Chapter 14

Rey lay on her back, listening to Ben's breathing deepen as he fell asleep. Only then did she allow herself to turn onto her side, facing away from him. She curled her hands into fists, still resisting the urge to turn and reach towards him. The feeling was intense and unusual, and left her confused and unable to sleep.

Rey chewed her lip, closing her eyes, willing her body to relax. She felt like a tightly coiled spring, ready to snap, and she didn't know how to calm herself. After tossing and turning well into the night, she finally fell into a fitful sleep. Ben never stirred.

The next morning, Rey awoke in stages. Though her dreams that night had been strange, she had been having a pleasant dream just before waking, which she couldn't quite hang onto as she roused. She became aware of feeling warm and secure, of a pleasant scent each time she inhaled, reminding her of something she couldn't quite recall in her groggy state.

She tried to stir, her eyes still closed, frowning when she was unable to move. Blinking her eyes open, she was met with the sight of Ben's pajamaed chest an inch from her face. She stiffened, her eyes widening as she struggled not to make a sound. She carefully tilted her head up, relieved to find that Ben was still asleep, his eyes closed and breathing even.

It took Rey a few moments for her sleep addled mind to realize Ben was hugging her to his chest, his arms wrapped securely around her back, their ankles and calves entangled. Her breath hitched in shock as she realized she did not mind the feeling of being wrapped up by Ben.

Rey closed her eyes again, taking a moment to savor the feeling of warmth, the pleasant security of Ben's arms around her. She had had so little physical affection in her life. She had only vague memories of her parents, and could not recall whether they had shown her affection or not before she was left with Mr. Plutt. Mr. Plutt, of course, did not bestow affection upon Rey during her time with him.

She glanced up once more to make certain Ben was still sleeping. Assured that he was, Rey took a moment to study her husband's face, as she rarely had had opportunity to do so unobserved. His lashes were thick and long, brushing the tops of his cheeks as he slept. Her eyes dropped to Ben's mouth and she frowned. The cupid's bow was very pronounced and, though Ben's lips weren't full, without his severe expression to detract from their effect, his lips appeared almost feminine. Her eyes turned to the other features of his face, somewhat more familiar. His face was full of freckles and moles, his nose was overly large, and Rey could see his ears sticking out, usually covered by his long hair. Any one of the features individually would not have made for a handsome person, and yet Rey could not help but notice that the overall affect of his features together rendered him a very handsome man.

At that realization, Rey became very aware that she was still in Ben's tight grasp and began thinking how best to extract herself before he awoke. Though she did not find her current predicament unpleasant, she did not wish to find herself in an awkward situation. Abruptly, she recalled Rose's explanation of her wifely duties and her heartrate picked up, her cheeks warming as she attempted to put the conversation out of her mind.

Slowly, Rey began moving her feet, carefully untangling her legs from Ben's, watching for any sign that he might be waking. Thankfully, he continued to breath deeply. Once her feet were successfully untangled, Rey began to very slowly shimmy down, hoping she could simply slide out from under Ben's arms. She did so very carefully, keeping her gaze pinned on Ben's face, stopping with every little tick of his face or hitch in his breath. When he did not continue to stir, she would continue on.

After some time, she successfully slid out from his grasp and carefully rolled away, sitting up. Setting her feet on the floor, Rey remained seated on the edge of the bed, her heart racing, cheeks flushed. She chanced a glance behind her, noting Ben's eyes remained closed, and let out a sigh of relief.

She stood up from the bed and walked over to the window, as was her habit in her own home. She was unsurprised to find that the view of the Skywalker grounds was equally as beautiful as that of her own manor. Rey shivered, only then realizing how warm Ben's arms had been against the chill of the room. She glanced over at the fire and found it had died away completely. She turned her gaze back to the window and only then realized the angle of the sun. It was quite late in the morning, much later than either she or Ben ever slept.

Turning around, intent on calling Beatrice to help her dress, Rey gasped in surprise as she found Ben staring at her. Rey put a hand to her heart, willing it to calm as she wondered how long Ben had been awake. She had left the bed only moments ago, and he had surely not been awake as she had slid away from him.

"Sir, you startled me," Rey said. "I was not aware you were awake."

Ben sat up, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. "My apologies for startling you."

Rey watched silently as Ben walked over to the bell pull and rang for their servants. Turning, he walked over to stand beside her, quite close.

Rey blinked rapidly at Ben's proximity as he gazed down at her, alert and showing no signs of having been recently asleep.

"I trust you slept well?" he asked.

Rey pressed her lips together as she noted his shuttered expression. Though she had often had difficulty discerning what he was feeling, she was used to a myriad of emotions in his eyes, and to find them so carefully blank now was both disconcerting and surprisingly upsetting.

Rey swallowed before answering him. "I…was plagued with sleeplessness and strange dreams I'm afraid."

"A result of sleeping in an unfamiliar home, I'm sure," he replied, his voice soft.

"And with an unfamiliar person." Rey had spoken without thinking and now bit her lip as her cheeks warmed.

