Chapter 9: No More Waiting

Rey, Finn and Poe stepped out of the three-way hug on Ajan Kloss. The Jedi and former Stormtrooper gazed into each other's eyes, their expressions matching ones of relief. Sensing the tension, Poe smirked.

"So who speaks first? You do? She does?" No response, and his smirk broadened. "I think I'll go... do something." Still, they ignored him, not deigning him with an OK, and so the pilot stayed right where he was.

Finn's expression steeled into something quite somber. "There's something I need to tell you..."

Rey just beamed and shook her head. She was done waiting for the perfect moment. She was done holding back on expressing her feelings - not when she now knew that time was precious. She had thought it while dying on Exogol, how she was never going to see Finn again...

But she had been given a second chance. And Rey didn't intend to waste it. And so, smiling so wide it nearly broke her face, Rey assertively looped her arms about Finn's neck.

"Stop talking," she murmured. And with that, not even sure if he would return her love, Rey brought her face quite close and fiercely kissed him.

She was both surprised and pleased when Finn responded to her kiss almost immediately, taking her waist and pulling her closer with a groan. Closing her eyes dreamily, Rey tangled her fingers into his dark locks and parting her lips, she deepened the kiss, allowing their tongues to merge and touch. She thrust out her hips and shivered with delight as she felt clearly his desire for her. Even as her mouth quickly grew sore with how passionately Finn was kissing her back, Rey's lips upturned against his into a triumphant smile.

Somewhere far, far away, Rey heard a deadened roar burst through as the Resistance base erupted in cheers. She felt Finn laugh into her lips, his warm breath tickling her face, and he picked her up and spun her around, not once breaking the kiss. Throwing her arms about his neck, Rey moaned loudly and shoved her lips against Finn's, kissing him harder.

Then she finally said the words she always wanted to say.

"I love you!" she whispered into his mouth, her voice strangely hoarse. She felt Finn's grip, sure and strong, tighten. Nothing would ever keep them apart again.

Rey was quite happy and pleased, with how quickly she and Finn were becoming comfortable kissing each other.

Her Finny was a natural as, standing in the privacy of his rooms, as that first evening after the battle fell, he and Rey embraced and kissed and kissed and kissed some more.

When they softly broke apart for air, Rey grinned almost dopily and tenderly moved her fingers through his hair. Finn had grown out his dreadlocks after the Battle of Crait - something she had secretly approved of very much.

"You have the most wonderful hair," she giggled flirtatiously, blushing. That was something they were also learning - flirting with each other.

Finn chuckled, wrapping his arms about her waist. "Do I, now? I've been thinking about getting it cut - you know, with everything being over..."

"Oh, please don't!" Rey begged, running her fingers through the tendrils again. "I quite like it."

Finn laughed and, beaming into each other's eyes, the couple kissed again, lightly. Breaking apart, Rey saw the light in Finn's eyes dim just a bit, and she peered at him, running her hands down his toned chest.

"What is it?" she murmured.

"Is this real?" he breathed, gazing at her like she was goddess.

Rey laughed - a pure, crystalline sound. "It is," she whispered.

"And you're OK with it?"

She blinked, her face still bright. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because..." And he raised his hand up, studying it. Rey's brow furrowed and then widened with understanding. Did he really actually think...? Seizing his hand, resting her cheek against his palm, she kissed his fingers. "Do you think if I gave a kriffing damn about that, that I would be thinking of... holding you close against my chest and pulling you inside me?"

Finn's eyes widened in astonishment at her boldness and Rey flushed pink. Her eyes grew hooded as Finn bent and kissed her again.

"Now... Mmmmm..." Rey tried to talk around his plundering lips. "What... hmmmm... was that what you wanted to tell me on Pasaana? That you love me?" Her voice hitched, tears threatening, at the acknowledgment that Finn loved her. Her Finny loved her!

"No, actually," Finn admitted.

She gawked at him, trilling out a shocked and amused laugh. "No?"

"I wanted to tell you that... I'm Force sensitive."

Rey gasped, and Finn leaned in quite close. "I felt you die down on Exogol. And I was so scared..."

Rey let out another strangled breath and threw her arms around him, kissing him again. Drawing away, she placed a finger on his flushed and very kissed lips. "Sssh... don't speak. We're together now."

