It was almost summer - just a few more weeks of classes; a few more weeks grading papers at her tiny desk, and then Rey would finally be free. She walked toward the English building slowly, tilting her face toward the sun, letting the warmth color her skin. Lone Pine University of Colorado Springs had been her home for three years now. She had yet to make more than a few friends, most just acquaintances, and she liked it that way. If she left, like she intended to do this summer, and spent months out in some wilderness alone, there would be no one calling, no one worried about where she was. Rey's job as a teaching assistant kept her social enough. The professor, Ben Solo, was far from what she would call approachable and friendly, so she ended up shouldering most of the student/teacher communication duties.

Cold air swept over Rey, lingering on her skin and raising gooseflesh on her arms as she began to walk through the building toward Ben's classroom. Today, like every day, she took the stairs. From the very first day, Rey and Ben developed an unspoken understanding. As his teaching assistant, Rey grew accustomed to his routines, his terse way of communicating, and his teaching style. And Ben, in return, seemed to grow accustomed, even fond of, her presence. Unapproachable as he was, Ben was her one real friend on campus. They worked well together.

As Rey walked into their cramped classroom, she found him where she always found him - at his desk, scribbling notes with his red pin.

"Have you graded the work from Tuesday?" He asked without looking up. "I need to enter it into the system before class starts."

Rey placed the two coffees on her small desk and began rummaging through her bag. Wordlessly, she walked the papers over and sat them before the professor. Energy-wise, Thursdays were when she and Ben both began to run dry. Dark, puffy circles under his eyes confirmed this.

"Is it a two-coffee kind of day?" he asked.

She turned to retrieve the second cup. It was cold in her hand as she reached out to place it on the corner of his desk. "An oat latte, right?" He looked up from his paperwork, confused.

"You bought me a drink?"

Rey shrugged. "I needed a triple shot this morning - I figured I might as well grab you something too." She moved back toward her seat.

"Thanks."

The chair squeaked beneath her as she sat, and a headache pulsed at her temples. She'd had it for a few days now - a stress headache that was slowly becoming more than just an annoyance. The coffee would only make it worse, but at least she would be awake. Rey pressed the lid against her lips and sipped on the sweet liquid.

Ben's eyes lingered on her for a moment before looking back down at his scrawlings. He cleared his throat. "Do you want to lead the 'Harrison Bergeron' discussion today?"

Immediately, Rey's pulse began to quicken. She had never taught in front of him before. Fuck. She was unprepared - this was a complex story to break down. "Are you sure you want me to?"

Another look of genuine, surprised confusion. "Why would I not want you to?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Our interpretations might be different."

Ben leaned back in his chair, attention fully on Rey now. Amusement blossomed on his face. "They're not."

"How do you know?" She asked, brows furrowed.

"Professor Elroy showed me the final you submitted on 'Harrison Bergeron' a few years ago."

The American Literature final she submitted as a freshman. The final that tanked her overall grade. "I made a 70 on that paper."

"And you shouldn't have." He flashed her a rare, small smile. "You're articulate, and you know your shit. I trust you."

A million thoughts flooded Rey's already-aching mind. She stood and began to rummage through the backpack, trying not to appear as frantic as she felt. Ben Solo had read something she'd written. But more than that - he'd been impressed by something she'd written. The swell of pride she felt was nearly camouflaged behind the impending anxiety attack. Damn her for getting coffee this morning. Damn her headache. Did she even have her annotated copy of 'Harrison Bergeron'?

"Rey," Ben's smile had faded. "Sit down."

She obeyed. Shame flooded into her suddenly, and she felt like a kid. Embarrassed, vulnerable, stupid. "Sorry, I'm just..."

"Don't apologize." He reached for bottled water from a nearby box before moving closer to her. "Drink."

Again, Rey obeyed; taking the water with hands that, much to her dismay, were already shaking.

Gently, Ben took the bottle back. The cap snapped open in his grip, and his eyes lingered on her features, tracing the line of her jaw before wandering back up again. "Are you anxious?"