Thankfully Beatrice and Ben's valet showed up then, saving Rey from the awkwardness of her reply.

Rey walked unsteadily over to the mirror. As Beatrice unplaited her hair and ran a brush through it, Rey watched Ben through the mirror. He spoke in soft tones to his valet, who then walked towards the small closet. Ben, seeming to feel Rey's stare, turned his head towards her. She quickly averted her eyes, as Beatrice, lips pressed together with mirth in her eyes, asked how Rey had slept.

Rey mumbled a response, unsure what she said, and turned to study her own reflection. She frowned as she realized the woman before her did not resemble the girl Mr. Plutt had force into marriage. Mr. Plutt had not starved her, but he certainly had not provided the decadent spread of foods she had been enjoying these past months. Her cheeks had lost their hollowness and she was certain she had more curves than she used to. She wondered that her clothing had not felt tighter and suspected Beatrice had been letting out her dresses. She glanced down at her hands, noting that the calluses had begun to fade. She was used to the hands of a working woman, dry, with broken nails and calluses. These unfamiliar hands were beginning to resemble that of a Lady.

Once she was dressed and her hair pinned up in a simple chignon, Rey turned to find Ben had already left the room. Sighing, Rey walked down the stairs, trying to remember precisely where the dining room was. The previous evening's meal felt like a lifetime ago.

Entering the room, Rey inhaled deeply as the delicious smell of breakfast foods made her stomach clench in hunger. She paused only briefly when she saw Ben sitting as he did in his own home, sipping his tea and reading the paper. Rey walked over to the sideboard and began piling food onto her plate, forgetting Miss Tico's instructions regarding dainty portions in the rush to satisfy her hunger.

Sitting in the chair opposite her husband's, Rey grabbed her fork and began eating, forcing herself to chew carefully before swallowing, yet hardly pausing between bites. After several bites, Rey raised her eyes and found Ben watching her, his paper discarded, as he sipped his tea.

Rey set down her fork and grabbed her napkin, dabbing her mouth.

"Pardon my lack of decorum," she said, casting her eyes down in embarrassment. "I'm afraid I didn't eat much for dinner and the food here is delicious."

Ben frowned. "You needn't apologize for eating."

Rey's eyes lifted and she stared, unsure how to respond.

"It does me good to see the outward signs of a life of hunger leave your appearance."

Rey cleared her throat, averting her eyes once more as the shame of her past washed over her. "Mr. Plutt did not starve me sir," she said quietly.

"Neither did he nourish you," was Ben's surprisingly sharp response. He set down his cup and carefully reached across the table to place his hand over hers, his eyes holding hers steadily. "These past weeks have been kind to you, Rey. I did not realize just how underfed you were until I returned yesterday to find you in such good health."

Rey swallowed thickly, Ben's words taking her aback.

"You needn't pretend with me," Ben said, and Rey once more wished she could read the emotions hidden behind his eyes. "Though we both know the value of manners in the presence of others, you needn't worry about keeping up appearances when it is just you and me. If you are hungry, please eat." He removed his hand from hers and picked up his tea and paper once more. His tone was curiously neutral as he added, "We are friends now after all."

Nearly a week passed at the Skywalker estate, Luke's condition remaining the same. Rey and Ben stayed, as Rey pointed out there was no telling when they might be needed. Rey had requested Rose come after it was decided they would be staying on. She had hoped that perhaps Rose would be able to help her keep Leia distracted. Finn joined his wife, helping the servants complete their chores and generally filling in where he was needed.

Rey found herself curiously disappointed each morning when she woke alone on her side of the bed. More often than not, Ben was already awake and dressed when she herself awoke, though he now always waited to accompany her to breakfast.

There was an air of gloom over the estate as they waited for a change in Prince Luke's health. He had neither improved nor worsened, though he spent a great deal of time sleeping fitfully. Leia spent a good amount of time by her brother's bed, holding his hand. Rey accompanied her on occasion, sitting tensely in the silence. Han stopped by on occasion as well, though he never stayed long, leaving with tense shoulders and a pained expression. Rey pleaded with Ben daily to visit his uncle, but Ben continued to refuse. Instead he spent his time in the library, alternately reading and carrying on with his own estate's business. Their home's ledgers had been brought over for him to peruse. Rey tried not press him too hard, however, not wishing to upset the delicate balance of their newly formed friendship.

In the late afternoons, Ben would come out of the library and request that she walk the grounds with him. Rey, despite the overall feeling of dissatisfaction their walks left her with once they ended, began to look forward to these afternoon walks and hoped they could continue once they returned to their own home. They talked little as they walked, Ben merely pointing out various plants and statues in the garden. He spoke to her as if with a friend, remaining cordial the entire walk and staying away from sensitive topics. Rey found this very frustrating and continued to be puzzled by her response. He was, after all, giving her exactly what she said she had wanted.

During one such walk, Rey found herself blurting out, "Will you really let your uncle die without a word."

She had not been so blunt since they had arrived at the estate, but her churning frustration had boiled over as Ben calmly pointed out a passing bird.

