The first thing Ben is aware of is that it's a little too warm in his bed. He kicks at the covers to get some relief. His eyes open and it takes him a second to discern that he's looking at the back of Rey's head. His arms are curled around her waist, his left one trapped beneath her and tingling due to poor circulation.

Last night's events rush back to him and he remembers then that he's not in his bed, but Rey's. And somehow, despite the fact that her mattress is considerably less comfortable, and a full-size rather than the king size he's used to, Ben slept through the night. He thinks he might've slept longer if not for his arm tingling and the warmth caused by Rey's body heat.

He doesn't care. He pulls her further against him, her back flush against his chest, and buries his face in her neck. She smells like flowers, lilies maybe. He's vaguely aware that he's got a serious case of morning wood poking into her ass, so he separates their hips a little rather than disturb her.

I could do this all day, he thinks.

Except both of them have work later. He knows it isn't too late yet, judging by the fact that it's still mostly dark outside. He also knows that he needs to go home for a shower and fresh clothes, but he tells himself it's okay to stay a little longer.

Ben closes his eyes as he recalls the night before. How she had felt beneath his hands. How her pussy had tasted when he put his mouth between her legs. The sounds he'd been able to draw from her. The way she'd been his perfect fit.

He halts his train of thought there, a little discomfited at the implication of perfect. But before the pessimistic part of his brain can take over and start obsessing over all the ways that perfect is a dangerous word to think in relationships, he decides to relax and enjoy the fact that he's even able to hold her like this.

He presses his lips to that sweet spot where her neck meets her shoulder. His fingers draw circles on the exposed skin of her belly. He admits to himself, in this moment of weakness, that he could get used to the feel of her in his arms.

She wakes slowly, stretching her back, her ass pushing back to meet his hips again. He isn't able to contain the hiss she draws from him when she inadvertently rubs against his erection. His arms tighten around her a little as she wiggles against him.

"Rey," he groans into her neck and the husky way she laughs has him bumping his hips against her behind.

She hums as she pushes back against him. "I think I might like waking up to that."

And he knows he shouldn't say it, knows that it's too much, but it leaves his mouth anyway - "I think I could wake up like this everyday."

He doesn't exactly regret saying it, though he imagines he will later. He does feel exposed and he isn't quite ready to look at her just yet, so unsure of what he'll see in her eyes. So he presses kisses to her throat, runs his hand up to her breast to toy with her bare nipple, while his other hand continues rubbing circles low on her belly. She squirms, impatient for him to move lower and he smiles into her hair.

"Ben," she whines, wiggling her ass against him, drawing a groan from him.

He trails his fingers lower, meeting wetness as he pushes between her folds. He presses circles into her clit and her thighs squeeze together, trapping his hand. He repositions his hips until he can feel her wet center on the tip of his dick, and then he pushes into her, bites into her shoulder to stifle what's sure to be a pitiful noise escaping his throat.

She feels so fucking good. Tight and hot and wet and his. She clenches around him as he continues circling her clit. He thrusts into her, tilting his hips so he can hit that spot inside her that makes her whimper his name.

No one has ever said his name like Rey does.

"God, Ben, please, yes," she pants, and he knows she's close.

He increases the pressure on her clit and whispers filthy words in her ear. "So tight, baby. You feel fucking amazing. Let me feel you come, Rey. Please, baby."

She cries out and her body goes rigid even as she spasms around him, pulling his own orgasm from him.

They lie there for minutes, their breathing labored, coming down from the high.

When Ben finally makes himself get up and get dressed, she slips on her discarded pajamas so she can follow him to the door. Then they make out like teenagers, loathe to say good-bye, even though they just spent the whole night together.

He likes the way she looks in the morning, he decides. All rumpled hair and sleepy eyes. If he thought that both of them could get away with calling in, he would suggest it.

"Will I hear from you later?" She asks, and he hears in her voice that she's trying to be casual, but she's genuinely concerned about him contacting her.

Ben presses one more kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Mm-hmm. I'll probably text you every hour. You'll be blocking my number before you know it. Trying to figure out a way to get rid of me."

She rolls her eyes, but she can't hide the pleased little smile tugging at her mouth.

"Alright. Good-bye, Ben."

"See you later, sweetheart."

Rey realizes over the next couple of weeks that she is smitten. She thinks about Ben all the time, about the little things he does that mean a lot to her. He must have picked up at some point that she lacks self-confidence when it comes to relationships because he is always doing things to reassure her that he isn't going anywhere.

She remembers what he said that Sunday after their first dinner date. She'd texted him to see if they could see one another and in a fit of self-consciousness, had told him "I don't want you to think I'm trying to take up all your free time."

