Rey has never felt a rush like this before, not even when Luke agreed to let her take apart his old Chevy pick up. That had been a thrill sure, tinkering with the engine, figuring out its parts and how things fit together. Luke was no good with cars but his friend Biggs was a brilliant mechanic. The two would sit around having a beer while Rey disconnected and pried rusted parts away spending hours cleaning them off with a toothbrush and elbow grease. Biggs would help with the bigger pieces and she was sure he'd tinker a bit when she wasn't around but the old beast was hers and that had been one of the greatest things to happen in her life to date.
One of.
This man's hand in hers and the rush of cool air in her lungs as they run is now taking first. She knows she should be frightened, any sane person would be but the gentle feeling of his palm in hers is a comfort the likes of which she's never experienced before. His legs are longer and therefore he's much faster then she is but he's careful as he laughs and tugs her along after him. It's like being fourteen again and Bobby Carmichael has just pulled her into the back room at the school dance and kissed her for the first time. Only Bobby Carmichael wasn't some tall, dark, beautiful stranger and his hands had been clammy. The thrill is similar though, the anticipation of something new and foreign and delightfully explicit. Kissing at fourteen after all had been quite a big deal for Rey.
This man however, has an air about him that is both dangerous and exciting. He laughs at the idea of being chased down, calling after her as he takes street corner after street corner zigging and zagging away from Hanna House and its angry inhabitants. It takes everything in her to take in the streets and dark scenery before them. Her chest burns, as the cold air claws at her lungs, her thighs crying beneath the exertion. Her body screams for her to stop but her mind is alight with the thrill of possibilities.
She isn't prepared for it when he stops suddenly. Her chest colliding with his back causing him to lurch forward but his feet remain securely planted in place.
"Do you hear that?" he asks with the elation of a child hearing Santa for the first time. He's straining to listen but Rey can hear nothing other than cool air and silence. He looks around, his eyes wide in wonder as he turns to face her, curious excitement lighting his features.
Rey strains to listen, holding her breath but the only sound she can hear is the hammering of her own beating heart. He turns so that he faces her, stepping a hair closer, his toes bumping against hers. He hovers there, peering down at her through dark eyes lined with dark lashes. The streetlights in the distance illuminating the beauty mark on his cheek and smattering of moles and freckles that litter his face in a constellation like mask. He's listening intently to something she can't quite hear. Whatever it is makes him smile in a way that makes her want to trace the curves of his lips with her thumb. It's broad and genuine and utterly infectious.
"This way," he mutters as he tugs her along. His footsteps are slower this time his ear to the wind as he follows the mystery sound. As they move slowly Rey is finally able to take in their surroundings and find her bearings. They are quite a distance from the university but nowhere near her apartment. He's taken them towards the downtown core whether he'd meant to or not. She's pretty sure there's a late-night cafe just two blocks over that often has live music on weekends. Beside it is a record store that somehow manages to keep itself afloat, a dog groomers and a candy store that Rey isn't even a little ashamed to admit she's been to several times. They bring in sweets from other countries and cities that she has always been keen to try.
Their footsteps fall soft against the pavement, a hushed whisper of their approach as her companion pulls her along with sure intent. She can see the light from the busy street as the smell of roasted coffee stirs her senses in a dizzying array of chocolate and spices. He's pulling her towards the sound of a man's voice and the light hum of guitar strings. How he'd heard it from a block away is beyond her but he's pulling her along with purpose. They weave between two buildings crammed close together, emerging onto a brightly lit street beside the busy coffee house. The cafe is alight with fairy lights winding along the banisters of the open patio. Patrons sit at small tables and on plush patio furniture as a man with a guitar sits perched on a stool to the far back of the structure. His voice is low and melodic as his fingers strum along his guitar's strings with practiced ease. He's playing a cover of a song Rey only half knows his voice a whisper of promised love and time spent together.
Her eyes settle on her new friend as he watches with rapt interest. As though he's never seen a man or a guitar before. Maybe he hasn't but she finds that very unlikely. The street is void of vehicles leaving space for them to move around if they want to. Rey waits to see if they are going to continue on but the dark-haired fellow who keeps her hand treasured within his own makes no move to leave. His dark eyes twinkle beneath the strings of lights and when the man with the guitar stops playing her companion drops her hand and begins to clap with the rest.
