Chapter 23: With Love

Friday morning came far sooner than Kylo expected. When Rey's alarm woke them, he had to untangle his limbs from hers. They had been 'sleeping together' and actually sleeping together since her lingerie unveiling. Their appetites for one another had only increased over the last few days. Tuesday night would be forever etched in his mind as one of the greatest experiences he had ever had the pleasure to partake in. His beautiful, sweet, kind girl had a fire in her. Her tenacity wasn't limited to the studio floor. She had quite a skill for the bedroom as well.

Kylo grinned to himself as he replayed the sounds she had made that night (and each night since) when she had allowed herself to experience her own pleasure, unhindered. It had been exquisite to watch. The way her mouth had formed the perfect little 'o' and how her form had pulsed from the waves of her orgasm. It had him cumming with her. She was a goddess — one he would gladly worship until his dying day.

As if she sensed him staring at her, she opened her eyes.

"Morning sweetheart." He greeted her with a brief kiss.

"Morning," she greeted him back, a blissed out smile on her perfect pink little lips. "How did you sleep?"

"Excellent," he replied, before stealing another kiss. He couldn't contain himself when she was right there for the taking, naked and gorgeous in the morning sunlight. "You?"

"I think you spending the night was the best idea we've ever had."

We've ever had.

We.

Her use of them as a combined decision maker sent joy shooting through him. It took all his willpower not to crawl on top of her and eat her for breakfast. He desperately wanted to show how much her words meant to him. He knew if he did however, she wouldn't be walking downstairs to teach today and if that was the case, what choice did he have but to call off as well to keep her company? It was a dangerous train of thought — and equally seductive.

"Are you going into the city this morning?" She asked.

"Yes."

He had told her last night when he picked her up from Rogue One that he needed fresh clothes. It was only partially true. He did need new clothes, but he also needed to speak with Phasma and Hux. While working through the remaining details of his plan for her birthday, he had forgotten to pull his colleagues into the loop. He was already dreading how his manager was going to make a big deal about his request. Kylo had been procrastinating the task, unprepared for the redhead's reaction. He'd save that headache for last. First, he needed to speak to Phasma about the final touch, the metaphoric icing on the cake for Rey's birthday.

Kylo felt Rey turn, so she was facing him. She cuddled into his chest, as if she could burrow into him. Had it been possible, he would have allowed it. Then he could keep her with him forever, just as she had asked him.

"Will you be back for lunch?"

They had spent almost all their free time together this week. The idea of not sharing lunch with her felt strange, but he wouldn't make her a promise he couldn't keep. Like him, Rey had deep trust issues. He knew he needed to be honest with her at all times and only commit to things he could deliver on. He could thank Dr. Connix for such insight. His sessions with her had been rather successful.

"I'm not sure. If I'm not back, eat without me. I'll be here in time to take you to the club."

"Are you sure?"

He hated how disappointed she sounded. He reminded himself his absence was necessary in order to complete her birthday preparations.

"Yes."

"Alright."

Then, as they laid there, both stalling from getting up and facing the real world, he realized she still had never mentioned her birthday to him. He couldn't tell if it was because they had been so busy learning one another's bodies or if it was because her guards were still up. Suddenly he worried she may not be pleased with his efforts to surprise her. Would they fall into a similar argument to the one they had gotten into over the mattress? While planning, he had tried to keep each event low-key so it wouldn't overwhelm her. Still, he began to doubt himself and the choices he had made.

"Did you want to do anything special this weekend?" He asked, nonchalantly. She tensed up and he feared she suspected what he was plotting. "I can take you out for lunch to make it up to you." He added and Rey relaxed.

Nice catch, Solo.

"Are we going to go over gun defense again?"

Kylo held a laugh in. Of course his girl would want to continue her training. She wasn't the typical girlfriend who wanted a elaborate party or fancy things, the way his uncle had assumed. She was perfectly content with simpler things. He recalled their simple lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, smiling at the memory. Rey placed value in knowing how to live independently and provide for herself. Nothing would prepare her more than learning adequate levels of self-defense. While he admired that about her, he didn't want her to feel she had to do everything alone. He was with her now. He could help her, but it was ultimately her choice.

Rey chooses for Rey.

"If that is what you want."

"I need to work on my reaction time," she responded. She was getting better at picking out her own flaws. He had no doubt she would improve when they ran through the drills again. She was determined to advance her skill set.

"We'll work on it together," he promised, purposefully leaving out a timeframe, since he had already made plans for their Sunday.

"I better get dressed before Luke comes up here again." She tilted her head up to catch his lips, before she was shimmying out of bed and darting into the bathroom. Within minutes, she re-emerged, fully dressed with her hair pulled back, and ready to go. "Love you." She gave him a quick goodbye kiss and ran down to teach her class.

"Love you."

