This one was a little harder to get going - but I think I got where I wanted to in the end. Thank you so much for sticking with me thus far!

CHAPTER 5

With their unique Bond came a unique problem. The couple found themselves feeling so in tune with one another, while being so unsure around each other at the same time. To know someone's mind and heart so completely was at odds with the fact that they had not spent much time together in the same physical location without their lightsabers crossed.

After Finn left though, the mood in the room was noticeably lighter. Rey sat down on the edge of the bed with a bounce, letting all her weight fall with her. She was exhausted from all that the day had brought, but it was a productive sort of exhaustion. It was now well past the hour of darkness, and a mild tension still tugged at the corner of Rey's mind yet - Ben.

She looked to him where he stood with his body angled half facing her, half facing the door, looking uncertain. She patted the space on the bed next to her, beckoning him with a relaxed grin. He hesitated for a moment before doing as she asked, slowly lowering himself to sit on the bed while still maintaining a small gap between them.

Rey leaned into him, slightly surprising him. He recovered quickly and turned his body so that she was leaning into his chest, then wrapped his arms around her, feeling the contentment radiate from her skin.

"Rey, do you really want me to stay here, in this room, with you?" He murmured, looking down at the top of her head. The matter of needing a chaperone could be discussed later.

She moved away from him on the bed slightly, bringing one of her legs up and sitting on her foot, but remained facing him. She took a deep breath and straightened her posture, bracing her resolve for what she was about to say next.

"Something has always been missing inside of me, as far back as I can remember. Until…that day when you took me on Takodana. When I was in that interrogation chair, I thought it was hatred and anger that I felt when I looked at you, in that horrible mask. But I was wrong. The connection between us that I was feeling scared me then, but it doesn't now. I'd never felt such a sense of belonging before you, Ben," She finished, a bit of pink touching her cheeks at her bold confession. She knew that he could feel that same sense of belonging; not to a cause or a master, but to one another. However, putting those feelings to words spoken aloud had not happened until this moment. Rey took another deep breath, continuing, "So, yes, I want you to stay. I need you to stay. Here. With me."

Her eyes were wide, and the vulnerability she was showing struck him right in the chest. The former Supreme Leader was overwhelmed by this declaration and found that words with which to reply escaped him. Through their Bond, he tried to show her what her words meant to him, how deeply they wound around his heart. He attempted to share his own vulnerability with the emotions that soared from him to her; warmth, gratefulness, and love.

He watched her eyes begin to shine wetly and felt the same sentiments sent back to him in return. He suddenly could not keep from touching her any longer, the draw he felt being stronger than any gravitational pull in the galaxy. With both hands, he drew her face towards his, tenderly kissing her. The tenderness morphed into something rougher when she placed a hand on his thigh and his own fingers drifted back into her hair, her half up-do again reminding him of how she had looked on Ahch-To.

Ben leaned back slowly on the bed, taking her with him without breaking their kiss. She angled herself over his chest, her legs remaining next to him. She dug her right hand into his hair while maintaining her balance over him with her left arm. Their kisses were lingering and slow, but full of a passion neither had known before. After a few moments, Rey pulled back a bit from the kiss, panting slightly, her face now flushed, matching his own. She averted her gaze, letting out a small, nervous laugh.

Stray strands of her hair tickled Ben's face, and he tried to contain a smile at her bashfulness, letting out a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding in. He could feel her hesitancy and he smoothed a bit of hair behind her ear. "Its late. Let's get some rest. We have all the time in the galaxy now, right?" he spoke reassuringly, feeling a bit nervous himself.

She nodded, reminded of just how tired she was when a small yawn escaped her. Rey had never slept with anyone in the same room before, let alone in the same bed with a large, imposing man that she just so happened to also be greatly attracted to. However, she was beginning to understand that this was all new to him, too, which was comforting.

Ben sat up with a small groan and walked over to the stash of new clothes he had been gifted by the Resistance. He had been allotted two sets of the standard uniform that most of the other members wore, as well as a loose pair of pants that he assumed were for sleeping. Ajan Kloss retained a tropical climate all year around, and even in the cooler caves, the heat was noticeable. Ben was sure that he maintained a thin layer of sweat the entire time he had been on this humid jungle moon and was glad to take the buttoned-up shirt off after a long day. He was used to the climate-controlled temperature of space craft and hoped Rey wouldn't mind that he was forgoing the shirt for sleep.

Ben had slipped into the pants while Rey was in the 'fresher. He had just finished shrugging out of his shirt when she emerged after a few moments, now wearing a familiar white tunic with what appeared to be her usual legging-type style, only looser and above the knees.