And he'd said, "No, please, take up all my free time."

And he'd said dozens similar things since then every time Rey tried to give him an out. Ben will have none of it. He teases her constantly, telling her that she's going to have to think of creative ways to get rid of him once she's tired of him.

She's beginning to think that such a thing isn't possible.

Rey finds herself falling into a routine with Ben that she's never experienced with anyone else. It starts with trying to plan things out - date nights, work lunches, and the like - but somehow ends up with them seeing each other nearly everyday.

Rey suspects that both of them are trying to make sure the other has enough space while also not wanting to be away from the other. At least, that's what Rey's experience is. She has never been clingy, has never seen the need to be with any other boyfriend 24/7. And of course, she's not with him all the time...just a startlingly large portion of her free time.

Ben is...not what she expected him to be. She figured he would only want to see her sparingly. Especially after they had sex. She hates that that's what she expected, but past experiences have given her negative expectations. And they do have sex quite a lot - but Rey's as much to blame for that as Ben.

Because Rey has never been so sexually satisfied. She can't seem to get enough of him. He's...passionate, for lack of a better word. The heated looks he gives her, the desperate way that he kisses her, his struggle to keep his hands to himself. It's not just sexual, Rey knows that. She knows that the genuine affection he shows her is something she's craved for a long time. But the sex is always really, really good.

Fantastic really.

Her coworkers are very curious about their relationship. Kaydel has no qualms about asking about their sex life, to which Rey decidely stays sillent about. But Rose and Jess are more curious about everything else - how he treats her, what he's like outside the courtroom, if he ever smiles.

And she dreamily describes his boyish smirks and his plush lips and the dimples in his cheek, all while blushing. She tells them how gentle he is with her, how thoughtful, how surprisingly funny he can be with his flat deliveries and dry humor.

"Girl, you've got it bad," Rose tells her.

Rey doesn't even argue because she knows it's true.

Sometimes she will see him in court and, if she isn't busy, will just study him. Every once in a while, Amilyn catches her and grins and shakes her head. And even though Rey is embarrassed that she's so obvious, she's also really glad that this thing with Ben isn't forbidden by her job. They don't work together, of course, but Rey's relieved their relationship isn't an issue and that her boss fully supports it.

One night, as they are finishing dinner at his place, she decides to tell him about her past experiences with guys.

"My first boyfriend was when I was fourteen. I was in foster care at the time because my uncle had left me alone for such long periods of time without food that I was removed from his care. I was placed with a nice family and I was there for about four months. I had to change schools when they took me into their care and the first day at my new school I met this boy -" Ben rolls his eyes and Rey swats at his arm. "He was really nice to me and he asked me to be his girlfriend about two weeks after I got there."

"You had to break up with him when you went back to your uncle?" Ben guesses.

"No," Rey knows the smile she gives him is a little sad, a little bitter, but she can't help it. "We held hands in the hallways and passed notes in class. He invited me over to his house and I went, met his parents. Then I invited him to my house and - I don't know how it never came up before, I guess it was something I avoided talking about at all costs - my foster mother mentioned that I was being fostered…"

Ben sits up straighter across the table, his features shift to understanding then. He knows what happened.

"She didn't mean any harm. I'm sure she thought he knew, but he didn't. He didn't storm out or anything, but the next Monday at school, he was distant. Later that week, a girl in my science class passed me a note. It was from him. He broke up with me."

"He was a little shit," Ben says.

"He really wasn't," Rey counters. "He was kind to me. He was the kind of person who was kind to everyone, but…" She shrugs, unsure how to explain to Ben that his behavior was something she came to expect. That even the decent kids in school looked at foster kids as pariahs.

"I didn't have another boyfriend until my mom came back for me. We were both sixteen, but he'd dropped out of school. He didn't treat me great and I can't even remember what drew me to him." At Ben's thunderous expression, she rushed to explain. "He never hit me or anything like that. He just...he had a habit of teasing me cruelly, mocking me for wanting to make something of myself. I had really good grades in school and he always asked me why I tried so hard. Said it was pointless. My mom hated him, finally talked me into giving him the boot. She said I deserved better." Rey smiles and it's a relief, to remember her mother in a positive light. To have at least one good, comforting memory of her mother trying to look out for her.

"The next guy was eighteen, already graduated from high school. He was my first…" The muscle beneath Ben's left eye twitches menacingly and Rey tries to hide her smirk. "I won't torture you with the details, but it was...less than satisfactory. It only happened a handful of times and it never got...good. Honestly, the same can be said for the rest of my sexual history too. Well, that may not be entirely fair. Some of it was enjoyable, I guess, but nothing like..." She trails off, feels the blush heating her face because she basically outright told him that he rocks her world.

