Rey's a creature of habit. She's learned to be after all those years of changing foster homes. Somehow keeping a routine makes her feel more settled. So even though she's at someone else's house, in someone else's neighborhood, she gets up early for her morning run.

Running makes her feel free. And more than that, it gets out all the nervous energy that she sometimes feels.

Especially now.

Especially here.

She's half-terrified she's going to say or do something that will give them all away. And she's half-terrified that she's not and will never be able to get to know Poe's cousin.

Poe has told her the neighborhood is pretty safe, but still, he's given her a good route that she can run. Just a few miles. Not too far, but enough for her to really get out and stretch. She's thankful South Carolina doesn't seem to get the snow they do up north. The roads are clear and the path through the little wooded area that Poe and Finn disappeared to the previous day is easy to traverse.

She barely feels warmed up when she jogs back up to the house, stopping to stretch near the porch.

"So you and Poe, huh?" comes the voice from somewhere up above her. She's stretching that moment with her leg up on one of the steps to the house and nearly loses her balance at the sound.

"What?" The word comes out just a little more snappish than she'd like as she looks up and sees Ben standing there, arms crossed over his chest.

He's still wearing black, a turtleneck that hugs the muscles of his chest and leaves Rey feeling just a little disconcerted. Jeans that fit him far better than anything has a right to. Damn.

"You and Poe, I just wouldn't have thought that." He's digging for something, she's sure of it.

"Yup, me and Poe." She's not quite sure what else to say. Less is more.

"How long?"

"Pardon?"

He comes down a couple of the steps and sits down. There's a strange intensity behind his gaze. "How long have you been together?"

"Six months," she says quickly. It was what she and Poe had agreed on. It seemed like a sane time frame. Long enough that he might want to bring her home with him, but not so long that any real long-term commitment might be talked about (I don't want my parents to start thinking marriage here, Rey…).

"Really." There's a strange flatness to his voice.

"Yes, really." She tries to push past him, but he's taking up far too much space on the porch.

"How'd you meet?"

"Class."

"Which one?"

She glares at him. "What is this, an interrogation?"

He makes a little huffing noise in the back of his throat. "I'm just wondering what you see in him."

This, at least, she can speak to. Poe's one of her best friends and she's seen how he treats Finn. So she can sit back and at least imagine what he's like as a boyfriend. It's something she's seen firsthand for over a year after all.

"He's good to me." God, what else Rey? How does he treat Finn? "Sometimes he comes over with his guitar and sings to h…me." Fuck. "All these beautiful love songs. Did you know he can sing?"

"I recall his days in high school rather well. Lead in the musical and all." Ben makes a waving motion with one hand.

"Right." She didn't know that about Poe, but it makes sense. "He listens to me and worries about me." The last is true at least. Poe is a good friend.

"Uh huh."

"And did I mention that he's very handsome?"

Ben snorts at that. "Poe would make sure you did."

"He's not that arrogant," Rey shoots back with. Ok, maybe he is. Finn finds it amusing and Rey just rolls her eyes at it when Poe puffs himself up. He's a good looking guy, no doubt about it. All that lovely hair, which Ben seems to have inherited as well, the tan skin, the bedroom eyes. Oh yes, Poe no doubt has always had a fair bit of attention from both women and men.

"I guess that must have changed since high school." Ben looks serious, but she can hear the sarcasm lurking beneath the words.

"What is your issue anyway?" The words come out perhaps more forceful than she intends and she realizes that she's close to Ben, too close really. Leaning over and her face less than a foot from his. He looks less smug now, his eyes meeting hers and tracing down to her lips for a moment.

She can feel her cheeks reddening.

Fuck.

"I'm just wondering something." His voice is a quiet whisper.

"Yeah?" She's not sure she wants to know what he's wondering. But then a part of her is dying to know what it is.

And then there's the part of her that would like to drag him upstairs and have her wicked way with him. Fuck. Rey doesn't think like this. She doesn't care about such things. Or she doesn't worry about them at least. She's always figured that things would happen someday when she met the right person. But now? She doesn't even know Ben. All she's heard about him is that he's a cranky bastard who hates his parents and his family, but Poe's parents worry about him and invite him to their Christmas celebrations anyway. And still she wants to jump him.

"Just…how exactly did the guy I found making out with the men's soccer coach beneath the bleachers during his senior year end up landing a girl like you?"

