Summary: "Two people were married. The act was outrageous." — Paul Simon

A/N: THIS WAS A TWO-CHAPTER UPDATE TODAY! THIS IS THE SECOND NEW CHAPTER. THIS IS ME REMINDING YOU IN CASE, LIKE ME, YOU SOMETIMES HOP TO THE MOST RECENT CHAPTER.

THIRTY-TWO WEEKS — CANTALOUPE (cont.)

Work, it turned out, was a good distraction. Ben kept up his end of the bargain to put in twice as much effort for Luke this week in exchange for a handful of days off the next, so Rey really didn't see as much of him in those few days between getting their license and actually getting married. Her own work kept her busy enough that the hours passed quickly, and when she wasn't working, she was with Leia. The woman she could soon call her mother-in-law. It was a weird title, that one. Rey had heard it uttered in contempt so many times on television and movies, she felt like it should be a derogatory term. But she loved hers.

Leia took her to get a manicure and a pedicure, to get her hair trimmed, to find a dress and a cute pair of flats. She invited Rey to her work one day so she could take her around and show her off to colleagues, practically glowing with pride every time she introduced her daughter-in-law and impending grandchild. She helped Rey get some things for the getaway, promising they would get even sexier things for the spring ceremony, when they got to go on a better honeymoon.

"Somewhere exotic, I hope," Leia said as they perused de-alchoholised champagne at the liquor store. "You deserve as much. Fiji, perhaps. That could be nice."

Rey couldn't even imagine a scenario in which she went to Fiji, so she just laughed. "Nice is one way to describe it, I guess."

"You'll leave her with us when you go, won't you?" Leia asked, motioning vaguely to Rey's middle. "I don't mean to assume. Perhaps you won't feel ready to leave her yet. But if you do, I hope you'll think of us. I know Han is…Han. But I promise I'd follow all your instructions and honor your wishes."

"My wishes?" Rey was still having trouble conceptualizing what it would be like to actually have an infant in her day to day life, one that made noise and needed food and did more than just crush her bladder or sucker punch her kidneys.

Leia spoke lightly, a diplomat trying to conceal the earnest hope in her voice. "I know everyone parents differently, and no doubt things are different now than they were before when I had a baby. So you and Ben will decide things like what her bedtime routine is, whether you want me to give her a bottle from your supply or just do formula, what kind of lotion she can have — you know, all that kind of stuff."

No, Rey did not know. But she closed her mouth because she didn't want to look like an idiot in front of this woman. So she just nodded quietly, and then, after a silence, said, "Of course we'll leave her with you."

It did something funny to her saying that though. Not a good kind of funny. A distinctly bad feeling curled in her gut. Leaving your baby for a week away with Ben isn't the same thing as leaving her forever, she told herself, but sadness stole through her all the same. She might need to tackle a rather large emotional hurdle in order to put her baby in the arms of her grandmother and walk away, however temporary the separation.

Still, all that was far enough away that she could set it aside and just focus on the thing ahead of her: Marrying Ben Solo.

It was quiet thing, their ceremony. Perfectly, beautifully quiet.

The day of, they packed up a few things and went to Ben's parents' house. Rey sent a quick text to Rose letting her know she'd be going on a little pre-baby getaway, and then she turned off her phone. They set away messages on their emails and summarily disconnected from everything else. Ben helped his father string up some Christmas lights in the gazebo while Leia drew Rey a bubble bath in the biggest tub she'd ever laid eyes on. Leia also set out a dizzying assortment of lotions and oils and anything else a pampered person could dream of, and then left Rey to her unexpected luxury.

The bath was comfortably warm, but not hot, and Rey relaxed with her whole body submerged beneath the foamy surface, her head reclined on a padded headrest. She thought about how she got here, to this moment right now, and drew no conclusions at all except that the night she went to hang out at that bar with all her friends and caught Poe's imposingly large roommate glancing at her, the whole shape of her future had changed. That man. That roommate. He who had been an unflagging source of support all these years, a steady constant current of safety. He who had put a child into her and then immediately upended his whole world to make it right.

