Rey had never felt so safe in her life. But in that moment, wrapped in Ben's arms, an overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility overtook every one of her senses. Her feelings of not even ten minutes ago—jealousy, defeat, and misery to name a few—had transformed simply because of Ben.
His words, his touch, his scent, his everything.
She felt complete in a way she never had before.
Her fear was still very real and very alive. She worried about her inadequacies as an Omega. She worried about their relationship fading and losing him forever. She worried about failing Ben as a person and Ben as an Alpha.
But as long as he held her, and kissed her, and whispered how much he loved her, everything felt right.
"He's a good one, you know," Her father said during the one dinner they shared alone. Ben opted out and stayed at the hotel, wanting to give her some alone time with Cassian. She had known her father at that point for only mere hours, but he was keen to tell her everything he felt. "You can just tell, you know? Just by the way he looks at you. There's something my father used to say. Amar es encontrar en la felicidad de otro tu propia felicidad."
He smiled so fondly, his teeth a blinding white, "It means that love is when you can find happiness in someone else's happiness. Your friend glowed when you read the results. I think he was happier than you were." He shook his head, looking positively boyish. "Don't let that one go. He's a good Alpha."
Rey knew Cassian was right then, but now, being held in Ben's arms gave her even further confirmation. He was perfect, in every single way.
They eventually stopped kissing, and thankfully, crying. But they hadn't moved, still standing by her bedroom door, tangled in a hug so tight that Rey wasn't sure where she ended and Ben began.
"I'm so sorry," She whispered into his neck, her words tickling the pale skin, "This is all my fault. I just…I've been so scared. Absolutely terrified of everything. Not being good enough. Fucking us up. Our interest in each other just being biology—"
Ben pressed a gentle kiss to her head and continued to rub her back. "I know you're scared. I know you have concerns. But all I wanted was for us to work through them together. Because in case I haven't said it enough, you're my best friend, and I love you so fucking much."
Rey couldn't help but giggle. She sniffled and tugged at the dress shirt he still wore, fresh from a day of work. But when she tugged it, she got a whiff of another omega. She tensed, her mind filling with how he spent his evening. "Zorii—"
"Is a lesbian."
She jerked her head away, meeting his gaze with surprised eyes. "What? She is? How do you know?"
"She told me. She's also in love with an Alpha." He continued to rub her back, his smile soft, "You're not a very good matchmaker, you know."
Rey scoffed at his words. Yeah, thank heavens she was awful. "But you said—"
"I know what I said." At least he had the decency to look embarrassed. Ben sighed and shook his head. "I was angry and I was jealous. We planned to meet again, but only so I could help Zorii with her photography business. That's what we did tonight. We drafted contracts and I talked about how desperately I loved you."
His words had her burying her face in his neck yet again. They were too sweet. Too perfect. She'd probably combust if he continued.
"I'm sorry." She whispered again, her nose buried in his scent gland. She was inhaling the aroma like a starving animal. She'd find it pathetic if she wasn't so pleased.
Ben tugged her closer. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't want to push you. But I wanted you. I need you, Rey. I always have."
She glanced back up to his face, meeting his soft brown eyes. She swallowed. "I just…" Her lip quivered. "I keep thinking about if I hadn't presented. How we'd never be able to be together—"
His lips cut her off. The kiss was chaste, and delicate, and filled her heart with so much love that suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Ben pulled away after a few moments and cupped one of her cheeks. "Please don't think like that." He whispered, his thumb brushing along her bottom lip, "There's no reason to upset ourselves. We wouldn't be able to be together if one of us was dead, or born in a different time period, or whatever. But none of that is relevant because we can be together. You're my omega and I'm your Alpha. We're meant to be together, ok? You're my fucking soul mate, Rey. I know it. I think I've always known it."
She let out another sob. Another batch of hot tears descended along her reddened cheeks. The truth was, she had always known deep down. It's why they were inseparable. Somewhere deep inside, they both knew the truth before Rey's hormones could ever catch up. It was further proof that they were made for each other.
"I think I've always known it too." She choked out, ignoring the hot tears that continued to fall, "But I know I've loved you since the moment I met you."
His toothy grin was perfect. Life changing. Mind numbing and earth shattering. "Yeah? Well I've loved you since the moment I saw you."
Rey shoved at his chest. But he just laughed and tugged her into another kiss.
She was finally at peace.
The world was right.
-x-x-x-
Hours later, they laid a mess of limbs in Ben's bed, not an ounce of clothing between them. There was nothing sexual about their entanglement, either. It was intimate, sure, but they weren't pawing at each other. Rey was so tired all she wanted to do was bury her face in Ben's gland and feel his hot skin against hers.
So that's exactly what she did.
"We should talk." Ben whispered into her hair, his lips ghosting across the tip of her ear, "Figure somethings out."
Rey groaned and curled into him, her nose literally pressed into his gland. She took another whiff and let out a grumble. "I don't like talking."
