A/N: *Spoiler Alert* If you're one of the few folks who have yet to watch Avengers Endgame (what's taking you so long?!), I'm going to spoil the final scene in this chapter. Fair warning! There's also a brief intimate scene, but don't worry I kept it T rated. It's barely a paragraph long if anything. Hmm... I think that's all the warnings.

On another note, I was talking to a fellow reader/writer here and juggled a few story ideas her way for some feedback. If you're interested in my writing (though I can't imagine anyone would be), I've got a handful of new stuff to share right after this one's over. Stay tuned?

~XXVII. Our Last Night~

Rey eventually returned to the loft that Sunday evening. She didn't show up alone though; Poe accompanied her. She wasn't ready to face him yet and needed some moral support. Poe volunteered immediately to take her home and went so far as to text Ben and asked him to not talk to Rey, per her request. At least not the night that she got back. Plus, he wanted to see how his other friend was holding up.

When they arrived at the loft, Ben excused himself and sat at the balcony. He wasn't ready to face her either. Rey stepped inside with Poe in tow, relieved to see that he wasn't in the immediate vicinity. She spotted him outside, and they exchanged quick glances. Fighting her emotions, she excused herself to use the restroom.

Poe strode to the balcony to check on his other friend. Ben was expecting him to reprimand him of his poor actions, especially the way he had made Rey cry. Hux and Phasma did it, he wouldn't blame Poe if he wanted to give him a piece of his mind as well. He deserved the criticism. But his jokester of a friend surprised him and instead asked if he was alright. Leave it to Poe to be the most caring of all. This gesture was new for Ben that someone was actually asking about his well-being instead of pointing the finger at him.

"It's been a very lonely weekend," was Ben's answer.

"I'll bet," Poe said.

Ben glanced at his oldest friend. He wanted to talk to anyone really and let his frustrations out, but the only person he really wanted was Rey.

"Did you have something you want to say to me?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Poe was confused.

As nice as Poe was being, Ben was used to having put his defenses up. It was only a matter of time before Poe would start lecturing him.

"Well, everyone else has something to say to me about this mess I made. Go ahead, I can take it," Ben prepared himself for the criticism once again.

"All I ask is that you take care of her the next couple of days," Poe requested. "I know you two aren't on the best terms right now, but she's fragile. And you are too. Don't do anything else that would break either of you into pieces."

He was… shocked. Poe wasn't going to put blame on him? Of all people he would think Poe would hit him hardest because Rey was also his best friend.

"What?" Poe wondered why Ben looked at him funny.

"Nothing, it's just…" Ben sighed. "Thanks for not you know… ragging on me."

"Oh rest assured I think you're both stupid," Poe got Ben to chuckle. "But I'm not that mean. I know you two are hurting. I'm going to try my best to be there for you guys."

"You could probably stay here," Ben suggested. That wasn't such a bad idea. They could use a middleman. "Why don't you stay here? Be the neutral party so we can co-exist."

"Sorry buddy," Poe shook his head. "As great of an idea as that sounds, you two need to be alone. Whether it's together or not, no one else should meddle."

"We can't do this alone, Poe. Even for just the week. We're both emotionally unstable. It's too much to handle," he confessed.

"I get that, but you need to just be alone, be with your thoughts. Rey too."

"I don't know, man. It's easier said than done."

Ben fiddled with the lose strand of thread on the cushion of his seat. He wasn't sure if he'd ever think or see clearly after this. Then Poe did the unexpected again. He patted Ben on the shoulder and consoled him some more. No one ever did this for Ben. This was all new to him. And coming from Poe? Who would've thought.

"The way I see it, Ben, you're very clouded in the head right now. So it's okay to not know what you're supposed to do next or even what you want to do," Poe explained. "But just remember one thing, buddy. Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you. Just don't be afraid to listen."

Ben gawked at his friend, surprised that his offer was turned down, but most importantly was impressed once again at his words.

"When did Poe Dameron become such a decent human being?" Ben lightly joked.

Poe laughed and smacked his shoulder.

"When his two best friends showed him there was more to life if you have someone to share it with."

He understood what he meant. It was just too hard to make things right again. With that, Poe stepped back inside to make sure Rey had settled back in as comfortable as possible. And just like that he left, leaving Ben and Rey once again in the awkward state they were in six months ago.