She loved him. Sometimes the knowledge still left her breathless.

She soaked in the bath for a long time, long enough that the bubbles began to melt away, until eventually she caved and used a handheld hose attachment to wash her hair. She got out and chose the most subtle of Leia's lotions— a light, breezy scented thing that reminded her of fresh summer mornings. Drying off with the fluffiest, softest towel she'd ever held in her life, she pulled on a pair of loose pajama bottoms, a wire-free cotton bra, and a maternity t-shirt. She'd get dressed in her nicer things later. This would be fine for now. With a little hydrating styling cream she scrunched her natural waves and tidied up the bathroom behind her — way, way too self-conscious in this lavishly beautiful suite to leave it with her normal homey clutter. Then she left to track down Ben and his parents.

She found them in the kitchen, snacking on a charcuterie board, reminiscing about Ben's stormy adolescence. He sat on a stool, low enough that his mother could reach to tousle his hair affectionately while his father rolled his eyes over some anecdote. The scene was so personal that Rey almost didn't want to interrupt. They were having a moment here. But Ben spotted her before she could turn away, and smiled one of his big Ben smiles, and she was helpless to turn away. So she drifted in instead, and Han shifted over to make room for her around their snacks.

"If only we could go back and reassure that troubled, lonely boy that things wouldn't always be like that," Leia sighed, bringing some conclusion to their reminiscing. She took Rey's hand and smiled. "That one day he'd find someone who would understand him."

Ben's cheeks warmed and his gaze dropped to the countertop. "Not sure that kid would believe you even if you could, Mom. Sometimes I still can't believe it myself."

"You ever imagine the person meant for you would be some penniless foster girl wildchild from London?" Han laughed.

It didn't hurt, the way Han openly acknowledged the ugliness she'd been through like it was normal. Like it was nothing to be ashamed of. Of course he didn't know about the depths of the abuse, but then, she didn't know exactly what he'd been through either. Somehow, they understood anyway. There was solidarity here. And if anyone could coolly joke about growing up believing you're nothing, it was Han.

Ben didn't reply, but his eyes did lift from the table again and find her. She gave him a shy little smile.

"You look happy, kiddo," Han remarked with a friendly grunt.

"I've never had a bath like that before! It was heaven," said Rey.

"Are you hungry, honey?" Leia asked, teasing a lock of Rey's hair. "Can I make you a sandwich or get you some fruit? Sorry about the charcuterie. I completely forgot you aren't supposed to have this stuff."

"Yeah, jeez, Leia, so rude," Han teased, moving over to the fridge. He pulled out a stainless steel bowl piled high with chunks of watermelon. "Here. Artu cut this up before we sent him home for the day. I tried some already. Tastes like candy. I honestly don't know how he picks them."

Rey plucked a small cube of deep red watermelon out of the bowl and tried it. Han was right, it was an exceptionally sweet fruit. The cold made it even better.

Ben stood and shuffled around his parents, sliding up next to her. She turned to him, into his warm, eager stare. He gently thumbed a little drop of melon juice off her lip. He spoke softly. "I'm going to go shower, okay? And then we can get ready."

She nodded, leaning up to give him a chaste little kiss.

"Definitely tastes like candy," he agreed, chuckling, and picked a piece out for himself before heading off to take his shower.

"Rey, sweetie, do you want me to help you with your hair?" Leia asked. "I don't mean to assume. We don't have any photographers here or anything. But I didn't know if you'd appreciate some help."

"Thank you," Rey told her sincerely. "But actually…Ben's going to do it."

They both stared at her. She laughed and bit into another slice.

"Ben?" Leia repeated.

"He's wanted to learn," Rey explained after swallowing her bite. "He wants to be able to do the baby's hair when she has enough to do anything with. So he's been watching some videos and I let him practice on mine. He's getting pretty good at it, actually."