He whipped his head to look at her, clearly shocked by her sudden outburst. He seemed to consider her as they stopped walking.

After several long moments he finally responded. "What is the cause of this sudden outburst?"

Rey clenched her jaw as she resisted the urge to say that she was frustrated with his friendliness, which was absurd after all. Swallowing, she replied, "We've been here a week and you've yet to set foot in your uncle's quarters."

Ben frowned. "I believe I've made my feelings on the matter perfectly clear on each occasion that you've pleaded with me."

Rey shook her head. "If he dies without you visiting him, you will come to regret it."

Ben looked away. "I doubt that."

Rey took his hand. "Ben." He looked back at her, his expression guarded. "I do not mean to trivialize what you have been through. Your uncle treated you unkindly, but he never went through with your disinheritance and you yourself have admitted that he would wish to reconcile. You have never heard what he has to say on the matter. It is more than possible he regrets his actions towards you."

Ben eyes narrowed as he swallowed thickly. When he remained silent, Rey continued. "Promise me you'll at least consider seeing him. Truly consider it."

When Ben did not make a move to answer her, Rey continued, her voice wavering with emotion. "I'm afraid of what it will do to you should he die while your bitterness remains." She grasped his other hand, squeezing them both. "Please promise me."

The muscles in Ben's jaw ticked and he remained silent for so long that Rey wondered if he meant to refuse her.

"Very well," he finally said, a hard edge to his voice. Rey could not help the smile which broke out on her face. Ben pressed his lips into a severe line and dropped her hands. "I'll consider it, but I make no promises."

"I understand," she responded.

Despite the somber week, the frustrations it had held, Rey suddenly felt happy. Happy that perhaps Ben might forgive his family after all. Without thinking, she stood on tip toe and pressed a kiss to her husband's cheek.

"Thank you."

Ben froze, a look of shock on his face. Rey made to pull away, embarrassed about her sudden display of affection, but Ben quickly grabbed her hand, staying her retreat. His eyes were blazing, though Rey still could not discern the emotions behind them. Ben slowly raised his other hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing across her cheekbone.

Rey swallowed nervously at the flutters that erupted in her stomach and the tingles that accompanied the brush of his thumb.

"I…I apologize," Rey said quietly. "That was overly friendly of me."

Ben's eyes grew dark. "Yes," he said, his tone also hushed. "It was."

Rey felt a hand at her waist as Ben stepped closer. Her heart started to race and she felt as if she was hurtling towards something, powerless to stop it. Ben lowered his head slowly, looking closely at her, as if waiting for her to pull away or tell him to stop. Rey's eyes widened as she realized, extremely belatedly, that Ben meant to kiss her. He paused, clearly noting her panicked expression, and began to pull away. Rey, without thinking, shook her head, reaching her hand up to pull Ben's head down as she rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.

Ben's body tensed in shock and Rey nearly pulled away, ready to apologize yet again. As if anticipating her retreat, the hand on her waist grasped her firmly and the hand on her cheek slid around to the back of her neck, holding her in place. Ben's lips softened as his body relaxed and he used the hand on Rey's waist to pull her flush against him, tilting her chin up as he did so. He pulled back just far enough to tilt his head, giving himself better access to Rey's lips. Rey's hands had fallen from his face and were clinging to his shirt. Her legs suddenly weakened and she fell from her tip toes, breaking the kiss. Rey had barely taken a breath when Ben's lips were on hers again. The hand at the back of her neck grasped at her hair, her carefully styled hair beginning to pull free of its pins.

Rey felt dizzy, the world spinning on its axis, only the firm grip at her waist keeping her upright as Ben continued to nip at her lips. Aside from the first time Ben had kissed her, before disappearing the next day, this was Rey's first kiss. She had never known, nor expected, the intensity that a single kiss could bring. She felt flushed from head to toe, her hands burning where she grasped Ben's shirt, her lips tingling as he kissed them. She could feel the heat of Ben's hand on her waist and felt the flutters in her stomach intensify.

Someone coughed behind Ben, and Rey broke away with a gasp. Ben, either not hearing or ignoring the sound, made to kiss Rey again, but she pushed lightly at his chest, her cheeks now flushed from embarrassment as she took a step back. Ben closed his eyes, sighing as he let her go, pulling his shirt straight before turning, seeming to use himself to block Rey from view.

Rey quickly put a hand to her hair, attempting to wind the stray pieces back into the bun. She dimly noted that her hands were shaking as she heard a servant speak.

"My apologies for the interruption, Your Grace, but your mother urgently requests you join her and Mr. Solo in Prince Luke's quarters. He has awoken and is asking for you."

Rey swallowed at the news as she noted Ben's hands curling into fists. Brushing her hands down her skirt, she stepped around Ben.

"Of course. We'll be up at once," she said. Without waiting for Ben to respond, Rey grasped his hand and pulled him with her as she hurried towards Prince Luke's wing of the manor.

A/N: 50k words in seems like a good place to have them kiss no? :P