She nodded.

"Would you rather not teach at all or do you want me to help you prepare?"

There was no condescension in his voice, no wrong answer, she realized. A pleasant, tingling warmth crept up her chest. "I'd love some help."

"Okay." Ben moved closer until their chairs were side by side at her small desk. He looked down at his watch. "We've got a good thirty minutes. Let's bounce some ideas off of each other."

The half-hour with Ben passed too quickly. Talking with him was easy in a way that was hard to describe in words. There was a harmony that flowed between them, a simple understanding of the other person - it was an experience unique to this year, to him.

"You still worried?" He asked, five minutes before class began.

"I'm always a little worried." Rey smiled. "But, I feel better - thanks."

He moved back toward his own desk. "You bought me coffee; it's the least I can do."

Rey stood to open the door. She watched students as they began to trickle in. Tired, hungover, and altogether uninterested - they sat near the back the way the first class always did.

"If you will all sit at the front for me, we are actually going to be having a discussion over the reading from last night," Rey called into the room. A few students turned, but none so much as moved a chair to stand. Rey closed the door at eight, the way Ben always did. She moved to the front of the class, suddenly self-conscious and uncomfortable in nearly every regard. "Please move to the first few rows of seats - we're having a discussion today." The request, again, fell on deaf ears. Rey opened her mouth to try one more time, but Ben stood at his desk, irritation ebbing from that corner of the room.

"Ms. P is your teacher today," He said, voice low but loud enough to carry. "You will show her respect or you will leave. Get up and move to the front."

Rey suppressed a smile as the class migrated in stunned, awkward silence. She inhaled deeply and gave Ben a look of gratitude. "How many of you completed the homework from yesterday?"

Ben had spent a year determined not to become attached to Rey. And here he was, at the very end, resolve crumbling in the field of her magnetism. There was a small part of him that was annoyed. She was vivid and vibrant and so full of life force - he had the personality and countenance of a rock. There was no reason for her to even look twice in his direction.

"I think that went okay." She came over to lean on the edge of his desk. The weather was getting warmer by the day, and Rey was beginning to wear these skirts - long, made with fabric that moved easily with the sway of her walk. A long braid fell over her shoulder, and it occurred to him how nice the texture would feel if he were to take it between his fingers. In truth, her lesson had gone more than okay. She was able to get the students engaged in a way that he never could; they were more comfortable with her.

"Agreed - feel free to take my job." The tremors in Rey's hands were more visible now, and her eyes were narrowing - from pain, he guessed. In the beginning, when he was starting to grow accustomed to her nuances, Ben noticed that Rey struggled with fairly regular headaches. She never told him this, but it was an easy conclusion to come to after a short period of observation. Before he could stop himself, Ben asked, "Do you want to grab something to eat at the cafe?" He had never eaten at the University's cafe, thought it was a waste of money, but Rey would sometimes venture down in the mornings before their second class.

"Both of us?" she asked, surprised.

He nodded.

"That sounds great. I forgot to eat breakfast, and I need another coffee."

Ben stood from his desk, making sure his phone and wallet were both on his person. "No, you don't."

"Ok fine - I want another coffee." She began to reach for her bag.

"Leave your stuff; I'm paying." His tone left no room for argument. "We'll get you another fun drink, a tea or something." Ben herded her along as they moved toward the door.

Rey looked over her shoulder. "There's caffeine in tea."

"Not nearly as much." He shut the door behind them.

The cafe was nearly empty, which Ben appreciated. To say that he disliked the usual racket of the lunch area would be an understatement. Rey ordered a muffin and a London Fog. He wasn't hungry, and he still hadn't finished that coffee Rey brought, but he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable eating by herself. They sat down at one of the tables with two warm muffins and a hot tea.

"This is my favorite time of day, I think." She looked around the giant room. "Most people are still asleep."

He nodded. "I try to avoid this place, but right now it's nice."