Rey took in the sight of Ben's back, shirtless. Her cheeks heated slightly, and she remembered the Force connection that occurred between them when they both had least wanted it. He had been glistening with sweat then, too, but most likely from a training session rather than the muggy climate of where they now stood.

Noting the energy prickle of her reaction, Ben maintained a blank face as he turned around, saving her any need to shy away

…Was it embarrassment or attraction?

They both settled into the bed, a small space remaining between them. Rey pulled the thin sheet over her, but Ben lay on his back, preferring to have no covering. She turned on her side to face him, and he turned his head, locking his eyes with hers. He could sense what she was thinking, what she wanted, but knew she was undecided whether to voice it. Instead, he stretched out the arm closest to her in a silent invitation. Even with the heat, the chance at having Rey close to him was too much to pass up.

Inaudible delight and peace engulfed their Bond when she quickly moved into his embrace. Resting her head in the space between his shoulder and chest, their bodies molded easily, and she draped her arm over his midsection. It was a relief to both of them that the Bond spoke more than they ever could, allowing the awkwardness of words to be kept at bay.

Ben awoke with a jolt, suddenly unaware of where he was. He looked at the ceiling of the cave-like room, his mind slowly turning its gears to remember where he was.

His arm felt stiff, the feeling of pins and needles shooting up to his shoulder when he moved his fingers. He blinked a few times and looked to his arm where a sleeping Rey lay on his bicep, hands close to her face as if in prayer. Her pale, pink lips were slightly parted, and he could feel her warm breath as she slowly exhaled on his arm.

The sight was so pure, so peaceful, that he barely breathed as the minutes passed, fearing he would wake her. He had so many wrongs to right, so much of his life to make-up for, that he could not believe the universe had allowed him the extraordinary gift of the woman next to him.

"You snore," Rey groaned, cracking one eye open and swatting at his chest lazily, breaking the spell of the moment.

"I certainly do not," he replied in mock offense.

She stretched out, releasing his arm from its service as her pillow and placed her hands behind her head, "Even with you snoring like a Hutt, I don't think I've ever slept that well in my life."

He smirked and rolled his eyes, "Well, even with that rock you call a head crushing my blood flow, that was the best I've slept as far as I can recall."

She laughed in response to his tease, and then her face turned softer as she reached to run her fingertips along the side of his face, tracing his hairline, "I don't think I have ever seen you without red rings around your eyes. It's as if you have never slept before."

"I didn't. Or at least, I cannot remember a time where I've slept more than a few hours at once. It was especially difficult after that morning you tried to shoot me with a blaster."

Rey seemed surprised at that. He had slept worse since the Force had connected them?

Seeing her misunderstanding, Ben quickly spoke, "I was afraid to miss it. My chance at seeing you, to speak with you."

Her furrowed brow of misunderstanding smoothed and she broke into a full-faced smile, her dimples showing. How had it taken as long as it did for the man in front of her to see himself as she did? Stubbornly refusing sleep at just the chance to see her; how could he have felt all this and not seen it for the light inside him that it was?

"Skywalkers…" she murmured, shaking her head slightly and raising her eyebrows in a tease.

His only reply was a raised eyebrow in silent inquiry.

"Skywalkers are the most stubborn people I have ever met in this galaxy," she elaborated, receiving an eye-roll in reply.

Ben was about to make a retort about her own history of stubbornness, but a bang at the door followed by a series of warbling noises and animated beeps interrupted him.

"BB-8," Rey laughed, popping out of the bed and hurrying to the door to see the little droid. She hadn't seen him but briefly since she had returned to base with Ben.

A crescendo of trills and beeps greeted her when she opened the door and knelt down, placing a hand on BB-8's top piece near his two antennae.

"I'm sorry, BB-8, I've missed you, too!" She patted him reassuringly.

The spherical droid rolled back and forth in happiness before barging into the room, halting suddenly when he saw Ben's figure sitting up in the bed. An alarmed beep sounded from BB-8, and a retractable arm popped out of a compartment, ready to zap the stranger in Rey's defense.

"It's alright, its alright! He's a…friend." She assured the astromech, ending awkwardly on the word 'friend'. She had no idea how to describe her and Ben's relationship adequately, especially in terms a droid would understand.

Placated by the stranger's designation as friend by someone it trusted, the droid ignored Ben and buzzed around Rey excitedly.

"Really? He wants to see both of us?" Rey stood up, hands on her hips, curious about the uncharacteristically diplomatic choice of words that the new general had relayed to them via his droid. She moved her gaze from BB-8 to Ben, who remained sitting in the bed, his head cocked in question.

"It's Poe. He wants to have a meeting with you and I."

So do we want mean Poe or nice Poe next? Would love some input on what people are wanting to see happen!

Thanks again!