Han barked a short, incredulous laugh. And then did it again. And then he burst into full-bellied peals of laughter, until tears were gathering in his eyes and he was half-doubled over the counter. "Ben?" he howled. "Doing hair? Leia, can you imagine me doing your hair for our wedding?"

And then he was lost again, cackling and shaking his head and removing himself from the room as if afraid he'd hear more outrageous things by staying. They could still hear his echoes way down the hall after he'd gone.

Leia rolled her eyes but chuckled anyway. "That would have been a genuine nightmare, let me tell you. But I guess if you're okay with it…are you sure?"

Rey grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Leia still looked dubious. "You want to get ready together? You know it's bad luck—"

"Now, now, Leia," Rey said, feeling bold and comfortable and bright, "isn't that superstition stuff a little old fashioned for a forward thinking woman like you?"

Leia's eyes widened, and a slow smile spread over her face. "Ah-ha. I see how it is. Well…you got me there. If that's what you want to do, by all means, do it. It's your day, after all."

They spent the next companionable half hour together in the kitchen, chatting about the different weddings Leia had been to over the years. Some of her stories were truly wild. Like the one Leia went to where the bride walked down the aisle to the theme music of the Olympics. Leia was ready for her to lift her dress and start sprinting with a torch in hand. Or the orthodox Catholic mass wedding that went on for hours and hours, so long that Han fell so deep asleep he audibly snored. One wedding, Leia said, was most scandalous in her mind because in the middle of the vows the aunt of the groom stood up and told the bride she still had the chance to say no and save herself from a loser husband, it wasn't too late. Rey laughed at the scandal of that one. Leia said the bride ignored it and went on with the wedding anyway.

Finally Ben was done with his shower, the evening was stretching into its final few hours, and it was time to get ready. Rey and Leia parted ways then. Rey found Ben in his childhood bedroom, looking around at all his things. They were staying in one of the guest rooms, but somehow, she knew he'd be in here.

She slid in next to him effortlessly. His arm came around her. They looked at the pictures and trophies on the wall. A gawky kid with a mouth too big for his face, ears too big for his head, holding a some certificate of accolade or another. She'd been here before, and seen them all. That day before they fooled around on his bed, she'd spent time exploring the trappings of his boyhood. She'd even teased him about his debate trophies. In truth, this room was everything she'd wanted as a child. Maybe he'd sensed that, because he didn't try to tell her how hard it was growing up here. He'd just let her look, and then he let her cry, and then he let her drown her sorrows in a flood of passion.

She didn't tease him about the debate trophies now, falling silent witness to his brief, wistful nostalgia instead. And she bathed in her own private relief. That her daughter would get a childhood like this, instead of the cold, featureless misery of Rey's.

"Come on," he said after a quiet minute. "Enough looking at the ghosts of the past. I'm ready to marry you."

Rey blushed, her chest surging with pleasure, and she let him take her hand, leading her out of the room and to the guest room they'd been occupying.

They didn't really talk at first.

Ben put on some music — something soft, sweet, and contemplative from one of those indie groups he liked. Rey couldn't even begin to guess the name of the group or the song, but it set a nice mood. He dragged a chair over to the foot of the bed, and then tugged Rey towards it. Before she sat, though, he pulled her into him. His arms wrapped around her, hugging him to her until she stood on her toes. He buried his head into her neck.

Rey didn't say anything. She stroked through his soft, damp hair and soothed down the back of his neck. He smelled divine. The way he held her now, it made her heart trip hard in her chest.

Finally he let her go, brushing a kiss to her cheek, his eyes catching on hers as he pulled away. They were soft and warm and home. He guided her into the chair, then went to gather the things he wanted from the bathroom. When he came back, he sat on the edge of the bed behind her, legs on either side of her chair. Comb in hand, he started in on her hair, drawing a careful part, his touch light and gentle as he portioned out the pieces he wanted.