Kylo followed her example — getting dressed and heading out for the day. He didn't stop smiling until he hit the Corellia city limits.

The week had flown by. Rey blamed it on her developing romance with Ben. She had dove head-first into a committed relationship, spending all her free time with him and taking advantage of their precious alone time to learn his body. Their one-on-one training sessions had taken on a more heated approach. As they sparred, they each became aware of the unspoken challenge from the other, an added hint of seduction and competition to every movement.

When Rey had kicked his footing out from under him one morning, he had landed with a surprised gasp onto the mat, only to have her straddle his hips a second later. Without pause, she had brought her lips crashing down on top of his, as she intertwined their fingers together, holding his arms down, positioned above his head. He hadn't relinquished control to her completely, rolling them over after a few moments of intense kissing. Mimicking her fervor, he had ground his pelvis into hers, causing her to feel a different kind of heat forming between her legs, one that caused her to want to go further than they had all week.

Despite their accelerated pace, they hadn't ventured to the full act. Rey wasn't complaining. She enjoyed hearing Ben fall apart at her hands and similarly, she enjoyed being broken by his own efforts. There was a delicious ripple that flowed through her body each time she orgasmed from his touch, as if her body knew it had been made for him and was happy to answer his call. It made it so easy to continue falling for him.

Rey's phone rang, startling her out of her musings. She was in between her morning classes, having just dismissed her kickboxing ladies from the studio. She saw Jyn pop-up on her caller ID and immediately picked up.

"Hey, boss."

"Rey! I'm glad I caught you."

"What's wrong? Do you need me to come in early or something?" Rey asked, worried this impromptu call had something to do with the secret Ben was keeping from her.

"No," Jyn reassured her from the other end. "Nothing like that. I was actually calling you to let you know Bodhi asked to pick up a couple of shifts. He needs the extra money and I figured you might need a break. How would you feel about getting tomorrow night off?"

A night off? And not just any night — a Saturday night. Rey hadn't had a weekend night free since she had started bartending, not that she had had any money to do anything prior to working her two jobs. Plutt had made her work constantly. She had forgotten what a weekend was supposed to be like. This felt surreal, but her instant joy was tampered when she began calculating how this would affect her month's budget.

Could she afford to take off a Saturday? The tips had been good, better than she had anticipated when she had started at the club. She made decent money, but Saturday's were easily the best nights to work. She brought in double and sometimes triple what she made during the week on a Saturday.

"Rey?" Jyn called to her, drawing out of her thoughts. "Are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here." She bit her bottom lip, worried how the night off would hurt her finances, especially since she had spent most of it for the month already on the lingerie. Suddenly she felt silly for the purchases…until she remembered how Ben had reacted. Speaking of reactions — having the night off would allow her to rest up for Sunday so she could train longer and harder with Ben. She had wanted to do more with their gun defense tactics. If she got more rest, she'd have a better reaction time. She relented. "A night off would be great. Thanks, Jyn."

"Wonderful! I'll let Bodhi know. See you tonight, Sunshine."

She hung up, glad for the extra time with Ben, but for some reason she had a strange feeling, as though she was forgetting something. Shaking her head, she shrugged the sensation off. She was probably just feeling weird about having the Saturday night all to herself for a change.

Turning her focus away from the weekend, she welcomed her next class into the studio and started her Spotify playlist.

"Phasma."

"Sir?" Her British accent on the other end came through clear and crisp. She seemed to be surprised to hear from him. He realized it had been over a week since he had requested her services. While he was with Rey he didn't need cleaners or any support. Rey was everything for him. She kept him grounded and centered. His anger didn't overpower him. Instead, he had found a new level of calm due to her love. His assistant seemed to remember herself and cleared her throat. "What can I do for you?"

"You have an extra key for my apartment, do you not?" He asked.

"Yes, sir. For deliveries and emergencies."

"I need you to make a copy for me please."

"Of course, sir. I will have it to you before noon." She didn't ask who the key was for or why he needed a spare after he had lived in the same spot for years. It was one of the many blessings of having her as his assistant. She was straight and to the point. She didn't delve into the personal, which made his next ask more difficult.

"Thank you, Phasma."

"Anything else, sir?"

"Actually, yes."

He had never invited her to come out before. Hux was the one who dragged everyone from their homes after hours, not Kylo Ren. He was sure his request would surprise her, but he had vowed to be better for Rey and part of that was bringing his girlfriend into his life. While Phasma and Hux weren't exactly his friends, they were the closest thing he had. He wanted Rey to meet them and for them to meet her.

"Do you have plans tomorrow evening?"

"Saturday night, sir?" As he had expected, she appeared baffled by his line of questioning.

"Correct."

"No, sir."

"Excellent. I'd like to order a car for the night. Please invite Hux to join us. We are going out for the evening. I'll take care of the tab, personally."

