Canto Bight

Author's note: Someone ups their game.

Canto Bight is… well, rich.

Their ship has landed in a private platform of a luxurious hotel and will remain there for the next three days while the crew has been given vague instructions to remain in the vicinity. In other words, Jeff's not her own, they have been given time off.

Ben, or the Governor she should rather say, is here for entertainment purposes.

He was impeccably dressed as always when he emerged from his rooms in his customary black colors, and Rey has escorted him down to the lobby and through a casino's glamorous entrance. She has stood on his side while people have bowed their respects or chatted casually with him. And has even tolerated some of the more coy advances on him without blinking an eye. It is a boisterous, crowded building, this casino they are in, with bright lights and cheering voices, endless tables of games and buffets overflowing with food. It is filled with gamblers and players, and all around extravagantly dressed humanoids and aliens with nothing better to do then waste their credits on gambling, food and Fathier racing.

Rey clamps down the part of her that's revolting to such splurge.

But surprisingly Ben, the Governor, is behaving rather well.

He has taken the time to introduce her to some of the more respectable acquaintances of his, has kept her on his side and not in back of him, and has even gone as far as look directly at her when he inquired if there is something in particular she'd want to eat or drink.

Rey had found herself at a loss of words when it happened. She had only shaken her head and looked away from that powerful gaze.

Rey had expected him to be distant and indifferent towards her. The way he always is. Not this. Definitely not this.

It can't be good.

She keeps telling herself. The politeness and consideration. Surely it won't last long.

The Governor has, at last, taken a seat at the bar, his presence casting a gravitational pull to a lot of the casino's occupants. He seems to be nursing his drink and casually chatting with some guy with greased back black hair and a moustache, wearing a blatant white suit with a red flower on its lapel.

Rey stands quietly and discretely a little further away, under a small alcove, just like he had so clearly demanded of her to do earlier at the ship, scanning the crowded room for any sign of danger. All the while stealing quick glances at him.

There's a relaxed smirk playing on his lips throughout the whole evening, even though his eyes seem to be rather melancholy. Rey is starting to pick up on those little creases of his features that give out his very well guarded emotions. It makes her wonder how much their earlier dispute has affected him.

Because Rey in unable to look him in the eye without thinking about it.

Rey shifts legs. Her new black outfit might be very soft and clean cut but it's also very uncomfortable and warm. Itchy too. Rey has been on her feet for the past few hours refusing to eat or drink anything and it seems like the results of her stubbornness are catching up with her. And the casino's overcrowded space is not making things easier.

The Governor's eyes catch her shifting once again, and he signals for her to approach.

She does so, reluctantly, and hopes her discomfort hasn't been too obvious.

"Would you like something to drink?" He says carefully, as she comes to stand next to him. He is sitting on a barstool that brings him close in height to her own. It also gives her a very direct close up of his face under the bright lights of the casino and Rey finds herself studying every single curve and line on his features. He's grown into them so well, she notices not for the first time, and not much remains of the gangly teenager that she used to follow around. He looks matured, vigorous and …manly. Rey can't get over how much he has changed.

"Rey?"

Shit.

"Yeah. Um. No. I'm good. I mean…" she sighs trying to bring down the pattering in her chest. His smirk widens just a bit and his eyes crinkle slightly.

She must really amuse him.

"I mean, I'm not thirsty." She clears her throat before answering back coldly. "Thank you."

His eyes remain trained on hers. Studying something that he must have found.

Rey looks away.

"Be a gentleman and buy your lady a drink," the man in the white suit cuts in as he takes a leisurely drag from his cigar.

"She doesn't drink," he comments, eyes still on her.

"Nonsense Benny boy," he puffs out. "Come here, love. What would you like? If it were up to me I would have closed down the whole casino just for the company of your pretty eyes."

Rey feels her face heat with embarrassment just as the man's hand wraps around her waist. She looks around almost as if she's trying to find an emergency exit. The Governor's smirk widens even more and he looks to the side, taking a large sip from his drink.

"You might want to take you paws off my Jedi, Justin," he says setting his tumbler down. He sounds amicable enough not to be offensive but at the same time stern, not allowing any room for misconception.

The man arches a brow impressed. "A bit possessive now, aren't we? I didn't think you had it in you."

"Better not found out."

The man laughs at that and Rey glances curiously at the Governor who is scanning the crowd with strange apathy. Completely at odds with his tone of voice.

The man with the red flower turns to Rey who is staring at the exchange a little bewildered. He takes her hand in his and raises her knuckles to his lips to place a light kiss there.

"Enchanted," he says with some kind of a well-practiced, charming smirk.

Rey tries to hide the smile forming on her lips. This Justin guy is too much.

He then proceeds to place her hand in the crook of his arm. "Perhaps I could steal you for the evening and take advantage of your captivating presence. Something tells me you'll bring me plenty of luck tonight. Shall we?"

She glances over at Ben trying to decipher his reaction. The smile has disappeared from his lips and he is twirling the tumbler in his hand. But doesn't seem interested in stopping her.