~.~.~.~

The days went by slow, yet too fast all at once. On Monday, Rey did everything she could to avoid Ben. She had gone back to waking up extremely early and coming home super late. Ben made sure to avoid her as well, camping out in the living room when she was hiding in the bedroom and made himself comfortable in the balcony when he knew she'd be in the kitchen. Tuesday was the same routine. Again, no exchange of words. Silence filled the loft for those two days.

On Wednesday, two days before their court date, they both realized that this would all be over soon. Not that it wasn't already on their minds the night she came back. But this reality hit deeper. Rey came home at around 7 PM, exhaustion written all over her face. Ben was avoiding her, taking up space in the balcony and was working out on his exercise bike.

Not only did they avoid speaking to one another for the past few days, they've also avoided glancing at each other's direction. Rey walked to the refrigerator intent on grabbing a water bottle and a piece of fruit to hold her over until she had the energy to make dinner. She took the bottle in her hand and twisted the cap off, ready to take a swig. For a brief moment, her eyes wandered before titling her head back to drink her beverage, and it had caught Ben's traveling eyes when he had randomly looked up from changing the next song on his phone. For the first time in five days they saw each other. Stared into each other's eyes. Saw the pain. The hurt. The longing. But it was too much for Rey. Forgoing her water and snack, she closed the refrigerator door and quickly retired to the bedroom. She never came back outside for dinner that night.

Rey anticipated Thursday to be a very stressful day. Because it was the day before their court appearance, she had planned to take Friday off meaning she needed to get a ton of work finished before the end of her short work week. To top it all off, she had barely any sleep or any energy in her to stay focused. She wasn't looking too good by the time lunch rolled around.

"Andor, you alright? Looking kind of pale." Lando stopped by her office on the way to his own and noticed she hadn't clocked out for lunch.

She glanced up from resting her head on her desk to her boss.

"Sorry. I haven't had much sleep the past few days," Rey said as she tried to compose herself. She tried to focus on her computer screen, but even Lando took notice of her off behavior.

"Why don't you take the rest of the day, you deserve some time off," he offered.

"No, sir, it's alright. I'm already taking time off tomorrow and Monday is Labor Day. Let me try to get as much work done today," she tried to dismiss him and grabbed the top stack of papers in front of her.

Her office was, to put in light terms, an organized mess. Rey hadn't been focusing too much on her work that week, given that her problems at home were taking up most of the space in her mind. Okay, all of the space in her mind. She knew it was bad when someone else at the office noticed her lackluster exertion, her boss no less.

"Rey," he stopped her from opening the folder in front of her. "Go home. You need to rest," he insisted.

"But-"

"Jess and Jannah are more than capable of taking over for a few days. And I promise Snap won't touch your contract with Skywalker Enterprises while you're gone. We can hold the fort down until you come back. Give me some credit, I'm the CEO aren't I?" he chuckled.

"Are you sure? It's barely noon?" she glanced at the clock above her door.

"Yes, now go! Besides, I don't want my new Development and Outreach Director coming in with eyebags on Tuesday when she gets introduced to the board," he winked.

"I guess you're right… wait… what?!" she suddenly jolted awake.

Lando let out a hearty laugh, wondering how soon she'd catch on to his words.

"You heard me. You earned this, Rey. Starting next week, the position is yours. Congratulations!"

Once she processed what her boss had revealed, she immediately thanked him. Jess and Jannah somehow already knew (Lando must have told them moments before) and they rushed into her office to congratulate Rey for the well-deserved promotion. Promptly, they ordered her to take Lando's offer and go home, as they too were worried that she may be getting sick. Without much effort in fighting, Rey eventually accepted her early dismissal and left.

When she made it out of her building, she stood at the entrance and breathed out a relieving sigh. Finally, she thought. Finally, her hard work had paid off. Finally, she was being noticed. Finally. She thought for a moment whether to celebrate just a little for her achievement. Maybe stop by Poe's bar? Meet up with Finn or Rose for lunch? When she dug inside her purse for her phone and tapped her contacts list, the name she immediately stopped on was his. The first and only person she wanted to share this news with was Ben. Suddenly, the joy of her news had mellowed down. Fighting any emotions, she locked her phone and shook off the idea of going out to celebrate. It wouldn't be fun if she didn't get to be with who she really wanted around. Right now, she just wanted to go home and curl up in bed.

