Getting his hands dirty appeared easier than actually finding his way to the garage Rey worked at. Every street looked the same, but also not really, and people seemed to make a point of indicating the way by mentioning pubs with dubious names such as Grateful Lantern, Laughing Horses or even Olde Willow. Everything seemed stuck in a time warp that somehow managed to mix the last and current centuries together, resulting in old pavements brightened with colorful front windows. There was too much to look at and to process, so much that when Ben finally found the garage Rey had described in her text as 'modest but cosy', he barely bat an eyelid at the wide, yellow and orange sign staring back at him on the front door.
Bright blue painted letters reminded him of the name she'd added above the address- Poe'matic. A sigh almost left him as he noticed the handwriting. If they wanted to go the vintage way, they might have to revise how they traced their T's, because adding a few serifs here and there didn't make it more stylized.
He'd barely opened the door when a dark-haired man, who was probably Poe, greeted him with a friendly tap on the shoulder, which he hadn't prepared this new body for. First, because he hadn't received any physical contact other than a professional handshake in years; second, because such a simple gesture wouldn't normally require him to hold steady. A smirk appeared on the man's lips, and Ben had to double his effort not to take a step back when he tapped Ben on his shoulder a second time.
"Ah, the Birthday Girl! How's the head?"
Different. "Good."
A frown appeared on the man's face, making his dark curls bounce above his brown eyes, and Ben found himself immensely grateful he hadn't spoken more. In a vain attempt to excuse his lack of British accent, he cleared his throat, sparing himself a few more seconds to think correctly about his next words.
"I feel a bit hoarse, though," he added, his tongue a little harsher on the vowels like he'd heard Rey do with his own voice. The attempt seemed to convince Poe- at least Ben hoped it was him- and encouraged him to pat his shoulder a third time. Tactile boss it was.
"That happens when you dance and sing your head off all night long." Another smirk narrowed the man's eyes, then he raised his eyebrows. "I still can't believe you challenged Finn to karaoke."
Neither could he; but this explained the sharp pain in his heels and the tingling sensation in the back of his throat. So not only was he supposed to live Rey's typical day, but he also had to deal with the aftermath of what sounded like a wild night out. This wasn't what Ben would've thought of her based on their short call. Curious as to learn more about this party and its possible side effects on him, he cleared his throat and folded his arms against his- well, her chest, making the man's hand move away. "But I beat him, right?"
A genuine laugh left the man; a laugh so contagious Ben almost felt like sharing it. "God Rey, no," he managed to articulate, his hands on his stomach. "You don't remember the Dancing Queen accident?"
Dancing Queen accident. This night sounded more and more surprising, and Ben found himself wishing he'd actually been there to witness the scene. It wasn't like his birthday night had been that exciting, anyway. Curious but careful, he settled for a brief shake of the head, encouraging Poe to continue.
"You barely made it to the second chorus," he explained with a hardly suppressed grin. "Finn and I had to carry you the whole way home, then Rose made you one of her infusions and put you to bed."
Rose- another name to ask Rey about. Adding it to the other information he'd acquired so far, Ben let out a forced chuckle and followed the man at the other side of the garage where he showed him his tasks for today and, in an upsurge of what he called "hungover solidarity", let him choose the music. Lucky for him, none of the work he'd been assigned had been out of his capacities; and before he knew it, the majority of the afternoon had passed.
Rey hadn't lied- Poe was very talkative, and seemed to be caught in some drama Ben didn't quite understand, but listened to anyway. A knowing nod here and there was enough to keep him going, and the hangover excuse was enough for Poe to not question his silence. He wasn't of bad company at all- still, Ben felt his heart jump when his pocket vibrated. His hand immediately plunged into his pocket, grabbing Rey's phone with an ease he wasn't used to, and a sigh of relief left him at the sight of the text lighting the screen.
Rey | hey, just woke up. where do you keep your tea?
