Notes: This story is based on a Twitter prompt from Curious Cat. I have no idea how to link it, my apologies. Enjoy! :))))
Monitors beeped steadily, keeping time to Rey's heartbeat as she slept on, unaware in a hospital bed. The furor caused by her emergency arrival had died down. She'd been admitted due to her continued state of unconsciousness despite her broken wrists and other scrapes having been treated. The nurse assigned to her care was checking her vitals when she heard loud footsteps screech to a halt on the linoleum outside the door.
A firm knock echoed through the room and the nurse, Kaydel, opened the door.
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked the anxious, dark-haired man at the door.
"Is this Rey Johnson's room?" he asked breathlessly. "I'm Ben Solo. They called me at work and said my friend had been in a car accident."
Kaydel held open the wide door to the room and let him in. "Yes. I'm so glad you're here, Mr. Solo. Ms. Johnson got quite the bump on her head and still hasn't regained consciousness. We've set her broken wrist," she pointed to the cast on Rey's arm, "and she's going to have quite the collection of bruises, but she has no long-term injuries."
Ben hovered over the bed, staring down at Rey's still form, counting fingers, toes, and every darling freckle on his best friend's face. Nothing was missing, but she'd have one heck of a black eye in the morning.
"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" His voice was low and unsteady.
"Dr. Holdo will be in soon to update you, but for now we don't have any reason to worry. Your friend will wake up when she's ready. I've taken her vitals, so I'll just leave you two alone and check back in an hour," she said and left the room. Silence descended, and Ben suddenly found the room too small as the stress of the afternoon caught up to him.
She is okay. She's been in an accident, but she is going to be fine as soon as she wakes up, he recited in his head. Ben ran a hand down his face and pulled a chair near to sit beside Rey. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out to pick up her hand gently. Her hand was a little cold so he wrapped both of his around hers.
"I'm here, Rey. I'm here. I know you wanted a little more excitement in your life, but I think this might be a bit much. We could've taken up skiing or even mountain climbing. I'd have faced my fear of heights if you'd asked me to. There's nothing you couldn't ask me to do, Sweetheart. Anything would have been better than getting that call this afternoon." Ben swallowed heavily, fighting back the tears that pooled in his eyes. "I can't lose you, please wake up, Mariposa," he whispered as he bent to kiss the back of her hand.
The repetitive beeping of the heart monitor was all the response he got.
—/\—/\_/\-
Several hours, and multiple phone calls later, Ben sat staring at the salad he'd picked up from the hospital cafeteria before it closed. He half-heartedly poked at it with his fork while lamenting the meal he was supposed to be eating at his favorite restaurant with Rey tonight. They always had dinner together once a week. It was a tradition from their college days; a chance to unwind and just be. This week was his turn to pick the restaurant, and Rey would have picked the activity. Probably a dog-eat-dog game of Scrabble. She was ruthless when it came to the game. In the end, he shoved the salad aside uneaten. His appetite had disappeared anyway.
Ben paced the small room, willing time to pass, quickly gave up and turned on the TV for distraction. He was halfway through the fifth season of the Great British Bake-Off when Rey squirmed and let out a low moan. He jumped out of his chair in favor of sitting on the bed.
"Rey, can you hear me?! Come on, open those pretty hazel eyes of yours. We had plans to go to dinner tonight, remember? I know you didn't want to go out for steaks but you promised, and I'll hold you to it." Ben felt her grip tighten on his hand as her eyes fluttered open. For a moment she stared at him with unfocused eyes and then grimaced, reaching a hand up to her head.
"Where am I? My head hurts, Ben."
"You were in a car accident this afternoon, Rey, on your way back from your lunch break. You've been here all afternoon."
Rey's brow furrowed as she tried to recall what had happened. "I don't remember much," she said. "I was driving back to the office and something darted in front of my car. I swerved...I don't remember anything else."
"I'm just glad you're safe and awake," Ben said; he leaned over to brush a kiss on her forehead. "I've called our friends and let them know that you're okay. The doctor didn't want you to have any extra guests because you hadn't woken up yet. They all send their love."
