Chapter 18: Cure

"How long has this been going on?" Rey's friend asked them — the one who wasn't staring at Kylo as if he was going to lunge across the table and murder him. Kylo had noticed the man wasn't partial to him. He wasn't sure what he had done to earn such an unwelcoming vibe, but he didn't let it bother him. Rey had chosen and she had chosen him.

"Officially? About five minutes." She replied, still smiling her radiant, beaming smile as they held hands under the table. If hearing her say it once was glorious, hearing her confirm it to her friends, made his heart flutter in his chest.

"And unofficially?"

"Quite a bit longer than that," Kylo answered, giving her hand a squeeze.

She squeezed his hand back. He could hardly believe this was happening. As unprepared as he had been to meet her when happenstance brought them together in Tatooine, he had been even less prepared to see her on the street in Corellia. He wondered if he would have been brave enough to go after her, if she hadn't found him. He wondered if he would have been lucky enough to have her as he did now.

All he had been able to think about when he turned around and saw her was how beautiful she looked. He had longed to see her in First Order colors and then there she was — standing before him in a mixture of black and red, too perfect to be real. It was cruel irony to have her appear to him in such a fashion. It was a mockery of how he had desired to have her, a fabrication of Rey, not the real woman he had started to care for and as lovely as she looked, he knew it was not as gorgeous as she was underneath the expensive fabric and layers of foundation. Rey needed nothing to make her attractive. She was utterly breathtaking just as she was.

Because she was real.

And what was more — this was real too.

"I figured," her friend, Poe, grinned, knowingly at them, as if he could tell they were holding hands like a couple of smitten teenagers.

"What?" Rey moved her gaze away from Kylo to focus on her friend. "How?"

The other friend snorted, which Rey ignored, but Kylo growled low in his throat.

"Peanut, you aren't hard to read. I could tell you were upset in the store but when we found you, all of a sudden you were different. You had light back in your eyes."

Kylo felt a heat blossom in his chest. He had done that. He had been the one to cause a change in Rey and it was for the better. He may have hurt her when he went against her wishes to buy the mattress, but from the sound of things, she had been just as distraught as he had been all week. He couldn't be without her again.

He would make good on his goal to be better. Rey needed to always have light in her eyes and a smile on her face. Kylo swore he would do whatever he had to in order to keep her happy from here on out. He couldn't be parted from her again. He couldn't lose her.

"Why didn't you tell us, you were dating Kylo Ren?"

"There was nothing to tell. We weren't dating."

"No?" Her friend didn't appear to buy it. He looked at Kylo, cocking his head to the side. "Man to man, were you two dating or not?"

Kylo took care with how he answered, recalling Dr. Connix's advice. "We weren't. Like Rey said, there was nothing to tell."

"So why all the grief?" Poe questioned, his face concerned, but not judging.

"We had a misunderstanding," he explained.

"Over what?" The second friend asked, his gaze less forgiving than his boyfriend's.

Kylo wasn't sure how to articulate a response. He didn't want her friends getting the wrong impression of what Rey was to him. While Poe seemed rather pleased with how he had returned with Rey, Finn was anything but pleased. Kylo didn't want to give either man a reason for questioning his motives for wanting Rey in his life. They were the closest thing she had to family. He wanted them to be accepting of his newly formed relationship, if only out of concern for her.

"My mattress," Rey chimed in, completely unaware of how suggestive it sounded. Or maybe she was and didn't care.

Poe started to laugh, while his boyfriend nearly choked on the wine the server had brought in Kylo and Rey's absence.

Disregarding their reactions, she continued. "I didn't want him to pay for it. We were both trying to do the right thing and our definition of right thing conflicted. I said something I wish I could take back, but what's done is done. We are moving past it."

"Good for you," Poe grinned. "I'm glad you-."

"Rey, I'm sorry. I don't like this," Finn interrupted his boyfriend. "He has a reputation. He was suspended for assault. His temper is nasty and known for a reason. He's dangerous."