The cool air feels strange as it embraces her palm and she finds herself rubbing her hand against her leg, worrying at the odd sensation of being left. The man with the guitar, a lanky fellow wearing a plaid shirt, jeans and a slouchy beanie thanks the audience as he takes a drink from a bottle of water. He sits with casual ease, one foot planted on the ground while the heel of the other hitches on the rung of his stool. His guitar is a black acoustic with fine gold leaf work decorating it's front. He adjusts the mic, changing it's angle some as he prattles on about the next song, asking for suggestions from the crowd. A number of women off to the side chime in with romantic ballads while someone else asked for a cover of LMFAO's 'I'm Sexy and I Know It' which earns a chuckle from the musician.
Rey feels awkward standing in the street the way they are. Her eyes flickering from the performer to her new friend and his set posture. He's digging in his pockets in search of something when he draws out his pack of cigarettes, pausing only when the musician starts to strum at his guitar strings again.
His shoulders slump and he smiles in a way that isn't bright and broad but sweet and subtly breathtaking. When he turns to her, it's quick, the movement catching her off guard as he stuffs his cigarettes back into his pocket and grabs her around the middle. Pressed against him like this she can smell the lingering scent of tobacco mingling with the heady aroma of sandalwood and something faintly spicy. Not habanero spice but cinnamon and cloves. He hovers over her as his hands slide to her waist and she finds herself at a loss for what to do. She's never experienced anything quite like him before. He's unpredictable and vibrant in a way that takes her breath away.
He captures her stare as the words of the song drifted over her, 'I met you in the dark, you lit me up,' how oddly appropriate, 'you made me feel as though I was enough'. It's like the musician is singing directly into her soul. Her companion seizes one of her hands as he allows his other to linger on her waistline. His eyes speak without words as he pushes forward and she falls back a step. It's awkward and jarring at first but she soon picks up on his intent. Her free hand raises to graze his bicep and he's spinning her around. His feet are quick but his steps are easy as she leans into him and allows him to wind her around.
The world around them melts away, the lights and sounds a distant memory as she keeps her focus on him and only him. The voice of the performer is soft and low and sweet but she barely registers the words as she finds herself swept away by this dark-haired man and his intoxicating presence. He pushes her back a step and then draws her forward. There's space between them and then he's so tight against her she can feel the contours of his chest and stomach beneath his shirt. He smiles as they move, his eyes never wavering from her own, as though his world is nothing but her.
As her attention falls to his mouth broad, lush and utterly kissable she finds herself subconsciously drawing her tongue across her lower lip. He chuckles softly, a breathy sound that she wants to swallow whole, tasting the pleasure of it. Another step back and there is space between them again, his hand drawing away but then he's twirling her. It's freeing and wonderful as he pulls her back against his body and her cheek nuzzles into his shoulder. She clings to him as his large hand slips over the hallow of her low back and they are swaying back and forth in a smooth easy movement. His nose presses against her ear and she feels him breathe her in. It's one of the sexiest things she's ever experienced before.
Her fingers grope at the thick leather of his jacket and his hips lead her in a smooth gyrating back and forth. Normally when she dances she feels awkward and bumbling but his lead was easy to follow and his movements are practiced and slow. When he pulls back a little he stoops so that their foreheads brush and she can see the mischievous delight in his eyes. He spins them again, holding tighter as they loop once and then twice, using their hips pressed together as a focal point through the movements. It's a little faster, dizzying and wondrous bringing a giggle up from her chest as she clings to him tighter.
He's like magic, and the draw she feels to him is inexplicable. She's lost herself in thoughts as to whether or not he might feel it too or maybe it's just a rapid influx of oxytocin caused by the close proximity of their bodies. Her cheeks flush and she finds herself wistfully hoping that he will close to distance between them and seal his mouth to hers with a kiss. She's sure he'll taste like tobacco and promises of forever. When he presses his forehead against hers again she lets out a soft whimpering sigh which does not go unnoticed by her counterpart. He's dipping and twirling her, the heat of his palm against her back a constant.
