A/N: I already have a digital copy of TROS, but the Skywalker Saga box set comes out today and you know your girl is going to have herself a mini marathon of watching all the special features tonight!

~XII. Falling into a Routine~

Truthfully, that first night was the longest conversation Ben had with Rey since she moved in. After unpacking, Ben fought tooth and nail with Rey about sleeping arrangements – he would take the living room while she got the bedroom. It took a lot of effort but eventually she gave in. The next day as promised, after work they shared a meal together making brisket sliders. They engaged in a light conversation about his building, the neighbors, and the shops close by, but nothing too deep. After that, Ben and Rey went into an automatic routine of inadvertently ignoring one another, despite the friendly beginning.

For the first five weeks the routine consisted of Rey waking up at 7 AM and leaving by 7:40 AM for work since it was much closer now. Ben would be up right around the time she was finished getting ready so he could use the bathroom. By the time he'd be finished his morning routine she was out the door with a granola bar in hand and headed to the bus stop for her short commute. Ben would spend the rest of the day busying himself – often heading to Glendale to assist Phasma with photoshoots since he had the free time - then in the late afternoons he would work out in the patio. Rey would come home while Ben would be finishing off the last of his workout - usually on the exercise bike- and would make dinner while Ben took a shower. By the time he was done cleaning up, she would have finished her meal and was working on the desk on stuff she couldn't get to at the office. Ben would make his dinner and would usually eat in front of the television. Finally, Rey would finish up, grab a glass of water and say goodnight to Ben. The very next day they'd do it all over again.

Apart from asking a few things here and there, Ben minded his own business and Rey did the same. They figured that they should talk a bit more, but in some way, they still felt weird about the whole ordeal and were giving each other as much space as possible. Though oddly enough, neither one of them felt constrained while around one another. Granted, they hardly spoke, but there was no actual compromise needed between the two to cohabitate in the loft. It was just peaceful ignorance

One evening a disturbance in their unspoken routine occurred.

Rey came home later than usual, nearly 9 PM. Ben almost didn't notice that she wasn't home when he didn't smell of garlic in the kitchen.

He learned early on that Rey was rather fond of that flavor and used it in almost every meal allowed. He didn't argue though- he loved garlic as well. But he wasn't as skilled with cooking new things like Rey was. She was in her element in that domicile. He usually ate a high protein dinner of grilled chicken breasts and assorted vegetables or spaghetti and garlic bread – his cheat day favorite. This wasn't to say Rey wasn't a healthy eater. Her dishes were probably just more enjoyable. And to be fair, Rey only had dinner. While Ben had the healthy meals, Rey munched on simple snacks like trail mix and fruit, while Ben had a sweet tooth for ice cream, pastries or barbeque chips. That being said, he noticed Rey hadn't come home around her usual time of 6 PM by the time it he checked the clock after finishing his own dinner. Coming to the conclusion that she probably went out with friends to dinner, he went back to watching television.

Rey finally made it back at a late hour and when she opened the door, she hung her key on the hall tree hook followed by her coat, placed her purse and laptop bag on the small breakfast table and slumped groggily on a chair.

Ben, who had noticed her unusual conduct had looked over his shoulder to see Rey practically burying her face in her hands, looking as disheveled as he's ever seen her. He switched the TV off and made his way over.

"Hey are you alright?" He asked her.

Rey realized the aloofness she had displayed when stepping inside and unburied her face from her hands, quickly trying to straighten up in her chair.

"Yeah sorry, just a bit tired from work," she apologized.

"I bet. You're not usually back this late."

Immediately saying that, Ben regretted it. Great, he thought, now she thinks you're a stalker.

Rey on the other hand was taken aback that he even noticed her these past few weeks. Not that she would admit noticing his routine as well. They just never broke out of their habits and the comfortable silence was far better than awkwardness.

"Yeah, I needed to catch up at work. Didn't get to eat dinner. Maybe that's why I'm so crabby."

Ben was leaning on the pillar next to the kitchen island and when he had heard Rey skipped a meal, walked over to the fridge.

