened?"

"I thought I'd ruined everything. I thought you'd hate me." He smiled hesitantly. "So I panicked."

"You could have broken your hand. Let's get some bacta on this."

"You don't need to—"

She silenced him with a look and stepped further into the room, locating a small med kit with a few bacta patches. "This should help. Let's give it a few minutes and then we'll rejoin the crowd."

—

Ben was still reeling from the whiplash of emotions he'd experienced in the last hour as he watched her find the med kit and bandage his hand.

He didn't know what he was thinking, kissing her. To be honest, he probably wasn't thinking. She was luminous, lit up by happiness and moonlight, and any rationality he had disappeared beneath the knowledge that she was beautiful and maybe someday she would be his.

Then his whole world came crashing down with her response. He'd really done it this time. She wouldn't be his, she didn't see him that way, he'd ruined everything and now she would hate him. He threw a punch at the polished stone wall and was only left with pain and tears.

But then, wonder of wonders, she didn't hate him. She didn't regret the kiss. She wanted him to kiss her again.

"Just so we're clear," she finished bandaging his hand and sat next to him on the room's sofa, "you like me?"

He swallowed to put some moisture back in his throat and nodded. "Yes, I do." An understatement if he'd ever said one, but whatever.

"For how long?"

He chuckled and tried to remember a time when he didn't. "A while."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know if you felt the same way."

She laughed and he felt his cheeks grow warm. It wasn't meant to be funny.

"How would you ever know if you didn't say something, Solo? I didn't know if you felt the same way! So here we are, dancing around this for what, months? At least?"

Alright, so maybe it was a little funny.

"We already knew I was an idiot," he offered weakly. His hand wasn't throbbing as much anymore.

"That you are," she said with a cheeky grin. "But you're my idiot."

"Does—does that mean you like me, too?" My idiot. Her idiot. He was hers.

"Yes, Ben. Very much."

"Good," came out of his mouth like a sigh of relief.

Her smile lit up the room. "Now, take me dancing." She held out her hand, and he took it.

Back in the ballroom, he led them out to the floor to join the waltzing couples and pulled her close. "I always wanted to dance with you," he murmured next to her ear. "I hope I didn't give you the impression I didn't. I was just afraid that you would be able to tell my feelings with a touch."

"Would that have been so bad?" she teased gently.

"At the time, it seemed like the worst thing that could happen. Now," he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand before he spun her, "it's hard to even remember what I was afraid of."

"I'm glad," she grinned, before looking past him and her grin sharpening into a smirk. "Kiss me again?"

"Out here?" He spared a glance around the ballroom. No one was paying much attention to them, but he knew that would change in a moment if they showed public affection.

"Do you not want to?"

"Oh no, I definitely want to, sweetheart. But that sort of thing is generally frowned on at events like this."

She trailed a finger down the lapel of his suit jacket with the hand not holding his, and gave him a look through her lashes. "I never took you for a rule-follower, Solo."

Was it hot in here, or was that just him?

He swallowed thickly before deciding to throw caution to the wind. She was his; it was about time he showed her off to the galaxy. He leaned down to capture her lips again, ignoring any gasps he heard nearby. No doubt he would get an earful from his mother tomorrow, but tonight, it was worth it.

He pulled away to see her brilliant smile. Definitely worth it.

As they turned in the waltz, he glimpsed a young woman in the crowd staring right at them, a glower of disdain and anger marring her face. If he wasn't mistaken, it was the youngest daughter of the Parnelli clan. Sol-something. He'd probably only spoken to her twice in his life and couldn't imagine why she'd be glaring at him now.

Not that it mattered, anyway. Her opinion of his actions held no value to him.

He put the strange encounter out of his mind as he spun Rey again when the music called for it and once more held her close. "I hope the gala is living up to your expectations."

She laughed. "Not at all, but I wouldn't change a thing."

They danced the rest of the night.

As the gala wound down, he walked her to her room, pressing a kiss to her forehead and then to the corner of her mouth.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening," she murmured, and he could feel her smile.

"I should be the one thanking you." He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and gave her a final smile. "I'll see you in the morning," he whispered. "Sleep well…"

But as he turned away, he couldn't help but add, so quietly she wouldn't hear it, "…cyar'ika."

—

Rey was so giddy from the kisses and the dancing she could barely sleep. I could have danced all night, she thought with a grin as she got ready for bed.

And when she finally drifted off, Ben spun her in a waltz throughout her dreams.

The next day dawned bright and clear, and she woke grinning so wide her cheeks hurt as she remembered the previous night.

A knock at the door forced her out of bed. When she opened it, she found a droid waiting with the message to meet Ben and Leia in the senator's suite once she was ready.

In the senator's rooms, there was a spread laid out with all kinds of fruits and pastries, some of which she'd tried at the gala. Ben hadn't shown up yet, but Leia welcomed Rey with open arms and a big smile.

After thanking her for returning the jewelry and complimenting her on her dress the night before, Leia sat at the table and motioned for Rey to join her.