Rey remembered a time four years ago when they'd been at an amusement park with all their friends. While they stood in line for a particular roller coaster, she felt something drop into her hair from somewhere above. A bird had crapped on her. She'd squealed in disgust and hopped around trying to figure out what the hell to do about it. The others were laughing too hard to be much help. Ben thought it was funny too, but he'd also ducked out of line and returned with napkins and a bottle of water. He'd gently taken the soiled hair and wiped it down, applying water when necessary. It was such a simple thing. A kind thing. But Rey remembered how it had made her heart trip, how caring he was, how his hands accidentally grazed her skin, how full of amusement and affection his eyes were when they met hers.

In that moment, she'd realized she was in danger of developing real feelings for him. Or maybe already had.

Over something as silly as bird droppings in her hair.

The same iridescent certainty shimmered through her now. His fingers gently worked a braid towards the back of her head on one side. The nearness of his touch, the tenderness of his gesture, they elicited the feelings of that day at the amusement park all over again, heart pounding, almost emotional, like she was on the brink of falling in love with him — except this time, she already had.

He secured the braid behind her head with a polished, elegant little silver butterfly set with sapphires they'd found at an antique store a long time ago. She thought it was pretty and had put it up to her hair to ask Ben's opinion. He'd taken one look and begged her to get it, even offering to pay for it if it ended up outside her budget. She hadn't really had much occasion to wear it.

Ben fluffed the edges of each braid loop out so it looked like a stylishly loose weave. Then he leaned down, brushing the loose half of her hair back with his fingers so his lips could find that little space between her neck and her shoulder.

"See if you like it," he murmured into her skin.

Rey stood and turned towards him, leaning over the chair to give him a little kiss. Gratitude, she thought.

"You don't even know if you like it yet," he chuckled.

"I know that I like that you wanted to do this," she said, grinning.

The mirror showed her Ben's handiwork. It looked great. Her loose, natural waves cascaded beneath the braid, framing her face in a lovely, effortless kind of way. She didn't look very formal — the style might have suited some boho themed wedding rather than a highbrow formal affair — but it was exactly right for their intimate occasion. She smiled when he came up behind her.

"It's perfect," she told him.

He hummed. "Then it's almost worthy of you."

Rey laughed and rolled her eyes. "Wow, Ben."

He flashed her a grin before scooting past her to address his own hair, mussing it into the shape he liked. Like everything else in this house, this bathroom was enormous. Rey could use one side of the vanity to apply her makeup while Ben used the other to fuss with his hair. She watched him with amusement for a minute and then focused on herself. She didn't go for heavy. Today's look was about light and natural, keeping it pretty but simple, the way she'd had it for Paige's wedding. Ben had told her several times how much he'd loved her look that night. She tried to recreate it now.

Eventually Ben drifted out to put on his suit. He always looked ridiculously good in suits. Rey kept stealing little glances his direction as he assembled himself, his broad shoulders and tapered waist coming together in a fine V-shape under the tailored cut of the jacket. His collared shirt highlighted his vast chest, the soft line of his jaw, the column of his throat. Rey shook her head and made herself focus. Silly to get distracted by the hotness of this man who she already had full and unhindered access to. If she wanted to jump him and ride him into oblivion, she could. And she would. Soon.

When she finished, she pulled off her soft comfy clothes and slipped into the dress she bought with Leia, tugging it over the protrusion of her belly, smoothing it. Ben came up behind her, zipping up the back in a slow slide. Rey assessed herself in the mirror again, and sighed a defeated sigh. The dress really was lovely — an ivory colored, soft floral lace tea-length boho dress with drape kimono sleeves and a floaty skirt falling from a flattering empire waist. It draped right over her bump in a way Leia had cooed was so charming. Rey really did love the dress. It felt like it suited her personality. But right now, looking at herself in the mirror, she mourned the way her body didn't look like her body. It looked like, as Finn had so indelicately put it earlier in the week, a blimp.

But when she turned back to Ben, he was staring at her like she'd just given him the world.

She blushed. "Good?"

"You're beautiful," he said helplessly.