A small smile curled the corner of his lips. He always appreciated good grammar and spelling, but after so many years of navigating through Snoke and Hux's two-foot-long emails, a little simplicity was more than welcome. Still, he couldn't help but wince a little as he noticed the absence of capital letters, and made a point of using them in his reply.
Ben | Nowhere. I don't have tea.
Rey | ?!
A chuckle left him this time, causing Poe to frown at him from the car he's fixing. Ben dismissed him with a brief shake of his head, hoping that Rey usually used her phone at work. Once Poe disappeared under the Cadillac again, he looked back at the conversation and quickly typed his reply, amazed by how easily these fingers danced along the keyboard.
Ben | It's just water.
Rey | nvm. coffee?
Ben | Cabinet above the sink.
"Hey, did Finn say anything about me?"
Hiding his panic at the question appeared more difficult than Ben had hoped. Luckily, Poe hadn't moved from under the car, giving him the freedom to let his eyes widen as he thought about his next words and, more importantly, the way he was supposed to deliver them.
"We barely spoke since last night," he said cautiously.
"I mean… before?"
Listen to his drama, but don't say anything. Rey's words echoed in his head, and he noticed that his brain had replaced his voice with what he'd hear of hers so far. Amusing, yet terrifying- exactly what would happen in a dream. The thought of it not being real was enough to hold onto and not lose his mind as he thought about his answer.
"I don't want to get involved," he said after a few seconds of reflection, choosing to use Rey's own words for safety.
A sigh resonated under the car, followed by the mechanic's voice. "Yeah, sorry babe. I didn't mean… you know I'm not using you, right?"
Babe. The pet name awakened something in Ben, tugging at his stomach like he just got insulted. He'd never been called like that, let alone by a complete stranger. His last memories of such nicknames were closely tied to his childhood and the rare, but precious moments spent with his mother.
"Of course not," Ben said, careful to sharpen consonants. The words sounded a bit harsh like this, but the voice carrying them smoothed it in a way he didn't quite understand.
"Good. I really like you, and I'd hate for it to change anything between us."
The man disappeared behind another car, leaving Ben with only more questions and doubts. What exactly was supposed to be between them? This wasn't something he could ask Rey without making it weird; the situation was already hard to believe as it was. Instead, he looked back at the phone in his hand to where her last text (thanks) was waiting for him and typed a new message.
Ben | Who's Finn?
Rey | my roommate
did he see you?
Once again, her answer came quickly, which amazed Ben until he remembered she didn't have anything else to do besides exploring his apartment.
Ben | We just talked briefly this morning, through the door. But your boss mentioned him.
Rey | yeah, we're all friends. long story
did he notice anything?
His eyes left the device for a moment, searching for Poe. He found him perched above an open hood, blasting the chorus of a song he'd never heard before. No, he typed with an amused smile, I don't think so.
Rey | good
what's the password for your laptop?
Her habit of sending several texts at once weirdly suited what Ben had felt about her on the phone: a strong, fast personality. She'd been the one to take matters in hand, after all- her first reaction to waking up in such a situation had been to call herself and come up with a plan while his had consisted of… going back to bed. It hadn't felt like such a bad idea at that time: he'd had dreams weirder than that, and this sounded like something his brain could easily make up. Yet, this felt less and less like a dream.
Ben | Skylorgana
Rey | thank u
He didn't bother asking what she wanted it for, and didn't have time for it anyway: Poe was already coming back to him with a new list of things to check on a Prius along with a toolbox that reminded him of his father's. They both worked the rest of the afternoon with barely enough time to even talk to each other, and Ben had to find creative ways to consult his phone for some expressions either Poe or their customers used here and there. He didn't hear from Rey much either, her only other texts asking him if he had food anywhere and informing him of an email Snoke sent him. Ben chose to ignore the latter for the sake of his mental stability. If there was a risk, even a small one, of this not being a dream, he needed to remain calm like Rey had been so far.
"Alright," Poe's voice called from the other end of the garage a few hours later. "Let's call it a day."
