Author's Note: YES OKAY, so I had to edit this a lot. If you are of age and into smut, I'd recommend heading over to Ao3 (the story is called Butterscotch Goddam over there) because this was too smutty for me to include on ffnet (oh my god, too hot for ffnet!). Otherwise, here's the story pieces without the smut. I did my best, but I'm definitely limited by what this site allows. Cheers and thanks for reading!
In the aftermath of all that they'd done, Rey and Ben stared at each other. Long moments passed as Rey tired, and failed, to find the words for just how much she'd enjoyed being intimate with him. Fortunately, Ben was similarly lost in the afterglow.
Rey spoke first. "That was really…"
"Far too tempting," Ben rasped.
And he was right. The only thing Rey could think of was how badly she'd wanted more. She couldn't stop her mind from wondering just how he'd give her everything she still desired. Would she set the pace, or would he?
A soft chuckle rumbled up from Ben. "It's precious that you think I'd only have you once."
Rey swallowed thickly. Ben would be the kind of lover who was insatiable, wouldn't he? All the decadence and hedonism in his life, how could he not be? Except that wasn't only it. Ben was a giver, but Rey had the feeling that he was the one who was used to coming out on top. Yet, here she was, splayed across his hips, and she felt like the one who'd been given a gift.
"No wonder you have such a huge fan club," Rey huffed softly before looking down.
He looked like a freshly fucked mess, and she found she loved the look of it. His broad body was tinged red, dark hair stuck against his brow. With no makeup, his mouth was still luscious and red and looking ever so much like a man who'd just made her writhe.
"Ah, but you're the only fan I'm after these days," he purred.
Rey gave him a soft nudge, rolling her hips to emphasize her point. "I'm not your fan, I'm your bodyguard."
Ben hummed thoughtfully. "Oh? But you are a fan of what I do to you, aren't you? Or was it someone else moaning, 'Ben, Please!' a little while ago?" he teased.
Rey's already red cheeks heated. "Okay, so maybe I'm a bit of a fan," she conceded. His heat and scent seeped up into her and Rey caught herself hoping that she'd still be able to smell him on her skin when he was gone.
"That's my girl," he cooed, and this time Rey reached over to his side to give him a quick tickle before realizing that was a dangerous idea, given what a mess they both were. Rey pulled off her shirt with one quick motion and used it to help clean them both up.
"You owe me a new shirt," she said, seriously.
Ben's lips quirked before blooming into a delighted smile. "You have free range of my closets—here, Coruscant, Corellia, Naboo, wherever."
Rey snorted. "I just need a t-shirt, Ben. You think you can manage that?"
His nose wrinkled with distaste. "I haven't worn anything like that since staying with Uncle Luke, but I'm sure I have a robe or four you can have. I'll even wear them first."
Rey flushed. Apparently, he'd caught her enjoying his scent after all. She straightened her shoulders a little as she stared down at him. She was on top of him, and he'd let her be there. Rey wasn't about to feel embarrassed because she liked… no, loved his scent.
"It's not my fault you have all those fancy colognes," she pouted.
Ben chuckled. "You sure it's not just more of my 'magic'?"
Rey shifted her head to the side as she considered whether the Force could give someone a power like that, but eventually decided that he was just teasing her.
"You're the—"
"Worst, I know. And yet, here I am, right beneath you. Kind of a funny place for someone so terrible, don't you think?"
Rey frowned. "Well, I didn't say that it mattered. But it's important that you know."
"And I do know, and I'll also remember that my lovely bodyguard likes it when I smell nice."
Rey wiggled her hips teasingly. "Careful. I'm pretty sure I have the high ground here."
Ben's hand on her hip squeezed affectionately. "That you do. I'm at your mercy, it seems. Guess I'll sleep here with you then, considering you have me prisoner between your captivating thighs."
Rey swallowed. Was it okay for them to sleep—just sleep—together? A part of Rey warned her they were getting dangerously close, and another part called her out for being a hypocrite. As if sleeping together was more intimate than what Ben and she had already done.
Instead of answering, she leaned forward and snuggled into his broad chest. Naked together and this close, his scent and warmth were even more enticing. But she wasn't certain she could sleep right on top of him, so she wiggled to the side and wedged herself in the crook of his arm with her leg slung over his.
"I'll take that as a yes," Ben said with a chuckle before tickling into her ribs.
"Yes! Yes. It's a yes!" Rey cried out frantically to get him to stop. She hated being tickled, but he seemed to hate when she refused to give him an answer, so she thought it was probably a fair punishment this time.
Ben lifted his arm and made a curling motion with his fingers, and Rey watched as her blanket floated effortlessly through the air and into his waiting hand. With a shake of his wrist, it was spread across and descending over them both.