"When can we go home? I don't want to stay here anymore," Rey asked, attempting to sit up. Ben gently pushed her back down telling her to rest; he would call the nurse first.
Ben had reached over to hit the nurse's call button when Rey remarked, "Darling, where's my wedding ring?"
Ben froze, and then fell back into his chair with an oomph. He sat staring at her, puzzled for a minute before pushing out the words, "What wedding ring?"
Rey held up her broken left wrist and pointed to her ring finger. "Mine. They must've taken it off to put on this cast. Didn't they give it to you?"
Ben leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Who are you married to?"
Rey leaned back against the pillows, an indulgent smile on her face. "Ben, this isn't funny. That ring is really special to me; it was your grandma's. Please, give it back. You know I never take it off," she said, stretching her hand out for him to put it on.
Ben jumped as Nurse Kaydel walked into the room, coming to answer their call. "Rey, I'm just gonna...go with the nurse and talk about this- ..I mean the discharge paperwork. Put a pin in that thought and we'll get back to it when I come back, okay?"
He waited for Rey's nod, then motioned for the nurse to follow him back out to the hallway. He started pacing immediately, 'What the hell is going on?!" Ben's voice rose as he spoke, but then he remembered Rey was just on the other side of the door. No sense causing her to panic, so he hushed his voice to a frantic whisper, "She thinks we're married! She wants her ring back."
"She thinks you're married? And you're not, correct?" clarified Kaydel.
"No, we're not married! I mean, I would love it if we were, but we're not. We're just best friends. She wants my grandmother's ring! I don't know what to do! I don't have my grandmother's ring. Why is she acting like this?" Ben word-vomited all over Kaydel in his anxiety, while he paced like a caged lion.
Ever the professional, Kaydel soothed him with gentle words. "I'm going to go get the doctor. It sounds like we've got a problem. I'll be right back. For now, just play along with it; don't upset her. Can you handle that?"
"Yeah, yeah I can do that," Ben replied. Taking a deep breath, he walked back into the room with a fake smile plastered on his face. "Heeey...Darling, they are working on your discharge paperwork, but the doctor wants to see you one more time, okay?"
"Anything to get out of here," Rey replied. "I could kill a burger right now! Are you going to finish that?" she asked, pointing to the uneaten salad on the side table.
"No, yeah you can finish that. Let me get it for you," Ben tried to act normal, but nothing about this was. He knew he was acting stiff and odd, like Pinocchio before he was a real boy. He handed the salad and dressing to Rey and stood beside her, trying not to hover, she hated that. But he was at a loss with what to do with himself.
"I cannot wait to get home. Our bed is so much more comfortable than this slab. Do you think they'll let me take a bath with the cast on?"
"Oh, I don't know," he answered, "but we can ask. Maybe if we cover it with a plastic bag and just keep it out of the water?"
Rey nodded and continued eating. Ben wondered how she knew his bed was soft; she'd never been in it. He would definitely remember that.
Thankfully, he didn't have to keep up small talk for long because the doctor entered the room just as Rey finished eating.
"Hello Rey, I'm Dr. Holdo. I hear that you're ready to leave us. We've got a few questions to ask to finish the paperwork before you go. Can you confirm your address?"
"Of course! I live at 316 Starkiller Dr." Doctor Holdo made some notes on her form, while Ben stared blankly at Rey wide-eyed. She'd just given the doctor his address!
"Alright, can you tell me who your next of kin is?"
"Yeah. That's Ben," she blew him a kiss as she answered, "He's my husband."
What reality was he in? Was he dreaming? A quick pinch on the leg told him no, he wasn't.
"And how long have you been married? I'm just curious," Dr. Holdo asked companionably. "You two make a really cute couple."
"Hmm…not quite a year, eleven months!"
Rey and the doctor continued chatting while Ben puzzled over where they'd been eleven months ago. She'd gotten hired into the HR department at his workplace and moved back to town. They'd been best friends through high school and college, but she had taken an internship across the country upon graduation, and they hadn't been as close as they used to be. When she moved back to town they picked up where they left off. He hadn't acknowledged the hollow left in his life by her absence until he'd seen her smile at the airport. That's when he realized how deep his feelings for her went. Not that he'd told her. He was still a cowardly lion after all.