The song has ended the man with the guitar is now strumming the strings in an absent-minded fashion. It's as though he's playing for them and them alone, not wanting to stop for fear that the dancing will end. He hums a little here and there as he deliberates on what song to sing next but he could sing Happy Birthday for all that Rey cares. All that matters is the way this beautiful strangers thighs bumped against hers as he sways them back and forth.
His nose is in her hair again, his lips brushing the outer shell of her ear. The sensation is electric as he hums gently against her, "You smell amazing," he tells her and she feels her cheeks flush heavily. She presses her face into the cool leather of his jacket, clinging to him as he chuckles, "I bet you taste amazing too."
Heat blooms within her chest as his words caress an inner part of her long since ignored. His words are meant to tease and a deep part of her she knows that, but she loves them all the same. Her fingers grope at his shoulder a little tighter as he squeezes her hand within his own. Their bodies speak in hushed promises as the performer's voice starts again, a song she recognizes this time. His words are softer and smoother, the hypnotic strum of the guitar strings matched by the easy sway of her companion's hips 'Your heart is glowing' the artist purrs, 'and I'm crashing into you, baby kiss me,'
God yes please kiss me, her mind screams. She's never felt so desperate for anything in her life. The need to feel him closer is like her need for air. She can feel the pillowy softness of his lower lip as it lingers along the shell of her ear. His breath hot against the exposed flesh. Rey feels silly and dizzy and wild and then his movements stop. He holds her close but their legs are no longer working in rhythm against one another. "Which way to your place?" he breaths against her and she feels the thrill of the question vibrate through her entire being.
The implications are thick as the singer continues his crooning and Rey draws back to look at her dance partner. His cheeks are flushed, his smile devilishly handsome but there's something else too. A creeping clammer that's erupting into their bubble of self-imposed intimacy.
A voice cries out in the distance, "Is that him there?" And Rey knows the question is not one asked out of a need to deepen their connection but a need to hide from their pursuers. They had stopped and enjoyed a private moment that admittedly made her a little weak in the knees and the drunkards from the party have now found them.
"I knew it was a good idea to split up." Another voice calls and before Rey can register it, she's being pulled away again. The air around them is cold now that she no longer has the heat from his body to warm her and she gasps as he ducks through an alleyway and down a side street. She follows him, her hand back clasped within his as she pants directions to her apartment.
She couldn't get a good look at how many there were but by the sound of the footfalls clambering behind them she can assume maybe two. Their voices a rush of curses and promises of pain as they make their way down passed an old churchyard. He seems to decide on a split second to veer into the graveyard at its back. The building itself is tall and white, glowing against the moonlight like a beacon in the dark. He pulls her back against the building pressing her into the white stone surface. Their breaths come in heavy pants as he presses against her, the long lean form of his body contouring to her small frame. His lips are there, right there, hovering above hers as he leans in with a wicked grin. He shifts and his knee presses between her legs, nudging them apart so that he can get just a little closer. All she can breath is him. His hands are in her hair, holding her cheeks, warm and sure as he searches her eyes for an answer to a question he hasn't asked.
Her heartbeat hammers within her ears as he holds her still pinning her to him in a way that's almost predatory but not entirely unpleasant. They seem to be playing some curious game of cat and mouse with one another and Rey is only now starting to understand the rules. He doesn't kiss her but draws close enough that he can lick the lower pout of her lip. It's slow and deliberate, the faintest touch of tongue to flesh as he smiles. Their mouths are open when they finally met and he's kissing her the way she'd always dreamed of being kissed. His mouth moving in a fierce yet slow dance against hers as he inhales sharply and she presses her thigh to the apex of his groin. He smiles softly against her mouth as he presses forward in gentle urging stokes groaning into the warmth of her. She swallows the sound of it wrapping her arms around his neck eagerly. She hops and he's lifting her up, using the church wall as support to hold her against his waist. Her legs wrap around him fervently as his hands grope at her backside. Large palms supporting the globes of her ass as he pushes against her, grinding into the space between her legs.