"Must be handy in the cold months," Rey mused, lips brushing against his chest as she spoke.
"Handier to have someone warm to sleep with," he said before his arm wrapped around her.
And he was right. It was nice to have someone to sleep and share warmth with. Not that she had too much experience with cuddling, but it seemed nice enough. And, well, the way Ben skimmed his long fingers across her hip was soothing. It felt like he was tracing patterns or learning the peaks and valleys of her body, and she liked it.
Reaching out, her fingers were wont to do the same, except she explored the expanse of his chest, fingers swirling along the impossibly smooth surface as she traced a path from mole to freckle across the constellations of his body.
"Hair suppressants?" she wondered.
"Wax."
"Ow!"
"You don't know the half of it."
Rey laughed softly before nuzzling her head into him. The heavy sound of his heartbeat and breath was calming, and it lulled her almost to the point of sleep. There, half awake and more pleasant than dreaming, Rey thought she would melt into a puddle of relaxation. But just before she fell asleep, Ben shifted and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.
"I think I've been waiting all my life to meet you," he breathed, so softly she almost didn't hear it.
"That's impossible."
His chest pressed against her cheek as he huffed. "Anything's possible with the Force."
"You say that, but the galaxy has taught me something different."
"How about this, then? I've always wanted to meet someone like you."
"Why?"
"Someone to tell me no. Someone who doesn't lie to my face, telling me only what they think I want to hear. You rarely ever tell me what I want to hear."
"Yes, I can see how much fun it must be to have someone constantly at odds with you," she quipped before stifling a yawn.
"It is," he assured her with a tight squeeze. "But enough talking. You need to sleep. It's been a long, dangerous day."
"You started it."
"Shh," he said as his hand reached out to nudge her chin up, and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.
She basked in the warmth of what he'd done to her, and what they'd done together. Rey snuggled into Ben after they parted and realized that never, in the whole of her depressing life, had she ever felt so cherished.
He gave and gave and gave until it felt unfair. How could she ever compare to someone like Ben, who gave himself so freely to her? It felt undeserved, and yet she greedily held onto the memories as lingering jolts of pleasure reminded her of what they'd just done and all that they had yet to do.
He didn't rush her, even though she knew he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. But he knew that this had to be at her pace. Somehow, he realized that she'd spent a lifetime running away, and that getting used to the feeling of staying close—of trusting—it was almost beyond her. But he took his time. The notorious lothario asked for almost nothing in return, and yet he made her feel like she gave him everything.
Were the people in his life so shallow that Ben Solo didn't even feel like he had a friend he could trust? Here they were, two sides of the same sad little coin. Broken, lonely people looking for belonging in all the wrong places; and now they had each other. Could she have it all? Could she have Ben? With her past, it was hard to believe that anything would ever end up going her way like that.
"Sleep, Rey," he commanded. His arms wrapped tight and soon enough, the sound of his soft, even breath reached her ears.
She wanted to sleep, but Rey was a watcher. It was part of what drew her to Ben. With the way he dominated a space and absorbed attention, it was natural that her eye'd been drawn to him at Dev's party on Cantonica. But what kept her eye on him was more than how he looked or acted. There was something inside, something just at the edge of her comprehension, that pulled her in, teasing her with the possibility of understanding. As if someone like Ben Solo could ever truly be understood.
But as she lay in his arms and listened to the soft sounds of his breath as he slept, Rey felt closer to clarity than she ever had. She was here for a reason, she saw that now. Whether the Force or his mother's intervention, she was meant to be by Ben's side. Which most definitely threw a wrench in her whole 'save credits and fuck off to an unknown part of the galaxy' plan.
She was a wanted woman, and she'd pissed off enough sentients across the galaxy that she wasn't sure she'd ever be free of that life. And then there was Crimson Dawn. Rey'd fucked up the day she'd stolen from them. At least she'd had enough sense to wear a helmet on that mission, but what about biometric scanners? One wrong step and they'd have her. And everyone knew that no one came back after that Syndicate found them.
Maybe I could tell Ben… But she clamped down on that thought before it could take root in her heart or, worse, that he'd be able to divine it. He might be understanding and powerful, but what could an Aristo do to help someone like her? Besides, it wasn't his fight. She'd fucked up, and would pay the price if she needed to.
Still… for now… Her hand brushed a lock of Ben's long, dark hair away from his brow. In sleep, he looked so peaceful. All of his masks melted away to reveal a beautiful face, unmarred by pretense. It was a face she could fall in love with—that she was falling in love with.
She'd have to talk to Rose about this. Maybe Finn. They'd know what to do. They always seemed to know what to do with complicated issues. And how much more complicated could it get than a bodyguard and smuggler developing feelings for one of her clients, even though she knew better?
