I guess if I had to give warnings it would be that there is a lot of talk of panic and anxiety and the rest of the breakup emotions that come along with it. I hope you enjoy it anyway?
Thank you for coming back to read. Thank you for comments and kudos and follows and likes. I adore every one! And thank you to Notanislander and Greenumbrella03! They are great at helping plot!
Enjoy!
"Kira?" He chokes. Sitting there in all of her glory is the woman he loves with everything he has. She looks amazing in her pink blouse, grey skirt and those shoes he had to buy her in LA.
All that's missing is the ring he got her at Harry Winston's.
Tears stream down her eyes as she stands. "Rey Johnson." Her voice breaks, "You must be—"
"Ben Solo."
Her perfectly made-up eyes that he remembers from the club and Vegas close as she whispers, "Of course." When she opens them again, she doesn't seek him out but looks to her friend that he recognizes instead. Who looks as equally as shocked as Rose stares at Hux. His red-headed friend is picking up his jaw from the floor.
"Rose?" Hux mutters.
"Hux? How—"
"Did you mean it?" Rey's voice is harsh, and he can hear her tears as she demands his attention.
"Did I mean what?" he croaks. He isn't sure what's happening, but he knows that if he's not careful, no matter who she is- he's about to lose everything he loves.
Yes, he still loves her.
"Lor told me—"
"Lor San Tekka? You know Lor?" What is happening right now?
"What you just said. That I'm a bitch and you want to take apart my company?" Kira—Rey Johnson, the granddaughter of Sheev Palpatine says. "Lor said that you hated me— I didn't think the old man was right."
"Wait—I didn't know—" Ben begins. One thing he hates more than anything is that feeling of losing control of a situation. That's exactly what is creeping down his spine—pure panic that something very bad is happening and he can't stop it.
"Did you go to Morosis to meet me?" Rey accuses.
"No! did you to meet me?" he growls.
"I just spent the last year and a half fucking you—and you think I knew who you were?" She hisses. Rose manages to catch her eye and gives her a look. Kira—err Rey straightens her spine, clears her throat and meets his stare. "You tried for months for us to meet. How can I help you?"
Even those familiar words not at all said in the sweet voice she adopts for Morosis, still manage to remind him that they have been very intimate the past several months. He pushes that aside as he says, "I want to buy your company."
"No." Her answer firm and unlike anything he's heard from her not even that time she almost safe-worded. What surprises him is Rose's gasp and Hux shaking his head as if he's trying to warn him. "Let's go Rose."
She goes to walk past him, and he grabs her arm. "Kira—Rey. Wait—"
Her lips part as if she's going to answer him, but then she turns on her heel and stomps out. He watches them as Rose threads her hand through Kitten's elbow as if she's having to hold her up. They stop in front of the elevator as Kira err, Rey pushes the call button.
His feet start to move and it's when he bumps into Hux that he realizes his friend is moving too. They don't make it in time, they aren't even out of the room when the silver doors open allowing Rey and Rose to escape.
But when she looks back, their eyes lock. Her eyes, full of pain and tears lock on his as the doors close.
Brbrbrbrbr
"What just happened?" Ben asks after they walk back to the meeting room, they just saw Rose and Kir—Rey in.
"I'm not—that was my Rose and your Kira, right?" Hux answers.
"Yes. So, Kira is Rey Johnson?" He begins strong but as his words sink in, his voice trails away. "She heard me."
"It would appear so," Hux affirms as he stumbles to a chair. It would seem that he's as shocked as he is. "Rose—"
"Do we go after them?" Ben sits in one of the other seats.
"I don't know—I really don't know—"
Brbrbrbrbr
The two friends stumble out of the building into the mid-morning sun. Hand-in-hand they begin to walk down the sidewalk. Somewhere along the way, they climb into a taxi and Rey manages to utter, "Palpatine building, please."
Moments later, after paying the driver, they are standing on their sidewalk in front of their building. They manage to stumble into their private elevator and make it upstairs to their floors. But instead of Rey going into hers, Rose pulls her into her apartment.