Kylo could not disagree with any of what Rey's friend had said against him. For all intents and purposes, he was, as the man had deemed him to be: dangerous. While he had been suspended from the MMA due to his action against Nines, he would never raise a hand to Rey. He would never hit her...outside of the context of their training, but he didn't want to complicate the matter with her friends.

Apparently, Rey didn't care.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Finn. Ben has been taking care of me." She hadn't hestitated. She rose to his defense immediately.

"Ben? Who the hell is Ben?"

Guess things are going to get complicated.

"My birth name is Ben Organa Solo."

"You've got to be shitting me!" Finn cried, leaning back from the table.

"No way!" Poe smiled, gleefully. "You're serious?"

He wanted to get the attention away from his immediate family. Kylo wasn't comfortable with discussing the Skywalker-Organa family with anyone. He had humored Rey because he wanted her to trust him, but it had still been difficult. Her friends were another matter. While Poe seemed willing to give him a chance, it was plain to see his boyfriend was not going to be a fan. Dragging up any dirt on his legacy of a family was out of the question, so he opted to go for a close relation.

"I believe you know my Aunt Amilyn," Kylo commented, recalling how Rey had told him he was a pilot with Raddus. Rey started giggling next to him. He wasn't sure what was humorous about it, until he noticed Poe's face. "Do you not know Amilyn?"

"I believe he calls her Admiral Holdo." Rey managed to squeak out between giggles.

Poe rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a tinge of red entering his cheeks. "We are acquainted," he admitted.

"Acquainted?" Kylo asked, sensing there was something off about how Rey's friend had said the word.

"She demoted me."

"Oh."

"He tried to have her removed from command and she found out." Rey filled in the blanks.

"Bad move," Kylo chuckled.

The only woman who rivaled his mother for fiery spirit and low bullshit tolerance was his aunt. He had seen her send his father running out the door, as well as his uncle Lando. She had never even batted an eyelash. If Poe had aggravated her, he had a slim chance of getting back in her good graces.

"Yeah," the pilot agreed. "She has me flying tourists now as penance. Any chance you could put in a good word for me?"

"I can try, but to be honest, I'm not in good standing with her myself."

"You're not in good standing with anyone in your family, from what I heard." Finn interjected.

Kylo tensed under the man's continued scrutiny. He felt Rey shift next to him, but she didn't pull her hand away from his hold.

"Don't be rude," she shot back at her friend.

"Of all the people you could pick to be with, Rey, you want him?"

Perhaps it was the indignation in Finn's voice or how often Kylo had heard people belittled him while he was growing up — either way, he was surprised to hear the words that came out of Rey's mouth next.

"Yes, I do."

Three little words.

It was all it took and Kylo was certain he had three similar, though more meaningful words, coming through on his end. The weight of what he felt towards Rey had surpassed any expectation he may have previously had in regards to their relationship. Her simple declaration had erased it all, leaving him with a singular truth he couldn't deny, even if he wanted to — which he didn't.

He was falling for her. And fast.

His heart was so full. He was convinced it had enlarged in his chest because he was consumed by a comforting warmth throughout his entire body. Kylo had felt protective of Rey before and, to a certain extent, possessive, yet none of his previous emotions came close to the overpowering sense of adoration he was experiencing now.

All he wanted to do was drag her out of the restaurant and kiss her senseless, away from the onlookers at the Blue Wall. He wanted to take her away from the city and Tattooine and all of it and just have time with her, give them an opportunity to be together.

While Kylo's mind was racing from Rey's confirmation of her feelings towards him, her friend Finn was experiencing a parallel sensation.

"Rey," he sputtered after another moment of silence. "He isn't who you think he is. Whatever you think he is, whatever he's told you...it's a lie. He's not a good person."

"Finn." Poe put a hand on his boyfriend's arm. "You don't know him. What the media reports isn't always the truth, buddy. You know that."

