Summary: Too many shots of Corellian whisky, hangover cures, and sexy holo calls with the galaxy's most eligible bachelor. Edited for FFnet.
For one Aristo reason or another, the date Cirraen won with Ben kept getting pushed back, which meant Rey didn't end up seeing Ben as soon as she'd expected to. And that was strangely disappointing in a way that she wasn't interested in dwelling on. Had she really gotten used to seeing him on a semi-regular basis? What a rookie mistake.
Sure, he cared about her and she cared about him, and maybe she was a little bit falling in love with him, but that did not excuse getting used to having him in her life, especially when their lives were so vastly different! It was probably for the best that Finn got sent out on the next few assignments for Leia and Ben, not only because they sounded boring as fuck, but because Rey needed some time to figure herself out.
And it wasn't like Ben left her entirely alone. Whether dreaming or awake, he dominated her thoughts in a way that didn't feel entirely natural, but still strangely comfortable. Thinking about him felt right, like slipping into a favorite, worn-out sweater with holes in it. More recently, he'd started messaging her on her comms and sending short holos.
Sweet messages, mostly. Almost felt like he was checking in on her.
Finn says you've been gloomy since coming back from Arkanis. Miss me, sweetness?
Sometimes, they were a little nonsensical.
Saw this prickly Corellian hound and thought of you. Its name is Butter—Say 'hello,' Butter *a long growl before the holo abruptly cut off*
And sometimes, they were sexy as hell—A shot of Ben as he dressed in the morning. Lip caught between his teeth as he showed off just a touch too much of himself. Not that she was complaining, but when she'd messaged him later about sending lewd holos and he'd shrugged off her concerns.
"I trust you with my life."
"And your nudes?"
"Just so, smuggler."
She could only shake her head. It wasn't that he was wrong to trust her. She could be trustworthy, for the right price. And he was paying her, or his mother was, or someone in their treasury was—it didn't matter. At any rate, she could be trustworthy for him. She wanted to be trustworthy for him. And his trust in her felt… good. It felt really good.
Kind of addictive. Which shouldn't have come as a surprise, given how addicted she was to just about everything about him. It was him. She wanted to be better, be more, because of Ben. For so long, life had been about the same thing: getting enough credits together that she could escape the smuggler life and hide somewhere.
But what if it could be more? What if she could be something more? At least, to someone else? Rey wasn't certain whether her shift in priorities was going to pan out for her, but it was interesting how things had changed since she met Ben.
At first, she'd thought him spoiled, indolent, and a little reckless. And he was all of those things, but he was more than his public persona portrayed. As they spoke and grew closer, she began to understand just how much of Ben's public face was carefully constructed, and how much more he was when that mask came off and the walls came down.
He was funny. Sweet. Achingly sexy. And so, so indulgent. It felt like he was holoing and comming her, not so much because he wanted to, but because he knew how much it meant to her to have someone out there checking up on her. Caring. Some nights, when the stars were out and the noises from nature on Takodana combined with the creaks and groans of Maz's centuries-old castle, he'd tell her every lurid detail of what he wanted to do with her.
Hearing the soft catch in his voice as his hand descended—imagining it was her hand making his deep voice hitch—as he spun wicked, nighttime tales for her, was almost as seductive as the way he was with her in person. Ben knew what to say, how to say it, and what Rey needed as he helped her along while she sought her pleasure.
He was as wanton as they said he was, but only with her. Ben was good at making people believe things about himself. However, when it came down to it, Rey didn't think there was anyone else in the galaxy that he really showed himself to. And maybe it was because of their strange connection or her unwillingness to be taken in by that public mask he wore, but it felt natural and right that he would trust her.
And it was beginning to feel natural and right that he would want her, which was dangerous because it came along with a bunch of expectations that Rey wasn't used to having. Especially after the nights when he'd call to talk, just before she fell asleep. And they would. Late into the night and early morning hours. Just talking. Rey got used to his calls, to his holos, to the sweet ways that he reminded her that she was on his mind.
Sometimes they only talked. Other times, he painted wicked pictures for her to enjoy before she fell asleep. And all too often, she forgot that she was just a smuggler and that he was a prince, and for a few blessed moments, they were just two people who cared for each other. Two people falling in love.
Finn and Rose noticed something was up and, of course, they'd seen the gossip holos about what happened on Arkanis. So far, they'd respected her privacy enough not to pry too badly. Even Maz hadn't dug for more information during their debrief, which made Rey wonder just how much information she'd be getting from Ben—or Leia.