Oh, well.

The man gets off his seat with a bit of flourish that makes Rey snort in amusement. And starts cutting expertly through the crowd with her by his side until they reach a crowded table that is hosting a game of dice. He easily finds his place amongst the patrons dressed in their crisp tuxedos and silk gowns.

"Don't' leave my side, love" he says gallantly, handing out the pair of dice and asking her to blow on them. Rey side eyes his outstretched hand but decides to humor him.

The game rolls.

She glances over at the Governor numerous times in the next hour to verify all is well. He remains seated in his spot while a number of people approach him and strike small conversations. He seems engrossed in his talks and hasn't caught her gaze once.

Rey starts chewing the inside of her cheek.

More time passes.

Justin is gathering his wins once again when Rey finds the opportunity to look over to where the Governor sits.

Only he is gone.

She swirls her head trying to see where he could have gone. But there are too many people around and the casino is immense. And he is nowhere to be found.

Worry claws at her insides.

She stares at the game of dice rolling on the table trying to gather her panicking thoughts.

Surely he mustn't have gone far without notifying her. Perhaps he's in the fresher or getting a bite to eat. He is after all human with simple needs. It's not as if some Dark force user is slicing his throat as we speak.

Right?

Rey digs her nails in the polished wood of the table trying to restrain herself from dashing through the casino calling out his name. He will throw a fit again if it turns out be something insignificant and Rey does not want to have another confrontation with him. At least not today. But if something really, really bad is happening to him right now and she is standing idly around staring at a pair of stupid dice roll on a table she will never forgive herself. Never.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath trying to calm herself.

Rey feels her heart will burst if she doesn't see him in the next two seconds.

"Who's winning?"

A low voice rumbles close to her ear.

Rey snaps her head to look at the man standing behind her, with that heart of hers ready to break through her ribcage.

And she is so relieved, she barely restrains herself from wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Who do you think?" She says trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Stars, she's so happy to see him.

That dark gaze softens just a bit as his eyes linger on her.

"Don't you dare take her away, Benny. I'm on a roll here." Justin pipes in from her side. She is given those dice to blow on, once again, and for some reason she feels very uncomfortable doing it under Ben's intense gaze.

"It's… I don't know why he does that." She tries to explain feeling very flustered.

"It's for good luck."

"Yeah, I figured." Rey feels the paint give out under her nails as she scrapes at the polished wood.

He doesn't say anything else. Just tears that heavy gaze from her to watch the game. Rey does the same thing.

But it's hard to concentrate, now. She is so aware of his presence in back of her that she forgets to cheer when Justin strikes yet another win. He is so tall, Rey thinks, that he easily stands out amongst the crowd. But it's not just his height that makes everyone give him a respectable amount of space. It's something else too. It's that power he exudes that crawls up her spine and wraps around her like that evening cloak he'd enveloped her in yesterday, and that she can't seem to be able to get her mind off. It's all very distracting and overwhelming and… Rey doesn't know what to call it. She's never felt anything like this before.

"Are you all right?"

His question catches her off guard. She actually feels like she is about to pass out.

"I'm a bit thirsty. I should have gotten something to drink when I had the chance."

"Yes, you should have. But you are too headstrong for your own good."

"I'm actually quite an agreeable person believe it or not. I know it's hard for you to accept at the moment but it's true." His gaze is upon her again, as overbearing as ever, but Rey tries to push through. "And there is nothing wrong with you trying to be somewhat cordial towards me and the people who work for you. You'll find everyone to be a lot more cooperative if you do that."

She barely finishes her sentence when a waiter approaches them carrying a tray full of refreshments and hands her a glass of cold water.

How…? Rey frowns. Did he just…? Again?

Rey wants to sigh. This isn't what she had in mind by asking him to be cordial. "You really shouldn't mess with people's minds without serious reason."

"It was serious enough."

"I could have gotten it myself, you know."

He raises his brows. "And where's the fun in that?"

Rey rolls her eyes and takes a sip. She highly doubts they'll ever be on the same level of communication. The Governor looks away.

"Do you ever play these games?"

He looks down at her again. "Why should I?"

"I don't know. You mentioned fun. Don't you ever relax and have a good time?"

His gaze darkens and it takes him a moment to answer.

"My choices of entertainment are a bit more eclectic," he drawls.

Rey is forced to look away. He can get so intense at times and she doesn't know how to handle it. She feels him shift, coming to speak a little closer to her ear as the table erupts to yet more cheer.

"These games bore me," he continues.

"Do they, now?"

He's not the only one who can sound haughty around here. Rey would love to ruffle his stiff feathers a bit.

She glances up at him curiously. Ben purses his lips and seems as if he's trying to hide a smile.

"Here, I can show you why. Watch closely."

"Watch closely…" The teenage boy says as he levitates a few pebbles in the air in front of her big eyes, round in amazement. Ben was always so powerful and full of delightful surprises.