And he seemed to reflect those feelings, which impossibly complicated things. It'd be so much easier if he was as vapid as he sometimes pretended to be, but he wasn't. He was so much more than anyone gave him credit for. He was… perfect, just the way he was. No masks. No make-believe. Just Ben. Though he probably wouldn't believe it to hear it from her, or anyone. Still, it didn't matter. He was important to her and, concerns or not, she'd do her best to keep him safe while she was with him.
The long, aching moments they'd shared cycled through her mind as her thoughts shifted to what he'd done with her. It almost felt like he was taking his time with her, like a sexual mithridatism. Dosing her bit by bit, working up her resistance so she didn't have an adverse reaction and bolt. Piece by piece, he showed her his world, and how good he could make her feel—almost getting nothing in return.
Or was it the other way around? Rey had heard stories during her travels, of sentients that would poison their lovers to keep them coming home at night where the only antidote could be received from the lips of their beloved. Was she being poisoned by Ben? With each little temptation, he broke down her walls and made her reconsider every one of her rules, and always left her wanting more.
Still, as she watched him sleep, she couldn't help but think she'd walk through fire for him, so a little poison—a little betrayal—wouldn't be so bad. She'd worried for so long that he'd break her heart, but what it felt like he was doing was putting it back together, piece by jagged piece.
Rey found herself with Ben, found herself in his arms, as his protector, friend, and lover. Didn't she deserve this piece of happiness? Didn't she deserve it, in a life that had been spent wrapped up in longing, but never receiving? As if sensing her thoughts, Ben's arms tightened a little as he slept, and she nestled into that warmth.
And took comfort because, at least for the moment, she was his and he was hers. The galaxy was a ruthless place, but for a few heartbreaking moments, she would hold him close, and be held by him, as time pushed them inexorably towards their destiny.
And now for the latest from Galaxy Glitter...
Imagine us, all dressed up and nowhere to go, but it's a good thing we were inside for this one—dangerous events, these charity auctions are! Everyone was there! Devrum Fentest, Catonica's gorgeous and notorious celebrity gambler. Only stealing hearts instead of casino jackpots today, sentients! Governor Armitage Hux, looking as imposing and dashing in person as he does in all the Senate holos—yes, we watch them just to see Hux. No, we don't feel bad about it.
And did our eyes deceive us, but did we detect a hint of longing from Ben Solo towards his old beau? Staring so intently at Armie waiting patiently behind the stage. How sweet. Yes, we might be a little jealous, but we know how it goes. Rekindle an old flame, but it all burns to ash in the end and *we're always here for you, Benny!*
You know I'm saving the best part for last… Who could have it in for Ben Solo, we can only guess, but with as many beds as he's slid his way into, he can't help but have a few enemies! But you know us, as long as the outcome is positive, we live for the drama.
Did you see it? The flash of the blaster? The way that sentient was able to evade those battle droids? Ben's shocked expression? We have to guess it's not the first time Ben's had something almost explode in his face, but fortunately, his bodyguard was there to save the day.
Oh, loves, we were breathless! The way she swooped in and saved Ben from that reckless, feckless being? Heart-stopping. Jaw-dropping. Who even brings a Clone Wars era combat umbrella to a celebrity function? This gossip can't help but feel like we're about to see a stunning resurgence of parasols on the red, green, blue, and glittering carpets around the galaxy!
Whoever you are, bodyguard, pouncing Loth-cat that you are, gods bless you for keeping our Ben safe. But here's hoping his next event is a little less… eventful.
See you on Bespin, darlings! As ever, stay gorgeous! And if you don't have anything nice to say, send it to us first!
-GG out and plotting how to be Ben's rebound this time around.
Author's Notes: Me editing this: "fuck, I've written myself into a slutty corner! I CAN'T PUT THIS ON FFNET." Anyways, I have been warning lol. I did my best. Also, I'm referencing that story about ladies who poison their husbands to keep them from cheating because they only have the antidote (which had to be administered nightly), I can't remember the name of it lol (I was thinking Aqua Tofana but that actually killed the men and I think that this one was a story? Anyway, I'm too afraid to google it lol). I don't know why I was thinking of this, but whatever. It's fanfic and I can be as weird as I want lol.
Rose and Finn when they read GG's blast: 👀👀👀
Anyway, all mistakes are my own, my precious. And for some reason, I'm in a real LoTR mood? Who knows? 2020. Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews and for reading. I'm sorry this chapter is kind of incomplete, but that's the way the cookie crumbles on this site! It honestly means more to me than I can say that you spend time with me and this story in a year that's been pretty overwhelming for a lot of us. Take care and hope you're managing. BIG HUGS!