Truthfully, Rey wanted to talk to them about Finn and Rose about it all, but she wasn't used to talking to anyone about anything and was just getting used to Ben being there for her like that. But they knew something was up. Rose noticed the way Rey'd stare off into space, a little smile working its way onto her face as she thought about something Ben did or said.
And Finn definitely knew something was up, especially considering he did bodyguard work for Ben too. A few times, he'd come back from an assignment and give her the hardest look, and it'd take everything Rey had not to spill and tell him everything. Because she had a feeling that he knew whatever had changed her mood recently, it had something to do with Ben.
One time, in particular, Finn caught Rey as she was heading to the Starbird to do some upkeep, and slipped a small box into her hand.
"What's this?"
Finn shrugged. "No clue. Ben gave it to me to give it to you. Said it was to thank you for 'saving him.'"
Rey frowned. "Yeah, well. We're kind of paid to do that."
Finn raised his palms and waved them as he said, "Just the messenger, pumpkin. So…"
"'So,' what?"
"You gonna open it?"
Rey nibbled her lip. "I guess so?"
How bad could it be? The little package was wrapped with a glossy, silver foil and once she got that removed, a little blue, velveteen box was revealed.
"He proposing?" Finn asked and whatever flashed across Rey's face was so serious that he clarified, "I'm kidding, but it does look like a ring box."
Rey swallowed and pressed the release, only for the little box to pop open and reveal…
"It's a pendant?"
"Necklace," Finn added while looking down at the box in her hand.
Set against a golden chain was a glittering blue butterfly, just like the ones on Ben's dress. Come to think of it, she had talked about how his dress reminded him of the butterflies on Endor, and how lovely she found it.
"That's really… sweet?" she said, unsure.
Finn nodded. "It is sweet. You sure there's not more going on between you two? Ben asks about you when I'm on assignment, just so you know," he prodded.
Rey clammed up immediately and snapped the little box closed with a pronounced click.
"Nope, nothing going on," she replied, a little too quickly to avoid suspicion.
"Sure," Finn drawled, obviously not believing a word of what she'd said. "Anyway, Ben says 'hello.'"
"That all?"
A grin worked its way onto Finn's handsome face. "No, because what he actually said was, 'Tell Rey she left her underthings beneath my bed, but that I'm not giving them back any time soon.'"
"He did not say that!" she balked.
Finn laughed. "No, he didn't. But got you going for a second!"
Rey rolled her eyes, slipped the box into her pocket, and took off before Finn could get her to reveal any sordid details about what was going on between her and Ben. Because she most certainly had forgotten a pair of underthings near his couch, and she could only imagine what Ben had done with them. She hadn't asked, and Ben hadn't volunteered any information, either.
She hoped 3PO found and disposed of them, but she was certain that wasn't the case. So, somewhere out there on Arkanis, or maybe on his person, Ben now had a pair of her panties. And she had a remarkably beautiful glittering blue butterfly necklace that shimmered so wonderfully in the light, it almost looked real. Finn was going to have to leave empty-handed today because he wasn't getting any gossip from her.
And, really, how could she tell Finn anything other than that they both found each other desirable and often it resulted in some pretty sexy times? Even she didn't really know what that meant, especially with Ben muddying the waters by sending her actual gifts. That she, unfortunately, loved to bits and pieces and put on as soon as Finn was out of eyesight.
Rey kept her developing relationship to herself, for a little while, anyway. Until one night, after Finn returned from a hectic run, Rey, Rose, and Finn decided to get shitfaced to celebrate and to help him unwind. Finn had a few battle scars to deal with. A blaster shot had singed the skin on his brow, but bacta and bandages were piecing him back together.
Finn tugged Rose into his body as they slowly walked up the stairs in front of Rey, and her heart lurched a little at the sweet display. If there was a couple in the galaxy better suited for each other than Rose and Finn, she hadn't met them yet, and probably never would.
Wonder when wedding bells will be chiming? Rey thought with a small smile. It was nice to see how happy they were, even if she was a little envious. But those were thoughts for another time. She was glad Finn had made it back safely, and it had been a while since they'd last all had a drink together.
So, with a bottle… or three… of whisky in hand, they'd made their way up into the ramparts of Maz's castle and settled in to do some stargazing and drinking. The stars on Takodana were second to none, and meteors often made their way across the inky skyline.
At first, they chatted about Finn's mission. Somehow, he'd got caught in a firefight between two rival Syndicates, and he'd barely made it out with his ship—and himself—intact. Rose bitched a bit about how unruly Maz's cantina had been lately, especially with all the Syndicate infighting, and they'd all taken a shot at Rose's joke that Maz dealt with the ruckus the only way she knew how: "With a big-ass blaster."
