Star Wars: A dyad in the Force Chapter 74: Ben & Rey, a star wars fanfic

Warning: Major Spoilers of TRoS.

Note: This is a Reylo FanFiction (slow-burn)

Be Aware: Concepts contained in this chapter include semi-bliss moments ^_^

「Act 74: Ben & Rey」

Galactic City, Coruscant 38ABY

The dark blue sky vanished between the landscape; the road was narrowing in the speed's sound. The sun rays were less bright, revealing that the day had grown old. After the overwhelmed day, Ben and Rey were taking a walk back to the mansion offered for them to stay the night. In the morning, they would attend the ceremony, and then they would take the way back home. Silence rose against their skin like poison. But each had fallen inside their silence.

Rey's face was one of awkwardness, not even hurrying to save her feelings, to fill the void with a non-statement of appreciation. The opening was cruelty she inflicted unintentionally but had she been aware; she would not have cared one iota, not because she was indifferent or fell out of love. That was not the case. She was in love, deeply and madly in love with that 'Stupid Ben.' Yet, reality kept reminding her that such a union would still be difficult. Difficult because now there was not only the dyad or their love that connected them but something more meaningful. She picked her eyes off the streets with the weariness of one who was fatigued with the seriousness. Her mind wheeled on thinking she had to sit down and talk with Ben, but it was easier said than done.

The silence caressed Ben's skin like a cool spring breeze, smoothing his soul, taking away his jagged edges. It had been one hell of a rough day. And it would not get any better. Loving the 'Idiotic Jedi' was the easy part; finding a way to be together was challenging. It was the most challenging task he ever overtook. He shivered only at the idea that now his responsibilities had grown. Ben knew where his heart lay. He was not scared to confess his deepest thoughts. What was troubling him was them being together! He had a past that would hunt him for life, a verdict to follow him, and he was broken in so many ways. He had managed to gather his pieces and aid Ben Solo to continue living but starting a new life in Tatooine, and tugging Rey along, would it be fair?

Her hands were frailty and caution, shaking gently as Ben reached for her hand and continued a firm hold on her hand, their finger touched, causing electric tingles to sprang alive as the first time when they hands had touched in Ahch-To. Their arms felt as Ben led her now through the mansion corridors in a large opening balcony that offered an open view of the Galactic City. To witness the aerial view of the town as the night grew was like being hailed by the angels; the lights stole their breath away in the most magical way possible. Down there were thousands of souls whose lights burned so bright and felt strong within the Force.

The silence was somehow comforting and spoke for itself; it was peaceful in a way where they could feel at home and know that no matter what was happening, they were forever connected. Neither Ben nor Rey tried to communicate via their dyad, not today; today, they wanted to sit down and talk face-to-face and figure out the future. And they both tried slowly to get used to that significant change between them.

Ben first took a seat against the stone railing and pulled Rey to sit next to him. They sat in silence for a few moments watching the mesmerizing view in front of them. Rey was determined to make him speak first because she didn't know what question to ask or how to start this talk. But Ben didn't. He was not in a hurry; he took his time with her until both would be comfortable enough to talk.

Yet Rey's awkwardness rose, the silence was torturing her, she didn't know how Ben was feeling, his walls were still up, and she needed to break them all down. "Ben," she said, her gaze spacing out, trying to figure out the next word, "I need someone to tell me... to explain to me, where is my place in all this?"

Ben's dark eyes met hers, and he appeared amused. "Someone?" he questioned, "Not me then, who should I call?"

'No,' she showed a surprised laugh at his reaction. "Not someone, you, it's been a while now you kept your walls up, shielding me from your thoughts. I didn't want that; I'm not too fond of it... I can take care of myself, Ben. You always try to protect me; I am not made from glass."

"I never shielded you, Rey," came Ben's voice a pitch deeper than usual "I was trying to shield myself from you, trying to keep it together, waiting for the trial, the verdict and knowing what it could do to you, to me... to us."

Ben sounded exposed, vulnerable, revealing his weakness slowly to the person he loved. He could be proud, selfish, and stubborn; Rey knew that, but Ben Solo had a unique asset, he was not afraid to show his weakness to the person he loved. It was one of the strengths that Rey saw in Kylo Ren as well; he could place himself out there for her, vulnerable to the possibility of being attacked or harmed.

Rey was taken back; she had almost forgotten that small 'selling point' that always caught her attention. "Don't do this, Ben. Please don't go this way. Didn't we agree to speak through things, to be true to ourselves?" Rey's hand softly grabbed along his sleeves, pulling as she demanded him to agree, "Hiding your pain isn't the answer. It only creates conflict inside me and anger."