A sound of surprise left Ben, followed with a grunt as he got back on his feet- or more accurately, Rey's. "Already?"
A brief glance at the clock hung over the wall confirmed his estimation: 5 P.M. It wasn't exactly that early, but this felt like an insanely short day given the time he'd arrived. Especially when he was used to leaving the office long after everyone else was gone, and arriving way before Snoke himself. Sometimes he even wondered why he bothered paying rent for an apartment that he only briefly used.
"Really," Poe confirmed with an amused yet surprised smile. He frowned a little, and Ben realized he might've reacted as himself, and not as Rey. "Unless you needed the garage for something?"
A knowing smirk followed the question, and Ben wasn't sure what it meant and thus chose to ignore it. "No," he said with a shake of his head. "I guess could use a good night's sleep."
The mechanic gave a light laugh at that, his curls bouncing on his forehead. He looked rather young to be a boss- couldn't be that much older than Ben. There was something youthful in him, an eternal amusement in his eyes that inspired both trust and instant friendship, and Ben could easily see why Rey had eventually become friendly with her boss. He smiled at the thought, realizing that this must be what friends did- smile at each other before saying goodbye.
"Actually… Could you not tell Finn that I asked about him?"
A hint of nervousness shadowed his face, suddenly making him look a little older. He was still smiling, though; nervous and obviously embarrassed, but smiling.
"Of course," Ben replied with a knowing nod.
It seemed enough to reassure Poe, which only increased his curiosity about the whole Finn situation. The phone in his pocket seemed heavy, all his answers within easy reach. He'd have to call Rey as soon as he got back to her apartment, which he hoped would be soon.
Finding his way back to the apartment had been easier than he'd thought. As much as he hated to admit, the odd pub names were actually a great help along the way. He took his time, though, exploring Rey's phone as he ventured through her neighborhood. Doing so felt creepy and intrusive at first until he remembered he had to know as much about her as he could. It was probably not real, anyway- at least that's what he kept telling himself as he went through the few text messages and emails she'd received the last few days; which was to say, not much. She didn't have many apps either, just two social medias that he chose not to open and a streaming one he recognized as the only one he'd installed on his own phone months ago. His curiosity was picked when he opened her photo gallery, though, dozens of colorful pictures appearing before him.
The most recent ones were from the night before, blurry and dark. Most of them featured her weirdly framed face smiling at the camera, accompanied by three people smiling as well. He recognized Poe and his wild curls, his uneasy smile and the way his eyes seemed constantly lit up by some secret knowledge. Next to him were a young woman and another man, both waving at the camera with amusement. Finn and Rose, probably. The rest of the pictures was mostly shots of buildings, old cars found in the street and other pictures of the same group of friends in different locations. Ben found himself staring a little longer at one particular picture of Rey standing next to one of those guards, her thumbs up and a smile on her lips.
This was the only picture of her taken by someone else, giving him a more complete view of the body he was currently inhabiting. She was wearing a denim jacket above black jeans and a grey sweater, the upper side of her face buried deep into a woolen scarf. Her hair was tied into a bun above her head, some rebellious strands waving around her in what looked like a rather windy day. A quick zoom on her face allowed him to notice the hint of a smile in the way her eyes were narrowed, and Ben felt himself blush at the realization that Rey wasn't only not bad-looking, but beautiful. The kind of pure, simple beauty he would never have dared looking at, and yet couldn't take his eyes off now that she was here. Now that he was here. That he was her. He allowed himself a few more seconds, then resumed to his initial exploration as he kept walking on the old pavement.
"You're home early!" a feminine voice shouted half an hour later as soon when Ben finally stepped into the apartment.
His eyes shot to the source of the voice, immediately landing on a rather small Asian woman he recognized from the pictures. She was sitting on one side of the couch situated in the middle of what seemed to be the living room, the other man from the pictures sitting right next to her. His eyes met his in an instant and he gave him a radiant smile that unsettled Ben for a brief moment.