Eventually, the conversation shifted, and it was in the middle of her fifth shot of Corellian whisky that Rey realized she'd been telling Finn and Rose way the fuck more about herself and Ben than she'd intended. And here she thought she could hold her liquor. She could not. At least, not Corellian whisky.
"This is bad," she slurred, on the verge of tears.
Rose shook her head and wrapped her arm around Rey's shoulder. "No, it's fine. I'm glad you're opening up."
"Yeah, and besides. I think this is all going according to plan, anyway. So, despite getting shot at, the outcome isn't so bad," Finn added before gently extracting the shot glass from Rey's hand and replacing it with a therma-canteen.
"Plan? What plan?" Rey managed, one eye open as it tried and failed to focus on her friend's face while he gently urged her to drink some damn water.
"Oh, you know, the galaxy's plan for us all!" Rose quickly cut in—a little too quickly.
"Plan! Pfff!" Rey sputtered. "No plans for me, unless suffering is a plan?"
Rose reached out and patted Rey's hand consolingly while Finn shifted a little against the castle wall. "Maybe we should let her…," Finn started before Rose silenced him with a look. "Another time, I guess."
Had Rey not been so drunk, she might have pressed him on it. As it was, Rey just kept talking. It wasn't like the three of them weren't building a great friendship or anything, but the depth and length of the conversation, and the dirty details, were beyond what Finn and Rose were used to.
"And, you know, he's just so…"
"What?" Finn and Rose managed in unison, betraying their eagerness to hear more.
"Nice. I wasn't expecting that. Aristos are never nice. But he's nice."
"Well, I've sort of known Ben for a while, so I could have told you—"
"—And his fingers are fucking girthy!"
Rose blinked and Finn snorted into the shot glass he was nursing. "Too much info, Rey," he chided.
"They say the camera adds ten pounds, but it's not true!" Rey carried on, drunk on whisky and the memory of Ben's hands.
"I don't think it's concentrated on the hands, in particular…" Rose mumbled as Rey continued to rant.
"And the worst part? He's so much better than I thought he would be. And I hate it."
"Why's that?"
"Yeah, that sounds like the opposite of a problem," Finn added.
Rey sighed with a little more effort than was purely necessary. "Because it's gonna be so hard to let him go."
Rose leaned her head on Rey's shoulder and gave her a soft hug before asking, "What if you don't have to let him go?"
Rey shook her head sadly. "I can't keep him. He's too… him. I'm too… me."
Whether from the alcohol or the perpetual sadness within her heart, this was the point in the conversation where the whole world started to spin. And spin. Fortunately for Rey, Finn, and Rose were more accustomed to whisky than she, and they knew just the trick to keep her from waking up with the galaxy's worst hangover.
After getting Rey down from the top of the castle and into her room, Finn and Rose whipped up the foulest smelling concoction for her to drink.
"I know you know this works," Finn said as Rey pouted up at him.
"But I don't wanna," she slurred.
Rose put the glass against her lips. "Plug your nose and drink."
As petite as Rose was, she was fearless and also a little fearsome. Rey might have been able to get some sympathy from Finn, but Rose was used to dealing with Maz's recruits and assholes from her cantina. She did not suffer fools. It was one reason Rey loved her so much but, at the moment, it meant Rey was on the receiving end of Rose's grit.
"Down the hatch…," Rose crooned while tipping the glass back.
One disgusting drink and about two hours later, Rey was laying in her bed. Rose's concoction had worked. Well, the room wasn't spinning anymore, so that was a win. Snuggled under her covers and mostly lucid, her thoughts turned to Ben. Things were weird between them, but weird good. It was nice to think that there was someone out there in the galaxy who was thinking of her. Who cared.
Now comfortably buzzed instead of ridiculously drunk, Rey was just settling into her small bed when her comms went off. Whoever was hailing her this late was about to get a fucking earful, that was certain. Fumbling with her bedside table, Rey grabbed for her Holo-pad and angrily answered the transmission, only to be greeted by the devastatingly handsome face of Ben Solo.
"You better be dying," Rey joked. "I was almost asleep."
"Sleep is for the weak," he said with a little laugh. "Besides, you told me you'd be waiting for my call, so here it is."
Rey blinked at the holo. "When, exactly, did I say that?"
Ben seemed as confused as she was. "So, you're not interested in Holo-sex?" he drawled.
"You called me for an intergalactic holo-sex session?" Rey squeaked. "I don't know where you get your nerve!"
Ben's hologram cocked his head to the side. "So, you don't remember the messages you sent me a few hours ago?"
