The sound of the medbay door brings Ben and Rey back to the present, startling them slightly.
"Ah, you're awake. Terrific! Much quicker than I expected or she was hoping," Doctor Kepa says with a grin.
They watch as she grabs a stethoscopic device and places it on Ben's chest. Rey holds his hand tightly in her grasp.
"Ok, take a deep breath for me," Doctor Kepa asks.
She listens to his heart as he breathes deeply. Smiling softly, she writes down her findings before putting the device away. Doctor Kepa comes back over and begins feeling Ben over his injuries. Rey knows the doctor is only checking to make sure he is healing. But she can't help but still feel protective of him.
"The healing from the bacta is coming along nicely. You should be able to leave the medbay in a few days. I just want to be certain since you sustained many serious injuries," the doctor explains.
"Thank you, for everything. Truly," Rey expresses deeply.
"Well, the bacta is only really working so well because I had a bit of help," Doctor Kepa says with a wink, patting Rey on the knee gently before leaving them alone.
"Help?" Ben asks as soon as the doors close.
Rey turns to face him, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
"When you fell unconscious on Exegol, I used some of my life force to keep you stable," she explains softly.
He nods his head slowly. Quiet passes between them for several moments.
"Rey, you could have killed yourself. We still don't know how this Force healing works and we have to be careful," Ben says at last.
"I know," Rey says with a sigh.
"You can't give yourself up for me. You deserve to live. You -" he continues before Rey cuts him off.
"Listen to me, Ben Solo. I will not lose you again. After I defeated the Emperor, I reached out and couldn't feel you. It destroyed me not being able to feel you. You were the only thing I was thinking of before I...Ben, you mean everything to me. You are my everything. I can't lose you," she explains, her voice strong and clear.
Ben stares at her in wonder, watching her take a deep breath to continue.
"I lived my entire life always feeling like someone was with me. I never felt truly alone because of this feeling. Then I met you and I knew you were the one I'd been feeling all these years. I finally found my home and I wasn't going to let anything or anyone take you from me," she finishes.
Her eyes lock onto his and she feels the heat of his gaze. Rey suddenly feels embarrassed, still not used to sharing her emotions so openly with anyone, let alone Ben. But if anyone understood her, it had to be Ben. It was always Ben. Before she can say anything else, Ben sits up and pulls her into a deep kiss. They sigh into it as their arms wrap around one another. Their lips move together as one as they get closer together. A slight squeeze from Rey makes him grunt and she pulls away slightly, making sure she didn't hurt him. Ben smiles and rests a hand on her cheek, their bond telling her he's ok. She smiles back and closes her eyes, leaning into his palm with a sigh.
The medbay doors open and Ben looks to see Finn standing in the doorway. He glances down at the floor briefly, not meaning to intrude on this tender moment. Finn nods quickly at Ben before looking at Rey.
"I'm sorry to interrupt. Rey, I just got back from speaking with the council for the New Republic. I'm afraid they are insistent on you joining them in person," he says.