His ears perked when Rey chimed up, "Oh yeah, his proposal was completely unexpected, but that only made it more perfect. It...it was just so us. We had gone out to dinner at his favorite steakhouse that evening. Over dessert, I just blurted out that I loved him and that I always had. I took him by complete surprise. You should've seen his face," she laughed. "Total deer in the headlights; for a minute I thought he was going to bolt. I worried that maybe I'd just ruined the perfect friendship. But then he knelt beside me and told me that he loved me too...and then he proposed. He didn't have a ring and he was only in jeans and a tee, and yet..." she confided, "it was the perfect moment."
Ben was startled to see Kaydel wipe away a tear. "Sweetie," he said, calling attention to himself, "do you recall the date I proposed?"
Rey laughed, "You never were good with dates, Hon. It was October fourth."
Today was October fourth, and they did have plans tonight to meet for dinner at his favorite steakhouse, but they'd never made it there. Could she possibly have meant to tell him she loved him tonight?
In no time at all, it seemed to Ben, Rey was bundled up in his car, freshly discharged and heading home to their house. Dr. Holdo had assured him that there was no danger to Rey; it was a straightforward case of amnesia and her memories would return. In the meantime, she needed to stay somewhere she felt safe. Ben had phoned Rey's roommate, Rose, to let her know that she would be staying at his house for a while and why, and to ask her to drop off a week's worth of clothes at his place.
Ben gripped the steering wheel tightly trying not to show his inner agitation to Rey. It's not that he didn't enjoy spending time with his best friend, he loved to do that. The problem was that this pretend relationship forced him to face feelings he'd worked hard to keep suppressed. He loved her, but she didn't love him, not in that way; simple as that. Which is why it was so hard not to lose himself in this moment when she thought he was hers to love forever. Everything in him cried out each time she twined her hand with his or called him Sweetheart.
Rey hummed along to the music as she fiddled with the knobs on the radio, completely unaware of her "husband's" inner turmoil.
"Is this okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, of course. Whatever makes you happy."
"Would you mind stopping at Burgerville on the way home then? I'm still hungry," she asked.
"In sickness and in health, right?" he attempted to joke. "I'm going to take care of you. Of course, you can have your favorite cheeseburger after a day like today."
"Thanks, Ben. I love you, you know," Rey murmured quietly.
Ben's heart stopped beating for a moment. He'd dreamed of hearing those words. Maybe if he'd plucked up his courage years ago, she would be his wife in reality.
"I love you too, Mariposa," he replied, his voice husky. If only, if only his heart cried...
"Oh look! The- dry cleaner dropped off your laundry," Ben cried, bending over to scoop up the bag of clothes Rose had dropped off on the porch. "That's one less thing to do tomorrow," he chuckled nervously.
Rey gave him a quizzical look at his reaction and he cursed again his inability to act like normal Ben. The house keys jangled discordantly in his hand, betraying his nerves, so he hastened to unlock the door. Purchasing the Coleman-style home had been an easy decision when he moved to D'Qar three years ago. He was tired of condo living and ready to put down roots. It was a charming old home from its red front door to the old oak trees in the backyard. His weekends were now spent on restoring projects and painting. Rey had joined him a few weekends when she was available, to paint and replace trim. She'd even had a say in the paint palette he chose for the interior. He recalled how Rey had teased him once, calling it his "little love nest" and asking when he would bring home a lady love. Oh, how he'd wanted to tell her it was her or no one.
"I'm going to go take a bath, okay Benny? I want to clean the hospital off," her hand rested on his bicep and he had to resist the urge to flex. "Then can we snuggle on the couch and watch a movie?"
"As you wish," he gave her a reassuring smile and walked towards the kitchen to pop her favorite, kettle corn.
"Oh, and Babe?" Ben paused. "Can you bring some clean clothes to the bathroom for me, please?" she called over her shoulder as she walked upstairs.
