A/N: I like to setup an outline when writing a story. When writing, I skip around and work on chapters whenever I get the inspiration, so I don't write in order. This chapter was for some reason a very easy one to write - even though it's not a huge plot point - just Rey and Ben bonding some more. I also seemed to really like the direction I took with it. I spent 3 hours playing the chapter out. It turned out to be the longest (word wise) chapter in this story. I couldn't split it up. This chapter did not get reedited. I wanted the original plot to stay in place and I molded most of the story to it. So I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

~XV. Burning Bridges~

It was another one of those horrible days for Rey.

While she and Ben made progress from when Baz made things weird for them, the obstinate group conversation at Poe's party brought back the all too familiar feeling of awkwardness again at the loft. Not to mention their unusual 'goodnight' routine and sudden onset of butterflies that happened the night they came home from the party as well. They still ate together, watched their Avengers movies and cohabited the apartment, but they were becoming more and more aware of their own feelings, which wasn't exactly sitting well with either person.

Today had been exceptionally draining and stressful, and Rey wasn't sure she'd want to talk to Ben about any of it even if they were on good terms. None of it mattered though for Rey when she came home because Ben was talking to the counselor who usually checked in on them per Snoke's demands.

"Ah, Mrs. Solo," he greeted as she entered through the door.

In the beginning it was a bit weird for Ben and Rey that she was addressed as 'Mrs. Solo'. Legally she was a Solo but given the circumstances at that time they were still uncomfortable with any titles. But these days the title seemed almost natural to both of them, like she was fitting into her name just fine.

"Hi Mr. Pryde. Sorry I'm late. My meeting at work ran a bit over."

She quickly took off her jacket, placed her bags and keys on the table and lugged a medium-sized box from the hallway inside.

"No worries, young lady. Ben and I were just catching up on the latest baseball standings. Good thing I can't dock your marriage on the count of your husband's a Dodger's fan," the older man quipped.

"I'm sorry, and how many world series have your Rockies won again?" Ben jabbed at him.

"Hey now, don't let this beautiful lady become a widow so young because I have to kick your butt for dissing my team," he poked back.

Rey chuckled at them. This banter between Ben and their legal counsel helped ease her a bit from her rough day. It also reminded her that she couldn't show any signs of apprehension and that she and Ben had to please him so he could report back to the judge with only good things to say from his visit.

The usual routine went on. They would sit with Pryde either at the kitchen island, or on the couch, talk about the progress they've made, and if he requested, would look around to see if they were truly cohabiting the space. Eventually he stopped looking around, knowing quite well that Rey in fact had moved in with Ben. Though with the absence of observation came more conversation.

"Well, it looks like you two haven't gone and pulled each other's eyes out yet, so that's always a good sign of marriage," he kidded once again. "You two seem to be trying to get along and that's a start."

"A start?" Rey questioned that last remark.

"Look," he sighed. "I've worked with Snoke for many years, and although he is a very fair guy, even I would admit sometimes he goes to the extremes. Such as this," he gestured between them. They nodded in agreement. "And while I've made these past visits fairly easy for us because I would hate to be forced to live with and stay married to someone if it wasn't 100% a decision I made, Snoke is breathing down my neck to give stronger reports."

"Are we doing anything wrong?" Ben frowned. "We'd hate for you to lose your job on the count of us not cooperating."

"No, I won't lose my job," the counselor informed them. "But he is threatening to take my place and do personal house calls with you two if I don't give him more than just 'they are being civil and living together nicely' every other week. You know? And we're pretty much at the halfway mark now."

"So… what can we do?" Rey asked.

She and Ben could barely handle these bi-weekly check-ins. They'd absolutely die if Snoke were to stop by one of these days instead.

"Well, and I don't mean to be forward, do you two have any romantic feelings towards one another?"

They froze. Not daring to even glance the same direction. That was the million-dollar question these days, wasn't it?

"I-I'm sorry?" Ben stuttered.

"What I mean is living together under one roof for almost three months, having an intimate weekend before your marriage… One could assume that you two would eventually fall into a legitimate relationship. If it did, it would make my job easier and certainly please Snoke," he explained.

"Uh…" Ben and Rey sat in their seats disconcertingly.

"He's not playing cupid or anything," he reassured them. "Snoke just feels that those who go and request annulments so quickly may not have thought of their situations long enough to see if there really is a problem or not. Instead of delaying the eventual union between a couple, why not stay married and continue the relationship you're already happily in?"

"But Ben and I didn't have a relationship to start," Rey finally found her words after the initial shock.