Tingles of pleasure scattered down her spine, everything inside her warming into a pleasant glow.

"Here," he said quickly, turning to the closet. He produced a little vase, and from the vase, a small bouquet of sunflowers, neatly tied with a sapphire blue ribbon.

Her eyes widened. "Why was that in the closet?"

He looked sheepish. "I didn't want you to find it before now and ruin the surprise. I picked them from the garden while you were in the bath. I know all of this is unconventional, but I figured you'd feel like a real bride if you had a bouquet."

Rey rushed into him, tugging on his lapels to bring him down to her level so she could kiss him once again, this time fierce and lingering. Because she could. Because he was unbearably sweet, and she believed him when he said she was beautiful and the gesture with the flowers was just so... And because it made her feel a little daring and rebellious, kissing her groom before the ceremony. Ben made a soft noise in the back of his throat, one arm winding around her waist to pull her into him as far as her bump would allow. He tasted minty, like toothpaste, and Rey felt as if she could stay here forever, in this give and take and the slide of his tongue against hers and the way his mouth just drew hers like moth to flame.

But they couldn't stay there forever. Because there was something better in store. So eventually Ben pulled away and sighed ruefully, holding her face in one hand, brushing a thumb over her cheek.

"We should get downstairs," he said in a low, husky rumble.

"Okay," she agreed softly, taking the bouquet from him, burying her nose in the cheerful flowers.

He finished tying his tie, adjusting his collar, ensuring the knot was snug to his throat. He glanced once at the mirror, and then at Rey, drawing a deep breath. "Ready?"

She smiled, nodded. "You look really great, Ben."

A subtle flush of color stole across his cheeks as he offered his arm. She slipped hers through, taking a deep breath and following him out of the room.

There was no aisle, no father-of-the-bride escort, no music or fanfare or crying guests. Or rather, only one crying guest. Leia did get teary when Ben and Rey stepped up into the gazebo, but she brushed them away with a big smile, making them pose for a couple of pictures. Han swallowed and looked down at the notebook in his hand, a little paragraph scrawled across it. He seemed a little misty-eyed too.

"Hey," he said, barely glancing at Ben. "Turns out you're not half bad with the hair thing. It's still weird that you did it at all, but...you did a good job."

"It's beautiful," Leia agreed, tearing up again.

Ben glanced at Rey, half pleased, half smug. "Thanks."

"You kids ready to do this thing?" Han grunted, his voice a little husky.

They both nodded.

Rey gave her bouquet to Leia and turned towards Ben. He took her hands in his, throat bobbing in a hard swallow of his own. His lips twitched into a soft little smile. The sun hung at a low evening angle, slanting golden rays across the lush green expanse of the Solos' south lawn, bathing everything in that dreamy late summer light. It brought out the brown of Ben's hair and the amber honey in his fathomless eyes. He looked so positively prince-like that Rey felt a blush creep through her face. Ben exhaled shakily, eyes widening.

Han cleared his throat. "So…I'm not a very eloquent person. I didn't plan some fancy speech to commemorate the occasion. I'll just say a couple clumsy things, and then I'll let you two kids say some words, and then we'll do vows or something. Sound good?"

Ben glanced sideways at his father. Rey laughed. "It sounds perfect," she reassured him.

Han nodded and gave Leia a pleased smile. "See? And you thought I needed a whole speech."

"Han," she sighed affectionately. "Just get on with it."

"Okay, okay." He squared himself and consulted his notepad. "Okay. So, here's the thing. I've always known my son was a bit of a handful. He's willful, serious, ornery and a huge pain in the ass. Honestly, there were times when I'd look at this kid and think I dunno about this one. He's a solemn little shit. But I figured if he could find someone who could help smooth out his rough edges, like Leia's done with me, someone who could be his balance and help him find light and laughter, he'd do okay. Honestly, I wondered if it would ever happen. But then we met you, Rey. I remember Snap's wedding. I remembering wondering what the hell was wrong with my son when he didn't bring you back around after. I'd never seen him light up for anyone they way he lit up for you. And even though I think he's an idiot for accidentally knocking you up, I have to say, I think it might be the best thing that ever happened to him. Because you're perfect for him, and I think he might be perfect for you too."

