Her soft, melodic voice pulls him out of his thoughts. Ben Solo looks across at the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. A scavenger turned Jedi who saved his life more times than he could count. A woman he couldn't be more thankful to have in his life. He smiles at her and reaches for her hand. His smile grows when he feels her squeeze his hand. It's so perfect for his hand. Ben's heart flutters from the connection. It always feels like the first time they touched hands.
"Yes, I'm fine. I think it's the food coma I'm currently experiencing," he replies with a wink.
Ben doesn't fail to notice the blush traveling across her rosy cheeks he loves to kiss and caress. It pains him to think she has never felt this kind of love from anyone in all her years on that disgusting sandy planet she hails from. But at the same time, he cherishes the fact he is the one who gets to shower her with all the love she deserves.
"I agree the food was delicious. I don't think I could eat another bite!" Rey says with a smile.
"Really? This is shocking coming from you, my love," he softly teases.
Rey scrunches her nose but can't help giggling. He knows her so well, more than anyone she's ever known. She smiles at him and grows lost in his warm, brown eyes. Through their bond, Rey feels all his love as it washes over her. But she also feels something else and raises her eyebrow at him.
"What are you hiding, Ben?" she asks, trying to keep the worry out of her voice.
Ben shifts subtly in his seat but doesn't break his gaze. He squeezes her hand reassuringly, his thumb stroking the back of her hand lovingly. Rey watches as he stands up and follows suit.
"Walk with me?" Ben asks gently.
"Did I…did I do something wrong?" Rey questions, trying to keep her composure.
Her heart beats rapidly as he steps closer to her, closing the distance between them. He leans down and presses his lips to her hair.
"You have done nothing wrong. Ever. I just want to take a walk with you," Ben whispers into her hair.
He wraps his arms around her and hugs her close. Rey timidly wraps her arms around his firm frame, sighing into his embrace. Ben pulls back and places a finger under her chin. He gently lifts her chin so he can see her beautiful hazel eyes. With a soft, loving smile, he leans down and kisses her gently. The tingle he feels in his lips from kissing her will never get old. A small sigh rolls out of Rey's mouth when they pull apart for air. Ben slides his hand into her own and brings it to his lips, kissing the back of her hand without breaking his gaze. He slowly pulls her out of the restaurant and into the warm night air.
Hand in hand, they walk through the streets of Theed until they reach one of the many gardens. Rey feels nervousness creep in through their bond from Ben. She looks up at him with concern but sees a smile in return. He squeezes her hand and leads her towards the center of the garden. Placing his hands gently on her shoulders, he turns her around slowly. Her eyes widen as she stares at the beautiful sight before her.
The garden overlooks the entire city of Theed with its gorgeous waterfalls cascading down into the ever blue waters surrounding the city. The rays of the setting sun glisten on the tops of the palace. The water also sparkles from the sunset. It is the most wonderful sunset Rey has ever seen in all her years. Her breath catches when she feels Ben's warm breath next to her ear.
"This was my grandmother's favorite garden. It was her favorite because of this view," he whispers into her ear, kissing her tenderly on the soft lobe.
"It's breathtaking," Rey gasps.
Ben chuckles softly and brushes his lips against her cheek.
"I love this garden as well. But there is another reason why I love this garden," he continues.
Rey cocks an eyebrow at his words. She whimpers when she feels him move away. When she turns around to face him to ask what's wrong, her heart stops. Ben kneels before her on one knee. He tries to keep himself as calm as possible but the nerves are putting up a good fight. Taking a deep breath, he looks up at Rey. She looks down at him and feels her heart racing in her chest.
"Rey, you are the love of my life. I am a better man because of you. You make me want to be a better person each and every day. Your heart is so good, so strong. I don't know how I got to be so lucky to have you in my life," Ben says.
He carefully reaches into his vest and pulls out a small, rounded box. Rey's eyes widen as his words soak in and she gazes upon the mysterious box. Ben takes another deep breath as he opens the box. Inside the box is a small silver ring with three gems: one blue, one red, and one purple in between the other two. His heart races as he looks from the open box up to Rey, his light.
"I never want to be apart from you. I always want to be by your side through thick and thin. I want to be your family and grow old with you. I will spend every single day making you happy, if you'll have me. Rey, will you -" he is stopped by her lunging kiss.
Rey's arms wrap around his neck as she kisses him hard on his plush lips. She deepens the kiss when she feels his arm wrap around her waist to pull her closer to him. They stay on their knees kissing passionately until the need for air forces them to pull apart.
"Yes," she breathes.
Her soft lips brush against his as she whispers the word again. She kisses him softly all over his face. Each kiss is followed by the same word. Rey pulls back just enough to look into his eyes. Tears of joy pool in her eyes as he smiles at her with his wide, toothy grin she loves. She smiles back and kisses him again deeply.
Ben kisses her back as he carefully removes the ring from the box. He slides it gingerly onto her finger and they look down to admire it, smiling together. They look back up at each other and giggle softly.
"It's beautiful, Ben. It's us," Rey says softly as she looks at her ring.
"I had it made special just for you," Ben whispers, nuzzling his nose against her cheek softly.
He kisses her temple as they slowly begin to stand again. Rey slides her hand into his and reaches up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. She doesn't miss the tremble going through his body or his blush on his cheeks.
"You are my family Ben, always and forever," Rey whispers as she wraps her arms around his neck.
Ben grins and lifts her up into the air, spinning her around as they both giggle and laugh together. He sets her down gently and kisses her as the sun finally sets, his arms wrapping around her tightly.
"Always and forever," he breathes against her lips.