"Don't," Finn snapped, yanking away from his significant other. "Don't act like you're ok with this. You're supposed to be on my side."

"Your side?" Rey growled.

Kylo tried not to let his smirk show. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't pleased how quickly she rose to defend him. She was beautiful when she was angry. Her eyes held the same defiant glaze they did when she sparred with him, though this defensive air was more akin to a lioness protecting her territory than one defending herself. He liked the idea of Rey being possessive and protective over him the way he had been regarding her.

"Let's all calm down." Poe raised his hands up. "We came out to celebrate and we are getting carried away over nothing."

"It's not nothing! He's dangerous, Poe. What happens when he turns on her the way he did his own family? What happens when he deserts her the way her parents did or hits her the way-."

"Finn."

The table fell silent. Kylo recognized the line her friend had crossed. He didn't even had time to be angry with the causal way Finn had suggested he would harm Rey. He was too concerned about the confirmation of what he already knew. He had evidence in his apartment of what Rey had suffered through while she had grown up in the system. He hadn't know how many in her life were privy to the information. He had suspected not many, though it proved his assumed these two friends were more akin to family than anything she had experienced prior.

At the same time, he felt Rey clinging to his hand with a vice-like grip. Kylo regarded her. Her eyes were hard and her jaw was set firm, but beneath the table, she was trembling. He might not have been able to notice it before. Despite her best attempts, he caught the glistening of unshed tears in her eyes. She was frightening hard to hold it all back.

"Rey, I'm so-."

"Don't," she hissed, her voice wavering. "You've already said enough." She stood up, still holding onto Kylo's hand. He placed his napkin on the table and rose to his feet. "Ben, could you take me home please? I'm not hungry anymore."

Kylo gave her hand another squeeze. "Of course."

He wanted to hug her, lean down and whisper in her ear it would be alright, but considering the tense situation they were in, he refused to take a course of action which would further her pain. He wanted to take care of her and make her happy. She was all that mattered to him. He knew her well enough to understand that while she was upset with her friends now, she wouldn't always be. They mattered to her. To keep her happy, he needed to be kind to them as well.

"It was a pleasure to meet you both. I apologize for any interference with your celebration. Please stay and enjoy your dinner. Order whatever you like. I'll have them add it to my tab." Poe stood up, as did Finn. They looked ready to object to his offer. Rey shot them both an icy glare, then turned her face up towards Kylo's, giving his hand a light tug. They didn't bother to refuse.

"Have a nice night."

As she left, Kylo could tell she didn't have experience walking in heels, especially the towering ones she was wearing this evening. Regardless, she held her head up tall as she stormed out of the restaurant. If it hadn't been for the fact her legs were half the length of his own, he would have had to quicken his pace to keep up with her. While they approached the main entrance, his eyes caught the maitre d, who was watching them hurry out.

He tugged Rey back, slightly, causing her to pause by the podium long enough for him to provide payment details to the man. As they stood there together, Kylo wrapped his arm around Rey, noting how her skin had pebbled from the central air. He chided himself for not bringing a jacket, even though the summer weather was him the A/C temperature was fine. For Rey, who was much smaller, it was chilly. He tucked her against him, pleased when she wrapped her own arms around his middle, resting her cheek on his chest.

"Thank you, Mr. Ren. I'm sorry you and your lovely guest aren't feeling well. Our sincerest wishes for a speedy recovery."

"Thank you. I appreciate your understanding."

With a final goodbye to the Blue Wall staff, Kylo led Rey out. As they walked down the sidewalk, he made sure to maintain as much contact with her as possible. He wasn't content to only hold her hand. Knowing the depth of his feelings for her, he wanted to be constantly touching her, constantly feeling her against his own skin. She seemed inclined to do the same, allowing him to lead her down the street, his arm draped over her shoulders, keeping her close.

The first few blocks leading away from the bar and grille were completed in silence. People passing by paid them no attention, assuming them to be an ordinary couple out for a nice evening together. Rey's dress was far superior to his own wardrobe choice. He caught more than one man checking her out, until their eyes met his and their interest turned to fear. Kylo was rather smug over the knowledge he had Rey under his arm.