"You said you were only going to say a couple things?" Ben grumbled good-naturedly when his father choked up and had to stop. Rey smiled and squeezed his hands.

"Anyway," Han forged on, composing himself. "I think I'm supposed to give you some marriage advice or something, but marriage is just a crazy train where everyone's making it up as they go along, so not sure what I can say there. You can disagree and even argue without hurting each other with your words, so just…do that. Don't hurt each other. Even when you disagree, respect each other. And that thing about never go to bed angry? That's bullshit. Sometimes you just need to sleep to get a clear head and approach a problem fresh in the morning. And you just gotta roll with life, you know? If you get too uptight about how you think things should be, you'll have conflict. Yeah. I think that's all I gotta say about that. Leia? Any advice for the kids?"

Leia laughed. "I think they'll be fine."

"Well that's not very helpful."

"Fine, if you want a piece of advice — take lots of pictures and send them to your mother so she can put them in the lake house albums," Leia said, darting past them and out the gazebo. She turned around and held up her phone, no doubt to catch the whole scene.

Han stared at her like she'd dropped her head on the way. "Leia, what the hell are you doing?"

"Don't mind me!" she called. "Everyone will be grateful to have these later. Just pretend you're in the middle of the ceremony!"

"We are!" Han sputtered.

Ben's face had flamed bright red and his eyes rolled in exasperation. Rey giggled. "This was a good idea," she said softly.

He shook his head, but a reluctant smile snuck out of him anyway. Rey knew. He thought it was as endearing as she did. Exasperating too, but when was he not treading the thin line of waning patience with his parents?

Leia came back a moment later, smiling. She lightly nudged Han. "Well? Why are you holding things up? Get on with it."

Han gave an exaggerated wince and rubbed the spot she'd nudged him tenderly. "Well there's a piece of advice for you, kids. Don't smack each other."

"Dad," Ben sighed.

Han waved at them. "Okay, okay, we're moving on. So the last thing I'm gonna say is that this little girl on the way must be something pretty special, since she managed to get her stubborn parents to climb over their hurdles and be together before she ever even arrived. I can't wait to meet her. And I'm proud to watch you three grow together. So I guess this is the part where you guys get to say some nice things to each other. Vows. Promises. Whatever. Rey, why don't you start?"

Rey sucked in an unsteady breath, lifting her gaze to meet Ben's once again, settling into the truth of what they were doing here. She'd worried all week that this moment would feel like a lot of pressure. She'd agonized over what to say, what kind of words she could give him that would convince him of how much she loved him, and loved this choice they were making. But right now, everything felt…good. Easy. Like she only needed to open her mouth, and the right words would come. The way it always was with him, she felt no pressure at all. Loving him, marrying him, was as easy as breathing.

"Ben, I feel as if we've done this a thousand times, over a thousand lifetimes," she said softly. "I have this sense that we keep falling together again and again, drawn by fate, or…something else. Whether or not that's real or just some fanciful illusion, I know that I could find my way to you again in a thousand lifetimes more and fall in love anew every single time. Because these eternal rounds will never be enough time for me understand how someone like me gets to be with someone like you. You make me feel safe. You make me feel like I matter. That I'm important. That I'm loved. I...I never thought anyone could want me like that. I never thought I could trust anyone not to leave one day. But you do want me, and I do trust you. It honestly feels like a miracle. You make me laugh, you let me cry, you let me know its okay to be myself. You're the only person who really knows me, Ben, and it's so easy to love you. You're kind. You're steady. You're strong. Being your friend has been the favorite experience of my life so far. It took me too long to recognize what you've been saying without words all these years, but I see it now. I see us, and how we are meant for each other, and how we will always find each other. Because you're mine. And I'm yours."

