Some thirst-quenching fluff ahead...
Ben never let go of Rey's small hand as he led her into the bustling lobby of a towering hotel. As they waited behind another couple for service at the front desk, Ben let go of her hand to remove his gloves, stuffing them into a pocket in his coat.
"Most everyone has my accent here," Rey said as she listened to the conversations of those around them. "The same accent as—well, the same one my father had, from what I remember."
Ben turned to give her a sympathetic smile, but she wasn't looking at him any longer. He followed her gaze as she gawked at their surroundings: the gold-framed paintings, the large velvety chairs, the enormous chandelier overhead, the ornate tile beneath their feet. Various people made their way in and out of the hotel's immaculate glass doors, as lavishly dressed and composed as the lobby's design.
Pressing into her mind, Ben found that Rey was completely overwhelmed by the amount of extravagance and wealth she'd seen in the past few hours.
"This certainly isn't Jakku," Rey remarked, turning to him with wide eyes.
"No, it certainly isn't," Ben concurred, staring down into her lustrous eyes. "Not all of the districts on Coruscant are like this, you know. Most are less...exorbitant."
The couple ahead of them moved away from the desk, and Rey grasped Ben's hand as they stepped up to the alien attendant.
"We'll need one room, just for the night," Ben said.
"Reservation?" The attendant asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, no reservation," Ben said, shifting his weight.
The attendant sniffed. "Hotel Zephyr is booked for the night," he said stiffly.
Ben reached into his coat and slipped out a sizeable wad of credits. He set the stack neatly onto the counter before the attendant. "We'll remain unlisted. And a room towards the top would be preferable," he said casually. He sensed the confusion churning in Rey's mind.
The attendant lifted his glasses from the wide bridge of his furred nose to study the credits now before him. A moment later he was typing hurriedly onto a computer. "Ah, it seems just such a room has become available—How convenient. Here, let me get your key—" The creature flipped around to dig through a drawer, and turned to hand Ben a card. "Here you are, Sir, floor 332. Near the top," he said. Ben took the card from the attendant's large paw and the creature wasted no time in gathering the stack of credits on the counter. "Have a good night, yes?" He said, nodding towards Rey.
Ben ignored the attendant and squeezed Rey's hand as he led her to a set of elevators at the back of the lobby. His heart was pounding in his chest at the very thought of being alone with her again.
"How many credits did you give him?" Rey asked as the stopped before the elevators.
After pressing a call button, Ben turned and looked down at her, his cheeks growing hot as he took her in: her wavy hair, her long, dark lashes, the snug dark dress peeking through her open coat. "It's amazing what people will do for money," he said after a moment. He gave her a small smile, nearly paralyzed by her beauty.
"Well, that was a lot of credits…" Rey trailed as an elevator opened. "More than I've probably ever seen at one time." They both watched as a group of drunken people staggered out of the doors before them. They then entered the emptied elevator.
"Well, it was more than the usual price of a hotel room," Ben admitted. He typed in the number of their floor on a keypad as the doors closed and turned towards her. "But it's of no consequence; I'd pay anything to stay the night with you, Rey." He stepped forward and kissed her lightly on her mouth.
Rey gently broke from him. "That makes me sound like your prostitute," she chuckled, biting her lip.
Ben straightened and shook his head, his face flushing with heat. "No, I'm sorry, that's—that's not what I meant. I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly, holding his hands out. Great, he thought. Now I've ruined it.
Rey smiled up at him, apparently amused at his distress. "I know you didn't," she said, sliding a hand up the sleeve of his coat.
Ben was comforted by her touch but his posture remained stiff, cautious. He felt panicky that Rey had gotten the wrong idea. "I mean—I'm not expecting...things, at all, I just—you said you were tired, so," he explained, taking a small step back from her in an attempt to prove himself.
"You weren't?" Rey teased, raising an eyebrow. A hint of a smile remained on her mouth.
Ben shook his head. "No. No, in fact, we can just sleep tonight, if you wish," he said, his voice rising awkwardly. Despite the yearning he felt inside, Ben had to admit to himself that he would be happy with just being able to hold her in his arms all night. Studying Rey's face, he saw that it had softened.
Rey stepped towards him and pressed a hand up to his cheek. "Ben, you know you don't have to explain yourself," she said, gripping his upper arms. "You know I know you better than that." She wrapped an arm around the back of his neck, pulling his face down to hers, and he relaxed. He softly kissed her, and Rey leaned into him as she kissed back, her hands gripping the collar of his coat.