"I-" Ben paused, remembering the accent he'd worked on all day. "Poe let me leave."
"That's nice of him."
His gaze turned to the man- Finn, if he had to guess. His warm smile had disappeared and made way to a softer one, in which he could feel the same unease he'd felt in Poe's. "Yeah, he was in a good mood."
"Or pitied you," the woman suggested with a little laugh.
Ben looked back at her, this time observing her a little more. She definitely was the girl from the pictures, but looked way more… casual. She wasn't wearing any of those oversized jackets he'd seen her in, not an ounce of makeup covering her face. She was wearing yellow sweatpants with a large T-shirt, her dark hair tied into a messy ponytail. The round glasses perched on her nose shook a little as she laughed, and Ben felt instant sympathy wash over him. A detail from his earlier conversation with Poe rushed back to his mind; something that could both confirm she was the Rose he'd heard about, and make his conversation a little more authentic.
"Thanks for the infusion," he said as he kicked his shoes off and hung his jacket on what seemed to be a coat rail. "Poe told me."
The young woman's smile turned into a grin, and Ben had to repress his smile at the relief that seized him. Credibility: check.
"It was nothing, just cucumber water and ginger. How's your head?"
"Good," Ben said with a shrug. "Just a sore throat," he added after a brief check-up.
"I'll make you a chamomile infusion after dinner," Rose offered with a knowing nod.
Once again, Ben forced himself to a smile when all he wanted was to disapprove. Of course, Rey's roommates would be used to her love for the gross leaf water. He supposed one cup couldn't be that bad, as long as they did have coffee. He wasn't sure he could this survive this situation without his morning coffee, which he hadn't had today.
"Speaking of dinner," the young man said, "we were thinking pizza?"
Pizza. He hadn't had pizza in years. Come to think of it, he hadn't eaten anything today, which probably explained the growl his stomach made at the mention of food. The last thing this body had received was probably that shitty herbal tea Rey's roommate had made her ingest. The thought made Ben shiver, which he quickly concealed behind a firm nod. "Pizza sounds great."
A victorious sound left Finn as he left the couch to grab his phone and order their dinner. He didn't ask for anyone's order, which led Ben to believe they all knew each other's preferences. He only had to pray Rey wasn't one of these pineapple pizza lovers- but given the state of his hunger, he could probably eat it anyway.
"You're gonna stay there all night?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.
Shit, he hadn't even moved from the corridor. Chasing his thoughts with a shake of his head, Ben quickly walked to the living room then sat on the couch, observing the room with as much casualness he was capable of. It was maybe as big as his bedroom back in Brooklyn, but so full of furniture and decorations he didn't know exactly where to look. The walls were covered with posters of movies, most he'd never heard of, the floor hidden under rugs and pillows. The couch he was sitting on remained in the center of the room, separated from the large TV screen by a coffee table currently covered with empty plates and glasses.
"What's that smell?" Ben asked with a frown as he sunk between the cushions.
"Sage," Rose replied calmly as she cleared the coffee table. "I figured I'd cleanse the apartment after that full moon."
Cleanse. The last time he'd heard this word was in a sketchy documentary during one of his insomnias- something about modern witchcraft and the dangers of burning herbs inside a house, with a few graphics about the growth of interest in pagan religions in the last few years. So this explained the smell and the infusions. If this was really a dream, and it had to be, his brain really had outdone itself.
"Yeah," he breathed out. "Makes sense."
Not even twenty minutes later, their pizzas arrived and chased the smell of sage away, making Ben's stomach growl with excited anticipation. The excitement decreased a little at the sight of the pizza Rey apparently loved: no pineapple in sight, but instead, an army of shrimp scattered over the round pastry, mixed up with curry and potatoes. This wasn't exactly what he'd been hoping for- but again, he was too hungry to look closely.