"Well I haven't had my after-dinner ice cream, which I'm sure is going to be the cause of my diabetes when I get older," he joked. "Would you like a scoop?"

Rey sighed, showing him an appreciative smile. "Make it a double."

Ben scooped some cookies and cream ice cream into two bowls and walked over to sit across the table from Rey, handing over the treat. After a couple scoops eaten in silence, she suddenly spoke.

"Do you ever get the feeling that no matter how much time and effort you put into something, you just don't have anything to show for it?"

Rey saw that she had caught Ben off guard. Apart from the fact that it was pretty quiet between them – which it always was – she had blurted out such a profound enquiry that he wasn't ready for. So, she continued.

"It's like you're trying to come in first, but it's someone else's race. And no matter how much blood, sweat and tears you put into it… really, it doesn't matter."

She didn't expect a response. Really, she should've stayed quiet, but it just wasn't her day and she just felt like speaking her thoughts aloud.

"Well," Ben finally shook himself from the sudden outburst and tried forming a coherent response. "Why put in the work then if you know you won't get the satisfaction or the recognition?"

Rey looked at Ben, trying to process what he said. By her stare though, Ben feared that he may have said something wrong.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't assume..."

"No, no, I really appreciate the honesty. I mean I love Rose to death but she's usually the optimist and right now I need truth."

"Oh… you're welcome?" Ben wasn't sure how to answer.

A laugh escaped from Rey's mouth. She was just as surprised herself for doing do. It felt good to laugh. It helped relieve her stress, allowing Ben to sigh in relief that he wasn't being a complete moron.

"Thank you, Ben. And I understand what you mean. Why do something if you don't reap the rewards? I guess… because when it comes down to it, the personal gain you get is much better than any kind of recognition."

"That's a very good reason," Ben agreed.

She nodded, but immediately frowned again, playing with her melting bowl ice cream.

"Except in this case I kind of need the recognition for a promotion," she confessed.

"Ahh," now he understood. He understood perfectly.

"It comes down to me and this other guy at work, Snap. He's…"

"Got seniority?"

"No, we've got the same position."

"An ass?"

"Not always. He's like…"

"I don't know, they're either too good or too douchey," he chuckled. "And he can't be too nice because you're like the sweetest person in the world," he said to her.

If she weren't so stressed from work, Rey would have blushed at that sentiment. But it didn't go unnoticed. She wondered if he realized what he said.

"What else could he be?" he asked.

"I'm trying to think of a nicer word for 'fake'," Rey held in a snicker.

"There's no nice way to say it," Ben chortled.

"I don't want to be mean," this time she couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, well what about this guy?"

"See that's the thing. He's ever so charming, and great at networking, but he leaves the busy work to others, or takes credit for something he shouldn't solely take credit from."

"Oh, he's a brown-noser."

"Actually yeah," Rey agreed. Brown-noser. That was the perfect word to describe her coworker.

"And he's been taking credit for your work?"

"Not really. Well… sort of. He and I are planning the gala and while I'm doing the planning and cold calling, he gets to do the meet and greets and take clients to lunch. Why we split it that way, I don't know. But since he's doing the face to face meetings, he seems to be the one getting all the attention. I'm not even sure he even cares about the actual cause. Never once has he visited the youth centers around town with me. He's just good at talking to people and wants to make a generous paycheck with this promotion."

"Well that's not really fair."

"That's not even what got me upset today," she continued. "He likes to cozy up to the larger named clients on our list. Because he doesn't think the smaller businesses would even contribute a decent amount. But to me every penny counts," Rey assured him.

Ben couldn't help but smile to himself about the last part. Rey reminded him so much of his mother's work ethic. If the circumstances were different, he would've loved to take her home to meet his mother. Whoa, Ben. That's getting a little too deep. Immediately he shook that thought out of his mind and continued to listen to Rey.

"However, we do have some long-time partners with independent firms out here in LA. Snap was so focused on having lunch with First-Order Enterprises- you know, the huge shipping company- that he disregarded and never told anyone, not me or his assistant, that Mrs. Holdo at the Resistance Group was to have a meeting with him today as well."