His groan becomes a growl as he pulls away just a moment catching his breath, "God I want to fuck you," he says and her heart erupts in an elated sense of panic. His mouth is pressed against her cheek next and she's making noises she didn't know she could make. It's a low soft keening sound as he runs his tongue along her neck following the column of muscle that jumps out as she arches into his touch.
When she doesn't say anything he clears his throat, shaking the lusty rumble from his vocal cords to apologize for his forward declaration. He's want and need rolled into a respectable sweetness that makes her want to explore every inch he'll allow. "Sorry," he chuckles softly, and his mouth good god, his mouth is everything she's ever dreamed of, "I don't think I've ever been that forward before," he laughs softly, his nose nuzzling against that delicious little spot right below her ear lobe. "I just," he's breathing hard almost panting and Rey knows because she feels it too. "Fuck, you're just..." there's that growl again and it's impossible how deep the need to know the truths he's trying to express is.
It isn't that easy, it can't be that easy because the voices return and they're closer. Without realizing what she's doing she kisses him again, holding her lips firmly to his. The act rough and sloppy but he responds with eager intent. Their eyes meet when she pulls away and he smiles softly as she whispers, "I'm Rey."
His laugh is so loud and intense she feels it through her entire body, "I'm Ben." He chuckles to himself adding, "I don't normally do this,"
"Make out with girls you just met against a church?" she asks.
Ben has to think a moment, "Yeah, that and well a lot of this really."
She doesn't have time to dwell on his words because suddenly they're no longer alone. The surly forms of two men are slipping from the shadows, their steps crunching against the gravel walkway as they make their approach. They aren't big, or necessarily intimidating but they're loud and they're angry.
Ben sets her down, pressing his back against her to shield her from their view. "Where's you're little pussy cat?" one of the men asks. Rey isn't sure if it's the shadows, the alcohol or Ben's large form but they don't seem to realize she's there. Not yet anyway.
"You guys are making a huge mistake," Ben's voice comes across as a low rumble. Maybe he's annoyed that he has been pursued this far or maybe he's agitated because they've been so rudely interrupted but Rey is suddenly very nervous. She doesn't want him to move away from her, to break the contact and approach these ghouls but he's there one minute and gone the next. The taller of the two men comes at Ben hard but Ben lunges and catches him across the throat with his forearm. The tall man lets out a choked cry as he's jerked back against the impact finding himself on his back staring up at the sky. Ben only has the upper hand for a split second because the other attacker is at his back. He has his arms wound through Ben's pinning them behind his back.
Together they struggle against the awkwardness of the position a little before Ben lurches forward tossing his attacker over his shoulder and into his friend. Both men grumble as the taller, a dark-haired fellow with a broad nose that looks like he's had it broken before brings his fists up readying for another attack. He ducks as Ben throws a punch, only to land his own against Ben's jaw. The shock of the hit tosses Ben's head to the side just slightly. He comes at him fast and hard with a second onslaught of fists, jabbing and swinging at Ben as Ben dances away with the agile footing of someone half his size. The other man is getting to his feet but he hangs back hollering insults and egging his larger friend on
Rey's afraid to move. She doesn't want to draw attention to herself but when Ben is struck with a particularly aggressive blow to the ribs she can't help the squeak that slips out. "Oh hello pussy cat," the smaller man growls as he turns his attention on Rey.
His approach is slow, edging from side to side as she turns and darts trying to find an escape route passed him. When Ben manages to look in her direction she's sure she sees something snap. His dark eyes are furious as he swings around his larger opponent to throw himself bodily at the man who stalks towards her. She watches as Ben's shoulder strikes the man from behind and they struggle, tumbling to the ground. Ben is on top of him in a flash, doling fist after fist into her assailant's face. He has his knees pinned on either side of the struggling man's chest, one knee effectively holding an arm to the ground.
Strike after strike land against the man's face until his friend tackles Ben and is pulling him off. They're wrestling on the ground, limbs groping for limbs, fists lashing out as they battle for dominance. At one point the tall man with the damaged nose has Ben around the throat by his forearm, using his body weight to control Ben's movement. Ben's eyes are wide as he claws at the offending forearm. His opponent is talking a big game, narrowing his focus on Rey as he grumbles into Ben's ear. It's without warning that Ben rears his head forward and then slams it into his attacker's nose.
