I don't own Star Wars
Chapter 16
Ben finished listening to some songs and then tried to open the link. He wanted to see Rey. They'd been sleeping side by side thanks to their link. He concentrated and willed himself to look for Rey. He was surprised when she was not in her bed or getting ready to sleep. She was happy, smiling… A clear picture revealed itself. It was Rey dancing with one of the girls she lived with. Ben remembered, this was Kaydel Ko Connix. His mother was fond of her; Ben noticed that Rey also danced very closely to Dameron. It bothered him to no end. The pilot had his hands all over Rey. She laughed and danced some more. Ben was angry and knew exactly what he felt. He was jealous; he never liked sharing or people looking or paying too much attention to his things. He knew that Rey was not an object but she was his.
Ben was determined and decisive. There would be no hesitation or even the hint of doubt. He was sure, Rey was his and his only. She needed to know immediately. Ben stood up and dressed quickly. He put on the vest and found his mother by the living room.
He was going to fix it. He would let the whole base know that Rey was his and therefore off limits to any man, woman or alien. It had been a gross oversight from him to not let them know that she was taken. Rey did not even know it yet but there was no way that it would be different. They belonged together; he felt it in the Force.
He walked to the place where they had the party. He sat by the bar and scanned the room for her. They were playing songs with lyrics. Rey danced with Paige Tico as well. The bartender seemed surprised to see him there as did the rest of the people who noticed he was there. He was not unwelcome but people were confused. Most of these people tried to befriend him at some point. Ben stayed away from such relationships mainly because he was not interested in friends or getting to know them. Ben found early on that most people were insignificant and boring. The resistance were good people but here were dull. Some tried to make his acquaintance because of his last name and its legacy. Other were genuinely interested in being nice. Dameron had wanted to be nice and also advance his involvement with the inner circle of the rebel forces. Ben was not interested in the least.
He drank two Corellian whiskies before Rey took notice of him. He had to admit the beverages did not help him clear his mind or rein his anger. Rey could feel him he knew that she could. She was scared. She should; a dark part of his mind supplied quickly. She came to him quickly.
"Ben." She said with a small tremble in her voice. Poe and Finn came behind her. "Fancy seeing you here." Poe said with an annoying smile of his.
Ben did not address him or Finn. "I need to talk to you." He told Rey in a clipped tone. The man stood up and made for Rey to follow him.
Rey frowned at him. "We can talk here." She was stubborn; that fire inside her burned him. Ben tried to use their connection to impress the importance of them stepping outside. Rey held her own. "No. I am having fun and I want to stay here." She hissed inside his head.
"I don't want you here with them. Let's get out." He yelled inside her head.
Rey winced but held her ground. "No."
"C'mon Rey. They're playing a good song." Finn pulled her to the dance floor once more.
"Tonight
I just want to take you higher
Throw your hands up in the sky
Let's set this party off right
Players, put yo' pinky rings up to the moon
Girls, what y'all trying to do?
Twenty four karat magic in the air
Head to toe so player
Look out uh
Pop pop, it's show time (show time)
Show time (show time)
Guess who's back again?
Oh they don't know? (Go on tell 'em)
Oh they don't know? (Go on tell 'em)
I bet they know soon as we walk in (showin' up)
Wearing Cuban links (ya)
Designer minks (ya)
Inglewood's finest shoes (whoop, whoop)
Don't look too hard might hurt ya'self
Known to give the color red the blues
Oh shit, I'm a dangerous man with some money in my pocket (keep up)
So many pretty girls around me and they waking up the rocket (keep up)
Why you mad, fix ya face, ain't my fault y'all be jocking (keep up)
Players only, come on
Put your pinky rings up to the moon
Girls, what y'all trying to do?
Twenty four karat magic in the air
Head to toe so player
Uh, look out!
Second verse for the hustlas (hustlas) gangstas (gangstas)
Bad bitches and ya ugly ass friends (haha)
Can I preach? (uh oh) can I preach? (uh oh)
I gotta show 'em how a pimp get it in
First, take your sip (sip), do your dip (dip)
Spend your money like money ain't shit (whoop, whoop)
We too fresh
Got to blame in on Jesus
Hashtag blessed, they ain't ready for me
I'm a dangerous man with some money in my pocket (keep up)
So many pretty girls around me and they waking up the rocket (keep up)
She went back to the dance floor and danced around with
Why you mad, fix ya face, ain't my fault y'all be jocking (keep up)
Players only, come on
Put your pinky rings up to the moon
Hey girls
What y'all trying to do? (What y'all trying to do?)
Twenty four karat magic in the air
Head to toe so player
Uh, look out!
everywhere I go they be like
Ooh, so player
Everywhere I go they be like (ooh, so player ooh)
Oh everywhere I go they be like (ooh, so player ooh)
Now, now, now watch me break it down like (uh)
Twenty four karat, twenty four karat magic
What's that sound (twenty four karat, twenty four karat magic)
Come on now
Twenty four karat, twenty four karat magic
Don't fight the feeling, invite the feeling
Just put your pinky rings up to the moon
Girls, what y'all trying to do? (Tell me what y'all trying to do)
Twenty four karat magic in the air
Head to toe so player (hands up!)