"Are you enjoying your time on Naboo?"

"Oh, absolutely. I think it's one of the most beautiful planets we've visited."

"How is traveling with my son?" The words were casual, but Rey could tell there was maybe a little worry layered beneath.

"It's really great, actually," she answered quietly. Yesterday morning she may have given a different answer, but today was the start of something new.

"He treats you well?"

"Yes, definitely." Rey gave Leia her best smile. "We work well together."

Leia was watching her carefully. "Hmm," was all she said in response. She paused, then surprised Rey with, "You're good for him, Rey. I haven't seen him this happy in a while." The older woman chuckled at Rey's shocked expression. "Don't think I didn't notice the way he looks at you, or the way you two danced together last night. You were only fooling yourselves by saying you were nothing more than work partners."

Only fooling ourselves. Rey laughed, both at the relief coming from this secret now out in the open, and at the sheer ridiculousness of their mutual feelings and refusal to acknowledge them. "I suppose we were."

"Talking about anyone I know?" Ben's voice came from the doorway.

"Just you," she responded cheerfully, and saw the smile he tried to hide.

"Okay, then. Should I be worried?"

"Only good things, I promise."

"That's a relief." He sat and began filling his breakfast plate. "So, I was thinking that we could go to Varykino today—that's the house my family owns in the Lake Country. It would only be a short visit, though, since we still have the kyber in the cargo hold."

She had almost forgotten about the kyber in the rush of the gala. She opened her mouth to enthusiastically agree when Leia spoke first.

"Why do you have kyber?" Her tone was sharp.

Ben froze for the briefest instant before giving his mother a smile. "We're bringing it to Luke. We found it," he added slowly after his mother leveled him with a stare.

"I see." It was evident she knew exactly what her son meant by found, and she confirmed this with her next question. "And will anyone come looking for this discovered merchandise?"

"Not if they value their career," Ben responded brightly.

Leia smiled and it crinkled around her eyes. "Indeed."

"A trip to the family house sounds wonderful! Then we can be headed off to meet Luke Skywalker!"

Ben chuckled, whether at her words or her enthusiasm, she didn't know. "He'll be happy to have the kyber, at least. And he might be happy to see us, too."

"You know, Han told me about you." Leia's words were warm. "He told me you were as sharp as a tack and could keep this one on his toes." She indicated Ben with a jab of her finger. "He was right."

Han Solo had remembered her? Rey fought to keep the shock from her face, and one look at Ben told her he was doing the same.

Though his surprise was apparently for a different reason. "You talked to Han?"

Leia nodded. "He actually came to visit a few months ago. Said he ran into you two at Lando's and you had a good talk."

Rey watched Ben's throat bob and remembered that day, when she yelled at Ben about family despite only knowing him for a few days and really knowing nothing about him.

How times change.

"I'm glad," Leia was saying. "Han is many things, but he's still your father. And you are more like him than you realize."

Ben's face was flushed as he stared down at his plate and mumbled a response.

"For the good things and the bad," Leia laughed. "It's true. Speaking of which, I hope you'll name one of the children after my parents."

Rey coughed around her fruit and across the table, Ben did the same with his ill-timed gulp of caf.

"Mother!" he gasped when he seemed to be able to speak again. Rey couldn't even find words to respond. "You can't just say things like that!"

"Can't I? After you kissed her in the ballroom last night for the Force and everyone to see?"

If she thought Ben was red before, it was nothing compared to the crimson that now spread across his cheeks and down his neck. "I—I—" he stuttered.

As she remembered his warnings last night and as she watched him flounder, a laugh bubbled up and finally burst out when she couldn't contain it any more.

He gaped at her, aghast, but Leia soon joined in the laughter, and after a beat, he managed to offer a hesitant chuckle.

"It's alright, Benjamin. I know how Solo men are." She then winked at Rey, and whatever conversation Rey expected to be having this morning over breakfast, none of this was it. "At the very least, it worked to say you're off the market." As her laughter subsided, she reached over and grasped one of each of their hands. "You picked well, son. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom," he murmured, and Rey could see the sheen of tears in his eyes.

They spent the rest of breakfast planning their day trip to Varykino, then Rey said her goodbyes and headed to pick up AD-83 and her things. Ben told her he'd be right behind her.

After making sure there would be someone there to receive them, they headed off to the Lake Country. Varykino was absolutely stunning—possibly even more beautiful than the Grand Hotel. She loved watching Ben's eyes light up as he took her on the tour, explaining the history of the family and the art there.

But her favorite moment of the trip was when he kissed her on the balcony where his grandparents were married, just as the sun was setting over the water. It would be a moment she would remember for the rest of her life.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, they boarded Shadowstar and Ben entered the coordinates for Luke's Jedi Temple.

Then, in a move that was now as natural to her as scavenging, they took to the stars once more.

A/N: Thus concludes part 4! There will be one more part (of probably at least two chapters, likely more) to this little story series. I hope you've enjoyed it so far and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

On another note, today marks ten years since I posted my first fic on this site! It's crazy to think about how time flies.