Yours . Her declaration repeated in his mind. Instinctively, he hugged her into his side, learning down to brush a chaste kiss against her forehead. Rey smiled up at him, her grin so wide her dimples showed. The tears were done and any lingering unease from the confrontation at the restaurant had diminished.

"So what now?"

"The only places I know around here are the ones I've ready about online," she admitted.

"Any you'd be interested in checking out?"

"Not really."

He caught the embarrassed look in her eyes. "Not really because you actually aren't interested or not really because you don't want me buying you things?" Her smiled faltered. "That's what I thought." He stopped walking, drawing her to the side to keep them from being run into by the rest of the foot traffic.

"Ben-."

"I understand why you didn't want me to buy the mattress. I wasn't trying to undermine you or buy you, Rey. I would never do that. You were sharing your life with me. It may sound simple, but it is more than anyone else has done for me in a long time. All I wanted was to give something back to you. When you told me what I took from you, I couldn't see where I had gone wrong. I didn't get it last week, but I do now. I'm sorry."

"Thank you" She wrapped both her hands around his free one, bringing it up to her lip to deposit a kiss on his knuckles. "It means a lot to me to hear you say that."

"I'm not finished."

"Ok?"

"I understand the mattress, but now...Rey, I want to be able to share things with you too. I won't force it on you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, but it would mean a lot to me if you'd let me take care of things."

She pulled out of his embrace, crossing her arms over her chest. "Take care of things?"

"I won't buy you an overpriced handbag or jewelry. I know you don't care for such extravagant things. However, could we reach a compromise?"

"Maybe." She seemed skeptical.

"Let me at least take you out. I want to do things properly, as a gentleman."

Kylo waited, his breath caught in his chest. He didn't ask for things. He demanded them. If he needed something, he called Phasma or Hux and it's as his. There wasn't a reason for him to ask. He had all he could ever want at his disposal. None of it was of any value. All the money he had made, the fame he had generated — it was all pointless. It held no real value to his life. It was an illusion. His entire career had been built upon a fabrication of what was truly important.

Meeting Rey, having her in his life had shown him what was real. If he hadn't had punched out Nines and been awarded with mandatory community service, he would have never realized how lost he was. Maz had pointed it out when he had finally gotten the courage to seek her out. A part of him had already known, a small, fragile part of him which had never let go of his former self. It was a slight piece, hidden away from the darkness of his Kylo Ren persona. It was the call to the light, a herald to come home.

Home was not a place he associated with his family. Home was now a person. Home was Rey.

The longer he spent with her, the more the concept of her as his home solidified in his mind. He felt more balanced in her presence, more like the man she claimed to like best of all — a balanced version of his Kylo Ren and Ben Solo lives. He only hoped she liked this version of him enough to allow him a real chance to prove he could be the man she needed him to be.

"Ben," she smiled, as she gave her reply. "You are already a gentleman and a gentle man. Those things Finn said at dinner," she paused to shake her head, "they weren't true. You have done things out of anger and fear. I have too. Everyone lashes out when they are in a bad place. It doesn't make you dangerous. It makes you human."

Kylo cupped her face in his hands, learning her head back so he could kiss her. He forgot they were outside in the middle of a busy street in downtown Corellia. He forgot they had lost an entire week due to a simple misunderstanding. He forgot he only had five months left at Ahch-To before he wouldn't have an excuse to see her every day. He forgot neither of them had eaten dinner, as they had intended to or that her friends had made her almost cry. Right then, the only thing on his mind was how delicious her lips tasted against this own.

His body moved on instinct, hands dropping from her face to slide down her bare arms, and resting on her lower back, directly below where the bare skin of her back was free to the night air. Rey stepped into him, running her own hands up his chest, until they rested on his pecs. He could feel the heat of her palms through the thin material of the T-shirt fabric. It made him hungry to feel her against him — skin on skin. The desire flooded through him and he deepened the kiss, one hand slowly making its way south to her rear. Rey moaned against him, a breathy sound, as he gripped her, holding her in place as his hips slotted against hers.