She kissed him with more intensity, and he responded in kind, sliding an arm around her lower back and pulling her into him. Rey, he pressed into her mind.
Rey slipped her lips from his and hovered them at his ear, sending a shudder down his core. "I don't want to sleep tonight," she breathed.
Ben's heart fluttered strangely as he stared down at her, suddenly aware of the silent dimness of the enclosed elevator. His throat tightened and his gaze flickered between her eyes and mouth. "Then I won't let you," he purred.
Rey kissed him and he kissed her firmly back, his burning emotions seeping through their bond. Rey gripped the back of his coat and he flipped around with her, pressing her to the wall of the elevator. With a flick of his hand her coat was on the carpeted ground. He leaned into her, his lips crushed hers as he thumbed off one of the thin straps of her dress. He was about to kiss her bare shoulder when the elevator finally slowed and dinged.
Ben swiftly sent Rey's coat flying up into his hand as the door slid open, a couple standing in wait on the other side. Ben ran a hand through his presumably dishevelled hair as he stepped through the doorway, and he turned to grasp Rey's hand after she slid her dress strap back onto her shoulder.
He led her swiftly down the long hall, hurriedly reading the room numbers they passed. His pants were tight and he felt tense with nervous excitement.
"Here we are," he muttered, jamming his key into their door's slot. Once inside the dim room, Ben wasted no time to observe their surroundings, instead leaning down to kiss Rey and pull her back into his embrace. He kissed her open-mouthed, his lips consuming her own, all the while working to remove both of their coats. He was about to lift Rey and carry her to find the bedroom when she spoke up.
"Wait, hold on," she urged, wiggling out of his arms.
Ben reluctantly released her, and he watched as she moved slowly towards the enormous wall-sized window to their side. He followed behind Rey as her fingers traced along the luxurious furniture in the sitting area before the window, her gaze focused ahead.
"Wow," Rey breathed, "This is...it's…you can see the whole city from up here!" she marveled, taking in the expansive view of the buildings and lit streets before her.
The neon lights of a club below reflected on buildings before their hotel, silhouetting Rey's figure in a deep red glow that Ben found impossibly alluring. He stepped to her side and smiled down at her, warmed by her intrigue in such simple pleasures.
"This is the kind of places that I thought only existed in fairytales," Rey said. "A place for royalty."
"It is nice, isn't it?" Ben murmured, sliding an arm around her waist. "You know, this planet used to be the capital for both the New Republic and the Old Empire," he said, glancing down at her.
"Is that so?" She asked, and Ben nodded as she looked up at him, the red lights glinting in her eyes.
Ben smiled at her and nodded, and she returned her gaze to the view before them. Ben stepped silently behind her, keeping his arm around her middle, his hand sliding to her stomach. Rey leaned her head back against his chest, and he lifted his hand to brush her hair away from her shoulder. He kissed her neck, and his heart jumped as he heard Rey emit a soft sight. She placed her hands over his, pulling them around her.
Exhaling a deep breath, Ben released the Force through his hands, warmth and energy surging down his arms and through his hands to hers.
Rey released his hands and turned around in his arms to face him. "We can go to bed now," she said, a small smile forming on her lips.
Ben held a hand to her cheek and kissed her gently, pressing into her mind how much he adored her, how much he'd missed her the past few weeks. A hot flush ran through his body as Rey sent the same things into his mind. Her hands lifted the hem of his shirt, and he helped her remove it between kissing.
Taking her hand, he began tugging her out of the sitting area and through a doorway to a spacious bedroom where a single bed-side lamp was lit. A wall-length window identical to the one in the sitting room was to the left of the large bed, but with a pattern of slats through which the same red light from below filtered in.
Ben stopped before the bed and began to kiss Rey without restraint. His kisses were urgent, even sloppy as his tongue sought hers, sliding against it. He slid the straps of her dress down her shoulders and the entire garment slid to the ground like liquid.
His breath caught at the sight of her bare breasts. He'd expected for her to have worn a wrap around her chest as she did before, but she wore only underwear now. Ben paused a few moments, marvelling at her body in the dim red light. He leaned in to kiss her, grasping at her round breasts, her hips, her butt, his body pulsing and his mind growing hazy with desire. Rey's face tilted back and he held the back of her head, his other hand wrapping around her to keep her close as his mouth travelled to her neck.