Lando wasn't kidding when he noticed Rey's pallor. She skipped dinner the night before, and to be fair wasn't in the right state of mind to eat breakfast, let alone have a cup of coffee. Maybe on top of all this she actually was getting sick. Does lovesick count? Either way, her emotional drainage had caught up to her body and the walk upstairs to their floor drained her more than usual. As soon as she stepped inside the apartment, Rey's legs almost gave out. Though she somehow managed to slump herself down at the breakfast table nearby.

Physically and emotionally spent, Rey panted heavily, folded her arms on the tabletop and let her forehead fall forward. Her sleepless nights were catching on and her eyes felt so heavy.

"Hey… are you alright?" a soft voice stirred her from her almost slumber.

She brought her head up and was a bit startled to see him sitting at the computer desk, mid bite from the ham and cheese sandwich in his hands.

One look at her and Ben saw the lifelessness in her eyes. Concern took over, never mind the awkward air between them, and he went over to kneel at her side.

"Whoa, Rey. You're pretty pale," he gently spoke. "Are you getting sick?"

She couldn't keep a long stare, especially not with him. She looked down at her feet, heels still on from her morning at work, wishing she had taken them off because her feet were killing her on top of everything else.

"Something like that," she managed to say to him.

He understood. Of course he did. He was feeling… something like that as well.

"Haven't had much to eat. Body is low on energy," she shared.

He felt so guilty for being the reason for her skipping dinner last night. It was his fault. He knew that. He couldn't help it, though. He wanted to get just one quick look at her last night because he missed her so. But just as he stole his chance, she glanced at him at the same time, thus ruining the rest of her evening.

Ben stood up, walked to the desk and came back with his plate.

"Eat up. Please?" he offered her half of his sandwich.

She fiddled with her thumbs, debating if she should let them be this friendly. She didn't want to get carried away like the night before. Her stomach overpowered her thoughts when she felt another grumble.

"Thanks," she said weakly and took a bite.

Ben nodded, getting up to allow her some personal space. He fetched her some water and placed it on the table beside the plate. He then walked over to the computer desk and picked up his book.

"I'll head out to the balcony. Give you some space. But please, if you're not feeling well let me at least take you to the doctor or something, alright?"

She sluggishly nodded, trying to process everything now that she had a little bit of food in her stomach.

He awkwardly waved and took a few steps towards the living room.

"Ben," she suddenly blurted. Her voice wasn't frail anymore.

He spun around, a little too eagerly, but he didn't care at this point.

"Stay with me? Just for today."

They both knew what that meant. This was the only day left. Six months wasted and leave it to the last day that one of them asked for the other to stay.

A faint smiled flashed briefly on his face before Ben tossed his book on the kitchen counter and walked over to Rey.

He offered his hand. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but honestly Rey didn't care at this point. She gave her hand to him and he gestured for her to stand up. When she did, he pulled her in and embraced her. She fell into his arms naturally, allowing him to hold her tight. She needed this hug, this connection with him. She just needed him.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered into her ear.

Just for today, he said to himself, I'll show you how much I care.

~.~.~.~

This unspoken agreement to ignore their current predicament eased the air between them for the rest of the afternoon into the evening. The two coexisted in their loft together. This last night was theirs and only theirs to have. Nothing else mattered.

Rey changed into comfier clothes, a pair of yoga pants and a button up flannel shirt and joined Ben in the kitchen. He was taking out some familiar ingredients and utensils. She didn't need to ask that he was craving some baked goods.

He caught her attention and shrugged at her, offering to bake Pizookies again. The last time they did that, Ben enjoyed it immensely. He wanted to just relive their happy moments spent together. She lightly smiled at him for the first time in a week. Like before, she walked over to a drawer, pulled out a smock and nudged his hip. They silently worked together to make the sugary dessert once again.

Rey caught on to what Ben was doing after he placed an order for a pizza and walked outside to the balcony to remove the grills to light up his fire pit. He was reenacting their best times together. It was sweet. Exactly what she needed. She wanted to remember only their good times after all this.