"Resistance Group as in the local Restaurant chain in LA?" Ben loved their cheesecakes.

Rey nodded. "Holdo is good friends with our founder, Lando Calrissian, and ever since Snap joined the company, he's been the point of contact for that account. Now she's super upset and Lando is on business for a few days so he pretty much yelled at us over Skype. Snap was trying to talk his way out of it, but he failed. Lando got upset at both of us because even though he didn't blame me for anything, we are a team, so I could've done something."

"But you didn't know, it was that jerk's fault."

"I know, but it's not like in college where if one person slacks off, they get punished. If one person slacks off in the real world, it's your team's job to pick up the pieces."

"I'm really sorry Rey, I wish I could do something."

Ben decided to make a mental kill list for all the people that have done Rey wrong in her life. Hobbie, that prick, was at the top of the list. And now this Snap was being penciled in at that very moment.

"It's alright," she shrugged. "Just letting me talk about it helps. Thanks."

"Maybe you can call Lando and offer to talk to Holdo since Snap fucked up. Maybe you can still salvage it?"

"I don't really have to. Lando called us back after he cooled off. He said Holdo was willing to give us a chance, claiming that she understood how busy planning for a gala can be. But I know she's just being nice because well they're old friends. Snap jumped in saying he would fix things, but Lando assigned me to meet with her this time."

"That's great! Right?"

"Yeah…"

"But… Snap got mad huh?"

"Precisely."

Rey needed some ice cream for that. Snap was the reason for her bad day and this part of the story was the cherry on top.

"When Lando hung up, Snap decided to accuse me for sabotaging him just to get a promotion, when clearly I had nothing to do with it. Naturally I defended myself and he still chose to believe his own words. He told me to mind my own business and to not screw the pooch, even though he did, and that I wasn't going to get in the way of his promotion. Then he stormed off, but not before giving me a handful of paperwork I needed to fill out- which for the record was supposed to be filled out and submitted to the contracts department way before the meeting- for Holdo's company to process any donations they would want to give… if any at this point"

"What. A. Douchebag."

"That's my every day," Rey said mockingly. "He's going to make it hell for me as it already is until one of us gets promoted. And I'm sure if he's the one to get it, it won't end there."

Re-living that memory from earlier today, Rey scooped up the rest of her ice cream, hoping a brain freeze could help erase it from her mind. It didn't. Just gave her a headache.

"Can I ask you a question?" Ben asked after letting a beat pass between them.

"Sure."

"If all the work you're doing for Lando and the nonprofit isn't even being properly credited to you, especially with a douche of a coworker like Snap, then why do it? You're practically coming up short. With nothing really."

Rey didn't even have to think about her answer.

"Because I love what I do. Honest. I know people say that, but I mean it. After being in the foster system, I promised myself to help kids like me when I got older. And I won't give that up because some quick-witted coworker knocked me down."

He recalled her mentioning her difficult childhood when they were bar hopping in Vegas. Thankfully, they weren't completed sloshed just yet because learning that of Rey made Ben more aware an appreciative that she had trusted him from the moment they met. If he was being honest, he was hoping to gain more of her trust. Especially since he found it easy to trust her about everything. It just felt right to share things with her.

"That's admirable, Rey. It really is. But wouldn't you want to do more than what you're doing now? Your job description is outreach and planning and development. But you're just pushing papers. Sure, you're planning this event, but someone else is doing the outreach, talking to people, networking. No offense but other than paperwork and cold calls, you're left with nothing… I bet there are a ton of other companies that could use your talents for the better."

Rey thought for a moment. Really taking in Ben's words. She loved her job, that was a fact. The actual work she was doing lately? Not so much. Ever since Snap teamed up with her, Ben was right in saying that Snap took away all the meaningful work. Leaving her with nothing at all.

"Well, aside from the paperwork, because that's still important," she pointed out. Ben jokingly rolled his eyes prompting her to laugh. "I love what my organization stands for. Yes, the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club does the same for kids, but Cloud City focuses on the youths in the system who need help because no one else is helping them."