Ben whimpered silently before replying, "Yeah, yes. I'll bring them after I get the popcorn in the microwave." This week would be the death of him.
Ben followed the sound of Rey's off-key singing to his bathroom, where he should have realized she'd be. They're married, why would she be in the guest bathroom? Now the conundrum was figuring out how to get Rey's clothes to her while looking like he'd already seen her sans apparel when in reality, he hadn't and he had no right to. Can this get any harder, he mutters to himself. He paced outside the bathroom door for a minute before he formulated a plan he thought would check all the boxes.
He walked back to the linen closet in the hallway and grabbed the majority of the towels he owned, then placed her clothes on top of it. Armed and ready, he opened the door to the bathroom after one knock.
"Hey, Sweetie. I brought your clothes and some fresh towels." Just as he'd hoped, the fluffy pile blocked the view in front of him; though it didn't stop his heart from racing.
"Thanks, but um...how many towels do you think I need?" she teased. "Unless of course, you are subtly trying to tell me I'm gaining weight?"
Ben heard the smile in her voice, so knew he wasn't about to die. He was sure he looked ridiculous. He removed the top two towels from the stack, and laid them, with the fresh clothes, within her reach on the counter.
"No. No. These still needed to be put away, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. Helpful husband and all."
"Thanks, Babe! I'll be out in a minute. What movie do you want to watch?" The water swished followed by the sound of the drain opening.
Realizing that Rey was about to get out of the tub, Ben panicked, turned tail, and stumbled out the door. "Microwave dinged. Popcorn's ready!" he hollered, hopefully, loud enough for her to hear so that he didn't look like a complete idiot.
As he passed by the guest room, he tossed the remainder of the towels in on the bed- he would take care of those later. He ran his hand through his hair and took a moment to attempt to slow his pounding heart. If only he had some idea of how this would all turn out, or how soon her memories would return. There was no similar experience in his life to draw insight from. This…this was his every dream turned into a joke; a hollow parody of his heart's desire. He had everything and nothing for an unspecified duration. And no one could promise him that once Rey's memories returned they'd be able to go back to what they had before. Would she be embarrassed by her actions, however unintentional? What would happen if he messed up and kept calling her Sweetheart and Love? How could he let her go, knowing he really wanted her to stay forever?
A throat cleared in the doorway. Ben startled and looked around to see Rey, arms crossed, watching him.
"Are you okay, Babe?" her brows raised in question. "I thought you went to get the popcorn, annnnd I find you staring at a wall in our guest room."
He cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting from side to side, "I'm good. Just debating...whether or not to replace...the molding. In here. It's old?"
"You seem a little confused tonight," Rey remarked. She walked across the room and drew Ben into a bear hug, her head rested in the hollow of Ben's shoulder like she was made to fit there. "I thought I was the one with the bump on the head?"
He couldn't resist drawing her closer and breathing in the scent of the cocoa butter shampoo in her hair. Why did she have to smell so dang good all the time?
"You are. How's the head? Do you need any Tylenol?" He probed her head gently with his fingers to make sure the swelling was still gone.
"Hmm...meds would be nice. The headache is coming back, and my wrist throbs. Would you braid my hair too? That always relaxes me."
"Anything for you, Mariposa," he promised. His eyes met hers, and he was surprised to see a softness in them he hadn't noticed before. Rey reached up to cup his cheek in her hand as their faces drifted closer together. And then she kissed him. It was heavenly; sweet, firm, and slow...oh so slow. Just the two of them wrapped up in this moment. He knew he'd never be the same again. Whatever happened after her memory returned, he vowed to take the risk and tell her how much she meant to him. Even if she didn't love him back. But for now...he gently broke the kiss. His mother had raised a gentleman, and he knew they weren't married so he wasn't going a step further figuratively speaking. It wouldn't be right to take advantage of the situation.
He gave her one last kiss on the forehead then stepped back, "Movie and braids, right?"
"Right! Let's go, Ben."