Finn and Rose were a good company: not too talkative, but enough to make him feel welcome, which felt ironic since they didn't know he was a complete stranger. Rose suggested they watch a movie, which Ben approved immediately. This felt like the perfect occasion to observe them and get a good idea of the kind of friendship they were supposed to have without risking to say anything stupid or, worse, forget the accent.
After an hour of thorough observation, Ben came to the conclusion that the three of them were as close as siblings: Rose's legs were on his lap like it was the most natural thing, and Finn kept reminding her not to throw the olive pits on the table if she couldn't aim properly for her pizza box. Finn seemed to be the one who knew Rey the most, though; a theory that got confirmed along with the fact that Rey really had awful tastes when the young man got up and asked him if he wanted some jellied eels on his pizza. The sheer thought had almost made him nauseous and he'd shook his head firmly, to the young man's greatest surprise.
"I'm going to bed," Rose said with a yawn when the ending credits began to roll over the screen.
Her legs left Ben's, leaving him with a cold sensation at the loss of her body's warmth. Finn moved next to him, grumbling something about doing the dishes first thing in the morning.
A quick glance at the window informed Ben of how late it was. The street was already dark, enough for him to cross his gaze –well, Rey's- as he looked at the glass. His eyes quickly shifted back to his new roommates, and to the TV he'd been staring at for the last hour. He'd never been into Westerns, but this one sure had been a good distraction from the events of the day and from his urge to look at the phone he'd felt vibrating in his pocket the entire movie. Looking at it would've been too risky given Finn and Rose's proximity, especially since he'd been stupid enough to name Rey as herself.
The second Finn and Rose disappeared in their respective rooms, Ben grabbed his phone and called Rey without even taking the time to look at the texts. His heart started pounding as he listened to the tonality, the phone crushed against his ear as he walked to Rey's room. What if Snoke had called her? What if she'd been outside despite his warning and met someone he knew? This was probably another trick of his brain to-
"I sent you a dozen texts," his own voice greeted him after the first tone.
The accusation in it made him frown a little, until he remembered Rey had spent her day alone at his place. "Sorry, I was watching a movie," he replied in a whisper. "With your roommates," he added once he closed the door behind him.
A short silence followed, during which Ben searched for the light switch on the wall. He found it after a few seconds, the clinking sound followed by a small chuckle as Rey spoke again. "So… how was your day?"
"Good," Ben replied with a shrug she couldn't see. "You know, besides the whole life-changing thing. Yours?"
A loud sigh echoed on the other side of the line. "Long. Boring. Your apartment isn't exactly entertaining."
The frustration in her tone was obvious, her accent making his own voice sound oddly foreign. It reminded him of the fact that he could actually stop accentuating the words leaving his mouth.
"Sorry," he murmured sincerely. A brief hesitation kept him silent for a second, then he added: "Is there anything? Between you and Poe?"
It was probably a bit blunt of him, but there wasn't really any way to ask this smoothly. Besides, he still wasn't completely sure this was real at all. A genuine laugh left Rey at his question, surprising him both by its suddenness and the realization that he hadn't heard himself laugh like this for years.
"Oh my God, no!" she managed to articulate between giggles. "He's like… I don't know, a brother."
"A very physical brother," Ben pointed out.
"Gross," Rey replied sharply. Another chuckle left her. "Really, I can promise you I'm not the one he's interested in." Ben's curiosity got picked again at the words she used, but she spoke again before he could ask anything. "Anyway, I did some research since I didn't have anything to do."
Ben let out a short breath as he flopped down on her bed. He'd forgotten how tiny it was, and how surprisingly well he could fit in. "Did you… find anything?"
"Just that Freaky Friday was made in 2003," Rey said, "which makes me feel old, and that the internet is kinda kinky."
"Like that's new."
His answer made her chuckle, and he suddenly hoped she hadn't seen his browser history. Had he cleared it? Oh, well, this wasn't the worst thing she could've found. She could've stumbled upon the outrageous amount of science-fiction romance novels hidden in a box at the bottom of his wardrobe, or on the few email notifications from that time when he signed in on a dating website years ago.