The arms around his throat lessen and he scrambles forwards drawing up to his full height with a slight hop. The smaller man is hovering on his feet, unstable but upright as he moves forward and Ben strikes him again, this time in the side of the head. The jarring motion sends the man to the ground and Rey is sure he won't be getting up again for a while. That leaves the bulkier of the two. He's like a bull, singularly focused on one target, determined to take it down at all costs. Ben ducks and weaves, keeping his fists tight to his chest but when the hulking form of his attacker pushes forward Ben lets loose. He strikes the man sidelong in the mouth with one fist, while the other swings up to clip him beneath the chin. Ben hits and hits until the man he's fighting against is bloody and refuses to get up.
Frozen in fear Rey finds her voice and she cries out, throwing herself into Ben in order to pull him back and away. He's frenzied as he strikes, again and again until the man's face makes the disturbing squelching crack and Rey knows his nose is broken.
Ben's hands are bloody and his hair disheveled as he turns on her, losing one of his mitts within her hair. He's searching her over, looking for any sign of damage but all he finds is fear there. She recoils from him slightly and he frowns. "Fuck," he mutters and he's pulling away from her as quickly as he found her.
"We should get going in case there are more," she tells him softly. She knows she ought to be but she can't find it within her to be afraid of him. He's timid when she grabs his shoulder pulling him to face her once more, "My place isn't far, I'll get you cleaned up, dress that hand." she tells him and he nods.
He doesn't touch her this time as they walk side by side. He keeps his distance which Rey finds almost painful. The need to reach out and take his hand is strong but she's afraid she might hurt him and so allows her hands to fidget restlessly at her side.
The apartment she shares with Finn and Rose will be empty. Finn and Poe always stay at Poe's place, they've been after Rey to move in there for ages but Rey doesn't want to leave Rose. Rose will likely go home with Jannah, who lives much closer to Hanna House. It's an easier walk when alcohol is involved. That will leave their apartment blissfully empty. She doesn't want to have to explain any of this to her friends, she isn't even sure that she could.
As their footsteps carry them silently through the graveyard she finds herself drawn to Ben's strong dark profile. He looks serious and contemplative as they walk. After a while his hand moves into his pocket and he withdraws his pack of smokes. As he takes one of the small sticks in his mouth his feet stop and he ducks against cupped hands lighting the cigarette with a sharp inhale. His hand looks swollen she notes ruefully as they continue their sullen path. The smell of tobacco is strong and burns her lungs but she leaves him to his vice.
It takes longer then she anticipated but they soon find themselves on the steps of the duplex she rents with her friends. Ben is on his second cigarette, a nervous tick perhaps but when Rey starts up the steps nodding towards the doors he tosses it to the ground and steps on it's glowing end. He takes the stairs carefully, she notes, favoring the side where he's been struck. Still he's careful not to touch her, keeping his distance as she pulls out a key she's had hidden on her person. The door is difficult to unlock, old and obnoxious so she has to jiggle the nob a little, pulling on the door to ease some of the tension on the deadbolt.
Once inside Rey feels a calming ease wash over her, she toes off her sneakers inviting Ben to do the same. She points him towards the couch just a few feet from the entrance, an old beat-up dark brown thing that's suspiciously comfortable while she disappears into the bathroom. Once inside she has to take a moment steadying herself against a shaky breath before she starts to rummage for the first aid kit.
When she returns to the open living space, a living room which bleeds into a kitchen separated only by a dining room table she finds Ben curiously peering over postered walls and pictures of smiling faces. There's an amusement to his features as he allows his eyes to rover over the images before him as if reading the story of their lives.