Fuck. It's the only thing she can think of for a moment. It goes through her head a few times. Fuck fuck fuck.

She draws herself up as straight as she can, looks down her nose at him, and lies through her fucking teeth. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She steps past him. Or tries to at least. One of Ben's massive hands wraps around her ankle and she lets out a small yelp as she turns to glare at him.

"You do know," he insists. He lets her go then and she races back into the house. She's back in the room that she's staying in when she finally lets herself freak out.

He knows.

He has to.

He knows Poe is gay. He's seen the evidence of it with his own eyes. She could pretend it was just high school experimentation but the way that Ben speaks of it, she knows he knows it wasn't that. She thinks of Finn and Poe off in the woods, which Ben knew of. She thinks of them coming back and her trying to get all the leaves out of their hair and the mud off their coats and pretending that she wouldn't have actually liked a walk in the woods. Even though she most definitely would have. Because Ben was right. She totally is that type.

And Ben knows.

The knock comes just a few minutes after she's in the room and she throws herself on the bed, grabs a pillow and tries not to scream into it.

You knew this was a bad idea, Rey. Why did you go through with this, Rey? You're a fucking idiot, Rey.

"Rey?" Finn's voice comes from outside her door and she breathes a sigh of relief. Finn. Not Ben. Fucking thank you.

She throws the door open to find both Poe and Finn on the other side, almost identical looks of concern on their faces. "Are you…" Poe starts to say when Rey grabs them by the arms and yanks them both into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Rey?" Finn asks.

"He knows," she gasps out.

"He…" Poe starts to say, but then. "Ben? What did he say to you?"

"We saw him talking to you, peanut. We almost came to rescue you, but we know you can handle yourself."

"Of course I can," she shoots back. Finn knows better than to think she's some damsel in distress. She never has been, never will be. "But oh fuck, he knows Poe." She rounds on him then, separating him from Finn to glare at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Poe cocks his head slightly to the side and there's a deep furrow between his brows. "Tell you what?"

"Ben knows you're gay." The words are flat.

"What? No. He doesn't know that. No one does…"

"Really? Because he recalls seeing you making out with the men's fucking soccer coach during your senior year." She pushes her finger into his chest.

Poe gets the most ridiculously sappy grin on his face at that. "Ohhh Mr. Johnson. God, I had such a crush on him during high school."

She crosses her arms over her chest. "Such a crush? You made out with him. In public."

"It was under the bleachers," he shoots back with, the words defensive. And then flinches. "Ben really saw it?"

"Obviously. It's not like you spoke of it to anyone."

"Yeah," Finn interjects with. "You've never mentioned that one, darling." And he sounds annoyed.

Rey turns toward him. "This isn't about your love life here, Finn. I don't care what Poe did in high school except that Ben Solo saw it. You know, evil cranky Ben who you wanted me to stay away from. Oh God…did you want me to stay away from him because he knew?"

"No!" Poe says quickly. "I didn't…No. He's just an asshole."

"He's something, alright," Rey responds with.

"Oh come on, Rey," Finn tosses in. "Just because you think he's hot…"

"I never should have said anything!" she says, throwing her hands up in the air and falling back on her bed. Drama. That usually gets at least Finn to laugh a little.

"You didn't," Poe points out.

"You're just that obvious," Finn adds.

"Oh for fuck's sake."

"Don't let my mother hear you say that!"

There's dead silence after that. And then all three of them dissolve into giggles. It feels good. Get some of that tension out, both the tension of knowing they're lying to people who are good people. Good Christian values and all that. Even if they don't see eye to eye on some things, Rey feels like maybe lying to these people is just wrong.

But also the tension of whatever she has with surly cousin Ben. Or whatever she wants, maybe.

And she really doesn't know what's there. There was that…moment. She can't get his eyes out of her head, the way they drank her in, the way they focused on her lips. As if he were trying to tempt her, trying to get her to break.

"Earth to Rey?"

She glances back up at the sound of Finn's voice. "Sorry," she mutters.

"You really have the hots for him, don't you?" He sounds, if not totally understanding, at least a little sympathetic. "I mean, I get it. I do" Poe shoots him a look. "What?" Finn says to him. "Jealous? I'm not the one keeping things from me."

Poe crosses his arms over his chest. "I didn't keep anything from you."

"Oh, Mr. Johnson," Finn says, bring the back of his hand to his forehead and batting his eyelashes.

"It's not like…"

"We are so talking about this later."