He leans over to place a bet on the table and take the next pair of dice. His chest brushes against her bare shoulder. But Rey doesn't flinch away. The sensation of his soft shirt and warm body feel familiar and…

Nice.

Ben shakes the pair of dice in his hand, and just as he is about to toss them out he brings his open palm to her lips. And waits.

She stares at him.

"For good luck," he mouths at her. There's a little black strand of hair falling in front of his dark eyes again. Those dark eyes that Rey knows can be brown and incredibly soft when they want to be. She's seen them in the past. She remembers them.

Rey blows.

He throws them across the table without taking his eyes off her. The little cubes hit the rail before bouncing on a number, and right when Rey thinks they're settled, one of them flips.

"A pair of sixes for the Governor of Coruscant!" The house exclaims and the winnings are passed over to Ben in a series of loud cheers.

He raises an eyebrow at her.

And Rey breaks into a smile.

It's not until much, much later that they reach their floor. They had found a comfortable companionship throughout the evening, balancing between light banter and random moments of closeness. They hadn't left each other's side once. Rey didn't realize how quickly time had passed.

But as the turbolift approaches their floor the lightness between them dissipates and is slowly replaced by unease. By the time they reach her room both of them are completely silent. He stands before her with the most inscrutable expression on his handsome face.

"Rey, about earlier…" he suddenly begins. But pauses. His eyes dart around the corridor for a moment before they return to her much more resolute. "I want you to know that your presence here is welcomed. I have been…" he pauses again licking his lips and Rey can't help but feel a bit nervous herself. "I have been overbearing towards you and I just wanted to say how…"

"Overbearing?"

"Yes, and…"

"Is that what you call it?"

He exhales and runs a hand through his hair for the first time this evening. "Do you have some other word in mind?"

Truth is she has quite a few. But somehow that gaze on her makes her forget them. She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter… Go on."

"What I was trying to say is that it's good seeing you again and I am proud of the progress you've made in Luke's academy."

Silence follows his words as Rey stares at him feeling overwhelmed. That was the last thing she had ever expected to hear from him. It sounded an awful lot like a complement and she really, really wants to believe he means it.

"Rey?"

"Yes. It's…" she closes her eyes trying to get her thoughts in some kind of an order. She sighs. "It's good seeing you too. I wish things could have been different for you."

He nods and seems to regard her hesitantly for a few moments. He parts his lips and Rey realizes she's holding her breath.

"I don't have anything scheduled for tomorrow morning. I was thinking that perhaps you could join me in a visit to the city's waterfalls. I hear they are quite a sight this time of year and…"

Rey feels her heart stutter to a stop.

Oh, shit.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I don't have any other opening in my…"

"I can't come." Rey scrunches her forehead at how awful that had come out. She hurries to rescue whatever she can. "What I mean is… I would have come but I have already made plans with Jeff and…"

His gaze hardens at her words.

"Jeff?"

Rey flinches at his tone of voice. It sounded almost incredulous. He must really not like the man. There is no other explanation for his mood turning sour so easily at the mention of him. She can't understand why he continues to have Jeff work for him if he obviously can't stand the sound of his name. But none of that is important right now. Because Rey can't help but feel that they are back to square one.

"Well, yes… He invited me this morning, and I …" Rey exhales slowly preparing herself for yet another of his lash outs. She squares her shoulders. "…I agreed."

His jaw clenches before he straightens his back and levels her with that Governor's gaze that she's come to know so well these past couple of days. He back steps and clasps his hands behind his back.

"I see."

He looks to the side. And it suddenly dawns on her that this invitation wasn't because of some kind of a formal event taking place. Nor was it a request born out of obligation. He seems as if he wanted to spend time with her.

Just her.

Rey doesn't know how to feel about that exactly. All she knows is that she wants to thump her head against the wall.

"Maybe some other time we…"

"No. It's fine." He shakes his head to himself. "It was simply a thought. Either way, I hope you enjoy the tour with your friend. We'll be departing from Canto Bight in two days' time. I'll see you then."

"In two days?"

He smirks but there is an emotion akin to bitterness that cracks through his cold facade. "Like I said I don't have another opening in my schedule. And your services won't be needed."

"I don't agree with this. Two days is a long time. Where will you be?"

"Around."

"That's not an answer."

He leans over her as dark and intimidating as ever. But Rey feels for the first time that there's more to be revealed if she digs deep enough. "That's the only answer you're getting," he grits out.

He's upset.

She realizes all of a sudden. She can feel the roughness of his emotions grind almost like sandpaper in the Force. But he is very good in concealing them because soon enough it's as if they were never there.

He bows lightly at her as he steps away, perfectly reassembled and in complete control. "Goodnight, Rey," he says with those eyes of his that had for a split second burned like ambers now harden into steel.

He turns around and quickly disappears into the shadows of their corridor and Rey is left staring at his retreating back again wondering what the hell just happened.

Author's note: ...and royally dumped.