"I know, sweetheart." He murmured, one of his hands moving to rub at the bare skin of her back, "But there are things we need to figure out. Like, for starters, you wanting to move out."
She knew he was right. But talking was hard. It was exactly what prevented them from getting together—Rey's inability to vocalize her feelings. Not to mention, the fear of what talking would solidify. Feelings were scary. So was permanence.
Rey pressed a gentle kiss to his gland. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
From her current angle, she couldn't see his face, but it was hard to miss his sigh of relief. "Well, I'm thrilled to hear that." He began, now tracing shapes on her back, "If you want, you could start sleeping in my bed."
At his words, Rey bolted up to meet his eyes. "Really? Are you sure?" The prospect of sharing his bed every night had her Omega purring in delight. It was the promise of waking up every morning smelling like Alpha.
Like Ben.
Ben smiled and nodded. "Yes. Or your bed. Whatever. Just…Us sleeping together."
Rey whimpered and threw herself into his arms, pressing scattered kisses across his chest, neck, and face. "Yes. Please. But your bed. It's comfier."
He hummed in agreement. "My mattress is memory foam. You got yours off Craigslist."
"Not true. I got it at a yard sale."
He pulled her closer. "Somehow, that's worse."
Rey gently smacked at his chest. "I happen to like it. And it only cost me thirty bucks."
Ben rolled his eyes but pressed a kiss to her head. "There's one more thing I wanted to discuss."
Talking was the last thing she wanted to do. Not when she had a big Alpha in her arms. Why talk when she could inhale his scent or sleep in his big arms or ride his cock until she couldn't see straight?
"Rey?"
She groaned. "Okay. Fine. What else?"
"I want you to be my girlfriend."
Rey froze in his arms. His words were simply too perfect. Too impossible. The makings of many dreams throughout her young life. And yet, at that moment, tucked into his arms, they were real.
Ben wanted to date her.
Alpha wanted her.
It was embarrassing how quickly the tears began to fall. She thought she was done crying once they got in bed and yet, here she was, hot tears dripping down her face because Ben uttered the word girlfriend.
"Rey?" He frowned. He looked so terribly worried. It was enough for Rey to finally get the words out.
"Yes! Of course, I'll be your girlfriend," She cried out, wiping away the tears from her previously abused cheeks, "It's the only consistent thing I've ever wanted in my life."
Ben grinned and kissed her again. "I know the feeling," He whispered, his words tickling her lips, "It's all I've ever wanted too."
He really was too perfect. He was going to break her with all the smiling she was going to do around him. Rey surged forward and kissed him again, her hands moving to his thighs and what laid between. "Boyfriend?" She hummed, her previously teary eyes lighting up with a new realm of feelings, "Are we done talking now?"
As soon as her hand wrapped around his rapidly hardening cock, Ben let out a delicious groan. He nodded eagerly.
"Yes. Most definitely done talking."
Rey just smirked. "Good." Then, she kissed him.
They didn't talk much after that.
Their mouths were otherwise occupied.
-x-x-x-
From the outside looking in, with all of her relationship woes with Ben finally solved, it seemed like Rey was finally happy. That all the stresses previously weighing her down had evaporated the moment they kissed and rode off into the sunset.
But she had another man that was constantly on her mind.
Two, really.
And for the first time since Rey learned of her paternity, the men were finally sitting down to talk things through.
Sitting at her grandfather's kitchen table, a cup of tea in front of her, Rey had never felt so nervous in her life. This was the same table she used to eat cereal at before rushing off to school, and whined over her history homework, and learned how to play chess.
Now, she sat beside her grandfather, staring into Cassian Andor's hopeful eyes.
"I…" Her grandfather shook his head and brought his hand to his scruffy beard. He looked between Cassian and Rey a few times, his face giving away nothing. "I don't know what to say. I'm shaken by this news."
Cassian cleared his throat and nodded. "I was just as surprised when I put two and two together. And then the DNA test—"
Her grandfather interrupted, looking right at Rey. "You were tested? It's certain?"
Rey nodded shyly, suddenly feeling like a child under her grandfather's gaze. "We meet a few weeks ago in Chandrila. We both got swabbed in advance so we could look at the results together."
"I just saw you. Weeks ago." Her grandfather explained, looking back to Cassian. "I gave you Rey's information."
Cassian shifted, clearly uncomfortable under her grandfather's watchful eye. "You did. I saw a picture of Rey and did the math and I just…I had to know."
They sat in a tense silence for a few moments. Rey wasn't sure if she should prompt Cassian to talk more, or check in on her grandfather's shocked response, or just stare into space, hoping they could hug and act as one, big happy family.
Instead, in one of the most surprising moments of her life—up there with presenting as an omega at 26 and receiving a call from Cassian—her grandfather began to cry. And not soft, sad tears of regret.
He sobbed.