They ate in silence once their pizza arrived, unsure if this mutual peace needed words.

"How's your work coming along?"

Apparently, Ben thought the silence wasn't enough. This of course startled Rey. She wasn't expecting anything more but simple pleasantries and sitting together throughout the evening. Well, better a simple chat than awkward silence.

"Um… it's good."

"You sure about that?" he looked at her quizzically.

"Y-yeah," she said. He noticed her hesitation. Was it really a good time to bring up her promotion?

"You know you can tell me anything," he assured her. "Is Snap harassing you? My mom overworking you? I'm sorry if she is."

"No, she's fine. And Snap's not harassing me… Actually, he's probably going to stop with the harassing altogether."

"Did he finally get canned?" Ben wondered.

"No," she said. "I uh… I got the promotion."

"Rey that's great! Congratulations!" Ben was genuinely happy for her.

He knew that it might have to take some convincing, but he really was pleased that she was finally getting the recognition she deserved.

"Thanks," she softly spoke.

"Hey, you worked so hard for that, I never doubted you'd get it," he encouraged.

For a brief moment, they glanced at one another and smiled.

As if on the same page, after their 'bonfire' they settled on the couch. Rey wasted no time and snuggled next to Ben from the start. He didn't mind of course, he wanted to hold her for as long as he had left.

They watched the last of Ben's Avengers movies: Infinity War and Endgame. Rey didn't realize the last installments were much longer than the first two, but she didn't mind. She actually liked these movies, both because they were fun to watch and because it was something Ben had introduced her to; something they shared together.

The penultimate scene of Endgame had finally come. Steve Rogers AKA Captain America, the superhero Rey had started to like over Thor (partially because he reminded her so much of Ben), had come back to the present time as an older man. He chose to live out his life in an alternate timeline, thus deciding to pass his shield on to his best friend Sam. His friend had noticed a ring on his finger and inquired the story behind it. The final scene flashed to another time. An older time. It was revealed that Steve finally got the chance to dance with his one true love Peggy.

That scene tugged at Rey's heartstrings. Sure, there were plenty of other intimate moments from the other movies they watched, but this hit home. Probably because Rey realized that her chance to turn back time with Ben would never happen like the two characters on the screen.

That scene tugged at Ben's core as well. Suddenly he realized that he too wanted to dance with Rey. So, he did just that.

He gently nudged her to separate their bodies for a moment. She was a bit startled, though it made sense since the movie was over. But she was even more confused when he stood up. Instead of walking over to the TV to possibly put on another flick, he gently took her hand and pulled her up, guiding her to an open space in the living room. He stopped in their tracks and turned to her. She was still unsure of what he was doing, but trusted him nonetheless. With her hand still in his, he brought it up and rested her palm on his chest. He pulled her into a tight embrace, wrapped his other arm along the small of her back, and began to slowly sway in light circles with her.

He wants to dance with me, she realized. Her heart fluttered. She rested her head on his shoulder more comfortably and savored this moment for as long as she could.

The music from the credits were coming to an end, they had probably been 'dancing' for almost ten minutes. When the movie concluded and brought the screen back to the main menu, they stopped their movements but kept their connection. He buried his face in the crooks of her neck the entire time, taking in her scent - a slight hint of vanilla - knowing that he wouldn't get to inhale that familiar trace for much longer. Something took over him and he kissed the softest part of her skin, a small gasp escaped from her lips. He decided he liked that reaction and continued to show her what he wanted, or rather who he wanted – her. He dragged his lips across her jaw, feeling her tense up and relax all at once. Then he rested his forehead on hers.

"Rey," he drawled out her name in pleasure.

"Ben," she purred wantonly.

She decided she couldn't wait for him to make the move, so she pressed her lips to his desperately. It didn't take much effort for retort as Ben eagerly kissed back, brushing his tongue on her lower lip to ask for access to deepen the passion.