The leather couches in the living room were old friends of Rey's. She swore that the cushion on the right side was her soulmate. It had the perfect hiney quotient. No one else was allowed to sit in her spot if she was there. She'd been known to politely, maliciously, throw unsuspecting people off it when Ben had parties in the past.
Popcorn bowl between them, they settled in to watch Thor Ragnarok, Rey declaring the humor fit her mood. When they watched the scene where Thor's hair was forcefully cut, a vigorous debate over whether he looked better in long hair or short broke out. Rey plopped herself down, cross-legged, on the floor between Ben's legs.
"Braid," she demanded. "You know I'm right."
"He looks better in short hair," Ben grumbled.
"NoPe! I like my men to have long hair," she glanced at Ben out of the corner of her eye and smiled.
He felt himself blush as he pondered whether or not his hair qualified as "long enough" for her taste.
He tied the end of the french braid off, then patted her shoulder.
"All done, Princess. Is there anything else you need?"
"You're the best husband eveR!" was her adamant reply. When her smile ended in a yawn, "Would you mind terribly if we went to bed early? I'm wiped."
"Of course not. I'll show you to your room," he held out a hand and helped her rise.
"Ben, I think I know where our room is," she teased.
Oh. Oh. Oh.
They were "married". Married people shared beds. Oh for the days when husbands and wives had separate beds! There was no way around this. At least, not one he could think of on the spot. So he followed her upstairs, trying to hide his reluctance, but still managing to look like a doomed prisoner. Thank heaven, Rey didn't look back.
She opened the french doors that led into the master bedroom and closed them after he walked through. Ben's room was his refuge, and he'd taken particular care choosing the furniture and wall color. The walls were a cool medium green with the incredibly "fancy" name of Cilantro. The king-sized bed had a thick white comforter with a modern diamond pattern in gray. The floor-to-ceiling curtains were sheer white to take advantage of the southern exposure for natural light. Matching nightstands with mirrored doors flanked the bed, while a gray chair and ottoman sat in the opposite corner next to a bookcase.
Rey made a beeline for the bed and Ben followed to tuck her in. She looked exhausted.
"Hey, I'm going to go take a shower. I'll be back soon, okay?"
Rey moved around settling under the comforter, creating her own personal burrow. She smiled sleepily up at him, "Alright."
Ben traced her jaw with his finger, then tapped her nose, "Goodnight, Rey. Sleep well."
Thirty minutes later, Ben emerged from the bathroom dressed for bed. Normally he wouldn't take so long in the bathroom, but he had, hopefully, given Rey time to fall asleep. In the shower, he'd decided that he would sleep on the floor, and if she asked why, he'd tell her he was afraid of hitting her broken wrist in his sleep.
To his relief, Rey appeared to be sound asleep when he approached the bed. Carefully he picked up the gray throw off the end of the bed, but when he walked around the bed to steal his pillows the floor squeaked. Stupid old flooring! he cursed in his head when he saw her eyes open.
"Are you going somewhere, Ben?" she asked half awake.
"Yeah, I thought I'd sleep on the couch. I'd hate to hit your wrist in my sleep," he grimaced.
Rey reached out her hand for his, "Please, stay. I don't want to be alone tonight."
Ben thought rapidly while crawling under the comforter and into bed. "Okay, but I'm building a pillow wall down the middle of the bed so I can't roll over on you. Deal?"
"Yes, Sir."
Ben heaved an internal sigh of relief, grabbed the extra pillows he'd tossed on the floor, and lined them down the middle of the bed. This should work, he told himself, as long as Rey isn't a bed hog. Crossing his fingers, he closed his eyes. He was surprised to feel a small hand touch his arm and drift down.
"Wanna hold your hand."
He wove his fingers through hers and rested it atop the pillow barrier.
"Goodnight, Rey."
"G'nite, Ben. Love you," she mumbled.
He lay quietly until he heard her breathing even out, before answering.
"I love you too, Rey," he whispered to the ceiling.
Early morning sunlight winked through the blinds, summoning Rey from a thoroughly delicious dream. This was the only time of day when sunlight was not her friend. She mumbled under her breath and attempted to squeeze her eyes shut more tightly. Waking up wasn't an option. She & Ben had been married and it had all felt so real; the best kind of dream.