"Right. I guess it didn't hurt to ask," Pryde didn't go further into details. "But it would help if you two divulged more into each other's personal lives. Think of it as building a really good friendship instead of a marriage for now. That way it shows that you're being more than just civil, but at least trying to form a bond, friendship or relationship – it doesn't matter, but it's a start. Can you two do that for me?"

They've forged an unspoken bond already - before Baz unbalanced it. They can certainly promise their counselor this. At least for Rey, she wanted to continue being Ben's… Friend? Roommate? Temporary wife? Let's go with colleague. This whole matter felt like a business contract anyways.

"I think that's manageable," Ben smiled at Rey, who returned it, then turned to the counselor herself.

"Yes, we can do that, sir."

"Wonderful," Pryde said as he stood up. They walked him to the door. "And who knows kids, maybe something good might actually come out of this. Whatever you take from this experience anyways."

When the counselor left, Rey went to the bedroom to change into some leggings and a cotton shirt, something more comfortable than her pencil skirt and blouse since her day had been very taxing. Ben started up the Keurig as they both usually needed a burst of caffeine after every check-in. Once he made coffee for them both, they sat around for a bit at the kitchen island.

"It's kind of late to make dinner, how about I order a pizza?" Ben suggested.

"You know what," Rey happily sighed. "Pizza actually sounds perfect."

Ben nodded and picked up his phone to quickly order on the delivery app.

"Sorry I was late, was he waiting long?" she said of her delayed arrival earlier.

"Not even. He probably came five minutes before you did. It's all good."

"Yeah, work is pretty busy these days…" She absently traced the outline of the cartoon character on her coffee mug.

"I know this is cliché or probably not going to make you feel better at all, but I miss being busy," Ben chuckled. "So long as you're happy, right?"

Rey mirrored his gesture. "Indeed. Still love my job."

When they finished their brews, Ben grabbed their mugs and put them in the sink. He prepped for their meal to arrive by setting out some plates and napkins. Rey decided to help too, clearing the counter of a couple of random things – some mail that Ben probably picked up right before Pryde came over, and a spiral bound large booklet of some sort.

"Whoa this is heavy," Rey underestimated the weight of the stack of paper.

"Here let me grab that. Sorry."

Ben hurried over to help her with the items she picked up. She handed him the mail first, which he tossed on the shared computer desk they used, and before handing him the bound booklet, she peered at the cover.

"Pilot Test Prep?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

She knew Ben had always wanted to obtain his license, but he never showed any signs of wanting to continue, especially since his father fired him from the job closest to getting one.

"Um… yeah. I was at the bookstore the other day. Saw it and just bought it impulsively."

She handed it to him and as he was about to place it on the desk, he briefly paused and stared at the cover for a moment.

"Are you thinking of getting your pilot's license?"

Rey's voice broke him of his temporary stupor.

"Honestly," he placed the book down and walked back to the island. He rested his hands on the edge of the counter, hunched over in thought. "I don't know."

Instead of asking 'why' as that would have been the natural next thing to say, Ben thought, Rey said something else. Because this was Rey. She wasn't just any girl; she was honest, and she genuinely listened and cared about his life… at least he hoped in his mind she did.

"It's a big decision," she started. "Something you've thought about for a long time. It's perfectly fine not to know."

She gave him an encouraging smile and a quick pat on the hand. That tiny gesture meant a lot to him. Lately he'd been having this strange feeling in his chest and in his gut, and they only happened when Rey was involved in one way or another. Ben didn't even want to peer further into that thought because… well because he just didn't want to.

Rey walked over to the cabinets and grabbed some glasses as well as the red pepper and cheese garnish. As she placed them on the counter next to where Ben was standing, he was still deep in thought from what she had said to him.

"I'm terrified." He sloppily uttered that it caught Rey a bit off guard.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one with surprise responses tonight.

"Then that means it's important," she softly replied.

She wasn't done surprising him either.

"I just don't want to fail… again. I failed my dad so many times. I failed myself every time I decided to go for my license. I'm just… It's my dream to become a pilot," he shared with her. "It's a scary thought."

By this time, they had sat on the same side of the counter, sipping on water bottles waiting for their meal to be delivered.

"Every time in the past that I decided to go for it, something would come over me and I'd chicken out," he sighed. "Hux and my dad would say that I made up excuses just to not do it and you know what, they're right. I'm afraid of chasing my own dreams."