Pulling back just enough to see her lust-laced expression, he dared to ask, "So is that a yes?"

She hummed. "You're trying to be a typical boyfriend, huh?"

"Boyfriend?" He was startled by her blush. They hadn't agreed on what they were calling this. It had all happened so fast in the restaurant. The term boyfriend or girlfriend sounded immature to him, though no other option came to mind. Rey seemed unsure about the term as well. When he felt her start to pull away at his tease, he rubbed his thumb against her hip bone. "I like the sound of it."

"Yeah?" She questioned, timidly and he recognized the need for verification.

"Would you be mad if I said I like saying you're mine more?"

Her blush deepened, but she smiled, gleefully. "Not as long as I get to call you mine."

"I like the sound of that even more."

"Then I guess it would be bad manners to not let my boyfriend take me out."

"Very bad," he agreed. "Especially when you'd be giving your boyfriend a reason to get out of his lonely apartment."

She flashed him a mischievous smile, then quickly planted a kiss at the corner of his mouth. "I don't want you to be lonely. I think we've both had enough of that last week, didn't we? Besides, you're a celebrity. I'm sure your PR manager wants people to see you out and about."

"I only care about seeing you." He responded, before ducking down to ensnare her in another long kiss. Rey didn't interrupt this time, permitting him to trap her flush to his body. When his tongue slipped into her mouth, her hands roamed farther up his chest to grab hold of his shoulders.

He lost all ability to think beyond having Rey in his arms. After a week of being separated from her, after his epiphany at the Blue Wall, and after coming to terms with how she had started to change him, he solely belonged to her. As he said, he liked hearing her say he was hers and she was his. It was what he had wanted since the moment they had fought in the studio. As misguided as his initial desire had been, his feelings now were driven by wanting Rey, as she was, not as a First Order partner, but just a partner.

His partner.

While his hands moved across her body, he mapping the gentle curves of her figure, delighting in how easy it was for him to feel her pulse quicken beneath his long fingers and how certain pressure points caused her to shudder under his touch. He rejoiced in the fact she trusted him. She had been completely against the idea he would ever harm her, as Finn had suggested. It meant a great deal to him. He never wanted her to be afraid of him. He wanted to protect her and care for her now and always.

When finally they broke apart, both needed a moment to catch their breath.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Rey asked, nervously, as she gazed up at him.

Kylo felt himself jolt with the connotation of what she was asking. He had thought about being with Rey numerous times. From the sounds she would make to how he would feel her fingers tangled in his hair, he had considered multiple versions of their coupling.

They had a charged attraction to each other. It was undeniable, yet he had never been with anyone before. He was fairly certain Rey hadn't either and while he was eager to share such an experience with her, he wanted it to be perfect. He didn't want either of them to have a reason to regret it in the morning. Considering how they had recently gotten over their first fight and how they had left things with her friends at dinner, he was wary of taking such a large step in their newly formed relationship.

As if she could read his mind, she quickly added. "I mean to sleep. I didn't mean...I haven't slept well since you left the other day. I was hoping you'd stay over."

He breathed a sigh of relief, glad she was on the same page. "Of course, sweetheart, whatever you need."

There it was again. He had called her sweetheart a few times already. He hadn't called her that since she had blacked out. At the time of her episode, it had slipped. This time, it was intentional. There was no term better fitting for Rey. To the world she was a darling, a happy person with a compassion for goodness and to him she was the woman who held his heart, the one who he would give himself wholly to.

"Is that ok?" He asked her,

She nodded. "I've never had a pet name before."

"Now you do."

He brought his lips down upon hers again.

