Author's Note: I do not own Star Wars, nor am I making any money off this. …there may be lemons ahead. Turning the gush-factor up to 11. Thanks for reading, lovelies! xx

Field of Vision

Chapter Four

Ben received Rey's location coordinates just after their connection ended. Everything from his hair to his socks were still damp from standing in the spring with Rey. His fingers trembled with adrenaline; he was going to make his escape tonight.

Meanwhile, Rey could not stand waiting. She thought after decades of waiting for someone who would never come, she would be well acquainted with patience. But this was different. This was endurance.

Ben stood silently in the center of his quarters on the First Order's flagship, looking at everything inside it; he didn't have many possessions that he wanted to take with him. There were too many relics he'd worshipped that needed to stay behind. He was somewhat anxious about living a completely different life from what he had known and built for himself as a feared Knight of Ren, figurehead of the First Order, and a general source of terror to the rest of the known galaxy. He would have to leave it all behind if he truly wanted to join Rey, and that scared him more than anything.

His saber, accidentally picked up by a now-decommissioned housekeeping droid, was the only thing he truly wanted to take with him. It was the device that enabled him; or so he believed.

He almost had second thoughts about defecting when he glanced at the scorched and mangled relic that was his grandfather's mask. For so much of his life Ben had wanted to be just like Darth Vader. And for a time, he had done just that. Yet, if Darth Vader could return to Anakin Skywalker in the end, then there was hope for Kylo Ren to return to Ben Solo… and stay that way.

xx

It was well after nightfall in paradise before Rey saw the abrupt flicker of light in the sky. It was Ben's ship coming out of light speed high above the atmosphere. She had been sitting wrapped in a blanket near an open fire, fiddling with the bracelet Leia gave her as she watched the sky for movement. Rey's body tingled with anticipation. She could feel him out there; how anxious he was up in his ship and could only imagine what he had to do to escape it all.

The familiar, once foreboding black command ship landed a short distance from her encampment inside the immense ruins. The hatch opened with dramatic flair to reveal Ben descending the lowering gangplank, peeling off his heavy black shawl and letting it catch in a gust of wind and fall gracefully to the ground. Rey thought it ridiculous and overly dramatic, but it was definitively him.

He kept marching across the clearing and right up to Rey. It was surreal to see each other in person again, without the strange lens of their connection to distort things.

Planted firmly where she stood, Rey reached out her hand as he approached, desperate to learn if he was as solid as the ground beneath her. Just as he came within reach, Rey gripped the dark fabric of his sleeve aggressively, pulling her willing guest closer.

Almost irate with how impatient she was, Rey found the closure of his robe and tried to work it open. She needed to see if the knife wound was still there on his chest. It was rough and unloving the way she pulled at his clothes, wary to believe he gave everything up for her. The smallest of smirks graced Ben's lips as he watched, entertained, as she fought unsuccessfully against the closures of his clothing.

"Take it off," she said impatiently, "I need to see if it's there."

Wordlessly, Ben unfastened the closure of his thick outer tunic, though not fast enough for Rey, whose hands were drawn to his skin like a magnet. She quickly lifted his undershirt to reveal his chest, complete with a bright red scab on the bottom left ridge of his pectoral. Amused, Ben pulled off his tunic and undershirt for her. Satisfied it was actually there, Rey allowed herself to linger, tracing a line on his skin above the wound. She couldn't say why she needed to prove its existence so ardently, but seeing it in person felt reassuring.

"Convinced it's me?" he asked, his tone restrained and calm. His broad shoulders and chest were the only thing in her field of vision.

"Not yet," she said, abruptly removing her inquisitive fingers from his body.

Ben reached down to detach something with a click from his belt, and held it out to her. Rey looked down at the menacing weapon being offered to her and without hesitation, took the lightsaber and threw it as far as her arm could throw it. Ben didn't even blink.

To offer her his lightsaber—his source of power and fury—was his greatest indicator of trust yet. With every passing moment, Rey's excitement grew.

"I was a fool, Rey," Ben admitted, gently raising her chin to meet her eye to eye, "I was convinced you were supposed to be my enemy. But… now, I know I was wrong. And I don't… I don't want to make excuses for it anymore."

Rey was hopeful that he meant every word, giving in to the warmth of his hand as he hesitantly stroked her cheek. He smelled like an open fire in person; tainted with salty musk and fear. She had no idea how he had escaped, but it must not have been easy.

"You're different now," Rey said quietly, looking anywhere but in his intense, dark eyes.