They walk through the foyer and into Rose's more lived in second living room as she calls it. This one has the couch they've all slept on during college in the apartment they all shared. A wide-screened TV with all the sound system gadgets and the bar at the end of the room- it looks more like a man-cave that belongs in a suburban dad's basement and not in a penthouse apartment on Fifth Ave in New York City.
As Rey sinks down onto her couch, Rose pours them each a whiskey from her little bar at the end of the living room. When she comes to join her friend, she brings the entire bottle of Jack with her.
"What about the maybe baby—" Rey begins. But that's also when she's unable to hold back the tears any longer as they steam down her cheeks. "This is so fucked up."
"It would be one thing if it was just your boyfriend, but it's mine too," Rose's voice is relatively calm but Rey can see her shake as she brings the whiskey glass up to her mouth.
"Do think they knew who we were?" Rey whispers before she takes a sip. "I can only have one of these—"
"Yep, if this had been any other day, you wouldn't be sipping on that one. Did they know? I have no idea. One part of me wants to say that if they did, then they deserve a fucking Oscar, if they didn't— tell me again what Lor said about the Solos and Skywalkers?"
She reaches for a tissue before she begins. "Grandfather and Lor were acquaintances and maybe even friends while he built the company. Then they met Anakin Skywalker. The three of them worked together for a little while but when Anakin said that he was going to go into business for himself, there was an argument and one of Grandfather's bodyguards shot and killed Anakin, leaving his grandmother to raise her twins alone. Lor left and went to help Ben's grandmother run Skywalker while Grandfather grew this one. I mean I understand the hate. I hate him too since he passed and the more, I learn about him. The more I learn about his business dealings the more I can't believe that he did what he did." More tears as the realization of what just happened— "Rose—" she leans over on her friend's shoulder as her tears really begin.
Somewhere in her purse, her phone starts to ring. Then they hear the chiming of Rose's join in. "That's him," Rose admits after a popular love song plays.
"Your song is a Taylor Swift song?" Rey chuckles through her tears as she looks up at her friend.
"Hush. Your song is the theme from Galaxy wars?" Rose's cheeks are wet from her tears too.
"We made out to that movie while we were in Vegas." They are quiet while their phone continue to sing. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know. We probably need to see if you really are pregnant as soon as possible." She stands then goes over to their bags. But before she can make it back to the couch, her doorbell chimes. Rose walks into the foyer-
"Wait! What if it's them?" Rey calls. "Hux knows where you live!"
"Oh yeah." With her heart in her throat, Rey walks over so she can also see who's at the door. She can see Rose physically relax as she recognizes who's at the door. The door swings open and standing there in their casual Friday wear is Poe and Finn—the other sides to their square.
"There you guys are!" Finn exclaims.
"What happened?" Poe fusses as they walk in. "Do I need to go get Abuela?"
Finn spies her and even as his face softens, he's walking to her and gathering her in his arms. "What happened, Peanut?"
"Kylo Ren is Ben solo."
"What?" he whispers leaning back. he glances at Rose. "What happened over there?"
Brbrbrbrbr
"Where did she go? Damn it Ben, you were supposed to not scare them." Bazine swears at him as he comes stomping past her to go in his office. He turns to slam the door, but Hux already closes it in her face.
He's not sure what he's going to do, but he just knows that he can't stay here. "I'm going to call Rose—" Hux says.
"I should call Kira—Rey. Her name is Rey." He pats down his jacket, locating his cell in his inside pocket. Three swipes and he's waiting for her to pick up. "She not going to answer—she won't answer."
That panic that's been trying to suffocate him—that one—squeezes even tighter.
"Neither will Rose. I've got to go—"
Ben picks up his briefcase. "I can't stay either."
The door swings open and both men dodge Bazine as they exit. "Wait! What happened?" They continue walking until she shouts, "Would someone please talk to me!"
"Cancel my appointments for the rest of the day. Monday too." Ben walks to the elevator only to have his way blocked by Phasma. Normally, he'd stop but today, he's just got to get out of here. "Excuse me."
"What happened with Palpatine?" Phasma asks.