This whole evening did not turn out how Rey would have thought. Honestly, she thought after the check-in she'd just retire for the night and try to sleep off her stress. But no. Instead, she was in the kitchen talking to Ben about his fear of failure. She would've never guessed it.

Rey thought about how to respond. With Ben, she never wanted to give stock replies if she could. She realized a few weeks ago how much their conversations weighed more than any conversations she had with her friends. He listened to her, genuinely listened, and she owed it to him to listen as well and give sound responses.

Did she know how he felt about being so scared of crush your dreams? Possibly. Did she know what to say to him to make him feel better? She wasn't sure. But she wanted to try. So, she decided to share a story with him.

"You know when my parents died, I was a mess. It took a while to mourn their loss but when I did, I had one goal in my mind and that was to leave London and go somewhere where I can continue to grow up and try to live a happy life again. Funny, being a foster kid for most of my life I was alone. But with just five years of being part of a family, I felt more alone when they left. I didn't know if I would make it out alive, but I left London anyways, and I came here. I'm not saying I'm a product of a dream come true, but if I'm still working towards my goal then I must say, I'm doing alright. I braved the hardest part, leaving. Everything else is just an opportunity after that."

She shrugged lightly, encouraging him with a soft expression. He gazed at her, surprised that she spoke more about her fostered youth with him. Whenever she spoke about her time in the foster system, it was a vulnerable side that Ben hadn't seen before. He knew it was a touchy subject, but she seemed to want to tell him, so that to Ben was a good sign. It meant that she trusted him. And if she was sharing this right now, it only meant one thing, that she was comforting him. And it was working.

"I haven't even taken the written exam yet, and that's just part one of a three-part process," he confessed. "I'm really scared, Rey."

Rey smiled at him this time, not a half or timid one. A full on cheek to cheek grin - one that showed him she understood.

"But you've decided to do it, huh?"

Slowly but surely, Ben nodded.

"Then… you've already braved the first part. Setting your mind to it. Everything else," she paused and placed her hand on his shoulder before reiterating her sentiment, "is an opportunity waiting for you to take it."

Ben smiled for the first time since they talked about this decision. Clearly Rey had a positive influence on him. That was something that lately he was starting to get used to.

"Thanks, Rey. I… I think I'll try for it again. Go all the way this time."

Her smile grew larger and she rubbed his arm for a moment. Usually they were both hesitant to even brush shoulders walking past each other, let alone touch hands, but oddly that evening they were behaving as if it were a normal thing and spoke so naturally as if they'd known each other for years.

"Is the test pretty hard?" she wondered.

"It's a lot of materiel to cover," he explained. "I guess the amount of stuff is what's overwhelming me. I know planes because of my dad of course and I can easily meet my practice hours now that I've got a ton of time, but for some reason I get anxiety just thinking about how much I need to remember for the real thing."

"When is the next test?"

"Usually you can find one to take every month. But if I'm going to actually do this, I'd want to give myself at least three months to prepare. I'm still helping Phasma out with her photoshoots and I don't want to bail on her. So I'll just be studying whenever I can."

"I could help you study," she offered.

"As great as that would be, you're very busy with your own work already, Rey. I appreciate it but I don't want to be a burden," he said. "Plus, I don't know if you'd be able to pick up the technical stuff fast enough for me before my written exam."

"First of all," Rey pretended to size him up by sitting up straighter and waving a finger in the air for emphasis. "I'm a trained mechanic since my foster dad taught me how to fix cars. So don't be fooled by my hopeless little girl face," she smirked. This made him chuckle. "And second, I wouldn't offer if I didn't nor couldn't help you. I want to help."

Ben thought for a moment. It would be beneficial if someone helped him study. That way he would grasp things easier with more explanation. He would also get to spend more time with Rey, which would be a bonus. Not that it meant anything…

"Let's go get that pilot's license then," he high-fived her.

Rey squealed and jumped off her seat, satisfied to have cheered him up. Ben's phone chimed signaling the delivery guy would be there momentarily, so he messaged the driver the code to enter their building. Rey walked over to the refrigerator to take out some sodas for them. Ben started towards the door, knowing the delivery guy would be there in a few minutes, getting his wallet ready to pay for the meal. He had finally taken notice of the box that Rey brought home. It was sitting on the breakfast table along with her coat, messenger bag and purse.

"Oh hey, what's this stuff? Did you rummage a yard sale on your way back?" he kidded as the contents he briefly glanced at were a random sort.

The once cheery Rey suddenly froze, and her aura greyed.

As if Ben had an invisible connection to her, he too felt her mood suddenly flip.