Rey was paralyzed, never having seen her grandfather react in such a way. Her grandmother had died before her birth, and since she was so young when her mother died, Rey didn't remember his grief. Seeing him cry was a terrible new occurrence. It brought a fresh wave of sadness to Rey, and before she knew it, hot tears were dripping down her cheeks as well.
"I'm sorry," He began, his cries slowing down as he spoke. He accepted a tissue from Cassian and dabbed at his eyes. "Jyn died so young. Her not being able to watch you grow up still keeps me awake at night." He blew into the tissue and shook his head. "I'm just so happy that you have a father in your life now. I wish I had known—that we all had known. Things could have been so different. But you know it's as they say." He reached for Rey's hand and squeezed it. "Better late than never."
She hiccupped and nodded, squeezing his hand in return. "It is. But you were perfect, Grandpa. I love you so much."
"I love you too, my Rey of sunshine." He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face, staring into her teary eyes. "You look so much like your mother." He whispered, his voice in awe. "She would have been so proud of you."
In seconds, Rey was out of her chair and hugging her grandfather, back to crying in his arms. It reminded her of being eight years old and falling off her bike, or age twelve, and failing a big test, or age sixteen, desperately in love with a boy who didn't love her back.
Well, as it turned out, said boy did love her back, but sixteen-year-old Rey didn't know that. Thankfully, a decade later, Rey knew now.
Eventually, they separated, and Rey returned to her seat. Cassian was watching her, his own eyes wet. She sniffled and smiled softly at him. "I can't wait to get to know you more, Cassian."
His smile was gentle and, in some ways, reminded her of her own. "I'm excited as well." He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Which is why I'm moving to Coruscant."
"What? Really?" Rey couldn't believe it. She barely knew the man and he was moving nearly five hours away to reside in the same city as her. "What about Chandrila? Your job at the college?"
"I got a job in the classics department at Coruscant University." He smiled again, "Your alma mater, right?"
Rey nodded dumbly. "So, you'll be in the city? Really?"
He nodded. "I move in a few weeks."
This was all too much for Rey to process. Everything in her life was going too perfectly. Ben was hers. Her father was going to be so close. Her grandfather was excited about the news.
What did she do to deserve any of this?
"Well, it's great to hear you'll be so close to Rey and Ben." Her grandfather interjected, looking between her and Cassian, "And I'm less than an hour away. So is Stewjon should you ever want a job in the suburbs."
Cassian grinned. "Thank you. I appreciate that." He sipped his tea, before adding, "That Ben is a good one. He came with Rey to meet me."
Her grandfather looked back to her, his eyes thoughtful. "Did he? Ben has always been such a good boy." He grinned, his smile knowing, "An excellent namesake, I must say."
"Ben is named after you?" Cassian asked.
"He is. I…had a complicated relationship with his grandfather, but I'm good friends with his parents and Uncle. Our families are incredibly close." He pointed out the window, to the Solo home next door, "He grew up right there. Him and Rey used to run through both homes like playhouses."
Cassian looked back to Rey, his eyes soft. "I'm sorry I missed it."
"Thankfully, I have plenty of photographs." Her grandfather promised, "I always thought their kids would get a kick out of them."
Rey coughed, her cheeks glowing red. "Grandpa!"
He shrugged. "What? I wasn't alone. Leia and Han thought the same thing. That's why it was such a surprise when you never presented." He sipped his tea and hummed. "Yet, here we are."
She blushed and looked down. Now was as good of a time as any to share the news. "About that. As of a few days ago, Ben and I are officially dating."
After her admission, she wasn't sure what she expected. Cheers? Words of encouragement? Congratulations?
Instead, she was greeted by laughter from both her grandfather and her father.
Rey frowned. "What? What's so funny?"
Her grandfather shook his head, his smile fond. "Nothing, Rey. It's just that… Of course, you're together. You smell of nothing but him. I can barely even smell you."
She pouted and crossed her arms. "I could smell like him and not be with him romantically."
This time, her father pipped in. "Well, maybe so, but your scent spiked like crazy just by the mention of his name."
Well, now her pouting was replaced with a blistering blush that would probably stain her skin a permanent shade of red. "Oh." She whimpered, embarrassed by their words. "I had no idea."
Her grandfather laughed again. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm thrilled. I love Ben. He's the only boy I've ever imagined you with. Besides, this saves me the struggle of dealing with in-laws."
"I know it's not much of my business but I really like Ben too," Cassian added, his eyes on Rey, "It was clear how much he cared about you. Every omega—no every woman—deserves someone who will love her unconditionally. I'm thrilled you found that."
Rey really didn't want to cry again, but these two were making it difficult for her. "Thank you," She croaked out, looking between the two men, "Your words mean everything."
They really did. Any positive words about Ben made her heart sing.
But these were special.
Because they came from family.
-x-
-x-
-x-
-x-
-x-
-x-
-x-
-x-
Visit jdarcybooks .com or my Tumblr, jj-jj-12 for updates on my writing :)