"Circumstances have changed," he replied plainly. He might have sounded deadpan, but as Rey searched his feelings, she found that they were anything but simple. Normally, Ben would give her some kind of pushback whenever she tried to read his feelings, but now, his walls were completely down, an invitation open wide.

Rey looked at the long fracture of a scar running down his face, neck and chest; the scar she gave him. Gently, she touched the length of the jagged mark. His flinch was barely noticeable, but Rey saw it, learning his unexpected vulnerability.

Here, he was not Kylo Ren; he didn't have to prove that brutal, raw power around her. In this moment, he was simply a boy asking a girl to accept him for what he was. They've certainly been on a journey together, that much was undeniable. But, they have come so far from where they began. Their emotions were still tender from mutual rejection even after a year of misguided pursuit for one another. But now, as he stood so real and sentient before her, ready to give himself completely to her, she couldn't bear to lose him again.

Preparing herself to utilize the Force, Rey replaced her palm on his chest, slowly administering just enough of her life-force to heal the scars she gave him in the snowy forests of Ilum. Rey sensed his genuine surprise, taking delight in his physical response to this unsolicited gift.

She took a step closer, timidly raising her eyes at last to meet his; brushing their noses and feeling the grateful breath escape his lips. Ben pulled her in closer as she rose on her tiptoes to finally kiss him, but he hesitated. His dark scent overwhelmed Rey.

"Will you have me?" he asked hungrily, fingers tangled in her loose hair to pull her head back, exposing her neck. His desire resonated through his words, pleading for Rey to want him as much as he wanted her.

His lips hovered readily over hers, awaiting her answer. His entire body was tense with restraint, waiting for her to give him liberty. Rey felt his sincerity, comforted by the knowledge that he had turned. This was without a doubt, Ben Solo.

When she finally said yes, she felt as though her heart would burst at the way he crashed into her, kissing her as though he had so much to make up for.

With unfamiliar gentleness, Ben brushed her long, brown hair away from her neck, leaving a trail of kisses from the nook behind her ear down her shoulder. It had been a long time since Ben had known what it meant for two people to love each other, remembering with a heavy heart all the ways his father had once shown love for his mother.

They didn't move from the spot where they met tonight, uncaring about anything other than fulfilling the human connection between them.

"I looked, you know. Earlier..." Ben confessed, his breath was but a whisper in her ear. His fingers traced the open line between her breasts, giving her goosebumps in the humid night.

"I know you did."

Their eyes met in the firelight as zealous fingers found edges of clothing and pulled until there was little barrier left between them. Rey pulled him down with her to the blankets spread out on the jungle floor. Their flushed, bare chests pressed together as she draped herself over him, feeling every curvature and hard line of his body beneath. Ben almost couldn't believe this was real. Surely it was a cruel dream devised by the darker shades of the universe meant to test him.

Rey kissed him deeply, drawing forth years' worth of suppressed desires that she didn't know what to do with. Her head spun, dizzy with elation, feeling for the first time that she was actually wanted by someone. Ben reached to tuck rogue strands of hair behind her ear, but his attention was suddenly and unfortunately diverted from the kiss he was about to give.

His eyes grew wide with fear and suddenly Ben yelled; a loud and angry "NO" as he stared into the distance past Rey. Frightened and confused by the sudden outburst, Rey's gaze followed Ben's beyond into the night sky, hearing the screeching source of his anger before she actually saw them. TIE-fighter ship after ship broke through the atmosphere and descended to the earth a hundred yards away. They had maybe a full minute to reach his ship before they were in trouble. The new lovers broke apart immediately, jumping into synchronized action much like they had in Snoke's throne room over a year ago.

Heart racing, Rey snatched up her discarded clothes and ran to her nearby encampment to grab her kitbag.

"No time!" Ben yelled frantically, Force-grabbing his own discarded clothes and saber in the process of running back towards his ship.

Ben's face was beet red, flushed with outrage and embarrassment. He thought he had escaped successfully; he thought they were safe from the clutches of the First Order. His mind raced through every possible scenario. Was there a tracer on his ship? A homing beacon he wasn't aware of? Never would he have allowed himself to be caught so off guard, and in such an embarrassing fashion, had he known there was any chance of being traced.

Searchlights from a ship above scanned the jungle floor, beaming through the tree canopy surrounding the ruins where Rey had camped. Units of stormtroopers could be heard rustling through the brush near their location, gaining closer and closer.

Rey ran towards Ben's ship and jumped onto the length of the ramp, yelling for Ben to launch. She didn't look back. As soon as he heard her signal, Ben closed the hatch and lifted off, shooting into the atmosphere and hitting light speed as soon as they cleared the planet. A timely escape if he'd ever had one before.