"Are you alright?" Ben walked over to her.

She was standing in front of the refrigerator, facing the appliance, with two cans of soda in hand. Her stillness gradually began to tremble. Slowly, she turned her head to reveal her appearance. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. When she met eyes with him, it turned into sobs.

"Come here."

He grabbed the sodas from her hand and quickly placed them on a counter. Without question he pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her, burying her face in his chest. He didn't think twice if this was overstepping some boundary they never really discussed. The only thing that mattered was that Rey was crying and she mattered to him, and all he knew was that he wanted to comfort her.

"Shh," he whispered as he caressed her hair and let her sobs muffle in his shirt.

He dared not ask or say anything to upset her even more. He thought hard if he had said something to upset her. Had he? But if she was mad at him, she wouldn't have let him hold her. So maybe it wasn't something he said. Hopefully.

Too soon there was a knock on the door; their pizza finally arrived. She lightly yelped, realizing her naive state and the intimacy of the situation.

"Hold on, ok?" He assured her as he slowly broke from his strong bear hold on her. She subtly nodded and he guided her to a stool to sit momentarily.

Ben rushed over to open the door, take the pizza and pay the man to leave. He quickly placed the food down on the breakfast table where Rey's stuff was.

Shit… it's the stuff in the box, he realized.

Whatever was in there was probably what was making her emotional. Immediately he walked back over and stood in front of her - opting not to sit on the stool beside her because he wanted to be as close to her as possible - and resumed to envelope her into a strong embrace. She took his gesture without retort as she wanted to continue to be held. Especially by Ben. She didn't resume her sobs, but tears freely flowed and in the quiet loft, muffled sniffles and light hiccups were all that were heard.

When her sniffles began to slowly die, Ben spoke up.

"You know, I'd like nothing more than to let you use my shirt as a tissue box, but the pizza is getting cold and pretty soon I might be crying," he tried to lighten the mood.

It definitely worked since she giggled a little between hiccups. She wiped her face with her hands and finally looked up at him. With red, puffy eyes staring back at him and a weak smile, she replied. "Well, we can't let this good pizza go to waste."

Ben didn't pressure Rey into explaining herself. He never did. That was something she appreciated about him since they first met. Instead, he fetched her a tissue to wipe the rest of her face, brought the pizza to the kitchen island, they grabbed some slices, and casually ate their dinner together. To save them from awkward silence, Ben changed the subject and talked to Rey about the pizza joint he ordered from, a mom and pop, and shared every fact he knew about pizza - if it wasn't so obvious already that it was his favorite food. She enjoyed the distraction he provided. Honestly, she just loved his company.

However, his attempt to make her feel better had fumbled when during a brief silence his eyes strayed over to the box on the table and her eyes followed his gaze, twisting her head around to see said object.

She jadedly sighed. "I guess I should explain myself, huh?"

"Explain yourself? I thought you were so starving for pizza that you cried because you were hangry," he smirked at her. This made her chuckle.

It seemed like a touchy subject and he didn't want to force her to talk unless she wanted to, if she wanted to at all. She appreciated his insouciance yet again but felt the need, and want, to talk about it with him.

"It's Hobbie's things."

"His things? I'd assume after a breakup the ex would return your things," Ben was a tad befuddled.

"Well… it's sort of his. His assistant randomly dropped by at work today and handed me the box. I thought it was my stuff too, but I know that I brought everything; remember my pathetic box when I first got here?"

He nodded.

"I looked inside and saw that it was his things… Things that I bought for him as gifts or just random things I got for the apartment. His assistant said that he didn't want them anymore because and I quote 'there's no sentimental value so it's useless to be lying around' in his apartment."

It all made sense now. The fucking prick.

Rey got up and went over to the box. She picked up a few random items and set them back in.

"I'm not sad because I miss him or anything, no way. I'm just… I mean you'd think he would have the decency to throw this stuff away, not send it back. Frankly I would've preferred that. But he knew it would hurt me. That's why he did it." She looked over at Ben and sadly smiled. "And you know what the worst part is? His assistant said if I took any of stuff that he got me to return them too if possible."

"Do you even have anything of his stuff?" Ben asked knowing that she had barely brought anything except for her clothes and the items on the bookshelf.

"No way. Any jewelry he gave me I left behind. That's all he ever bought me. But come on, look at me. Am I really the kind of girl who'd be swayed by expensive things?"

"I don't know, this pizza set me back twenty bucks," he teased. "And I know you think it's delicious."