Finn smiled down at her and caressed a large palm through her hair. Rey leaned into the touch, sighing. She hadn't realized her eyes had drifted shut until Finn asked:

"Have you ever had anyone kiss you before? Before me?"

Rey's eyes popped open and she bit her lip. This was it. If she and Finn were going to be together, there could be no more secrets. No more lying to each other. And so, she told him everything.

Well, almost everything. She left out the part about being Palpatine's granddaughter. But the Bond, the Dyad, her death, Ben Solo... that was all brought out into the open.

"I woke up in Ben's arms. He brought me back to life. And... I was so happy to see him... I kissed him." She raised her eyes to Finn's fearfully, wondering how he would react.

Finn was studying her curiously. Finally, he managed to get out:

"Did you love him?"

Rey laced her fingers through his, as she worked through how to answer.

"In a sense," she conceded. "Yes, I did love him. I loved Ben Solo, not Kylo Ren. He was my Dyad mate, the other half of me. But... I could never not love you as well." Her eyes filled with tears. "I love you just as much as I did him. I love you so much, Finny!"

"Don't cry," Finn crooned, wiping away her tears and pulling her into his arms. Rey leaned into the embrace, for the first time feeling like she was truly home.

Finn nervously fiddled with the golden band in his pocket, waiting for Rey to emerge from the obstacle course that assisted in her Jedi training.

Was he rushing too fast into this? He and Rey had only been dating for a little over a month. And yet, already, Finn knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But what did he have to offer her, really? Not much beyond a heart full of love.

Rey suddenly emerged from the trees, and Finn's heart stopped as he beheld her in her white Jedi robes. Seeing him, her smile lit up the sun as she gathered him in her arms.

"Hey." They kissed chastely. "Were you waiting for me?" Her grin of amusement clearly thought this was adorable.

Turning pink, Finn gulped. "Yes. Rey, I... I..."

She cocked her head, still beaming, peering at him. "What is it?"

Before he had even fully worked through what he was going to say, Finn had dropped to one knee. Realizing what he was doing, both of Rey's hands went to her mouth as she gasped in astonishment.

"Rey..." Finn began. "I don't have much to offer you. I don't have money. Or status. I don't even have a last name that I can ask you to share."

Eyes brimming with tears, Rey shook her head. "I don't have a last name, either," she soothed him, which was true... from a certain point of view.

"But I can offer you my heart." Finn held out the ring. "Will you marry me, Rey?"

Tugging him to his feet, Rey sent him the most radiant, if also watery, smile. "Of course," she murmured. And draping her arms about his neck, she kissed him.

It was a lovely wedding. General Poe Dameron himself married them, blessing the Jedi and ex-Stromtrooper. When Finn saw Rey, gliding down the aisle towards him all dressed in white and with Chewie on her arm, it was like an angel had descended from the Force itself to be with him. Taking her hands in his, Finn began reciting his wedding vows.

"Well: at least our outfits match our skin tones." Everyone in the congregation laughed, the bride's giggle sounding like sweet music. "Also, roses are red, violets are blue, but I don't think we should honeymoon on Jakku." The laughter crescendoed; Poe Dameron was doubled over the pulpit and shaking from amusement. Finn continued to say his piece, promising Rey that he would love her forever. He finished by placing a pendant around Rey's neck. In lieu of wedding rings, he and his bride had chosen more poignant pendants to symbolize their marriage: the beacons that General Leia Organa had gifted them while they were apart. "Rey, with this beacon, I thee wed."

Rey's vows were far more simple, but they still said it all. "You came back for me. But you will never have to search for me again, because I will always be by your side. I love you. It may seem simple, but I love you." Taking a deep breath, clutching her bridal bouquet, Rey smiled the most wonderful smile as she professed, "I love my husband." Remembering, she placed a matching pendant around Finn's neck. "Finn, with this beacon, I thee wed."

Poe beamed at the couple. "I now pronounce these two husband and wife. You may kiss." Rey flew into Finn's arms. As their wedding kiss deepened to cheers and wolf whistles, Rey's eyes fluttered shut and she almost absentmindedly cast her bridal bouquet over her shoulder and aside, not even bothering to see where it landed.

So the bride was incredibly amused to later learn that it was Rose Tico who caught the bouquet.