Rey sighed, and as he kissed her throat she undid the clasp of his pants. As Ben's pants slid down his legs he kicked them quickly aside.
Now we're even, he heard Rey's voice in his mind, and he stifled a laugh between kisses. Rey pressed against him and he backed up until his legs hit the edge of the bed. He sat atop it, pulling Rey up as she hurriedly climbed atop his lap, straddling him. He gripped her bare legs as she settled atop him, releasing a wavering breath. He took a moment to look into her eyes, to tuck her silky hair behind her ear before she grew impatient and kissed him again, her arms enveloping him.
Rey's hands twirled through Ben's hair as he pressed his mouth back into the warm curve of her neck. Ripples of pleasure surged through him as she shifted her hips atop him, indicating her own pleasure.
I want you, Ben, she pressed into his mind. I need you now.
Ben slid back on the bed and rolled over with her, leaning up a moment to slide a pillow underneath her head. He began wrenching the bed covers out from underneath them, but Rey grabbed at his arms, impatient. Ben acceded and settled his weight atop Rey, kissing her passionately. Rey hooked a leg over the back of his thigh, pulling his hips more firmly against hers. Unable to contain himself, Ben shifted his hips against her, warm currentings spreading up through him. He wanted her badly, but even more so he wanted to take his time, to savor every feeling and moment with her.
But Rey made it clear she was unwilling to wait. She yanked down at the hem of his undershorts, freeing his throbbing member. After sliding his underwear off, Ben made quick work of sliding Rey's off and tossing them aside.
So we're even, he pressed into her mind, giving her a half smile. Kneeling at her hips, he took a moment to admire her nakedness, her panting body cast in the seductive red light. He met her heavy-lidded gaze as he moved back atop her, and Rey reached a hand up to pull his face down to hers and kissed him.
Ben positioned himself between her legs and Rey wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Feeling frisky, he decided to torture her a little longer. He buried his mouth into the side of her neck, sucking and nipping her skin. He snaked his hand down between their bodies and felt the wetness of the soft folds between her legs. Rey shifted beneath them as he felt her, her pleasure emanating through him like waves of heated energy. He watched as her mouth opened and her half-lidded eyes met his, the side of her face framed in red.
"Ben," she moaned, her brows lowering. Now.
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Ben readied himself and settled onto his forearms. Rey gasped as he thrusted into her deeply, and released a quick breath as pleasure immediately surged up through him. He kissed Rey as he thrusted into her slowly, gently. When he was sure she wasn't experiencing pain, he thrusted more evenly, still keeping his movements slow. He wanted to take his time, to last longer than their first experience on Jakku.
Soft sounds escaped Rey's mouth as he pushed into her. Her eyes travelled up and met his as he picked up his pace slightly. Their eyes locked as she was shifted upwards with each of his movements, the bed beginning to squeak with each of his thrusts.
"Ben," Rey breathed. Faster. Harder.
"Kriff, Rey," Ben uttered, taken aback. He felt his passion renew twofold at her request, and despite his initial desire to move slowly, he couldn't hold himself back. He thrusted harder into her and she let out a moan.
Ben lowered and met her lips, continuing to press hasty kisses to her mouth as his pace increased. The bed creaked louder with his new pattern. Rey began to moan and sigh louder with each thrust. Her arms stretched out to either side of her, her fingers gripping the sheets.
Ben's lips brushed hers, and his upper lip twitched up as he thrusted hard into her, feeling the nearness of his peak. Sweat dripped from the ends of his hair.
Rey's head tilted back, clearly lost in the throes of pleasure. "Ben," she called. "Ohhhh."
"Quiet, Rey," Ben coaxed, his arms straining as he rocked into her. Her sounds continued to grow louder and he leaned down to kiss her again.
"Oh—ahh, Ben!" She exclaimed, her mouth agape.
Ben shifted his weight and clamped his hand down over her mouth, slowing his thrusts. "Shhh, Rey," he hushed, hoping his slower movements would quiet her. But Rey kept on moaning, his hand only partially suppressing her sounds. He placed his hand to her side and lowered back onto his forearms before kissing her again. He attempted to muffle her sounds with his own mouth as he thrusted slowly.
Nearing his finish, Ben rose up onto his hands again, hoping to finish quickly and keep Rey from disturbing their neighbors. The springy, creaking bed added momentum to his thrusts, allowing him to fill her as much as he could with each movement. Rey whimpered, jostled by his quick thrusts. She gripped at his arms, at the sheets, her hands sliding around, attempting and failing to grasp onto something. Her body began to shiver.