"Like foster kids?" Ben clarified.

"Like foster kids," she echoed his reply. "It was what I needed the most when I was a kid. And now being able to help those who grew up like me? It's worth the boring work. I guess… I'd rather do 'nothing' here and be happy than do something I know I don't love somewhere else."

She shrugged, glancing up from her bowl to see his reaction. He was awed by her response. It was inspiring.

"Words to live by," he sincerely smiled at her.

She thanked him and they continued to eat their desserts in silence.

"By the way," Ben spoke after a minute. "I know your time in the foster system is a very sensitive subject for you. So, thank you for trusting me to talk about it."

"I know you won't judge," she answered honestly. She smiled at him, showing she meant it.

"No I won't," he agreed. "But I can sense that you're still hurting from your past."

She nodded. "Yeah. It's just a mentality you pick up as an orphan. It's what makes me weak. My kryptonite," she tried to joke.

He looked at her with a confounding expression.

"But you're not weak, Rey," he said this as if she should've known already. It's what made him sound so genuine at that moment in her mind. "Sure, you have scars, but they're what makes you strong. They're beautiful," he said to her. "You're the strongest person I know."

She smiled at him, almost ready to tear up.

"And I'm not just saying that because you almost murdered me with a stick," he winked.

"Thanks Ben," she chuckled. "And again, sorry. But I didn't intend to murder you, it was just instincts," she stuck her tongue at him.

It only took five weeks but the two 'roommates' finally had a second real conversation in the time living together.

Since that day, the dynamic had shifted. Rey and Ben still fell into their own routines, but some parts of it overlapped with each other. Little things like 'good morning' and 'have a nice day' were added, and Rey started cooking for two at dinner time. On the weekends when Rey took time off, she and Ben worked out together in the balcony. They shared meals together at the kitchen island and Ben also ate his after-dinner snacks at the breakfast table, which was next to the computer desk they shared at the far end of the kitchen. Rey started joining him with a scoop of ice cream or cut fruit before doing some extra work. And once or twice a week, she would skip working altogether and watch movies with Ben on the couch before bed. Ben found out that Rey hadn't seen all of the Marvel movies. The only ones she recalled were just the two Avengers movies they watched in Vegas and all the Iron Man movies because he was Poe's favorite and had forced them all to watch the flicks when they came out in theaters. A shocked diehard fan, Ben made it his sole mission to introduce her to the other 18 movies in the 'Infinity Saga'. Thus, Ben and Rey began watching at least one movie per week that she's never seen.

They were even able to get more comfortable and display their little quirks around each other, which until now each was slightly holding back. Ben was easily entertained so anything funny on TV would elicit a giddy cackle from his mouth. For the first five weeks, he'd suppress his laughter, smiling and trying to be quiet so Rey could work in silence. But Rey found his childish whims endearing, usually smiling to herself at how lively he'd get just by watching an amusing show. In turn, Rey would often times hum a tune to herself when she'd cook or just be lost in thought. Ben found this very relaxing, as he remembered when his mother used to hum to herself at times as well. He could tell just by her humming that Rey must have a beautiful singing voice. Not that he'd ever ask or mention this bit to her. It was just an observation. Rey also had a tendency to tap her pen on the table when she was thinking. It wasn't annoying, but Ben would smile to himself knowing that she was working overtime with her brain and putting in her all. He only wished he had that same drive. Sometimes he'd say over his shoulder for Rey to stop thinking too much, always offering words of encouragement and that would help her calm down and refocus. It worked almost all the time as Rey would take a deep breath, smile and thank Ben for his support. It was the little things they did around one another that made the other smile usually.

As they fell into a less awkward routine, they both thought that maybe they can make it to six months after all.

What could go wrong?

A/N: Preview of next chapter: The Unexpected Visitor

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Can't I check up on my lovely boyfriend for no reason at all?"

"Last I checked you and I are over."

"I'll be the judge of that."