"You have witnessed enough of my suffering; I have shared parts of me that I didn't even dare to speak with myself," his rich voice filled the area around them. "Well, now, you do know. And I'm not repeating the same mistake ever again!" Bem assured her as his right hand rested against her back. "Rey, I know it's a lot to ask to be with me, following me in Tatooine, and... the kids."

An image lid inside his mind, as Rey let her emotions freely reach Ben, and she didn't keep anything back. "Stupid Ben," she finally called him out loud. "You didn't ask me to be with you; I choose to be because I love you," Rey said. "I might prefer green, but Tatooine doesn't sound that bad. It has you and a cause to fight for; why would I argue about Tatooine. Now, about the pregnancy..." she had to pause and take a deep breath. "I hadn't thought about it, but..." she rubbed her small noticeable belly, "But this is what we created; how is it possible I would not want it."

Ben tried to fit the right words to answer Rey, but he couldn't, the woman had shattered all his defenses, he was now sitting there next to her, as Ben Solo, without his past, without a Future, it was just him. Then he leaned in, unable to speak seduced by the moment, Ben Solo fell even deeper in love. He kissed her, and the world fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. His hand rested below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. She ran her fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them, and she could feel the beating of his heart against her chest.

Then he pulled back; his lips formed one of his rare smiles, and once more, Rey's world lid up. "It will be difficult," he finally said. "There will be days, my past will take hold of me, and I won't want to escape. There will be days, my suffering will take me back, and I will need time... time to return to you. But, I promise I'll be there, in every step, I don't care how painful or dreadful it will be, because I know now, love that isn't painful and difficult, you cannot call it love."

Rey shared with him a cocky smile, "I know," she assured him, "You will! Or you will have the strongest Jedi after you!"

The next thing Ben knew, she had slammed her lips to his and nearly knocked all wind from his lungs. Ben hardly had a moment to react before she pressed her tongue to the seam of his lips and, at his grant of access, delved inside his mouth. Ben wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to sit on his lap as Rey spread her legs and wrapped them around his waist. The kiss became deeper; now, Ben was pulling into the kiss; she leaned and rested against his warm chest, chiseled to perfection.

The silence surrounded them once more like a fresh, pristine, white blanket of snow on a winter's day. Rey's head leaned against his torso, both unable to speak from the overwhelming moment. The silence entered their souls like a lullaby, smoothing out the roughness of the day. Silence surrounded them like stars in a freckled night sky.

They both remained like that inside each other's arms, Ben's fingers softly running up and down her back, and Rey curling one of her fingers around his hair playfully. They wished this moment could last longer, but they knew, for now, they would share more moments like those.

It was in that moment of absolute stillness that the Force tipped the balance. The wind died, the leaves ceased to rustle, even the rumble of traffic was absent. In those frozen seconds, he could hear his heartbeat unit with hers, just enough to give him the strength to ask her one last question. One final agreement before they would go to bed.

Until now, he knew what he wanted; he was not confused; he wasn't lost. He had accepted his past, but he would never forget it. He agreed with himself that forgiving himself might never happen, and Rey understood him. He also fully admitted that he was in love with Rey and spent the rest of his life with her if she would accept him. He acknowledged Rey's pregnancy, but the spectrum he would become a father was still unknown. He grasped what it meant that Rey was pregnant, but it was like he had not fully drawn the picture.

Did he hate it?

Ben Solo spent his life in search of his family. A way to be accepted, to be loved and forgiven. And Rey gave him plainly what he was looking for so long. A family and a place to call home. He didn't care about the location, the buildings, the planets, or the city; all that mattered was Rey and the family they would have soon.

As for Rey, Ben was the one who understood her, her loneliness, her need to belong. That 'Stupid Ben', that she now knew better, and understood him. She wanted to be part of him, part of a family of their own. A place where she could rest and be simply Rey, the scavenger from Jakku. Ben didn't care who she was, nobody, a Jedi or a Palpatine, he just wanted Rey.

And inside their unique oneness, they found friends, people that were standing by their side, a bigger family that they accepted being part of. And Ben wanted to share that moment with them, a special moment, where he would be allowed to marry Rey. But how was he supposed to ask her to marry him? Ben could figure out people, read through the lines, finding a way to rule armies, and the whole Galaxy if he needed. He had that strength, but he didn't know his ways around women and love. No one ever talked to him about girls, and he was too occupied with more deadly issues to care about love and romances.

That night he didn't reveal his next plan to Rey because he wanted it to be a surprise. But he had no idea how to pop the question without messing things up. Maybe it was time to ask for some advice from his friends.

「Upcoming Chapter: Act Seventy - Five」

Okay, guys, that's all. I hope you enjoyed reading the 74th chapter.

Thank you all so much! Stay awesome! Stay sweet!

And be nice to each other, see you soon, in the next chapter!

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