"it's not going to work out. Excuse me—" Ben says again as he tries to get past her. The doors open and he and Hux file in. A little prayer and the doors shut before she can follow them on. "What do we do?"
"I have no idea." Hux rubs his face. "But I don't want to lose her. She's everything to me."
He doesn't answer but he feels his friend's words deep inside. The elevator chimes as it stops on their floor. He strides to his door and Hux starts to pass him in the hallway, but he reaches out to grab him. "I don't want to drink alone."
A solemn nod and the red head follows him into his apartment. He doesn't stop until he's in his library. There he sets down the brief case and unbuttons his jacket as he crosses to the bar at the end of the room.
There he pours two whiskeys on the rocks and Hux picks his up even before Ben has a chance to turn around. "To the best things that has happened to us," Hux salutes. Ben clinks his glass with his friends in silent agreement and they both drink.
He pours them both another one and this one they sip as they stare out the window. "That's their building, isn't it?" Hux asks as he points his glass towards the Palpatine building.
"It is. They live in the top floors like we do."
"I've been over there—" Hux begins.
"You have?" Ben turns on him not sure what to say. "When?"
"A month ago? I didn't realize that was the Palpatine building." Hux drags his fingers through his red hair, clearly as distressed as he is. "I thought was just a residential building. I have to go—I can't lose her. Do you want me to take you over there? Oh hell, I should just go over there—"
"Go over there?" As soon as he says the words, he knows that it's the right thing to do. Go see her. Listen to what she says and hopefully she will listen to him. Beg. Touch her and hold her and kiss her until she forgives him—and promises him that she'll give him another chance-not that he knows what he's going to say. But that's ok. Hopefully he'll figure it out before he gets over there. "Let's go."
"We're doing this?" Hux asks, voice full of disbelief.
"Hell yeah, we are. Let's go get our ladies."
Brbrbrbrbr
"I'm going to my place for a little bit. I need a shower and to change," After catching the guys up on, well, everything, Rey is ready to be alone. She stands and grabs her purse.
"Will you come back for supper?" Rose asks.
"I'm not hungry." She looks back at them. All three are sitting on their old couch and for a moment she's taken back to their college days. "I'll be alright."
"Bye, Rey," Poe says.
"Peanut," Finn says as she follows her to the door. "Are you sure—"
"Yes, let me go home, wash my face and change clothes. I'll text in a little bit."
"Alright," he says before he gives her another hug and kisses her forehead. "I'll come check on you."
"I'm fine—" her protest is weak as he wraps her in another hug. But truthfully, she just wants to be alone.
She manages to escape and hurries down the hall to her door. It's late enough plus it's Friday too, she knows that Threepio is gone for the weekend. On the way to that promised shower, she stops in her room to strip. But as she glances down and sees the shoes, she wore to the meeting to feel Kylo, her master close feels—she stumbles to her bed as she wrestles with the ribbon that keeps the shoes on her feet.
They drop to the floor and even just this morning she held them like they were something precious—and even the thought of them being hurt in her moment of carelessness that she sweeps them into her arms.
Already on the bed is his hoodie that Threepio didn't hang up. A single button and her skirt drops to the floor before she climbs onto the bed. Under the covers, she sets her shoes that he gave her where she could see them then pulls his hoodie close like one would a pillow.
Finally, alone, she gives in to her tears. She lets the misery of everything wash over her. it cripples her, leaving her unable to move as she sobs…
Brbrbrbrbr
"Is it working?" he chirps in her ear.
"Better than I thought it would," she answers before sipping her martini with three olives. She hates that he wanted to meet her like this, but after both Ben and Hux stormed out she knows that they won't be dropping by here. Besides this place is too much of a dive for them. "Now, do you know what you need to do now?"
"Take you home and kiss you all over?" His beady little eyes bore into hers and she tries not to let him see her shiver—hell maybe she should. While he thinks it's desire, it will actually be disgust. The things Snoke makes her do.
"Fine, but I have a date tonight, so it will have to be quick."
"I can be as fast or as slow as you need me to be. Just don't forget to tell Snoke how much I've been helping you."
"Let's go," she growls.