Ben Solo stood in front of the newly completed house and smiled. The decision to take a year out after graduating top of his class with a distinction in Architectural Design had been a good one. It had afforded him the time he needed to finish his pet project. He was lucky enough to have been able to secure the land to build on for a relatively cheap price as his family was so well respected in their small hometown. The rest was borrowed and begged, but that didn't matter, because now it was finished and it was just as he had pictured it.

He opened the front door once more and walked through the rooms. Everything was perfect, just as he had designed it, just as he had built it with his own two hands, only bringing in contractors when absolutely necessary. He had remained personally involved in the project from the beginning, for two reasons. One, because he couldn't afford to spend a lot on labour and two, because he wanted to feel connected to the house.

He imagined that one day he would gently carry his wife over the threshold or play with his children in the expansive garden. But today the house had a very different purpose.

He couldn't wait for his Uncle Luke to see the property; he had always wanted to follow in his Uncle's footsteps and now he was about to start an apprenticeship with Skywalker Architectural Design. This house would show his Uncle what he was capable of, maybe he would even let him skip the apprenticeship and offer him a full position. Maybe that was reaching too far, but still, it was fun to speculate.

He saw Luke's car pull up outside and came out to greet him. Ben's smile disappeared instantly when he saw the stormy look on his Uncle's weathered face as he got out of the car and marched towards Ben.

'What wrong?' he asked.

'You know what's wrong,' his Uncle snapped.

Ben looked bewildered.

'I don't understand.'

Luke thrust a piece of paper towards him. Ben squinted at it. It was an offer of an apprenticeship to work at Snoke Architects, Skywalkers biggest business rivals. Ben's eyes widened when he realised the letter was addressed to him.

'How did you get this?' he asked Luke.

'It got delivered to my address instead of to yours. When were you going to tell me about this?'

Ben held his hands out to his sides helplessly.

'I don't know what's going on, I never applied to Snoke Architects. Why would I? I want to work with you. It's all arranged.'

The look in his Uncle's eyes was a look he had never seen before. It was pure hatred. Hatred for Snoke? Or for him? He wasn't sure, and the uncertainty made him ache.

'Don't lie to me Ben. Snoke doesn't just hand these scholarships out on a silver platter, you must have submitted an application.'

'I'm telling you, I didn't. I have no idea what is going on!' Ben shouted desperately.

'Tell me the truth!' Luke demanded.

Ben had never seen his Uncle look so enraged. The little boy within Ben wondered why his favourite Uncle didn't believe him. The man he had become was just trying to control his temper. Young Ben pushed to the surface.

'I am telling you the truth,' he said in a small voice, looking down at the floor.

'I've talked to your parents, they're as disappointed as I am.'

Ben's eyes snapped back up to his Uncles at the mention of his parents.

'They, they think I did this?' he felt a dull throbbing pain form in his chest.

'We all want to know why you didn't just tell us if this is what you wanted,' Luke said firmly.

Something inside of Ben started to heat up. He felt fire spread throughout his insides. He was so angry. Angrier than he has ever been before. He snatched the letter from Luke's hand, settling his cold eyes on his Uncle's.

'Well if everyone is so sure I did this, maybe I should take the offer.'

His own voice was foreign to him.

'I warn you, Ben,' Luke said coming towards him and stabbing a finger into his chest.

'If you do this, you will be turning your back on this family.'

Ben slapped his hand away.

'This family has already turned its back on me.'

Ben walked past his Uncle and got into his car. He took one last longing look at the house he had built and then he drove away without looking back.

Five years later...

Ben knocked back his third whiskey and signalled to the bartender for another. He looked around at his co-workers as they laughed and danced in the crowded Hungarian restaurant. They were supposed to be celebrating the completion of their latest project, but Ben couldn't care less. To him, another estate full of cookie cutter properties was the last thing this world needed.

Ben had been an architect with Snoke Architecture for four years, he had been employed on a permanent basis right after he had completed his yearlong apprenticeship with the company. Shouldn't he be happy? He had risen through the ranks rapidly, Snoke already favoured him enough to let him pick and choose his projects, though any requests to take on more creative pro-bono work were always swiftly denied. Ben threw another whiskey down his throat and sighed. Yes, he was good at what he did, but what he did was killing him slowly.

'I no speak English,' he heard a voice say behind him. He turned around, and found Hux talking to a very pretty brunette waitress. Hux was more than a little inebriated, he seemed to be trying to order a drink but he was doing it in his usual obnoxious manner.

'Bring me a vodka neat,' he shouted at the waitress.

She cocked her head at him and frowned.

'No English,' she shouted back.