After a few rocky moments of takeoff, Rey clambered into the cold metal cockpit, wrapping herself in a wool blanket to keep warm in the sudden temperature change. The coolness of the ship was a stark contrast to the humid jungle paradise they had just escaped. Ben sat shirtless in the pilot's seat, the fly of his pants still as undone as when he laid beneath her. His body was stiff like stone, the anger and embarrassment still painted red on his features.

"Are you alright?" she asked with a small voice, adjusting the bracelet on her arm.

Ben didn't need to answer, she could feel the doubt and the fury seeping from him. Together they sat in silence as the ship hurled forward through light speed travel, waiting for the checkpoint. Finally, Ben stood up and left the cockpit, his anger following him like a bad stench.

Rey was beginning to worry. She watched him sulk back to the corner where he had dumped his clothes in his haste to launch the ship. More stoic than she'd ever seen him before, Ben began to replace layer after layer of clothing while trying to comprehend their current situation.

"Please say something," Rey whispered, feeling just as embarrassed. The abrupt interruption left her feeling confused, like he didn't want her anymore.

Keeping his distance from her as though he were ashamed of something he'd done, Ben redressed himself in silence with their collective frustration hanging in the air. His anger needed an outlet, driving him to bang his fists furiously against the metal hatch. Sparks flew from the place where his fists slammed repeatedly into the wall, though the metal hull was unmoving; doing more damage to him than Ben to it. Yelling out his frustration again, Ben felt lost. He didn't know what to do. He hated feeling this way.

Rey came up behind him, resting a gentle hand on the small of his back. She was just as frustrated as him, though chose not to show it. At her touch, Ben quit and dropped to his knees dramatically as the harsh, banging sound of his collapse reverberated in the hatch. His knuckles were bloodied from his fit of rage, but he didn't care.

Cautiously, Rey reached for him, running her fingers through his tousled jet black hair. The urge to feel comforted was foreign, but Ben welcomed it. Her tenderness was like a balm for his angry soul, balancing him in ways he could never anticipate. Accepting her calm, Ben wrapped his thick arms around her waist, nuzzling his face against the warm skin of her belly.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, still embarrassed. "Are you okay?"

Rey was fine, physically. But, her lingering fear of abandonment crept to the surface again. Everything felt like it was teetering on the edge of a knife.

"What are we doing, Ben?" she asked, exhausted. Afraid that the fire kindled between them in the jungle had gone out, Rey felt discouraged, like this was another dream she couldn't turn real.

Rey's feelings were unguarded like an open book for Ben to read. He too felt as though something was robbed from them. He tried not to blame himself for it, but he couldn't stand the thought of her being upset. Slowly, Ben pulled the wool blanket down from around her shoulders, letting it fall carelessly to the floor. He made a pledge to Rey he would never be that monster from her nightmares. His warm and bloodied hands roamed across the expanse of her back, keeping her close as his lips formed small kisses on her belly. Rey shivered, not so much from the coolness of the ship, but from the thrill of this unexpected intimacy.

Having Ben's sole affection was a novel delight after all this time and energy spent fighting against each other. His dark eyes called to her from below, holding her steady. Tenderly guiding her down to the floor with him, Ben tried to recreate the last scenario before they were interrupted. He went down on his back, subservient, as his hands guided her body to rest atop his again. Gracefully, Rey came down like a feather until her body was parallel with his, entwined together on the cold metal floor of the ship. Her lips craved to be kissed again.

"Do you still want this…?" He asked, almost a whisper. "…and me?"

"You know I do."

Ben kissed her slowly, hesitantly. He tucked his fingertips into the line of her hair, trying his darnedest to be gentle and restrained when every fibre of his being screamed at him to just take her already.

No, stop. She deserves better than this.

Ben listened to the little voice in his head and ceased his ministrations, scolding himself for trying to be too hasty; for putting pleasure above safety. Apologizing to Rey for being reckless, Ben knew if they wanted to be safe, everything else had to wait. Her safety mattered more than his. Rey's weight atop Ben's body was a desirable distraction for his busy mind as he ran though all their options and tried to come up with a solution. His stiff body ached from the waning adrenaline of their escape and their would-be union, and silently cursed the First Order for the thousandth time today.

"We need to ditch the ship," he said finally.

Rey agreed, but looked concerned, "Where?"

Ben closed his eyes and sighed. He was so predictable, even to himself.

"I know a place."