Put your pinky rings up to the moon
Girls, what y'all trying to do? (Do)
Twenty four karat magic in the air
Head to toe so player (twenty four karat) uh, look out."
So Rey of Jakku danced with her friends. She did not seem to mind him but Ben knew that felt some wariness that he was there and that he was angry. Ben drank more and more whiskies. He watched as she laughed with the three girls and smiled at both Finn and Dameron. She came to him after three more songs.
"Are you ready to leave yet?" He asked in a clipped tone. Ben's eyes must have told her that he was close to losing his cool. Rey chose to taunt the beast inside him further. "We are going to do shots and then dance some more. No." She was drunk and emboldened.
Paige came behind her and helped with the glasses. The girl looked at him and smiled, "you are welcome to come join us Ben."
He would rather die than be anywhere near Dameron and Finn. Ben ignored the girl and addressed Rey once more. "Let's go." He hissed.
Rey shook her head and stumbled with an equally inebriated Paige.
Ben continued to watch as Rey played drinking games for another hour. He drank plenty himself. Finn and the younger Tico were making eyes at each other. The girl was not as drunk as her older sister and had the sense to stop the drinking game when Kaydel Ko Connix tried to pull her blouse down. Dameron was nowhere to be seen.
"I have to find Poe." He heard Finn say.
Rose nodded, "I think is time for us to go home." She half yelled over the loud music. Rey was composed and helped Paige.
"Sounds like a good idea." Rey retorted and helped Paige up. Finn had gone away. Ben stood up and realized that he drank way more than he ever intended. He swayed but kept his vision on one Rey. The four drunken girls stumbled to the path to their apartment. The Connix girl swayed while the Tico girl followed her. Ben walked faster and took her off of Rose.
"Thank you." The shorter woman said.
Ben carried the girl to her bed. Their room was very small. "Let me help you with her." Rose was definitely soberer than either him or Rey. She singlehandedly put the Connix girl and her sister to bed.
"Ben, you should leave." Rey said as she pushed him outside of the room. She was uncoordinated and almost fell to the side. She was taller, it was the heels.
Rose smiled at him. "Thank you Ben." She called out.
Rey pushed him out of the apartment. "You did not come with me."
She frowned, "you stayed all night."
"I want to talk to you." He said as he faced her. Ben liked that she was taller. They saw almost eye to eye.
"Good night Ben." She made to go back inside once more. Ben grabbed her elbow and turned her to him.
"You are not doing that again. You are not to go dancing with Dameron again." He said and remembered how close she danced to the pilot.
Rey frowned, "I did not like the way you felt back then."
Ben was angry with her. "Then do not pull anything like that ever again." He shouted at her.
Rey blinked at him and then shoved him. "I am going to bed." She tried to end their conversation.
"Promise you will not do it again." He said in a low voice.
Rey turned and shook her head, "I had a lot of fun tonight. I enjoyed myself and my friends. You are going to have to live with that Ben."
He felt as if the ground was no longer there for him. It was so easy in his mind. He did not foresee this eventuality. He thought she would acquiesce and do his bidding. She needed to know.
"Are you interested in Dameron?" He asked bluntly.
Rey cocked her head to the side. It would have been comical had he not felt a ball of lead on his stomach. "What do you mean?"
Ben remained calm or at least tried to. "I mean; do you want him to be your partner?"
Rey laughed, "No." She then blushed. It was not hard to know what she thought about when he said partner. Rey thought of him. He tried to look for more.
"That's private. Don't." She pushed him again.
Ben was speechless and then looked at her and put forth a picture too. It was of her in the water and then he thought of Chandrila and her. "I want you by my side." He thought.
Rey came closer. He looked at her lips and wondered what they would feel like to lick them. Ben did. He took her lower lips and licked it. Ben was lost when she responded to him. He'd never kissed anyone but neither had she. He knew, Ben just knew what to do with her. Rey's arms were around his neck and he could not breathe properly. He had to come up for air. He looked into her eyes and smiled softly at her. She pecked him again. "I want more." She whispered. "I want it all."
"We're drunk." He said but then pulled her closer and kissed her again. Ben moved to her neck. Rey arched closer to him.
"Could we find our place?" She said between kisses. She caressed his scalp. It was late and he was disoriented. "We could try." He moaned when she kissed the side of his mouth and touched his chest.
Ben immediately realized that it was too far away and they would never make it. He pulled away from her. "We have to stop." He reluctantly said.
Rey kissed him one more. "We don't have to. Take me to your home. We don't have to do anything. I want to hold you close."
He forgot about his parents and kissed her again. "Let's go."