She actually laughed, appreciating his effort in making her feel better. It was starting to become her favorite thing about Ben.

"Alright, you got me there," she kidded back.

"It's alright. You're worth every penny," he winked at her.

Where did that brashness come from? Except he just realized that he may have sounded like her rich, stuck up ex.

"I mean, wait, you know what I mean… sorry," he sheepishly chuckled, about ready to punch himself for his folly.

"It's alright, Ben," she nervously laughed.

She averted her gaze from his eyes, trying not to blush at his words. She knew Ben meant it differently. His was a sentiment, Hobbie's was a statement.

"I didn't even want the engagement ring, so I left it behind too. But when I was grabbing my clothes, I had packed some of his by mistake since he gave me some of his stuff to wear while we were together. Mainly a sweater and a couple of large t-shirts. But when I unpacked and saw them of course I didn't wear them. They're just at the bottom of the drawer."

"Well fuck him," Ben said. "Don't give him back his stuff."

"What am I supposed to do with it, then?"

Suddenly Ben had a great idea.

"Let's burn it. All of it! Even the stuff in the box. Let the past die. Kill it if you have to," he said. "Or in this case, burn it!"

Rey immediately agreed and the pair walked outside to the balcony carrying a few things. She went to the room to grab the items of clothing and came back, also bringing along the pizza box and a couple more sodas. An impromptu bonfire called for pizza and good company. Ben opened his grill and removed the racks. He ignited it and let the fire grow. While Rey set up the chairs and food, he quickly ran inside to grab something. Stepping back out, he held a couple things inside a meager shoe box.

Rey's amused expression prompted him to speak up.

"Well if you're burning your ex's stuff, I figured I should burn mine too, right?"

"I'm surprised Baz even bought you things," Rey joked. "With how you and Phasma described her as a gold digger and all."

"Hence the scarce number of items in the box," he chuckled while showing her a near empty shoe box. "I'm sure she spent my own money to buy me these things too. Probably why I didn't think to throw them out right away. Technically I got them for myself. But she did, and I don't want them anymore."

"Let the burning commence!" Rey announced.

The experience was, to say the least, therapeutic.

The items Rey had bought for Hobbie were practical. He was hard to please and wasn't one for sentiments anyways. Things like empty picture frames, a custom engraved business card holder with his initials, book ends of his favorite literary characters, a wooden baseball holder case for the foul ball he caught at a game once as a kid (Hobbie was a Yankees fan, to which Ben said that he understood why he was such a prick, he was a Yankees fan - 'the worst of them all') and a couple of paisley ties she gifted him over the years. Ben's box contained a shirt of one of his favorite bands, a pair of sunglasses, and a very broken iPod Nano (to which Ben said Baz had broken during one of their many fights).

"Neat sunglasses, but why didn't she get you Aviators? I mean the name speaks for itself," Rey giggled.

"Exactly!" Ben exclaimed. "Baz didn't like how aviators looked so she got me these Oakley's. They're nice, but I'm an aspiring pilot. I should at least look the part," he bragged.

Finally, Rey pulled out the clothes she accidentally packed. While the two shirts were plain cotton tees, the sweater wasn't.

"Well, well, well. Mr. Prick went to Columbia? Guess mommy and daddy's money went to waste since he's still an idiot," Ben snorted. "Did you go there too? Am I in the presence of a genius?"

"No," Rey laughed as well. "He went there for his undergrad. Mr. Silver Spoon lived in Connecticut. Super rich. The whole shebang. He went to UCLA for grad school, where we met."

"Shall you do the honors?" he gestured his hand towards the burning pit of useless objects.

"Well, with all of his money and his parent's money, he can afford a new sweater," she claimed and balled the garment up before tossing it into the bin.

The pair sat and ate their pizza, laughing over their exes and watching with a weight lifted above their shoulders the last link to toxic pasts burn in flames. After about an hour or so, Ben extinguished the fire. The two were feeling sluggish, full of the pizza and the evening's activities. Rey's night hadn't turned out to be what she thought. It was better. She didn't think she'd even smile that evening from what happened earlier with the sudden confrontation with Hobbie's assistant. Now, she barely considered it an afterthought.

Neither person was ready to go to bed yet, so they parked themselves on the couch and turned the TV on for static noise. Ben got up after a bit and grabbed a throw blanket from the hall closet. He spread the garment on top of Rey who was sprawled over half of the couch. She thanked him and offered to share it if he were cold. He wasn't really cold since his body ran warm, but he wouldn't pass the opportunity to sit closer to her. While her offer to share was bold and his response to agree was just as risqué, boundaries were the last thing they were thinking of; what with all the things that happened already. Tonight it was just Rey and Ben in their loft, enjoying one another's company. No labels. No thoughts of tomorrow. Just now and just them.