There was a long silent pause on the other end. He wondered if he had caused his assistant to faint from shock.

"T-thank you, sir."

"No need to thank me. You two deserve a night out. I appreciate you making the time to join me."

"I'll arrange it today. Do you have a place in mind?"

Kylo gave her the address to Rogue One and once he had answered a few more questions for her to coordinate, he hung up. It was the he saw a text message from Jyn Erso on his notification screen.

All set.

The smile returned to his face. The countdown was on. In less than twenty-four hours, Rey would wake up to the birthday she had always deserved — the birthday he had designed for her.

Rey was half-way through her lunch when Ben arrived back at the academy. She quickly scarfed down the remainder of her salad before he came up. She was dumping the dirty dishes into her sink when he walked through the door.

"Hey," she smiled around the corner of the kitchen at him. "How was the city?"

"Same as always," he replied, depositing his bag on the living room floor. "Did you eat?"

"Yep. Just finished. I can make you something, if you're hungry," she offered.

"I'm good." He ran a hand through his hair. "Actually looking forward to a nap."

Rey nodded in agreement. Having an active sex life was more draining than both her jobs combined. Though she enjoyed every second of it, her body felt as though it had gone through a major overhaul. She was still Rey Niima, but she was different. It was hard to describe. She felt fuller, more whole. After her powerful orgasm from last night, she craved a few extra hours of sleep to perk up before her afternoon shifts.

Together, they went up to bed. Wordlessly, they striped down to their undergarments, Ben in his dark plaid boxers and her in her practical white cotton undies and sports bra. It was more comfortable to sleep naked, but Rey was still recovering from the night prior. She couldn't afford a repeat performance so close to working hours, which reminded her.

"Jyn called me today," she announced.

"Oh?" He murmured into the pillow, before stifling a yawn. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah. She gave me tomorrow night off."

"That was nice of her."

"Yeah, it was."

It struck her as odd he didn't question her manager's decision. Being well traveled and as clever as he was, he had to know Saturdays were the days to make money, yet he didn't seem curious as to why Jyn had given her off. Maybe he was as tired as she was or maybe it was because he knew. Perhaps it was the secret he had been keeping. Both options didn't seem right. She thought about other possibilities for his reaction — or lack thereof. It wasn't as though Rey had told Jyn it was her birthday or...

Wait.

Had she? Rey tried to recall all her recent conversations with her boss, trying to remember if she had let it slip her birthday was coming up. The prior nagging feeling she had felt had been about Saturday, because with all that had happened over the last week, Rey had forgotten all about her birthday.

It had never been a day for celebration. Plutt was not one to waste his time or money on her. She was his source of income, a tool to leverage to bring in extra money under the table. He barely cared enough to make sure she had clothes to wear and food in her belly. There were times when he denied her those courtesies as well, out of spite or as a form of punishment, so no, birthdays were not something she paid a lot of attention to.

She wondered if she should tell Ben. Seeing as how he was apt to buy her things, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. She didn't want him responding to the news and buying her a present out of guilt. After all, she had forgotten the event herself. It wouldn't be right for him to feel obligated over a day that barely registered on her radar.

Next year, she told herself. Next year I'll tell him and then we can celebrate.

If he's still around , an ugly voice taunted her from the shadowy corners of her mind. A year is a long time, Rey, and everyone always leaves you.

Clenching her jaw, she pushed the traitorous thought away from her. Ben wasn't like everyone else. He wouldn't abandon her the way her parents had or mistreat her the way Plutt had done time and time again. Ben loved her. He would continue to be in her life far longer than any of them and. He would not disappoint her.

Right?

One look at Ben's face and she knew he wouldn't disappoint her. He was watching her with complete adoration. Unless he was an award-winning actor, she didn't think he could fake an expression like the one he was giving her now.

"Maybe you should talk to your friend," Ben suggested, catching her staring at him. "The one who doesn't like me. The one leaving for… " he started snapping his fingers as he tried to think of the destination.

Rey helped him out. "You mean Finn. He's leaving for South Africa on Sunday night."

"Maybe you should give him a call and see if he wants to get together, since you have time off."

It made sense. She had been avoiding Finn's calls and text messages since he had insulted her and Ben at the Blue Wall. She didn't want to go another two weeks without speaking to him. Even if he didn't approve of her choice for a boyfriend, he was her best friend. She would be upset if he left for his big trip without telling him goodbye. It was kind of Ben to think of Finn, especially given how her best friend had treated her boyfriend. Ben's consideration solidified her belief he was going to be with her long enough to make it to her next birthday.

"You're right. Maybe the four of us could go to dinner together?"

Ben was quiet for a moment. "Rey," he said gently, and she prepared herself for his next words. There was a hint in his tone to tip her off she wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "I think it would be better if you went by yourself. I don't want to cause another scene."