"What messages?" She'd been with Finn and Rose. And then she got drunk. They'd left for a bit to go make that anti-hangover remedy, so she'd messed around on her holo a bit and checked the latest Galaxy Glitter gossip and then…
Oh, no.
"You sent me a comm out of the blue and offering to strip for me on holo," he clarified.
"Doing what with the how now?" Rey sputtered. "I wouldn't… I mean. There's no way that I would do something like that?"
Ben laughed. And then laughed some more. And kept laughing, much to Rey's ire. It wasn't like things hadn't been heating up between them lately, but she was more than a little humiliated at her drunken stupidity.
After Ben composed himself, the holo shifted a little as he sat on the edge of what was probably his bed. "Why don't you check your recordings? You might be surprised at who you call when alcohol is in your system and—little word to the wise—next time you drink with friends, hand your communication devices over before you start unless you want to talk to me in the middle of the night."
Rey rolled away from the holo and flicked through the settings on her wrist comm. And, to her abject horror, there were multiple messages to Ben.
Hi, Benny! You awake? Should be dancing with me under the stars! You dance so nice. You have the legs for it.
A little while later, Heeeeeeeeey, Bennnnnnn! Stop ignoring me. Do I have to strip to get your attention—the fewer clothes, the better? Hah hah hah.
And more: So, about the stripping. I'm outside and I can't do much because my friends are gonna be right back, but here's some skin...
Rey disconnected her comms before she could see more.
"Well, fuck," she said as her cheeks flushed with color. "I'm sorry, Ben. That wasn't appropriate at all."
Ben huffed softly. "I'm sorry that you didn't realize you sent them. I would have approached this a little differently if I'd known."
"Yeah, well. I'm embarrassed," Rey admitted before rolling back towards Ben's holo.
"Maybe I can even the playing field a bit?" Ben offered with a grin.
"How's that now?"
The holo shimmered as Ben stood. He was remarkably covered, considering Rey was used to seeing him in hardly anything at all lately. Ben was dressed in a dark suit that was slashed across the middle with a deep, indigo-colored sash. A flowing robe was affixed to his shoulders with a glimmering silver chain. It almost looked like he'd just returned from one of his mom's formal events.
Rey had to admit, he looked good. Too damn good. The holo was clear, and it felt almost as if he was standing right there with her, which was absurd but didn't make it any less true. Rey was always surprised at how connected they felt, even when she was making an ass of herself. Almost as if fate or damnation or something else was constantly pushing them together.
Okay, so maybe it was fate in the form of Ben's credits, and his insistence on her working for him. Occasionally, she wondered how things would be if she'd not spotted him at Dev's or had never gotten that assignment invite from Maz. Maybe she'd have never met the spoiled, beautiful, indulgent prince?
Rey watched as the holo flickered, and when Ben slipped his cloak off from his shoulders, she realized very quickly how Ben meant to repay her.
"You don't have to do this, Ben," Rey sputtered, but he waved off her concerns.
"I know I don't, but I want to," he assured her. "You can keep it as blackmail material."
Rey rolled her eyes. "We both know that half the galaxy has already seen what you have to offer. You're not exactly discrete," Rey deadpanned.
Ben gave her a shrug. "Can't change the past, can we?"
The holo shifted again as he moved. Ben must have positioned it somewhere closer to the bed. As he slowly inched off his clothing, Rey remembered what all the fuss about stripping was about. She should have known better. He had tried to warn her on Arkanis.
And that quick striptease in Ben's dressing room came to mind as he slowly peeled off layer after layer. He was putting on a show for her and Rey couldn't tear her eyes away as Ben's hips shifted in a slow dance.
His muscles flexed as he moved, drawing her eyes to his broad chest and thickly muscled abs. He was positively sinful, and he knew it. Ben's hands slid down over the expanse of his abdomen before hitching in the band of his pants. With a wink, Ben slipped his pants down his hips and down his long legs, revealing everything.
It is not fair. How could one man be so fucking attractive?
"Bit of a professional at these, aren't you?" Rey joked while she tried to keep her hormones in check.
"Something like that," Ben agreed as he finally slid into the bed. The holo shifted a little as his position changed and, with a pointed look, Ben's hand shifted lower…. And lower. Rey looked on, lips parted as she gawked. Ben let out a little laugh as he saw her.
"That's a good look on you," he commented.
Rey's mouth snapped shut. "I thought you were supposed to be putting on a show? If you want to chat, we can do that with our clothes on," Rey shot back.
Ben grinned. "There's my Rey," he crooned as his hand started to move.
Rey's mouth felt dry as she watched him. It was obscenely thrilling to watch Ben and entirely distracting.