Eventually Rey's eye grew heavy, and just like in Vegas, she ended up snuggling into his side with his arm wrapped around her. This felt right.

Ben felt her weariness but before he let her drift off, he wanted to do something.

"Rey?" He said as softly as he could.

"Hmm?" she sleepily mumbled.

"I uh, I want to give you something."

That was enough to get her to be more conscious and focus on the conversation, so she lifted her head from his shoulder and sat up a bit straighter. Ben reached in his pocket with his free arm and pulled out a small trinket.

"A bracelet?" she was amused. He put it on her wrist delicately as the item appeared very old.

"I made it when I was in boy scouts."

Rey smiled at the thought of a young Ben Solo wearing the cute little uniform with a collection of badges. She admired the small wooden block with a hand-carved design secured in a leather strap.

"This is Celtic," she recognized the patterns.

"It is," Ben grinned, happy that she was familiar with the design he chose to carve. "It's a symbol for hope."

"That's lovely," she awed at the trinket, lightly tracing the etched lines on the block.

"I didn't always have it easy growing up, but my mom told me to always have hope. So, I carved that symbol," he pointed to the design.

"Oh Ben, this is too precious." Rey suddenly treated the bracelet as if it were a thousand-dollar diamond, ready to take it off and hand it back to him. "I can't accept this."

"I want you to have it," he assured her. He placed his hand over the bracelet on her wrist, not wanting her to take it off.

"But Ben…" she started. "You're the one studying for your pilot's license, you need it more," she retorted.

"I don't need it, Rey. You believe in me. That's all the hope I need," he smiled warmly at her.

She blushed at his remark. Whatever he meant by it, she hoped it was what she was thinking as well.

"This bracelet helped me many times when I was young, and I want it to help you. With work, with your love life, with your dreams and goals," he softly smiled. "You deserve to be happy."

She couldn't help but feel an ache – a good one – in her heart. A genuine gift. Her first real gift from someone of the opposite sex. Sure, Finn and Poe had gotten her presents, usually paraphernalia of her favorite things, and Hobbie only ever gave her expensive jewelry with the price tag speaking for itself instead of having sentimental value. But this… This simple, handmade, thoughtful gift was hands down the best thing she'd ever received. Rey smiled, kissed Ben ever so softly on the cheek (yup, their boundaries had gone out the window tonight) and settled back down to rest in his arms.

She couldn't fight her eyes to stay awake anymore. Before she fell into her sleep, she whispered to him, "Thank you."

Ben waited a bit before moving. He didn't want to wake Rey as he knew she needed to rest from a long tiresome day. When he was sure her breathing had steadied into a soft rhythm, he gently grabbed a throw pillow, placed it at the end of the couch, then set her down, getting off the sofa so her legs would have more room for comfort. He covered a second blanket over her, the small throw blanket that was resting on the back of the couch behind them. Yes there was another blanket, and yes it was right behind them. While it made sense that the two could've had their own separate covers, tonight wasn't the time for either of them to think about what 'made sense'.

He lightly tucked her in and caressed her shoulder. He kissed the top of her head so very gently as to not wake her and began to stand up. Before he could stretch his legs, she stirred slightly and reached her arm out searching blindly for him, managing to grip lightly at his pant leg.

"Ben," she said groggily. He wasn't sure if she was even half awake. "I want you to be happy too."

He was glad her eyes were closed because he was blushing from his neck to his ears at her sentiment. Everything she said and did tonight surprised him. He was dangerously lowering his guards and reorienting his heart and he knew she was the cause of it. It scared him, and any other night he'd freak out about it. But not tonight. Tonight belonged to them.

When her hand finally went slack on the fabric of his sweatpants, he knew she fell back into a peaceful slumber. Instead of heading to the room to sleep on the bed since she was currently occupying the place where he had been sleeping for the last few months, he decided to brew himself a cup of coffee, settle at the computer desk and open his booklet.

This time, he began to promise himself.

He directed his eyes towards the back of the couch, knowing that his motivation was sound asleep on the other side.

This time I'm getting my license.

A/N: Preview of next chapter: Poker Night

"Hey what's wrong?"

"Is it Ben? Did he do something?"

"No, his college friends are over. They were very... 'college behaved'. You know, rowdy."