Ben's been quiet for the most part, letting her unload, but she can see his frustration and he finally breaks. "What the fuck is wrong with these idiots?" He huffs. "I'm torn between being outraged that your first experience was abysmal and grateful that I was the one who broke such a terrible streak."

Rey hums and slides her hand across the table, tangling her fingers with his. "Maybe I should've just waited on you. Then you'd be the only thing I know and I wouldn't have all this negative history…"

Ben's eyes darken and the look he gives her...it's predatory.

"If we do it enough, I might just be able to wipe all those less than savory experiences from your memory."

Rey is fighting a smirk, trying to keep a straight face as she lifts her shoulder and says, "I don't know, Ben. They were pretty bad. What if all the good sex in the world can't wipe away…"

"You just haven't had enough of it yet," he insists, his dark eyes gone nearly black as he looks across at her. "What do you say, sweetheart? Up for the challenge?"

Rey manages to keep a straight face when she tells him, "It's worth a try."

Ben spends the rest of the night erasing the others from her mind, worshipping her body, and making her feel like he's her first everything, effectively rising to her challenge.

Rey never really doubted him.

A week before Thanksgiving, Ben gets a text from Mitaka after he leaves the courthouse at lunchtime, telling him that there's someone at the office to see him, so rather than going to lunch, Ben heads back to his office.

Ben is surprised to see that it's his mother waiting in his office. He expected a client, hoped it would be Rey, but he hadn't expected her.

He goes to sit behind his desk, watching her warily.

She just gives him a curious look. "No hug for your mother?"

He stares at her, on the verge of telling her that she's made no move to initiate physical affection either, but decides to remain quiet, looking at her expectantly. She sighs frustratedly and rolls her eyes.

"Luke tells me you plan to leave once he's well enough to come back," she says.

His eyes narrow and finally he speaks. "So that's why you're here."

She scoots forward in her chair and grips the edge of his desk. "Why, Ben? This is the perfect place for you! You're already here, so why not take advantage…"

"This isn't what I want to do with my career," he tells her. He's told her this before. But she has never listened.

"So, what, you want to go back to Snoke?"

"If the offer is still open…." Ben starts.

"Why? It's like you're being purposely contrary. You've got everything you need here, but you're going to throw it away so you can sell your soul and move to Coruscant?"

"Is it really so hard for you to believe that I don't want a career in family law?" He can feel that he's close to the end of his patience. This conversation is old and tired and he's done with repeating himself.

Leia Organa sniffs and straightens her spine, giving him a calculating look. "So corporate law is your passion?" She scoffs. "The money, maybe. Which you have plenty of already…"

Ben stands, shoves his hands in his pockets so he doesn't slam them on his desk. "And clearly," he snarls, baring his teeth, "you've never considered that maybe I want to make my own money, make my own way rather than relying on a trust fund…"

"You can make your own way here!" Leia stands too, and while she's more than a foot shorter than him, her presence is a big one and Ben fights the urge to take a step back.

He shakes his head. "Following in Luke's footsteps isn't making my own way, Mother."

She sighs noisily and throws up her hands. "Why is it always drama with you, Ben? No one has asked you to be like Luke. I'm just saying that filling in for Luke has given you a perfectly good opportunity to…."

"Please, stop," he says it quietly, but she obliges.

"Fine. I'll drop it," Leia says, but Ben can tell she's about to dive into a different topic. "So when were you going to tell me you have a girlfriend?"

Ben's jaw clenches so hard it feels like his teeth will break. He wonders how she found out. And apparently Leia can read his mind.

"Amilyn," she says in explanation. "She told me one of her employees came to her recently and disclosed that she could no longer work with you in court due to a potential conflict of interest."

His temper spikes. "Is that not confidential?"

Leia levels him with a look that suggests he's being ridiculous. "I imagine it is confidential, but Amilyn likely thought I'd know already that my son was in a serious relationship. It was mentioned in passing."

He doesn't want to talk about Rey with his mother, but he's not sure how to get out of it without acting like an ass. He broods as he waits for Leia to start interrogating him. Once she realizes that he isn't going to take the initiative, she starts in.

"You aren't going to tell me about her? What's she like?"

Strong, he thinks. Kind. Beautiful. Funny. He doesn't say any of this to his mother.

"I don't want to talk about her," Ben says, and Leia frowns.

"Not serious then?"

Serious enough that I want to keep it to myself, he thinks.

She changes tac again. "How's your father?"

He doesn't want to talk about his father with her either, but he hopes that if he gives her something, maybe she'll leave. "He's good."