They decided to grab a slice of pizza from a place on their walk back towards Kylo's apartment. It was a perfect solution to their walk-out from dinner. Though Rey's upscale attire did raise a few eyebrows from the other more casual patrons, Kylo was pleased to notice how she leaned into him. She didn't drift an inch away from his side, unconsciously remaining in his orbit while they chewed on their thin crust together.

It was the least expensive meal he had consumed all week and the best.

He was still smiling when they arrived at his building. Kylo hesitated then, recalling the file he had on Rey still sitting in his desk. As unlikely it was for her to discover it, he didn't want to tempt fate. They had survived their first fight. He didn't want to hurry into another so soon.

"Don't you want to change?" Rey asked, as he led her to the garage.

"I've got a bag in my trunk," he replied. He was grateful he had had Phasma take his laundry out yesterday. A selection of his workout clothes were clean and ready in his car.

"You're always so prepared." Rey noted.

"Just a habit from traveling at the drop of a hat. Sometimes my manager calls and tells me I have to be in another city or another country with barely enough time to get to the airport."

"Wow, really?"

He shrugged, not really interested in discussing it. The last minute schedule changes were another reason he was glad to have a back up plan. Now that he had Rey, he couldn't imagine picking up and leaving with so little time for a proper goodbye. He suspected he could negotiate with Hux, after the New Year's fight about adding her to his regular travel expenses. It would allow her to be with him as much as possible when he had to leave Coreilla.

"I couldn't do it." Rey commented, as they approached his vehicle. "It was hard enough for me to leave Jakku and I wanted to leave. I can't imagine having to fly away from Tatooine all the time."

"You wouldn't want to travel? See the world?"

"Of course I do," she smiled, as they climbed in. "But I want to be able to see it on my own terms. I don't want to be at some corporation's beck and call."

Kylo nodded, thoughtfully. He'd need to discuss adding some days to his future itineraries with Phasma. It would give him a well overdue vacation and Rey a chance to experience different places in her own way.

"Why didn't you kiss me again until now?" Rey asked as they sped back to Tatooine in his Vanquish.

Kylo bit the inside of his cheek, feeling stupid for not having taken advantage of all the chances he had had the week prior to last. After their rendezvous in the walk-in at Rogue One, he had been elated. Simply knowing Rey shared his feelings had been enough for him. At the time, he had been cautious about taking things too fast, concerned about scaring her or being inept due to his lack of experience.

He hadn't been sure he could control himself around her. Their first kiss had been electric. The sensations and overpowered his body, driving him to take it a step further. It had taken every ounce of his self-control not to — a decision he had never regretted.

Aside of him, Rey waited for his answer, a confused look on her face. Kylo wasn't sure how to tell her about his insecurities on being with her or how to admit he had thought about being with her. He didn't want her to think he only wanted her for her body. There was so much more to Rey than her physical self and she deserved the truth.

In the past, he had always been honest with her. He needed to continue being honest, if he wanted to keep her.

"I didn't want to pressure you."

"Pressure me?"

"I didn't want to push you into anything you weren't ready for."

Her face relaxed and she let out a little laugh. "From kissing?"

"Rey." He inwardly groaned. How could she not know what she did to him? Kylo knew he was...well endowed. There was no chance she hadn't been able to feel his arousal against her when they had been in the fridge.

"I want you. It's the first time I've wanted anything so desperately. I was scared of ruining what we had. I didn't want to force you into anything you weren't ready for. I want this," he reached over, taking her hand, "to last. This isn't a fling for me or just a flirtation. I was serious when I said you're the most important thing in my life." He kissed her hand, briefly catching her eyes before focusing on the road. "This is it for me. You're it."

Rey pulled his hand to her, placing a kiss across his knuckles, then setting it down in her lap, where she wrapped her other hand over top of both of theirs. She didn't respond to his confession, but he was alright with that.

Dr. Connix had encouraged him to give her a choice. There was only one problem with his doctor's direction. There wasn't a choice to be made for either of them. Rey had already chosen him. He had already chosen her. Their problem wasn't over choice. It was over communication.