"You look happy," he says absently as she approaches him from behind. He's looking at one picture, in particular, one Luke had taken their final summer before they all left for university. Finn has his arms wound tightly around Rose and Rey's necks as he pulls them forward. They're at the beach, one of the few times Luke had agreed to any sort of wild outing. It was probably one of the best days of her life. The sun had been hot but the water had been so cold the thought of it makes her shiver even now. Luke always took joy from the simplicity in life so they never really went to amusement parks or movie theatres. It was expensive to drag that many kids around in general but he loved to be able to give them these moments, as fleeting as they may have been.
Beside that picture is one of Rey standing next to an old beat-up Chev. Its paint is a brilliant teal but it's smattered in rust. She's covered in grease and smiling broadly as she points a wrench at the camera, mouth half-open as if she's saying something. "You like cars?" Ben asks over his shoulder. In this light his features look worn and tired, his hands are still bloody and his jaw is starting to look a little bruised. His movements are hitched slightly, a mournful smile on his lips.
"Old past time," she comments upon her approach, the first aid kit clutched tightly to her chest. "My foster father let me pick away at his old truck when I was younger, I don't know if it ever ran properly again but it was fun." she's being modest, the damn thing ran just fine. She's not sure why she feels it necessary to hide that fact.
"You were a foster kid?" he asks softly, his voice kind as he finally finds a seat on the couch. His long legs look awkward as his rear end sinks into the cushions a little more then he's prepared for.
Rey makes a noise of acknowledgment as she finds herself sitting on their heavy thick oak coffee table across from him. She sets the kit to her side and pulls her sweater over her head. The room is warm and the drastic change in temperature was making her sweat. Underneath she's wearing a simple thin-strapped tank top that is long but tight fitting. She tries not to notice as his eyes rake her in, "Yeah, we all were." she tells him assuredly, "Finn, Rose, and I. There were others too, some aged out. We lost a few but Luke still has two with him now. He's my foster father. Take off your jacket."
He does as he's instructed while he listens, his movements hesitant and careful. She takes her time as she cleans his fists. The skin is cracked and some of the blood is in fact his own. His eyes watch her work with skillful fingers. When she's through with his hands and has checked out his swollen lip she sits back on the coffee table to appraise her work. "Good, now lift your shirt," she tells him with a confidence that sounds foreign.
He eyes her suspiciously, a wild sort of grin lingering on his lips, "Is that how you want it?"
She knows he's teasing her, that his words shouldn't do anything to her but they do. Goddamit they do. The heat of it erupts across her flesh in a light blush that starts across her cheeks but spreads down along her neck and across her collarbones. He can see it too she realizes with some mortification. She should have never taken her sweater off.
Still he doesn't reach out to touch her. His words are flirtatious but his actions are clipped. He removes his shirt with some difficulty a hand instinctually moving to his side as his breath hitches. Without thinking about it, Rey drops to her knees pushing herself between Ben's legs as he leans back against the couch for support. His cocky grin is gone as he watches her carefully, his eyes following her fingers as she draws them along the expanse of his milky pale skin. It's soft, so unbelievably soft beneath her fingers as she allows them to feather against his flesh. She pokes and palpates along the area where she saw him take the hit. Her brow drawn in concentration as she examines the skin that is starting to purple already. It feels hot beneath her touch, hard but not in the way some muscles do when they're tensed. It's boggy and swollen beneath the skin.
Ben sucks in a sharp breath as she moves her fingers around examining the outline of the injured area. "I'm going to get you some ice," she informs him quickly, prepared to stand when his large hand covers her own. His fingers are broad and warm. His skin a radiant white when put in contrast to her own glowing perpetually tanned flesh. His touch is gentle and yet insistent as he peers down at her with a look in his eyes similar to that in the churchyard. The look he'd given her before he'd kissed her. His lips, those full and utterly kissable pillows of flesh are quirked into a knowing smile and dammit, Rey knows she's in trouble now.
Geeeeeeze, I seem to have a thing for people dancing out their feelings... haha. This has been written for a while though, I'm just only now getting around to editing and whatnot. The songs mentioned in this chapter are James Arthur - Say You Won't Let Go and Beyonce - XO with special mention of Sexy and I Know it Acoustic cover. If you haven't heard this... you need to. Noah Guthrie... ugh it's a game-changer. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much I did when I wrote it. Let me know what you think lovelies! XO