Heart hammering in her chest, Rey slowly turned her back to her new husband, alone in their own private suite on the Ajan Kloss base. Tucking her long chestnut tresses over her shoulder, she allowed Finn to slowly undress her out of her wedding gown. She felt Finn's lips dip fiery kisses into the skin on her neck and she leaned back into him with a sigh, her eyes rolling. His calloused palms reached up to cup the swell of her breasts, squeezing each luscious mound and tweaking her pebbling nipples. Rey moaned at his touch. "Mmmmmm….."

Slowly, her zipper came undone. Stepping out of the dress, Rey felt the warmest palm on her cheek, turning her face into Finn's as he kissed her fiercely.

Closing her eyes, Rey yanked her husband closer with a guttural groan. "Mmmmhmmmmm..." Sagging her arms about his neck, the newlyweds backed up towards their bed. Finn gallantly dipped his bride back onto the mattress, and he held her gently. As he settled against her, Rey began to feel nervous again. Would she do it right? Would she even know what she was doing? She had heard that the first time always hurt for a girl, and though she had never entertained the thought of marriage during her harsh childhood, she realized that this was her preference - to save herself until she lay in bed with her husband. Besides, this was Finn - her Finn, her Finny - the man she loved. He would never hurt her; he'd surely die first.

And so, holding his eyes, she allowed Finn to slowly ease himself past her maidenhead. There was a slight pinch and she tugged him closer, pulling him inside her.

Husband and wife both gasped on impact. Rey felt and heard Finn groan into her neck. Slowly, he began to thrust his hips, and she matched him, arching her back. Grabbing his buttocks and digging her nails into the shapely curves, she gave both cheeks a loving, firm squeeze. Finn responded by slobbering his mouth and tongue over her right breast, taking the perky, dark purple between his teeth and biting down ever so slightly. Rey arched into him with a squeak. Finn only nipped at her boob a tad harder, and Rey cried out, but she liked it.

"Finn! You beast!" And she swatted his chest in mock indignation. She felt his smirk as he continued to try and taste her breasts whole.

As they worked up a rhythm and the bed creaked beneath them, Rey's moans of pleasure grew steadily louder, as she made sounds a woman could only make as she was being made love to by her husband.

"Uhhhh... Huhhh... Hmmmm... Mmmm... Gods... Finny..." The heat inside of her was building, cresting fast. Rey and Finn kissed each other's lips in little, frantic pecks.

"Hmmm... Finny, I'm... I'm gonna cum..." Rey cried.

She felt his breath tickle her earlobe. "I love you, little desert flower." That was her own little pet name.

"FINNY!" She came all around him screaming her release.

She lay strewn across his sweaty, muscular chest, as they reveled in post-coital bliss. Rey was tracing lazy circles along Finn's pectorals, her face frowning in contemplation.

"Finny?" she murmured sweetly. "I have one more thing I need to tell you."

She felt him shift against her expectantly, waiting. "Yes, love?"

Rey bit her lip. "When you proposed to me, and I told you I didn't have a last name to take as my maiden name... I actually did." Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to look him in the face. "My real name in Rey Palpatine. The Emperor was my grandfather." The rest of it spilled out after that, how her parents had loved her and tried to protect her from Ochie, and paid a terrible price.

Although she could feel his stunned reaction in the Force, Finn maintained an admirable poker face. After a moment, he craned his face up and kissed her sweetly. Rey's eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into the kiss. When they broke the kiss at last, Finn caught her eyes and held them.

"I don't care."

She blinked, gazing at him. "You don't? How can you be so sure?"

"Because I already know you. You're the kindest, most wonderful person. People like you don't just come out of thin air." Finn ran a hand through her matted hair, plastered to her face. Taking some locks of her brown hair in his fingers, he murmured quietly:

"Strange as it may sound, you're lucky. At least you know about your family."

Rey's face fell and her heart shattered for him. "Oh, Finn..." Worse still than knowing you were descended from an evil bloodline was not knowing your bloodline at all. Rey knew a bit of what that felt like - for a long time, she had thought she was a nobody. She recalled some words he had spoken to her, not long after they met: I was taken from a family I'll never know...

"Someday, when we've settled... I was hoping that I could go in search of them. I've been talking to Jannah and Mr. Calrissian. They are going to seek answers for her and other Stormtroopers like me. Would you support me in that?"

As if he had to ask that of his wife. Smiling lovingly at him, Rey wrapped herself in his arms, resting her head on his chest as he kissed the top of her crown. Still beaming in understanding, she vowed in a whisper:

"I'm coming with you."