Tears had welled up in her eyes again. She went to brush them away, but Ben did it for her, a gentle knuckle sweeping away the rogue tears that escaped. He was emotional too, she realized, and it took him a minute before he could say anything, swallowing hard, biting a trembling lip. His hands shook in hers and the brilliant aureate light glimmered in the unspilled shine of his own eyes.

Finally he found his voice, though it was soft and ragged. "Whenever I look at you, Rey, I become convinced that whatever divine hand made the human soul slipped and carved mine in two. And I've been searching for you since that day. I felt inexplicably alone all my life, and I was pretty sure it would always be that way for me, until I met you. You were nothing like I expected and everything that I needed. It felt good to be needed by you, too. And maybe it would have been enough, to go on being your friend forever. But now we're here together, taking this step and getting ready to welcome someone else into our adventure, and I realize it wouldn't have been enough at all. I will always be your friend, Rey, and I will always try to make you feel safe and that you matter. Because you are important. And you are loved. And I will earn your trust every day, because I'm not going anywhere. You're right. We belong to each other. And when I'm with you... I feel whole."

Rey was crying again, and Ben was losing it too, whatever else he might have said swallowed up in a rush of emotion that stole the breath from his throat. She could hear Han and Leia sniffling. They were all a mess. This was a mess.

"Well it's a damn good thing nobody else is here to witness this blubfest," Han said after a weepy minute, his voice thick but wry and amused anyway.

It broke the tension. They all laughed and wiped their faces.

Han shook his head, taking a deep breath. "So this is the part where I say Ben Solo, do you take Rey Johnson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to keep forever, with all that mushy stuff that goes with it and that you'll promise again more formally when we do this over in eight months?"

Ben chuckled. "I do."

"And Rey Johnson, do you take this moof Ben Solo to be your lawfully wedded husband, to keep forever — no take-backs! We don't accept returns— with all that mushy stuff that goes with it and that you'll promise again more formally when we do this over in eight months?"

Rey grinned. "Of course I do."

"Well then by the power vested in me by the internet and this random church and the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ben, you can kiss your bride."

Ben barely let the words leave his father's mouth before he had hold of her, cradling the back of her head in one hand, the other at the small of her back, his lips on hers in breathless, exhilarated wonder. Rey's mind spun happily into nothingness and effervescent joy. She'd kissed Ben a hundred times by now, but it had never felt like this. He kept it PG for the sake of his parents, yet secretly, in the buzzing energy between them, she could feel him brimming with promise, his lips tender yet desperate in their fervor.

Han and Leia applauded and immediately popped a bottle of that de-alcoholised champagne Rey and Leia had picked out earlier in the week.

Ben and Rey signed the certificate Han produced and signed himself. "This is the only part the state cares about," he joked. "This is the real wedding right here."

Leia took another picture.

They toasted the new union. Everyone agreed they'd all be much better composed for the public wedding in the spring. After all, that was mere theater. The truth had happened here, and it was too intimate to share with everyone else. Leia cried again and hugged them both and expressed her happiness.

"But did you have to call him a moof, Han?" she lamented after detangling herself from them, rounding on her husband. "In a special moment like that?"

"It's a term of affection!" Han defended. "How's the kid gonna know I love him if I don't call him some name?"

Ben laughed. "It's true, Mom. I never expected him to be one hundred percent serious. In fact, it would have been weird if he was."

"You were perfect," Rey told him happily.

Han's chest puffed out and his chin lifted. "See, honey? I did fine."

Leia rolled her eyes, laughed, and kissed his cheek. "You're the moof, dear."

"I mean, I won't argue that." He grinned, and then his attention flashed cheekily to Ben and Rey. "Hey, you two get out of here. I'm gonna dance in the twilight with my wife."

Ben didn't need to be told twice. He took Rey's hand and drew her attention, an eager smile toying at the corner of his lips, an unmistakeable glint in his eye. "You ready?"

For this little honeymoon. For this first adventure as husband and wife. For every everything that would come. Rey had never been more ready.

"Yes."