'Leave her alone, Hux,' Ben shouted. 'She obviously doesn't understand.'

Hux glared back at him. The two of them had been rivals for some time and since Snoke currently favoured Ben, Hux's dislike for him had become almost palpable. Nevertheless, he took Ben's advice and approached the bar to give his drink order again.

Ben watched the pretty waitress as she collected the glasses. She wore a short yellow off the shoulders dress with a mini white apron tied over the top. He cocked his head to the side as his eyes slid up her shapely legs as she reached over a table to grab some discarded plates. He shook his head. Sure, she was pretty, very pretty, but not pretty enough to waste his time on.

'Solo? Yes, he's exceptionally talented. Best one on my team.'

Ben's ears pricked up at the sound of Snoke's voice saying his name.

'Will he make partner soon?' Someone asked.

Ben froze. This was the question he was dying to hear the answer to. He had been working eighty-hour weeks trying to convince Snoke that he was worthy of the prestigious promotion.

'No.'

Snoke's answer hit Ben like a punch to the face.

'He's not ready. The boy is still green. I see nothing special within him. Nothing to make him worthy of the title.'

Ben gripped his glass so hard his knuckles paled.

He thought he wasn't ready? He thought he wasn't worthy? After everything he had done for him, after everything he had given up for that decrepit, immoral, bastard…

He was pushing thirty and what did he have to show for it? Nothing. A mundane career and an empty rock where his heart should be.

Snoke walked away and Ben took some deep breaths. He needed to expel this frustration. He needed to hit something or he needed to fuck some…

As if he had summoned her, the hot waitress appeared at his side, she bent over the bar as she put down the glasses she had collected, giving him a delicious peek of her ass as her short dress rode up a few inches. As she leaned back, their eyes met and he felt a frisson of electricity shiver through him. She turned away from him and started to collect more empties.

Ben kept his eyes on her tight behind as he ordered another drink. He decided that a night of slumming it might not be so bad after all.

Ben knew one thing for sure, he was very drunk. Everyone else had filtered out of the restaurant but he didn't seem to want to leave just yet. He started to sketch on a nearby napkin, he drew the only thing that was on his mind at that moment. His house. The house he built but had not returned to since that day with Luke.

'That's pretty.'

Ben looked up and saw the hot waitress looking over his shoulder.

'I thought you didn't speak English?' he murmured.

'No, I don't speak arsehole. I speak English fine when I choose to.'

Ben snorted. So, she was funny as well as hot.

Tempting.

'Is that a real house?' she asked.

'It is,' Ben confirmed.

'Is it yours?'

'It is.'

She looked suitably impressed as he hoped she would be.

He turned to face her and tried not to be too affected by the young girls' pretty hazel eyes and full pouty lips. He guessed she was in her early twenties. Too young for him really but then he wasn't going to marry her, was he?

'In fact, I designed and built that house,' he told her.

'Wow,' she said.

Ben looked smug and waited for her to climb all over him. She looked at him with an almost bored expression.

'Do you think you could get out? I want to lock up.'

Ben blinked.

'What?'

'It's closing time and I'm really tired,' the waitress said.

Well shit. Ben guessed this night wasn't going to go the way he thought.

He finished his drink and slammed the glass down on the counter as he stuffed the drawing into his pocket.

'Sure,' he said curtly as he headed for the exit.

'You can wait outside if you want to walk me home,' she said casually as she wiped down a table.

Ben turned around and looked at her.

'What makes you think I want to walk you home?'

'Sorry, I must be confusing you with the other hot architect staring at my ass all night.'

Christ this girl was a pill. Wait, did she just say he was hot? The girl smirked at him.

'Trying to get your head round all that are ya? Don't architects have to spend like five years in school? I was expecting you to be sharper. Look, I'll make it really easy for you. I'm leaving in ten minutes, if you want to walk me home, wait outside.'

Ben didn't answer her, he just left the building and then stood to the side in the shadows so she couldn't see him. Of course, he was going to wait for her, but he preferred to keep her guessing as to his choice for the next ten minutes.

When the girl appeared and locked the restaurant doors behind her, she started to walk across the road without even checking to see if he was still there. He came out of the shadows and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, she turned in the centre of the street and hit him with a brilliant smile.

'You coming then?' she said.

He smiled back at her. This girl was a lot of fun. Something he wasn't very familiar with. He jogged towards her and fell into stride beside her.

'I'm Rey by the way,' she said.

'I'm Ben,' he replied.

'So, Ben, what's your story?' she asked with a lift of her eyebrow.

'Not much to say,' he replied.

'Then it shouldn't take long,' she said with a smile.