"I'd tell you to come more often, but that would make me a hypocrite."

Ben took a bite of his muffin. "How many more hours do you have before graduation?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Rey smirked.

Ben balked at this suggestion. "Definitely not. I'd be drowning without you."

"Well," she sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. During my first year here, I crammed in as many classes as I could, so I probably don't have that much left."'

"Why aren't you happier about that?"

"I'm ready for it to be over, I think. I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"That's fair. You could do what I did."

She met his eyes. "You mean just keep going?"

"Yeah. Get your grad degree." He shrugged.

"You say that like it's not a big deal."

"For you, it wouldn't be."

Rey snorted. "Sure."

"You have the grades to get in. Just food for thought." Ben let the silence linger for a moment before changing the subject. "You going hiking later?"

She nodded. "I wanted to go bouldering, but I might wait till tomorrow."

That headache must have been getting really painful. "I can't understand the appeal of climbing - it seems like a strangely social sport."

"Not my favorite aspect, but a necessary evil sometimes. Before I started, I'd never broken anything, and now," she smiled. "There's a lot of falling involved. Especially at the beginning."

"Well, that convinced me. Maybe I'll give it a try."

Rey laughed, and Ben tried to ignore the rush of warmth the sound sent through him. "What are you doing later?" She asked, leaning forward on her elbows. "Something more exciting, I assume."

"I'll probably read, then I'll eat, and maybe I'll even go to sleep after, who knows?"

"You're not swimming?"

"How'd you know I swim?" Ben asked, confused.

"There are windows next to the top rope climbing course in the University gym. Sometimes I go there after school, and I see you."

Was that color he saw rising to her cheeks? "They're reflective from my side. I would have said hi otherwise."

Rey shrugged and pressed her thumbs against her temples. "Is it time to get back yet?" More students were starting to trickle into the space. Ben looked at his watch.

"We've got about fifteen minutes. Do you want me to teach the next class?"

Rey stood, stacking their plates. "No, I'm okay. It was kinda fun." She shrugged. "And I had a good break in between."

Ben sat and graded papers at his desk while Rey taught. Their next few classes were back to back, and each time one ended he offered to take over the next. For reasons that were admittedly pride-related, Rey insisted that she could keep going. By the end of their fourth class, the headache had reached a nauseating level of pain. But that was fine. It was lunch now, and Ben taught a different subject for the rest of the day. They usually ate together in his office, but he probably wouldn't think much of it if she didn't join him today. Thoughts of napping in her small apartment clouded Rey's mind as she began to erase her handwriting off of the board.

She heard Ben approaching, slowly making his way toward her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she turned to meet his eyes. "You need to lay down."

Rey blinked. How did he-

"What do you want for lunch? I'll get it. You can wait in my office."

"Ben,"

He was already walking away, grabbing his wallet and phone before reaching for her bag. "Come on."

She gazed back warily as Ben slung her backpack over his shoulder. Concern was starting to cloud his firm expression. Rey sighed. "You're not buying me lunch."

"Come on," He repeated. "We'll talk about it when we get to the office."

Reluctantly, she followed him out the door. The hallway was crowded - it always was this time of day. Sharp, loud sounds reverberated off the walls. The pain surprised her, stopped her cold. Her vision clouded and the hallway collapsed into a tunnel. Beneath her feet, the floor felt uneven, like walking in a bouncy house. Instinctively, she reached out for a wall, but Ben was beside her in an instant. He placed a steadying hand on the base of her neck. "I've got you." Together, they navigated through the swarm of students and toward the end of the hallway. Ben unlocked the office door swiftly and led Rey inside. The light was off, and he left it that way. "The couch is right behind you," he said, quietly. Rey placed a hand down and sat.

"Fuck," She whispered.

The couch bowed slightly under Ben's weight. He felt her cheeks with the back of his hand. "It's just your head that hurts, right?"

Rey nodded.

"Are you nauseous?"

"A little," she admitted.