"Have you seen him recently?"

He hasn't, not really. The last time Ben saw Han was shortly after he'd graduated law school. He'd spent a few days with him at his small house in Chandrila. They'd gone fishing, and hiking, and honestly, Ben had had a good time. But he's been pretty busy since he came to help Luke.

"Not since late May," Ben admits, and when his mother gets that look on her face like she's going to scold him, he rushes to tell her, "But we talk every few days."

That seems to settle her a little and she actually looks pleasantly surprised. "Neither of you has ever been big on talking on the phone, so I'm glad to hear that you manage it on a regular basis."

Ben decides not to tell her that those conversations are usually Han ranting about whatever sport is currently going on or calling him when he's intoxicated to assure him that he's very proud of him. It used to annoy Ben, but he's learned to take those interactions for what they are - his dad trying to express his own brand of affection.

He can tell his mother wants to talk about his dad more, but there's not much else to say. So instead, she says, "So Thanksgiving is next week, and I hadn't really planned anything, but…"

"Don't worry about it," Ben says. "I have plans."

Leia fixes him with a look and she looks seconds from initiating a full-blown interrogation, but she seems to think better of it. She sighs heavily and says, "Just tell me one thing - does it involve your new lady friend?"

Ben cringes at the term lady friend, but gives a terse nod in answer.

And just like that, Leia's entire face transforms. She relaxes, gives him a soft smile, and says, "Good for you, darling."

The day before Thanksgiving sees Rey running around trying to get last minute work done in preparation for court on the following Monday. With the shortened week, Rey barely has any spare time to be nervous about spending her first Thanksgiving with someone since her mother died.

Plus, after today she and Ben will both be off four days in a row and she secretly hopes that most of that time will be spent in each other's company.

Towards the end of the day, Rey heads to Amilyn's office with a question about a case and, seeing her door open, goes right in. She stops when she sees that Amilyn has company.

"Oh, so sorry," she says. "I'll come back. Not important!"

"Wait," the guest calls, and Rey takes a moment to actually look at the woman sitting in the chair across from her boss.

She's small, but seems to command attention with the way she carries herself. She sits on the edge of the chair, her back straight and her chin held high. Her graying hair is pinned up in an elaborate braid.

She's classically beautiful and she seems familiar, though Rey is sure she's never met her.

Amilyn smiles as she looks between them, but doesn't introduce them. The older woman stands from her seat and walks over to Rey. She's even tinier than what Rey thought.

"Rey, is it?" She holds out a small, soft hand that Rey shakes.

Rey smiles, trying to hide the fact that she's completely bewildered. "Yes, Rey Niima. Nice to meet you…"

"Leia," the woman smiles warmly. "Leia Organa."

The name tickles a memory at the back of Rey's mind. Then, she remembers that the woman in front of her was once a judge in the district. She's also pretty sure she's running for some political office next year.

Before Rey can say anything else though, Leia adds, "I'm also Ben's mom, but I can tell by the look on your face that he hasn't told you my name."

Rey stares at her blankly for about three seconds, then her mouth falls open and her eyes widen. "B-Ben's mother?"

The woman nods, still smiling. "Ben Solo," she adds, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Just so there's no confusion."

Rey finally manages to stop gaping and offer a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Organa."

"Leia," Ben's mother corrects her. "It's so good to meet you as well. Ben seems adamant about keeping you to himself and I suppose that's his right. He treats you well, though?"

Rey nods, maybe a little too enthusiastically. "Yes, he's so good to me." She feels her face flush with heat at her lack of chill around this woman, but what she says is the truth.

Ben treats her better than anyone ever has.

Leia's face relaxes a bit. "Glad to hear it." She looks back at Amilyn and smiles knowingly. "I heard through the grapevine my son had a girlfriend, so you'll forgive me if I placed myself in a position to meet you. If I'd waited on Ben to do it, it may have never happened."

Rey's brow furrows. "Oh."

"He's just private," Leia says, as though this is a perfectly acceptable explanation as to why Ben wouldn't want to bring her around. "Anyway, I need to get going." She pats Rey's shoulder as she heads for the door. "It really is good to meet you, dear."

Rey stands there for a few seconds, trying to process what just happened. She finally looks up to see Amilyn watching her. Her boss holds her hands up in surrender.

"I had no idea she was dropping in today. It's not abnormal for her to visit, we are old friends after all. She came in last week though, so I guess I should have known something was up when she showed up again this week."

Rey's shoulders sag a little. "Ben doesn't want me to meet her?"