"I also looked up the ways to know if you're dreaming," Rey added, pulling him away from his spiraling thoughts. "There are some things we can try to do like a reality check, trying to fall asleep or blinking."
Ben immediately blinked at that, opening his eyes to the same view he'd left a second ago. "I can blink."
"Me too," Rey replied calmly, and Ben realized she'd probably tried before his call.
"I did fall asleep again this morning," he added, almost laughing at the memory of what had then felt like the obvious solution.
"Ok, reality check then. Did you notice anything weird today?"
Oh, he sure had. "Apart from the fact that I have a woman's body?" Ben grumbled, throwing himself on the mattress. Rey's light chuckle tickled his ear as his back bounced on the bed but she stayed silent, which he took as an invitation to continue. "People were… nice. I asked for directions three times on the way to the garage and everyone helped me."
"That's normal," Rey stated patiently.
"Oh." Maybe this reality check thing was going to be a little more complicated than he thought. Ben closed his eyes, focusing on his entire day and everything that'd felt out of place. "There are two faucets in the bathroom," he recited with two fingers pinching his nose. "Everything looks old, there's carpet everywhere and some shops have very odd names."
"This is normal," Rey repeated on the other side. A few clicks echoed behind her, indicating she was still on his laptop. "Ok, next thing was… Oh right, any chance you had a concussion or severe injury?"
"I don't think so," Ben replied with a vain shake of his head, the movement tangling his hair on her pillow. "How about you?"
"Well, I did drink more than I should've. I don't even remember going back home."
The memory of Rose's infusion hit Ben along with guilt as he remembered the chamomile tea he'd abandoned on the kitchen counter earlier. "They carried you," he told her as Poe's words rang back to his ears. "Poe mentioned a Dancing Queen karaoke. There were also some blurry pictures on your phone, I took the liberty of looking at it." Something tugged at his stomach as he remembered the picture of her with the guard. "You- well, I have a pretty big hangover, but I didn't notice anything."
A long silence lingered between them, only interrupted by Rey's breathing and a few clicks on her side from time to time. When she finally broke it, her tone was low and uncertain.
"So… not a dream, then."
The verdict hit Ben like a cold shower. "Nope," he agreed with a low voice as well.
And suddenly, everything felt as dizzy as it had this morning when he'd woken up. This wasn't some kind of fucked-up dream; he'd really woken up in someone else's body, at the other side of the world, and absolutely no idea as to how to fix this. He'd been thrown into a life he knew nothing about, surrounded by complete strangers, in what felt like a complete nightmare.
"Maybe we should… set some rules," Rey said after a moment.
A frown creased his brows at the suggestion. "Shouldn't we try to swap back?"
"Yes, but unless you have a plan right now…" She sighed, making his voice sound already a bit more familiar. "Whatever happened…. It happened. Maybe everything will be back to normal tomorrow, but if it's not, we need to start thinking about a way to deal with this until we find a solution. I can't hide in your apartment forever."
She was right; Ben hated how she was right. "Ok," he agreed with a sigh. "Let's set some rules."
And so they did, with Rey typing everything on his computer. About twenty minutes later, they ended up with what felt like a fair arrangement: Ben wasn't allowed to go through the box hidden under her bed, but could use her Netflix account if he didn't delete anything from her list. She was allowed to do the same in return but had to create a new account so she wouldn't screw his. Since she shared hers with Rose, Ben didn't really have a choice but to click on the little 'Girls' icon when he logged on her laptop, testing the new device as she kept reading the rules they'd agreed on so far. It occurred to Ben he should warn her about not calling his parents, and not reply if they were to contact him. It wasn't like they had, but still. Rey agreed with a surprised tone, but didn't question it. Lastly, they weren't to do any changes to the other's body unless its true owner had been consulted and had agreed.
"About that, can I cut your hair a little?" Ben interrupted.