"Are you going to just sit there and watch, or are you going to join me? You can keep your clothes on," Ben added cheekily.
Rey huffed as she flopped her head back onto her pillow. Well, if he was going to have fun with himself, so was she. Given how their calls had finished lately, it wasn't entirely surprising for things to end up this way. Still, listening to and watching Ben was a temptation she wasn't about to resist.
"This is a secure transmission, right?" Rey checked. The last thing she needed was lewd captures of herself for all the galaxy to see.
"Of course," he replied, as if it was obvious, which meant this definitely wasn't his first time. Though, it probably shouldn't have surprised Rey that the son of Senator Leia Organa would have access to secure comlinks and holos. Rey rolled her head to the side while her hand slipped low… as Ben told her, in detail, exactly what he wanted to do with her.
Slowly, she fell under his spell as her body reacted. It was overwhelming how badly she wanted him. Her heart hammered against her chest. Her head spun and she wasn't sure it was only from the lingering alcohol in her veins. He was just as bad as a vice and twice as appealing.
Ben knew exactly what she needed. "Listen to my voice. I am there with you. Wrapped right around your body—one hand holding the side of your neck while the other delves between your legs. Can you feel me?"
Rey's eyes clamped shut as she tried to envision what Ben was describing—the press of his hard body at her back, his warmth, the way he just knew how to touch her. No one got into her head quite like Ben did, for better or for worse.
She ached for him, and just when her mind started to spiral with a fearsome kind of understanding borne of a broken heart and shattered dreams. She knew his attention was temporary, knew that this was a but a moment in an infinite and uncaring galaxy, she knew… As if sensing her distress, Ben's voice snapped her back to the present with him.
"Rey," he growled, commanding her attention. "I'm right there with you."
Rey gasped as she let her imagination take over. It almost did feel like he was there, like he had some power that allowed them to bridge the gap between space and time.
"I can feel you. Oh, Ben," she moaned.
She could imagine the way he felt, his broad body slick with sweat, his hands firm and insistent as they touched her, his lips against her neck as he murmured encouragement into her skin. Ben could get into her head like no one else. He could see right through to the core of her desires and would achingly string her body along, drawing out her pleasure until she was weak for him, until her only point of contact with reality was his sure touch.
But her defiance would often show itself. She was a strong woman, and she'd managed on her own for so long, it was almost hard to let herself over into his care and keeping. Trust was a hard thing to come by, but even though Ben often sometimes her crazy, she did trust him.
There was a light inside of him that echoed within her, and an answering darkness that called out to her own. He fit like a puzzle piece that she hadn't realized was missing from her life. It was frightening and wonderful.
And sometimes, when she let Ben show her exactly what she'd be gaining if she let him into her life on a more permanent basis, the realization at what she'd receive shook her took her core—and often scared her away.
They fit. She knew it. He knew it. But Rey had been on her own for so long, it was hard to hand over any amount of trust. People were selfish. People betrayed her for their interests. People died. And could she manage if she let Ben in, only to have him one day disappear?
Rey... his voice seemed to echo all around her.
"Here and now," he murmured through the holo. "Stay with me. I'll catch you if you fall."
Okay... Trust him. I can trust him, a little voice inside her head told her. Rey relaxed into her touch and the pleasure brought on by his wicked commands and her lingering alcoholic buzz.
With a deep breath, Rey relaxed into the fantasy he spun for her, eyes locked on his holo as he pushed her higher… and higher. Later, Rey stared at Ben as they both fought for breath and the words to describe what they evoked in each other.
There's something more at work here... Rey thought dreamily as she watched the rapid rise and fall of Ben's chest while he enjoyed the afterglow. Even as her mind fought to rationalize how real the encounter had felt, her body and heart resisted and called out for one terrifying thing: more.
Author's Notes: Hi hi hi! I hurt my wrists! So I had to take a break from typing for a bit But here's something a lil fluffy and smutty (with some secrets, ooohhhhh secrets). Obviously, the smuttier bits are over on Ao3 (story is called Butterscotch Goddam over there), so head over there if you're of age and into that. I think there are a few people who only read this here (and that's fine), so I'm doing my best to keep as much of the story as accessible as possible, but I do have to rewrite a lot/edit lol so it takes a bit more time (this was posted yesterday on ao3). I'm doing my best and I appreciate your support!
Hope you're all doing well. Trying to find some exercises for my hands that I can work into my daily routine because I type *a lot* and mouse *a lot* and I'm gonna have no wrists in a few years lol. So if anyone has any great suggestions, I'm all ears and sad hands. Thanks for reading and for all of your kind words! Means a lot to me. Take care and talk soon 😊