Five minutes later, she sighed, giving in to the inevitable. Might as well get up and call Ben; talk to the real thing, even if he wasn't married to her. The pain shooting up her wrist when she attempted to sit up took her breath away and brought her abruptly to full awareness. What the…? Where was…?
A fissure of fear snaked up her spine as she stared at her cast. She was afraid- why? Images flashed through her mind; in slow motion yet incomplete, confusing. She needed to stop. Someone was in the street. There wasn't ti-... Rey put her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.
Ben jolted awake. Something wasn't right. He thought, blearily. Rey! He twisted around and panicked hazel eyes met his.
"Rey, are you okay? Is it your wrist? Your head?" His eyes scanned her face and injuries attempting to find the source of her pain. When she continued to stare at him, he waved a hand gently in front of her face. "Reeeey. Can you see me? …"
Silence was his only answer. "Okay. You…" he pointed to her, "stay here," he said pointing to the bed. "I'm going to call Dr. Holdo."
Ben snatched his robe and left quickly to call the doctor. He hoped this was just a normal side effect of amnesia, but it didn't seem like one.
Back in his bedroom, Rey was pinching her good arm black and blue trying to wake herself up. This was a dream, right? This had to be… and yet if it was a dream, and a good one, Ben would not have left her here…in his bed...alone. She stood up gingerly, noticing all the protesting muscles and feeling more than a touch light-headed. Who dreams up this? she wondered as she attempted to find her bearings.
Rey drew back the curtain and peeked out the window. Old oak trees lined the avenue like ancient guardians, and the houses were obviously lovingly maintained. This is Ben's neighborhood. She let the curtain fall back into place and surveyed the room. Everything looked normal...except for the line of pillows dividing the bed. That was odd. If this was a dream, did they have an argument? She didn't remember one.
Frustrated, she ran her hand through her hair, only to wince when she hit a large bump on her head. That's when she accepted that this...this was real. She slumped down into the gray armchair. She needed to think.
The last thing she could recall was someone running into the street in front of her while she was driving back to the office. She tried, but there was nothing after that. It was all blank. How could that be? In her dream, she and Ben had spent the evening together and gone to bed early. Under her fingers, her hair felt soft and clean, so she must have showered at some point. It was also braided and that told her Ben had been nearby to do it. She couldn't braid to save her life.
Her eyes wandered back to the bed she'd woken up in. His bed. Those pillows though...those pillows told a story. One had been knocked out of place, but the purpose of the unusual position of the rest was apparent. Her best friend had been giving her a semblance of privacy even though they had been sharing a bed. The question was, Why? What would even have prompted them to share a bed? Ben had two extra rooms- she should know, she helped paint them! She felt flustered at her inability to remember something so important.
Creaking stairs alerted her to Ben's imminent return. He knocked before opening the door to poke his head in.
"Rey, it's me." Not finding her in the bed, his face looked slightly panicked until he spied her in the chair, "Oh, there you are! I was worried for a moment. Can't have you walking around the house in a daze."
"Hey, Ben," she spoke, softly, and gave a timid wave.
He came over and knelt before her.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked, laying his hand against her forehead. "You gave me quite the scare there."
"I um...I'm okay. I just- Ben, what am I doing here? Why is my wrist broken? My dreams were so vivid. I feel...lost."
"Come here."
He reached an arm under one of her knees, and placed the other around her waist. Carefully, he lifted her up then turned and sat himself down in the chair. Now she was on his lap, wrapped up in a warm hug. Rey rested her head on his shoulder and felt herself relax for the first time since waking.
"To answer your first question, you were in a car accident yesterday afternoon. Do you remember it?"
She shook her head, "Only bits n' pieces. Flashes. I recall a...shape. It ran into the street. And then nothing, just fear. I feel a dreadful terror but that's all."
"That makes sense," he replied slowly, "The doctor said you probably would not recall everything. Someone did run into the street and you swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid them. Both cars are a mess, and you were hurt the worst, but nobody died," he assured her.