He was met with a firm no, to which he sighed. "Oh come on," Rey murmured, "Yours isn't that short either."
Once again, she was right; still, he didn't tell her and let her type the rest of their rules, which included basic things such as informing each other of main events and never doing something important that could potentially change the other's life. It was all promises they had to hope the other would keep, but Ben trusted Rey- mostly because he had to. If he didn't, his anxiety would hit the roof. It was already a miracle it hadn't, but he supposed Rey's ease about managing the whole situation had been a great help for that. They'd just agreed on a time to call each other every night when Ben realized he was still wearing day clothes, including the T-shirt he'd woken up in and kept on in his rush.
"Um, do you… do you mind if I take a shower?" he asked
An inquiring hum followed his question, and Rey spoke again. "Of course not. I think I'm gonna go eat something anyway."
"I meant… Do you mind?"
A blush seized Ben as he tried to clarify the meaning of his question. He still hadn't truly seen the body he was currently inhabiting. He knew he would have to, at one point. Yet, the idea made him breathe with a little more difficulty.
"Oh. I…" The way Rey paused made Ben's heart skip a beat. "I didn't think about asking you," she finally admitted.
It was inevitable, they couldn't possibly avoid looking at each other's body; still, Ben felt his cheeks warm at the idea of this stranger seeing him bare. The last time he'd let someone see him like this was years ago, and he hadn't really been the most comfortable of the two of them.
"It's ok," he managed to mumble.
Nothing in his voice made it sound like it was ok, but Rey had the decency to not say anything for the next few seconds. When she finally broke the silence, Ben could hear the nervousness in his voice, and the way she spoke a tad faster than he usually did.
"It's- you're rather-"
"Can we please not talk about it," Ben interrupted before she could go any further.
"I was about to say it's a… respectable size."
His heart skipped not one, but two beats this time, and Ben was glad she couldn't see the blush coloring his cheeks right now. "Thank you," he mumbled after a moment, making an effort not to crush the phone between his thin fingers.
"Probably bigger than average."
A hint of pride washed over Ben at her words and he swallowed with difficulty, feeling very lucky when he didn't choke on his own saliva. "I'm gonna go take that shower."
"Yeah, sure," Rey replied hastily. "Of course. Sorry. You're probably exhausted."
Oh he was, he really was, and not only mentally. Switching from an office job to the physical activity that fixing cars involved was more tiring than he would've expected. "I… yes," Ben admitted in a breath. "I'll call you tomorrow?"
Rey hummed her approval, then ended the call after wishing him a good night, to which he replied with an awkward and confused good evening. The moment she left, a heavy sense of loneliness hit him, along with all the panic he'd somehow managed to keep away all day. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't a dream. His breath began to shudder as numerous fears flooded his mind, all worse than the other and incredibly terrifying. His heart was going to leave his chest any minute, it wasn't even his heart, his chest, his-
The shower. The shower would calm him down. All he needed was to relax enough to fall asleep.
Luckily, the bathroom was right across the corridor, allowing Ben to sneak in without having to fear waking Finn or Rose. It was a rather small one, but Ben remembered he didn't have to worry about its size- not with this body. Shyly, he walked to the mirror hanging above the sink and glanced at his reflection, still expecting to meet his dark eyes underlined by the heavy bags left by too many evenings working on his computer. Instead, the eyes staring back at him were a sweet hazel, almond-shaped and underlined by a trail of freckles running along a tiny nose and round cheeks.
Rey really was beautiful.
Timidly, Ben grabbed the edge of the sweater he'd worn all day and cautiously pulled it above his head. The cold air of the room tickled his skin, making him shiver as he got shed the socks and jeans he'd thrown on this morning. He kept the t-shirt on that Rey had slept in as he turned the shower on, taking deep breaths as his free hand reached for the hem of the cotton underwear hugging his hips. Carefully, he rolled them down his legs and looked down at the T-shirt. He could definitely see the shape of Rey's breasts under it, could feel it on himself. There really was no way he could avoid it- and so he pulled it over his head as well, shivering at the loss of this last shield against the cool temperature.