"I'll go get some lunch for us. If you can't eat it, I'll just put it in the fridge." He paused. "You haven't taken anything for this yet, have you?"

She shook her head. "My headaches usually don't get this bad."

"I'll grab some medicine while I'm out."

Rey felt a pang of guilt. "You should be enjoying your lunch, Ben."

"I will," he said. "Is there anything else you need while I'm out?"

She shook her head, blinking back tears.

"Go ahead and try to rest." He fished a pillow and blanket out of a nearby basket and knelt beside her. There was a brief pause. "Do you want to keep the braid in?"

It took her a moment to realize what he was asking. "No, I guess not." She reached up with shaking fingers and took out the rubber band. Ben placed the pillow while she struggled to detangle her hair. It was in a French braid today - a tight one, at that. Taking it apart felt like unlacing a pair of knee-high Converse with a blindfold on.

"Can I help?"

Rey's stilled. "Please."

His hands were warm against her neck as he gently brushed his fingers through her hair. She exhaled a small sigh of relief when he reached the crown of her head. "Better?"

She nodded. "Thanks." Rey laid back against the pillow and watched Ben's shadowy form stand up again.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. Call me if you think of anything else, okay?"

"I will." She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Ben."

Christ - that look on her face when she stopped in the hallway: shock and pain - it had sent an electrical current through his nervous system. Ben was jogging out to his car. The nice weather had turned into a gentle rain. As he drove, the gentle rain transitioned into a downpour. His fingers still tingled with the sensation of touching her hair.

He wasn't particularly hungry, but skipping lunch always turned out to be a bad decision. Ben pulled into a Trader Joe's. He didn't believe in god, but he thanked them anyway upon finding a parking spot by the door. Anxiety coursed through him as he made his way up and down the aisles. Unsure of what her stomach would be able to handle, he reasoned that soup and crackers were the safest bet. In the medicine section, Ben grabbed Excedrin. He kept ginger tablets at the school in case she wanted something for nausea, and he was fairly sure there was still a cold pack in the mini-fridge. In the checkout line, he threw in a bag of trail mix hanging on the register - that would get him to the end of the day.

Rey had an arm draped over her face when he stepped into the office again. He noticed that she'd moved the trash can close to the couch. She groaned and sat up slowly. "Shit, that was fast."

"I told you." Ben sat down the grocery bag on the floor and pulled up a chair. He began to take dismantle the Excedrin's packaging. "Do you think you can handle a few crackers? It's better to take this stuff with something in your stomach."

She gave him a weak smile. "I can try."

He handed her a small box of saltines. "Eat what you can."

There was a moment of silence before Rey spoke again. "Hey, Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"I think this is actually the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

He looked up. Surely not. But there it was, written all over her face - sincerity. Ben cleared his throat, unsure of how to respond. "Well, I'm happy to do it." He tapped out two Excedrin caplets from the bottle. "My mom used to get migraines when I was a kid. They always scared the shit out of me."

"I can't say I'm a fan either," Rey said with a smile.

"Here" He dropped the two caplets into her palm. "If you still have a migraine at seven tonight, take two more."

She swallowed them both with a sip of water. "What time is it?"

"Almost one - why?"

"I was just wondering how much longer we have."

Ben's brow furrowed. "Until what?"

"Class."

He shook his head. "You're not coming back to class today."

"I'm feeling better-" She began.

"I can drive you home now, or you can stay in this room and clock out at four." He hated the idea of her home alone, but at least she would be somewhere safe.

Rey sighed. "I'll stay here."

Ben sat with her until class started. He watched her fall asleep, twisted expression receding with the pain. The temptation to cancel afternoon classes and stay in the office was strong, but there wasn't a reason for him to be with her now. With a sigh, he began to gather his things. He grabbed a nearby sticky note and scribbled a message - 'soup in the fridge. Call if you need me.' As he walked toward the door, he allowed himself one last look.

A tingly, warm sensation filled him. Affection, he realized. Ben sighed. In that moment, he knew there was no coming back from this - from her.