She let out a sigh of relief, having thought he was going to say something else — something more final. Rey internally berated herself for allowing her inner demons to get the best of her. Ben was not her parents. He wasn't going to abandon her. She reached over to him, placing her hand on his arm. "Ben, you're my boyfriend. I want you to be there."

"I want to be there," he told her, "but not at the expense of your friendship. We can work on my standing with your friends when they get back from their trip. For now, I think it's important you have time with them."

Rey felt like pouting. She finally had someone. After being around Poe and Finn and their happily-ever-after haze, she wanted them to see her in her own element. She wanted her friends to know she had found someone who would be that person for her, the one to make her smile and laugh, the way they did for one another. She had waited so long for him. Now that she had him all she wanted to do was spend time with him and show him off. It was slightly immature, like a child brandishing their newest toy, but Rey didn't care. She loved him. She wanted everyone to know he was hers and she was his.

However, she was sure the sentiment wouldn't go over well with Finn.

With a sigh, she realized Ben was right. Forcing her relationship on Finn wasn't going to change her friend's mind. In fact, it was likely to push him further away. If she wanted to clear the air between them, she needed to come to him as herself, as just Rey. When he returned from overseas, she could invite him over to her apartment to meet Ben officially.

"Alright," she grumbled.

"Don't be mad, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead. "It will all work out."

"I'm not mad."

"Liar."

"Ok," she huffed, "I'm a little mad. It's my-." She stopped herself before she could say it.

Damn it!

"Your what?"

"Nothing," she sighed. "It's not important. Never mind."

Ben's face fell, but he didn't press her. "Alright." Rey stared at her phone, oddly uncomfortable with the idea of calling her best friend. Ben acknowledged her unease, by placing his hand over hers. "Call him."

She knew he was right. Finn had been there for her through some of the worst times of her life. He and Poe had been her family long before she and made friends with Rose and Jess and before she had been accepted as part of the squad at Rogue One. She owed it to him to reach out. With a deep breath, to calm herself, she dialed.

It only took one ring before he was answering.

"Rey?"

"Hey Big Deal," she greeted him teasingly, trying to break the ice.

"Hey," he sighed with relief. "I'm glad you called."

"Yeah," she smiled over at Ben, giving his hand a squeeze. "Me too."

They decided to go to Atollon, the original restaurant they had planned on visiting last week. Rey was grateful how easy it was to fall back into their usual carefree banter. They both mumbled out apologies for how they had behaved. Finn told her about his pre-flight checklist, which was getting out of hand. Rey announced her night off and her plan to have dinner together, which her best friend jumped at. She discussed bringing along Rose and Jess. Finn agreed, enthusiastically.

After hashing out the details and sending a few quick texts to her girlfriends, Rey ended the call with Finn. They had agreed on a time and he had promised to take care of the reservations, since it was her birthday. When he had mentioned the significance of the date over the phone, she had cupped her hand over the end, trying to shield Ben from hearing the news. Maybe it was good he wasn't coming out with them tomorrow night. Finn was terrible at keeping secrets.

She yawned, her exhaustion catching up with her, as she set her phone down.

"Get some rest, sweetheart," Ben kissed her forehead. "You have a big day tomorrow."

Rey was already half asleep, not thinking twice about the meaning of his words.

The next morning, Rey opened her eyes, hand flying haphazardly about as she attempted to shut off her phone alarm. The blaring horn kept going off as she struggled to find it. She may have been given Saturday night off, but as far as the daytime went, she was still responsible for her morning classes. With a groan, she rolled out of bed, shutting off her alarm. It wasn't until she had forced herself out of bed, she noticed it was empty.

"Ben?"

"Down here," he called from her kitchen.

With a yawn, Rey padded down to him, rubbing the back of her hand against her eyes to remove the sleep dust which had settled in overnight. "What are you doing down he-?"

The words left her, as she took in the sight of him standing in her kitchen with her cup of tea. That wasn't all he had. On her countertop, he had made a ridiculously large stack of pancakes. Sprinkled across the top were chocolate chips and fresh banana slices. In between, she noticed the words drizzled across in chocolate syrup, "Happy Birthday!" She raised her eyes to her to-go cup. Where Rose normally wrote her name in black Sharpie marker, it read 'Birthday Girl' with a smiley face.

Suddenly, it all clicked in her mind.

"Y-you…you knew?"

"Rose told me," he replied sheepishly. He took a step towards her, holding out the drink. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart."

Rey took it from him and placed it off to the side. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Ben Solo! I can't believe you."

"It's just breakfast," he chuckled, hugging her back.

"It's just breakfast," she mimicked him, rolling her eyes, even though he couldn't see. "Right. And I suppose Jyn giving me the night off was not connected to this in any way either?"

"Maybe."

She pulled back to take in his face. The tips of his ears were red. "Maybe?"