Even there, she was beautiful. The blush Ben had felt earlier only increased as he caught a glimpse of his reflection. It took him a few seconds to work up the nerve to allow himself to look again; and when he did, the shiver running down his spine had nothing to do with the temperature. He'd seen women's bodies before, in movies and during a brief, confusing hookup session after college. He'd seen slender bodies, curves, but Rey's had something new about it. It was… simple, and yet enticing. His eyes caught sight of a thatch of hair starting between her thighs, then drifted back to the upper half of her body. He'd never been extremely attracted by breasts but found himself hypnotized by how perfect hers looked.
The spasms on his back disappeared as soon as he stepped inside the shower, chased by the warm water. In just a few minutes, his muscles felt insanely less tense, and the headache he'd carried all day gradually disappeared. This felt good and familiar. His hands instinctively brushed his hair away from his face as the water began to soak them and he threw his head backward, closing his eyes. For a moment, he was back in Brooklyn, taking a shower in his own apartment. The room he was in was a combination of black and red tiles. The rug he would step on would be a deep burgundy, contrasting with the dark towels hanging from the silver sink. His hands instinctively ran down his hips but stopped at the juncture of his thighs when he realized the automatism.
This had become a habit- going home, taking a hot shower and… relaxing. He didn't even think about it most of the time, just… did it. His eyes snapped back open, a wave of guilt washing over him. He couldn't do it here; not in a body that wasn't his. Not in a body he didn't know.
Besides, he probably wouldn't know where to start- at least that's what he told himself as he poured some soap in his hand and rubbed it over the sun-kissed skin enveloping him. His fingers trembled slightly as he grazed over the folds between his legs. Even the coldest shower wouldn't be enough to erase the fire growing on his face. He decided not to linger too much on the breasts (these things didn't need to be washed anyway, did they?) and turned the water off a few minutes later, almost fully relaxed from the warmth filling the room.
When he came back to Rey's room, a towel wrapped around him, he found a message waiting for him on Rey's phone next to an email from Netflix notifying him of a suspicious connection.
Rey | how was the shower?
A small smile curled the corner of his mouth as he sat on the bed. This was nothing, just a polite question; yet it was a presence. A reassuring presence that could understand his situation more than anyone else.
Good, he typed as his back met the mattress with a muffled sound. I feel much better.
The towel slid a bit at his movements, revealing a hint of the skin he'd tried to hide from himself. A trail of shivers ran down his collarbone as he remembered Rey's words, and he quickly typed his next message before he thought better of it.
Ben | You're also a very respectable size.
Her answer came before he could even begin to regret his.
Rey | are you joking, they're ridiculous
Not ridiculous at all, he replied within seconds. His heart was pounding at an insane rhythm again, memories of his reflection staring back at him sneaking somewhere between his guilt and the part of him that was trying hard to focus on the conversation. If he focused enough, he could almost see Rey smiling at him as herself. The vibration in his hand pulled him out of his train of thoughts, increasing his smile as he read the new messages lighting the screen.
Rey | thanks : )
now go to bed
A chuckle almost crossed his lips, widening his eyes at the realization that he could've woken up the entire apartment. This wasn't something he was used to- definitely something he would have to work on. But for now, laughing felt good; especially when it sounded like this. He did it again just to hear what Rey's own laugh would sound like.
Already am, he replied. An idea crossed his mind right before he hit send, and he switched the texting app to the camera to snap a picture of his view, then attached it to his message. Rey's answer was quick to follow, making him scoff softly.
Rey | god that's weird
those are my legs
Ben | I promise I'll take care of them.
To anyone else, this would've sounded inappropriate- but Rey didn't seem to mind when she sent him one last text that reminded him of the ache in his legs and the sleepiness threatening to close his eyes any moment now.
Rey | thank you
goodnight, Ben