There was nothing to be gained by asking her if she felt the same. Rey had already told him she wanted him. If her feelings weren't as deep as his, he could live with that. It would be unfair of him to expect such a level of devotion from her, especially after how he had acted in the past. She had accepted him, as he was — good and bad. If he wanted to be deserving of her, he needed to continue to be good to her and for her.

Kylo took another peek at Rey, grinning when he saw the content smile on her face, as she watched the scenery go by. He could see the light in her eyes again. He was doing it. He was making it work and he was going to keep making it work.

He was going to keep Rey in his life for a long time.

By the time he pulled into the Ahch-To parking lot, Rey was stifling a yawn. He removed his hand from her grip and turned off the engine. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get you to bed."

Rey smiled, timidly over at him before nodding in agreement. They headed inside the studio, locking all the doors until they were safe inside her apartment.

Kylo surveyed it. The place had once been his home, his sanctuary from dealing with his spot as an outcast in society. It had been where he hid away, developing his skills as a martial artist, studying and doing extra credit in school, and drifting further and further away from his connections.

Unlike how he had utilized the apartment, Rey had turned the space into a home. Her handcrafted living room furniture was decorated with brilliant colors. There were photos on her fridge of her with her friends and even one of her with Luke and the students. She had hung a wind chime of sea glass up by the balcony doors to catch any incoming breezes. It was so different from the untouched penthouse he had back in the city.

"Ben?" He glanced over at the staircase, where Rey was paused, her hand reaching out for his. "Are you coming?"

He had to swallow the lump in his throat. Suddenly, he was nervous. He and Rey had slept together before. Their shared afternoon naps had been one of the most pleasant experiences they had shared apart from kissing. However, seeing her standing there, waiting for for him, his body betrayed what his mind had already decided.

Kylo could feel his urge to take her, to share another more pleasurable experience with her. There was a poetic symmetry to the idea of them being together in the bed he had purchased for her. She looked so beautiful, bathed in the moonlight streaking in through the windows. Neither of them had bothered to turn on the lights, both already aware of the layout of the place. It took everything in his power to bury the urge and take her hand.

Her hand was so tiny in his own, but much warmer. As soon as his skin came into contact with her own, he felt the electric buzz of passion. Kylo swallowed again, trying to maintain a level head. He couldn't be driven by his biology. He was a man, yes, but Rey had called him a gentleman and a gentleman didn't rush things. He made them special.

"I'm glad you're here." Rey informed him as they reached her bedroom.

In the same instant, his eyes fell to her bed. She had done as she had told him, creating a frame out of old coffee crates and was a nice design, giving her room to store items under the bed in an organized fashion. Had she not been such a talented martial artist, teacher, and bartender, he'd suggest she go into interior design. As it was, his mind had drifted far away from occupations and onto how he wanted to occupy his time with her.

"I'm going to get changed. These heels are killing me." She grabbed a pile of clothes from the shelf and flashed him a smile over her shoulder before disappearing into the bathroom.

Kylo flopped down onto the bed with a groan. He ran his hands through his hair, as he laid there, his legs hanging off the side so his shoes wouldn't be on her clean sheets. This woman was going to kill him. He was going to die an aggravatingly slow death.

Rey popped her head out of the bathroom. "I have an extra toothbrush, if you need one."

He rose to his feet, taking a minute to regulate his breathing, as he stripped down to his boxers. He needed to get his desire under control and the tight confines of his jeans weren't helping matters.

In and out. In and out. Deep breaths. He made himself think of unappealing things — Hux and his disgusting tactics with women, seeing one too many of his colleagues in the showers at the gym, possibly seeing Snoke in the shower...

Too much!

His stomach churned and he nearly got sick. It was a surefire cure, though it left him wanting to brush more than his teeth. He wished he could brush the image out of his mind. Still, the thought had rid him of his obvious erection, preparing him to face Rey in the well-lit bathroom.

Until he walked in and saw her in her pajamas.