"I wanted you to have the birthday you deserve. Rose mentioned you haven't celebrated before, so I planned a day for you."

Rey's eyes widened. So much for him not going overboard. "A day?" He nodded. "What exactly did you plan, Ben?"

"Sit down," he gestured to the open seat behind him. "I'll tell you everything."

Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, Rey fell in love with her boyfriend all over again. No one had ever done so much for her. Not even Finn and Poe combined had done so much for her in the entire time she had known them, let alone all for one occurrence. By the time Ben was done detailing out the rest of her Saturday, there were tears in her eyes and she was fighting back a sob.

"Tomorrow, we're going to Cloud City," he finished. "I got us a private tour of the facility from an old friend."

"What?" Rey shrieked, nearly knocking over her tea in her excitement. "Cloud City in Bespin? The best engineering firm in the world?"

"That's the one," Ben chuckled. When she didn't say anything else, he cleared his throat, unsure how to take her stare. "Is that ok?"

"Ok? Ok? I mean…"

Rey couldn't come up with the words. Ben had arranged everything. Not only had he secured her a night off of work so she could actually experience the club as a guest, but he had organized a car to chauffeur her, Rose, and Jess around starting with their trip to Atollon for dinner with Finn and Poe. The dinner, which she assumed he had actually made the reservations for, was only the start of her evening out. She'd get to be with her friends to celebrate, before the boys went home to prepare for their flight. Then it would be her and girls to go dancing, as Jess had begged for over the last couple of weeks. Ben promised to show up at the end of the night to bring her home so they could celebrate — just the two of them. And now — now he was telling her he was taking her to her dream job tomorrow. It wasn't ok. It was fucking fantastic!

Pancakes forgotten, she started to cry. To think — she had doubted Ben would be with her next year for her birthday. The idea now made her sick to her stomach. He had been her boyfriend all of one week and already he was taking better care of her than anyone else in her life ever had. She could see the amount of detailed planning he had put into this so-called day, which was really turning into a full-blown weekend. It was beyond what she had expected and more than she could comprehend. How could this man — this wounded soul who she had only met months earlier — love her this much? How was it possible?

"I'm sorry," he apologized, hastily, kneeling by her side. He misinterpreted her tears, believing her to be overwhelmed or even mad. "I know you told me you didn't appreciate expensive gifts, so I thought an experience would be better. I wanted you to have happy memories of your birthday, something pleasant to look back on since you never got a chance growing up."

"No, no," Rey sobbed into her hands. "It's not that. It's just-." Her voice cracked and she could barely find the words. "You're too good…too good to me, Ben."

"Don't say that," he responded sternly, pulling her hands away so he could see her face. "Remember what I told you? I do all of this because I want to, because I love you. I want you to have all of this, Rey. I want you to have everything — everything you'll let me give you."

She threw her arms around him once again. "I love you," she cried into his shoulder, burying her weeping face in his shirt. There as nothing else she could say. There was no way to put into words everything she was feeling — everything he had made her feel by his gesture. "Thank you so much, Ben. Thank you."

"Happy Birthday, Rey."

It took her a bit to get straightened out after her meltdown. Ben was patient with her and held her hand while she demolished the stack of pancakes he had made her. As she ate, he would gently stroke the pad of his thumb across her knuckles, a constant reminder he was with her. Her heart had never been quite so full and after she had finished her breakfast, neither had her belly. She may have just woken up, but she felt like she needed a nap to digest the meal currently sitting in her stomach.

"Too much?" Ben teased.

"Yeah," she blushed, feeling silly for having insisted on eating each and every thing he had made her.

"How about we skip training today? You can take a nap before the girls come over," he suggested.

Rey's face broke into a wide, loving grin. "Ben Solo," she said, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "You really are too good to me."

Classes were a challenge to concentrate on. Rey could hardly contain her excitement. She wanted to fast forward through her sessions with her students to kick-off her first real birthday. It had her hurrying through exercises and dismissing her class right at the top of the hour.

Thankfully, the rest of the time went by quicker. After her classes, as promised by Ben, they took a nap. She skipped lunch, still too full from the mountain of pancakes she and consumed for breakfast. The flour-based meal helped keep her unconscious until Ben roused her from her dreamless sleep.

"Sweetheart?"

"Mmmmm."

He chuckled. She felt the mattress dip as he leaned in to kiss her temple. "Rey, love, you need to wake up. Jess and Rose are on their way over to get ready for tonight."

"Five more minutes," she begged, still half asleep, as she rolled away from him.

Smack.

Rey's eyes flew open and she sat up like a shot. Had he just… ?

Ben was smirking, evilly. Oh, he had, had he? "I told you. You have to get up, Birthday girl."

"A spanking?" She raised a brow at him. "Really, Solo?"

His smirk remained. "I think you liked it."