Rey gave a deep sigh, relieved to know she hadn't run someone over.
"When the hospital called me, they wouldn't tell me much over the phone, just that you were hurt." He glanced down at her with haunted eyes and unconsciously drew her closer. "I've never been so afraid in my life. You- … I…You are so precious to me, Rey," his voice, thick with emotion. He closed his eyes against the memory.
Rey's hand rose, wiping the tears dripping off of his chin and giving him a moment to collect himself. She curled back into his chest to wait. Had she ever been so precious to anyone in her life? Raised in the system, she had never felt a part of any of the families she stayed with. Always unnoticed, she had learned quickly to take care of herself.
Until Ben…their freshman year of high school, he had seen her sitting under a tree during lunch, without a lunch in evidence. He offered to share his lunch, she'd accepted and they'd been inseparable ever since. He never did tell her how he knew she wasn't eating lunch, but it didn't matter anymore. He was her first friend and she would always love him.
Ben came out of his reverie and kissed her on the temple.
"You're okay now, that's all that matters. So, that's how you broke your wrist and why your head hurts. The reason you can't recall anything is because you had amnesia. Ironically, you remembered everything plus a few extras."
Rey's eyebrow lifted, "Extras? I thought amnesia caused forgetfulness."
Ben placed a hand over his mouth, contemplating exactly how to say this next part. Deciding that she would appreciate the most straight-forward answer, he kept it simple.
"It does cause forgetfulness. You forgot we weren't married."
For a moment Rey was utterly speechless.
"Sooooo….that's why we're at your house?"
"Yes."
"And that's why we...shared a bed?"
"Yes," his ears were definitely red now. "Nothing happened though. I would never take advantage of you that way," he replied emphatically.
Rey pierced Ben with a quizzical look, "It never would have crossed my mind, Ben. I trust you implicitly. But- um, did I…"
"Just say it, Rey."
"Did I try to...I mean- I thought we were married so…" between the two of them she wasn't sure who was blushing more. But she had to know, did he put the pillows there because she tried to seduce him?
"NO! Sorry, no, no you didn't. You only...kissedmeonce. So, everything's okay."
She held her hand up in his face, "Wait, wait. I kissed you!" she squeaked. Dang, it! Why couldn't she remember that part? That was worth remembering. "Is an 'I'm sorry' in order?"
Ben squirmed in place, well as much as he could with Rey on his lap.
"No, it's cool. We're cool. It was nothing."
Oh. Rey quickly averted her eyes to hide the hurt his words caused her. She didn't want him to see the tears welling in them.
"Wait."
Rey looked up at the strangled sound of his voice, a flicker of hope on her features.
"That's, that's not true. It wasn't nothing. Rey, it was everything to me," his hands trembled as he brought them up to cup her cheeks. "I promised myself I'd tell you the truth even if...even if it was a disaster. I love you, Rey. I have for years. You are the best thing in my life. And while it was so hard to have to pretend we were married yesterday, it was also the best day ever. And when you kissed me...I could have died from happiness."
She leaned into his hand and took a deep breath. "I love you too, Benjamin. I was going to tell you the other night at the restaurant. I had it all planned out. I couldn't hide it anymore. You are it for me. No other guy even begins to compare...Marry me?" she whispered. " I know it's sudden and we haven't technically dated but- "
"Yes."
Rey barely had a chance to catch his response before his lips covered hers. Her daydreams couldn't compare with the bliss of actually being kissed by Ben. He burned her alive and consumed her. When she finally had to draw back to catch her breath, she knew she would never, ever forget this moment.
######################
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this fluffy goodness :) Let me know in the comments.
A few notes:
Mariposa means Butterfly, and I thought it was the perfect nickname for Rey.
Cilantro IS a very lovely cool shade of green. I searched the Sherwin-Williams site for a color, and then their bedroom visual sample was so perfect I wrote it into the story. So there's Ben's room if you care to see it!
The title for this story is based on the 1951 Show Boat song Make-Believe. It's the perfect soundtrack for this story. Go youtube it.
Until the next story! Bye :)