Fuck.

Rey was standing in front of the sink, carefully brushing her teeth. Barefooted, she was clothed in a cotton set of short shorts and a camisole. It was clear from where he stood in the doorway, she wasn't wearing any undergarments. With his eyes, he traced the soft curvature of her behind, up the slight slope in her back and around to her front, where her breasts were. Kylo felt his earlier problem come back instantly.

Luckily, Rey didn't appear to notice, when she smiled at him over the toothbrush in her mouth and handed him a brand new one still in the package. Kylo took it, busying himself with dental hygiene in hopes it would keep his treacherous body from acting out.

As they both moved around the small space, sharing her sink, he noted how easy it was to be here with Rey. There was no awkwardness (besides that of his own making). They moved around each other, as if they had been together for years instead of a matter of hours. There was a flow to it, as though their bodies were conscious of each other on a subconscious level. It was symmetry in motion.

She finished first, slipping past him back out to the bedroom. When it was Kylo's turn to do the same, he silently thanked whatever had prompted them not to turn on the lights for shielding his hard on from her eyes.

He crawled into bed next to her, stilling when she curled up against him. "Is this ok?"

In the low light, he could see her staring at him, wearing the same expression as she had in the car. Forcing the horrifying image of Snoke into his head, he surprised a shudder, and wrapped an arm around her.

"Of course."

She sighed, contentedly into him, her cheek resting against his bare chest. She draped one arm over his torso, as she adjusted her position alongside of him.

"Last week was terrible," she admitted, softly. "I have never felt so alone."

"You're not alone."

"Neither are you."

Sleeping had been difficult for him over the years. It had become significantly worse last week. But as he listened to Rey's breathing slow, while she drifted off to sleep, he found himself succumbing just as quickly.

Hours later, Kylo woke to Rey tossing and turning wildly next to him.

"No. No. No!" She was thrashing about, mumbling from being stuck in a nightmare. He recognized the terror on her face from his own sleepless night when he had been plagued by his fears.

"Rey, sweetheart," he gripped her wrists, holding her still, "You're alright. You're safe. I'm right here. I'm here with you."

Her eyes snapped opened. It took a minute or two for her to focus on him and fully understand where she was before her body relaxed against his.

"Ben."

He wrapped himself around her, cradling her against his chest. "Shhhh, you're safe, sweetheart. I've got you."

Rey curled into him, her fingers lacing behind his neck as she held herself close. "Plutt came after me and no one could stop him."

"I won't let him take you," he whispered against her hair. "I won't let anyone hurt you ever again, Rey. I promise."

He felt her let out a small sob against his chest and he tightened his hold around her instinctively. "I'm here, sweetheart. I'm right here. You're safe. I've got you." He ran his hands over her back, rubbing circles into her bare flesh with the pads of his thumbs. "I've got you, Rey."

"Ben?"

He glanced down at her, catching her tear-rimmed eyes. "I'm glad you're here."

"I will be here as long as you want me to be."

"How about forever?" She let it a teary laugh, as she wiped at her eyes.

"Forever," he grinned as he kissed the top of her head.

He tried to not let her word choice get to him but it made him feel full nonetheless. He knew she was joking, trying to rid herself of her fears. And yet, the way she was once again resting upon him was a perfect fit, as though the universe had made them for one another. The idea of forever didn't sound like a joke to him.

Kylo laid there, massaging Rey until her breathing slowed and she fell asleep in his arms. As she slept, he was taking in her scent, listening to her heart beat, and watching her every second.

She was his and he was hers.

A/N: As always, I must give major kudos to my beta, AbyssalSpark. She's been a real friend while I've continued to battle with health issues IRL. Writing fanfiction is my favorite form of escape right now. So lucky to have her reading and providing feedback on HMWYBS.

Shameless self-promo plug: If you like this story, consider checking out my Canon-verse AU: Same People, Different Eyes. It had a lot of fun Reylo moments and more delicious banter, and agonizingly potent UST.