Rey stuck out her tongue, childishly. Ben dove for her. She managed to duck out of range, slipping out of bed and into the bathroom.

"Just remember who you are going home with tonight, sweetheart," he called through the door. "The more you tease me now, the worse it will be for you later."

As if she could forget.

With a sigh, she leaned herself against her sink basin. She wished they had more time. She wanted to tease him, if only to get him back for spanking her. His strike hadn't hurt. He hadn't meant it to. It was playful, just a way to nudge her out of bed, but it had immediately set fire to her belly. Now, she didn't want to take the time to get ready to go. She wanted to stay in and finish what he had started.

If she snuck out of the bathroom quick, she'd still have time to text her friends. She could tell them she overslept and needed another hour. That would be enough time, right? She recalled their last tryst and grinned to herself. They were building up their endurance and stamina.

Maybe two.

"Jess and Rose just pulled in," Ben called from the parking lot.

Well, there goes that idea.

Rey ran a comb through her hair and rinsed her face with cold water before re-emerging. Ben was suitably dressed in dark jeans and a fitted t-shirt, while she was still in her pajamas. She appraised his muscles, lines and contours which she knew existed beneath the thin fabric. He was magnificent. She had thought him handsome before, but now, knowing what lurked beneath the surface she felt as if she would never be satisfied unless they were wrapped up in one another.

A knock at her door, took her attention away from admiring his form. She followed her boyfriend down to let her friends into the apartment.

"Hey!" Her two friends chorused loudly. They were both in loose fitting clothing, bags of makeup and other items held between them.

"I'll see you later." Ben moved to excuse himself from the girly fray. He kissed Rey, running a hand down her back to settle on her hip, adding in a quieter tone, "my little minx."

Rey smiled up at him, as he pulled back. "What are you going to do until I see you later?"

He grinned at her. "I need to pick up a couple of things. You'll see."

She gave him one last kiss before he took off, leaving her to the mercy of her girl friends, who were eager to get her dressed up for their night out.

"I'm not sure about this," Rey told Jess as her friend led her away from her apartment door towards the bathroom. "I mean, it's just dinner and work."

"It's your birthday dinner!" Jess insisted, as she plucked up her makeup bag from the floor. "And it's not work. Not tonight. Tonight, we are partying it up! We need to look our best… well Rose and I do. You've already got a man." She disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Rey and Rose standing together in the bedroom.

Rey scoffed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Rose gave her a sympathetic smile. "It's nice to have someone."

She considered her friend's words. It was a blessing to have Ben. He had been endearingly sweet to her. From the time he had begun training her up until now, he had been careful with her, only pushing her to become a better fighter but never crossing the line. He respected her comfort. He was fair.

Having him as her boyfriend brought their relationship to a new level. He acted the same, always taking things slow, making sure she was alright before proceeding. As chivalrous as it was, her desire was starting to burn out of control. She was less and less interested in him being a gentleman and more invested in releasing his animalistic side.

Her lips curled up in a devilish smirk as she imagined going all the way. Maybe she should have told him it was what she really wanted for her birthday. He had unwrapped her from her bodysuit. Would it be too forward of her to ask to unwrap him for her day? It was an alluring thought, leaving her skin warm and prickly with need.

She considered taking another shower to cool herself off, when she noticed Rose watching her expression, as if she could tell what Rey was thinking. Suddenly, she felt like a terrible friend. She had been so caught up in enjoying her time with Ben that she hadn't spent a single minute with either of them.

"I'm glad we're getting a chance to go out together tonight."

"Me too," Rose beamed. "It's so nice of Ben to coordinate all of this for us."

Rey paused for a second. Had Rose called him Ben? She knew he permitted her to call him by his birth name, but he still flinched when his uncle or Maz used it. Sensing her confusion, Rose explained. "When he came into the coffee shop the other day he told me I could call him Ben."

"He did?"

"Yeah."

Rey felt her eyes well up with tears. She wasn't sure when she had gotten so emotional. It seemed like since Ben had come into her life she had gone through several changes. She recognized some were due to stress, but others were because of the impact Ben had had on her. She wasn't being dramatic when she said he was too good to her. He really was. He had changed her entire life.

"I'm glad," she told Rose, truthfully.

"He's not the same as when he first arrived," Rose commented, reading Rey's face.

"Wonder why?" Jess teased, sarcastically as she beckoned them into the bathroom. Then to Rey, she asked, "Are you ready for your makeover?"

"Jess," she groaned as she took in the various containers scattered about her sink.

Rey was apprehensive about going through another makeover. Finn and Poe had been pushy. She had only humored them out of guilt, but she was not thrilled with the idea of going through the tedious process again so soon.

"Come on, Rey," her friend whined. "It's your birthday. Tall, dark, and handsome is giving you the royal treatment. The least I can do is get you ready to go." Jess made a sad, puppy-dog face, which Rose mimicked aside of her.