Amilyn's expression softens. "It's not my business, Rey, but I don't think it has to do with you. Ben and Judge Organa have a...different sort of relationship. I think it's strained at times, but again, it's not my business." She shakes her head, as though to clear away any thoughts on the subject that she probably shouldn't give voice to. "I adore Leia and Ben both. But if you're wanting to know why his mom had to pop into my office to meet you, you're going to need to ask Ben."

When the door opens, Ben's hands are immediately on her waist, tugging her inside and laying a kiss on her mouth before she's able to greet him.

"Missed you," he murmurs against her mouth.

Rey's arms wind around his neck and she presses little kisses at the corner of his mouth. Ben reaches out to shut the door behind her, lest the neighbors happen to walk by and see them all over each other. His lips brush against her temple and Rey relaxes in his arms. It makes it easier to tell him the thing that's been bugging her since she left the office.

"I met your mother today," she says into chest.

Ben stiffens, stops breathing, then slowly pulls away, looking down at her with wide eyes.

"You did?" He says, his voice sounding odd.

Rey nods. "I did. She was...nice."

Ben's Adam's apple bobs and he nods. "Yeah."

"She seemed to know who I was before I told her."

Ben nods, runs his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, I think Amilyn let it slip because she thought my mom already knew."

"Yeah, your mom mentioned that it's not the sort of thing you'd tell her," Rey fidgets in his arms before pulling away. Maybe Ben isn't ready for the kind of relationship where Rey has chats with his mother. And even though Rey hadn't meant to wind up in that situation, it happened all the same. "Listen, I just want you to know that I wasn't trying to...force an introduction with your mom. I didn't know who she was. I promise it wasn't something I set out to do…"

Ben lays his hands on her shoulder. "It's okay. I...my mom can be pushy. Don't for one second think that her running into you wasn't calculated. She knew what she was doing," he adds in a low, bitter tone.

Rey's emotions are a whirlwind of contradictions - relief that Ben doesn't think she was trying to seek out his mother for an introduction, worry that he seems a little distressed by the fact that they've met, and maybe a little hurt because he clearly isn't ready to take Rey around his family. She knows it shouldn't bother her. They haven't been dating that long, but the thought that he might be ashamed of her stings anyway.

Ben moves away from her and into the kitchen and goes about checking to make sure that they have all they'll need for the little feast tomorrow. Rey watches him and can tell by his body language that he's tense. She stands there awkwardly, unsure if he wants her help or if she should just sit down and stay out of his way.

She wonders maybe if she should leave to give him a little space. Leaving is actually the last thing she wants, but she wonders if she might be smothering him by staying. What if he's worried that now that she's met his mom, that she expects to attend all his family functions? What if he realizes that she's probably a little more serious about this whole thing than he is and gets spooked?

Ben finally seems to realize that she's awkwardly frozen in place in his living room.

"Rey?"

She carefully meets his eyes. "Maybe I should go home for a bit? Or just come back tomorrow? Or…"

The tension leaves his face and transforms to alarm. "What? I mean, yeah, if you want. Of course." He's stopped what he was doing and is just as still as she is, meeting her gaze cautiously.

She doesn't want to leave though. But she also doesn't want to tell him that she's scared she'll suffocate him if she stays for as long as she wants. She takes a breath to steady herself. "It's just that...I didn't stop by my apartment when I left work since you live close to the courthouse, but it just occurred to me I don't have any pajamas…"

"You could wear some of my sweatpants," he interjects quickly.

And oh, she wants to believe what she's seeing is eagerness that she will agree to stay, but maybe he's just too polite to tell her to give him space.

"I don't have a toothbrush," she supplies weakly, lifting one shoulder in a small shrug.

Ben is chewing the inside of his cheek and staring at the ground now, clearly contemplating something, though Rey has no idea what. His eyes flick to hers, and then he moves toward his bathroom, and reemerges a couple of seconds later. He strides over to her and holds out a new toothbrush, still in the package.

"I picked it up a few days ago," he tells her, his eyes trained on a spot over her shoulder. "

And it's stupid, the feelings that it stirs in Rey. It's just a damn toothbrush. But it shows that he's thought about this, about having her stay over, about her having stuff at his place. She bites into her lip to keep from grinning stupidly and takes the toothbrush from him.

"You can go home, if you want. If you're more comfortable with that, but I'd like it if you stayed." He's talking to his feet again and his voice sounds odd, like he's trying not to make whatever she decides into a big deal and failing miserably.

She moves into him then, her arms wrapping around his waist and her face nuzzling into his chest - a spot that is quickly becoming her favorite. And she can't deny that when she's close to him, when he's holding her like this, she can almost believe that she's safe here, that she can never be hurt again.

"Alright then," she says quietly as she feels his arms come around her. "I'll stay."