All bets were off, they decided this long ago. He was intent to explore more of this desire for her, running his hands down her waist to her thighs, and in one fell swoop lifting her to wrap her legs around him. She didn't hesitate to assist, locking herself to his hips pressing herself against his wanting core. Ben started to walk towards the hall, the bedroom his intended destination. But as their kisses grew deeper and she started nibbling on his lower lip, the trek to the room seemed almost impossible. He settled for perching Rey on top of the couch, steadying her a bit, not letting her fall while she still had her legs wrapped around him. They explored more of each other's bodies together, hands touching every naked surface, wanting so much to do this ever since their last time in Vegas. But this time they weren't inebriated. This time they'll revel in the moment.

Rey tugged at his shirt, growling for him to rip it off. He obeyed her command and shed the fabric, letting her drink in his exposed torso for a second. Her lustful eyes wandered across his toned chest and her soft touch almost sent him over. He hissed, jealous that she was still clothed, and began to unbutton her shirt. He caught her black brazier, the one he knew all too well, and placed his lips on her collarbone, kissing the new open flesh for his pleasure. Ben returned to Rey's neck, making his way to her already swollen lips. This was right. This was real. This was what they wanted all along.

But the universe wouldn't allow it.

*Riiiiing*

*Riiiiing*

"Urghh," Ben groaned against Rey's neck. That did it for her. She moaned into his ear, which only made him kiss her even harder.

They tried to ignore it a second time, but the piercing shrill beckoned for their attention.

Ben would've ignored it, screen the call and shut off his phone to return to his session with her, but that ringtone was set specifically for the person on the other line. Rey did the same on her phone, knowing quite well who the caller was. They paused, unwillingly, and stared hazily in each other's eyes.

"Wait here," he whispered. She nodded slowly.

He kissed her once more on the lips before dragging his feet to the kitchen counter to answer his phone.

"Yes?" he gritted his teeth.

"Ben! It's Sabine. Hope I didn't wake you."

"No, it's fine, Sabine. What's up?" he tried to hide his evident frustration. He turned to Rey, an apologetic look on his face, promising to end the call as soon as he could.

"I'm just calling to remind you of you and Ms. Andor's court appearance tomorrow. You should have received a packet in the mail. Did you two fill it out yet?"

"No, we figured not to touch it until tomorrow."

The week prior, a manila folder was delivered to them, the contents in the folder were the official papers to request an annulment. Now a week ago, neither felt the need to open it. It was as if not opening the envelope gave them a spark of hope that maybe things would work out between them. And a week ago, it may have been the case. But now, it was the most complicated thing in the world for them.

"I suppose it is better to fill it out with your attorneys, should you have any questions."

"Yeah, sure," Ben replied. Of course he knew the real reason why they didn't open it.

"Just please don't forget to bring all the paperwork."

"I won't forget, Sabine," he assured her. He walked over to the desk, lifted the folder in the air and glanced at it as if she were in front of him and he was showing her he had the documents.

Ben didn't intend to open the envelope. He only lifted it up on instinct because it was the topic of conversation with his attorney. But when Rey glanced over and saw that he was holding the sacred documents, her mind had scrambled into overdrive. Immediately, she realized that she and Ben were going so far into something that essentially would end in a much tougher heartbreak than they anticipated. She couldn't do that to herself or Ben. She frantically shook her head and hopped off the couch, covering her exposed chest with her undone shirt.

Ben heard her get off the couch and swung his head around, confused with her actions. When they locked eyes that was when Rey's full senses came back and her emotions took over. Tears already started to form and spill on her cheeks. One last look at him, she pursed her lips and shook her head, making a beeline to the bedroom.

Ben immediately ended his call, placed his phone and envelope down and ran to the start of the hallway. He missed her by a hair, catching the door to the bedroom close, hearing the lock click, and watching the light from underneath the door turn off. Feeling he shouldn't go after her, he understood that the night was over.

Rey slammed the door shut and locker herself in. She couldn't trust herself not to let Ben inside to try and talk with her or continue what they started. She shut off the lights and crawled into bed, what she had planned to do when she first got home. This was for the better, she kept telling herself that in between sobs. She and Ben were over.

A/N: Preview of next chapter: Six Months Later

"Mr. Pryde, before you are dismissed, do you have any last words about the couple?"

"You honor... They've coexisted and complimented each other so well; one might even think they've been married for years. I mean, they're perfect for each other."

"Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Solo. Last chance to put in a word..."