"Please, Rey," she begged. "I haven't done anything like this since Paige and I were living together. Jess never let's me do her makeup."

"Alright," Rey relented.

Jess cheered and Rose clapped her hands together, happily. Rey took a seat, while her friends busied themselves with matching her skin tone to a concealer and picking out the appropriate color palette for her look.

"We should do a smokey eye," Rose suggested to Jess. "It will go well with her outfit."

"I actually haven't decided what I'm wearing yet," Rey confessed to them.

"Don't worry," Jess grinned. "We've got you covered."

Kylo was not interested in staying for girl time or whatever it was Jess and Rose has cooked up, but he hesitated outside Rey's apartment door upon exiting.

She had been emotional most of the day, going from surprised to crying to hugging him so hard he thought she'd leave bruises. It was a bit of a whirlwind and he would be lying if he said he hadn't been holding his breath to see how it all played out. As luck would have it, she was appreciative of his gestures — more than appreciative. It had gone as far as her not believing she was worthy of what he had done.

He would have to work harder to prove to her he meant everything he told her and did everything because he genuinely wanted to. From her perspective, it probably was a lot to take in. Her birthday had never been something to celebrate before. He had taken her on a complete 180-turn with his plan. Still, he wanted her to enjoy it all. He wanted her to be happy.

In a short amount of time, her happiness had become paramount to him. Rey was the most important thing in his life — more than his fancy apartment, more than his car, more than his ability to travel, even more than his career. She truly was his everything.

Kylo could hardly believe she had become so much to him in so little time, but he wouldn't have change it for anything. Rey had had a choice and she had chosen him. That in itself was enough to make him smile, even as he went downstairs to pick up his manager and assistant.

Corellia was still slow by the time he reached his apartment. The nightlife wouldn't start up for several hours, giving him enough time to shower and dress at his place before it was time to meet up with his co-workers.

As he entered his home, he noted the persistent red flashing light of his answering machine. He had yet to play the last message from the other week. By now, he was sure there were at least a dozen others on the tape. He ignored them. He would listen to them later, after Rey's birthday weekend was over. He only wanted to focus on her tonight.

He wandered through his place, peeling off layer after layer of clothing as he made his way to the bathroom. The apartment felt more like an impersonal hotel room than his home. After his week spent rolling around — among other things — in the sheets with Rey, he didn't feel the same comforting vibe here as he did when he was at her place.

Of course, if all went well tomorrow with his uncle, they would be discussing how to make his apartment more homey.

Turning the chrome knob is his shower, he stepped under the spray of water to cleanse himself. His thoughts ran amuck as he lathered up with Aventus.

So far, Rey had accepted all he had planned for her. The final touch was a touch more drastic than renting a car or paying for a four star dining experience. Giving Rey a key, was a major step.

He had thought about it since he had begun planning her surprise birthday. He still wasn't sure how she would react. If her earlier response was any indication, it would probably be an array of emotions before she settled on one. He hoped it would be a happy one.

By giving her a key, he wasn't officially asking her to move-in, though he'd be lying if he said that wasn't his long-term goal. He wanted her to have a safe place to go to, a place where she could crash in the city, and one closer to Cloud City, once she worked there, because he was sure she'd make an impression and a job offer would be forthcoming. Of course, if Rey wanted to move in with him, and away from his cockblock of an uncle, he'd be all for it.

He just wasn't sure if Rey would be.

They had gone through a couple of major milestones together recently. He was concerned this one would scare her more so than his declaration of love or admitting he was a Virgin. On the other hand, they were practically living together now and once she started working at Cloud City and he was no longer on doing his community service, they wouldn't have a need to commute to Tatooine anymore. They could remain in Corellia — together.

Together had a nice ring to it, almost as nice as when Rey had referred to them as 'we'. Kylo was convinced anything Rey said better.

As he mused to himself, he realized his skin was pruning. He had been standing under the water clean but unmoving for too long. He shut off his shower, grabbed a towel, and returned to his bedroom.

Having frequented Rogue One over the last few weeks, he should have felt confident in what to wear, but because it was Rey's birthday, he was left standing in front of his closet debating. After nearly half an hour of holding up various shirts, he landed on a black crew neck with a gray blazer and a pair of dark-wash jeans. Rey was sure to appreciate a pop of color, even if it was a shade of black. She liked to tease him about his monotone wardrobe.

When Ben had told her he had rented a car, Rey had assumed he meant an Uber. What waited for her and her friends was a limo with a driver at the ready. Rey had only seen them in the city and she had never been in one before. Jess and Rose were cheering behind her, besides themselves, while she wondered what type of engine the vehicle had.