Rey just rolls her eyes. They'll get into another one of their stupidly soppy fights and Finn will cry on her shoulder and then crawl back to Poe and apologize for being an idiot.

"Can we get back to Rey, please?" Poe gestures at her.

"Could we not, please?" Rey shoots back with.

"Oh come on. I'm not the one who wants to fuck my cousin." He offers up a smirk.

"I didn't say…"

"No? Then why are you bright red?" Poe high-fives Finn and the two burst out into laughter.

"I'm not…" She gets up and glances at herself in the mirror. They're right. Of course they are. "Ok fine," she says as she whirls back to them. "I find him…attractive."

"He's weird looking," Poe says.

"He's built like a fucking brick shithouse, Poe," Rey points out.

"He works out all the time. I mean, he's not getting chicks with that face, so he might as well work on the rest of him."

"There's nothing wrong with his face," Rey says and cringes as the words come out. "I mean…oh nevermind. Get out of here." She shoves at Poe. "I don't have time for your shenanigans."

"Of course you don't. You need to figure out ways to seduce poor Ben Solo." He stands and shakes his head. "I don't even think he'll know what's hit him. It's not like it's ever happened before."

"What, seriously?"

"I can't ever remember him dating anyone. Or even being seen with anyone." Poe shakes his head, his eyes a little vacant, clearly back in his memories. "Congrats, Rey. I think you've got yourself interested in the only nearly 30-year-old virgin I know."

Rey finally just rolls her eyes. "Ugh. Just go. I'm so over this conversation. I need a shower and a damned nap after dealing with all of you."

Poe laughs. Finn just shakes his head.

"Fine, fine," Finn says. "We're leaving. But don't say we didn't warn you."

When the door opens, Poe's mother is walking by. She stops and gives them all one of those eyebrows.

Fuck. She really hopes she hasn't been listening in. But then Poe turns and gives her a big hug. "Get some rest, peach," he says against the side of her face, far too close to her ear. She tries not to giggle.

"I will…sweetheart." And she hopes the last word doesn't come out too awkward. Or too sarcastic. Poe's mom smiles though, so it must be ok. She breathes a sigh of relief as she shuts the door and she's finally alone again.

Being with people all the time is hard.

Being with people all the time who you're lying to and needing to be on your guard and doing your best to act when you are definitely no actress? It would leave anyone exhausted. And so Rey collapses into the bed she's calling her own during this little charade, thankful for the respite from it all. She's asleep in moments.

She doesn't see Ben for the rest of the day. A part of her is happy with that. The other part, that little traitorous part that wants to jump the bastard, is not. She can't help but look for him when she finally comes downstairs from her nap, can't help but look for him when Poe's mother puts out a huge spread for lunch.

She tries not to ask, but can't stop herself anyway. "Should we wait for Ben?"

Poe smirks.

Finn does too.

Poe's mother just gives her a great big smile. "I'm glad he hasn't scared you off, Rey. He's not a bad kid. Just a little rough around the edges." And God she feels terrible because his mother thinks she's just being a good girlfriend to her son when that's not true at all. "He's gone off to do some work. He won't be joining us for lunch."

She doesn't see him at dinner either. Poe's parents insist he take her out on a nice pre-Christmas date. She can't believe they haven't seen through it yet. How is it even possible? They see what they want to see, apparently. Rey insists on bringing Finn along, insisting that she has plenty of time for dates with Poe after the Christmas holiday and just how fair to poor Finn would it be to leave him behind? His father tells her she's a good friend and sends them on their way.

Frankly, she wants to dump them both off at the restaurant and go find some place to eat on her own, but she knows that's not possible. Finn and Poe may be able to sneak off to the woods for whatever trysts they want but if they start acting, well, all themselves in a restaurant, they'll be noticed. So she goes along as the dutiful girlfriend and tries to keep their hands off each other.

It should be a nice easy end to the day. It really should. But she's anxious and on edge and when they get back, still with no sign of Ben, she's not sure if she's relieved or unhappy that she hasn't seen him all day.

You're being ridiculous, Rey. You can't have him anyway, Rey. Stop it, Rey.

She really needs to just get this whole thing over with and go back to her life. Her normal, boring life. Poe's parents have already gone to up to bed by the time they return, so she leaves Finn and Poe to whatever they want to do for the rest of the night and curls into bed with one of the books she brought. Maybe a good fantasy that's not her own will take her mind off the disaster she's let her life become.