Jess was the first to hop in, followed by Rose. Rey was the last, her eyes studying the exterior of the transport before she ducked inside to join her girl friends. The interior was just as nice with black leather seats and a divide between them and the driver. As he shut the door, allowing them to settle in, Rey glanced around. A mini fridge was located on the side, closest to Rose and a bottle of champagne sat in a bucket of ice by Jess. She had already started to reach for the bottle when the driver pulled away.

She poured three flutes full, hanging them out. Rey had never had champagne before. She wasn't sure how it would taste, but she wasn't about to waste it. Besides, Jess and Rose were all for it.

"To Rey!" Jess toasted, raising her glass. "Let her birthdays always be awesome and let her boyfriend continue to spoil all of us."

Rose and Rey laughed, as they raised their glasses in unison. The three girls clinked their flutes together, before each taking a sip. The flavor was better than Rey had expected. Jess closed her eyes and hummed happily. Rose took another quick sip.

"Please," Jess drawled, as her eyes fluttered open. "Please tell me he has a brother."

"Sorry," Rey laughed again. "He's an only child."

"Figures," Jess muttered, but she was soon too busy pouring more champagne to worry about it. Rey decided to stick with her one glass, not needing a headache from overindulging.

The trip to Atollon was uneventful. Rey enjoyed having some girl time. Rose, Jess, and her fell into easy conversation discussing everything from their jobs, to Max's amazing lattes to what they were most excited to hear the DJ play at Rogue One. By the time the driver pulled up to the restaurant, Rey was feeling the champagne she had consumed and a happy buzz from having such good people in her life.

"Miss?" The driver held the door open for them, as they exited the limo.

"Shit, Niima! Look at you!" Poe catcalled her from the sidewalk, as she emerged. "Movie star!"

"Hi Poe," Rey strolled over, giving him a one-arm hug as he continued to tease her.

"Oh my God. Are you wearing makeup?"

"Um, yeah," Jess confirmed for her. "Done by yours truly and her bestie," Jess gestured to Rose. "Thank you very much."

"Poe Dameron. Jessika Pava and Rose Tico."

"Enchante, mademoiselles." Poe kissed their hands. Jessika laughed and curtsied, playing along with his theatrics. Rose just rolled her eyes, not impressed.

"He's incorrigible," Finn commented, appearing at Rey's side. "Hey Peanut." He pulled her into a full hug, which she happily accepted. "Happy Birthday."

"I'm glad I got to See you before you jet off." Rey told him as she stepped back.

"Me too." Finn told her. He coughed a bit, an awkward silence stretching between them. "Listen, Rey about Kylo-."

"He's not here," Rey interrupted. "Tonight it's just me and my friends."

"Yeah, yeah, he said when he came by D'Qar."

"What?" She hadn't known he actually went to see Finn. She had assumed they had spoken over her phone or through Poe.

"Crap," he mumbled. "I don't think you were supposed to know about that."

She shook her head, smiling to herself. Finn really was terrible at keeping secrets. "I'm impressed you two didn't kill each other."

"Don't think I would have tried." Rey made a face of disbelief. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ok, yeah, so it probably wouldn't have ended up well for me if I tried, but you're like my sister, Peanut. I just want you to be careful."

"I am," she promised him. "Ben's a good guy."

"Yeah," Finn sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to have to agree with you. I almost fell out of my seat when the receptionist told me he came to see me at work. He asked me to put it aside for you — our differences — so you could have your day."

"He did?" Rey swallowed, feeling all her emotions from earlier boiling up. How could this precious man love her so dearly? She was no one, yet he treated her like a queen.

"He did," Finn confirmed with a nod. "He was a real class act about it too. Plus, there's," he shrugged at her, "You."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Rey," Finn made a face. "Come on. I don't think Poe or I have ever seen you this happy. I-," he took a deep breath. "I'm happy for you, Peanut — really, I am."

"Finn!" Rey wrapped her arms around her best friend, not caring if all of Jess's carefully applied makeup rubbed off as she hugged him.

Though she had known Poe technically longer, the bond she shared with Finn had always been the strongest. It was his opinion she held in high regard and it was him she consulted when she wanted to make a pro/con list about a major choice in her life. She let their embrace wash over her, removing any lingering resentment from their fight.

"Hey! You better not wreck my masterpiece!" Jess cried from where she stood between Rose and Poe.

"Sorry." Rey broke away from Finn to lean back and blink her eyes. She had seen actresses do the same when they wanted to get rid of their tears without spoiling their makeup. She hoped it actually worked.

"I'm Finn," her friend introduced himself to Rose and Jess, while Rey pulled herself together.

After checking her appearance in the window's reflection, she turned back to her friends. "Who's hungry?"

A/N: Major thanks to abyssalspark who continues to put up with me! :) She's awesome and I'm so thankful for her constant support of my writing.

Woo! I'm on a roll this week. First I started a new fic: Shadow Song and then I updated Same People, Different Eyes. New chapters for all three will be up next week!