Ben finally neared his release, but he held himself back with the Force, waiting for Rey to finish off with him. He ducked his head and grunted, nearly growling as he thrusted roughly, on the brink of expelling himself. As he made his final few thrusts, he placed his hand back over Rey's mouth, her sounds intermixing with the creaks of the bed. Ben shut his eyes, seeing brilliant colors and hearing a strange crashing sound as he fell over the edge. His veins pulsed with energy and his body shuddered as Rey tightened around him in every way possible. He let out a long breath as he expelled himself within her, and with that, his arms immediately gave way.
He collapsed atop Rey, sweating and completely spent. He tucked his head above hers and slid his hands underneath her in a sweltering, weak embrace. For a minute he merely laid there, feeling Rey's chest rising and falling quickly underneath his. He then slid down and kissed her gently on the lips.
"How was it for you?" He asked breathlessly.
Rey's hand paused. "Couldn't you tell?" She asked, a sly smile pulling at her mouth.
"Not at all," he said, matching her smile knowingly. He lowered and rested his head between her breasts as her chest jolted in a soft laugh. He felt her kiss the top of his head.
"Did you hear the vase?" Rey asked quietly, and Ben craned his head again to look at her.
"The what?"
"The vase," Rey said, extending an arm and pointing to the base of the nightstand. Shattered purple bits of glass were scattered across the marble ground.
Ben stared at the pieces a moment before dropping his head back down to her chest, too exhausted to put much thought into the broken decoration. "Did we do that?" he mused.
"I think so," Rey mumbled, pressing another kiss to his head.
Ben's eyelids felt heavy and they slowly blinked closed as Rey's hand continued stroked through his hair. Easing into sleepiness, he couldn't wait to wake up and discover that Rey wasn't just a dream. His heartbeat began to slow into a sleepy, even rhythm that matched her own.
….
Rey awoke when Ben slid off of her to make use of the refresher. Rubbed her eyes, she kicked the bed covers down to finally slide beneath them. She watched Ben through the dimness as he got under the covers and slid towards her, his dark eyes locking onto hers. He wrapped an arm across her middle and pulled her into him, and Rey snuggled happily into the warmth of his embrace, sliding her legs against his. Ben slid lower so his head was par with hers and began peppering soft kisses across her cheeks and collarbone, his hand stroking her hair.
"Morning, Nerf Herder," Rey mumbled.
Ben leaned back and looked into her eyes. "We've only slept a few hours," he said, his voice low and husky. "Besides, it's never morning here. Remember?" He kissed her and slowly rolled atop her underneath the covers. He brushed his lips against hers and Rey felt the stiffness of his member against her. "It's always night here, Scavenger. So we can make love forever, until eternity," he purred, his mouth moving into her neck.
Rey shifted, the beginnings of desire knotting below. The feeling of his kisses on her neck and his hands at her breasts was electrifying. "Is that so?" She breathed.
"Uh-huh," Ben uttered. "And you said you didn't want to sleep, so…" He sunk his teeth into her neck and Rey's legs jolted at the unexpected pleasure that rippled down her body. Ben's hand began working between her legs as his mouth sucked at her neck, and she let out a quiet moan.
Ben rose and positioned himself to enter her, but Rey pressed a hand up to his chest.
"Wait," she said. Ben gave her a blank stare as she pushed him off of her. He rolled onto the bed next to her and she turned over to slide atop him. She leaned down and kissed him, then sat up, settling her weight onto her knees on either side of him. Ben sat up and kissed her again, his hand sliding around her back. Rey felt him turning his weight to roll back on top of her, but she pressed against him.
"Can we...try with me on top this time?" She asked, her cheeks flushing.
Ben traced a hand down her arm. "Of course, Love," he said, meeting her eyes in the dimness. He lowered back down to the bed, his eyes focused up on her.
His large hands slid to Rey's hips as she rose and grasped his shaft, and she heard him release a shuddering breath. Rey bit her lip as she slowly lowered herself down his length. She sighed, his member filling her deeply as her weight pressed down atop him. Ben's fingers dug into the flesh of her hips, gripping her tightly.
Rey began to slowly slide up and forward, down and back along him, Ben's hands guiding her movements. Rey remembered when they'd kissed like this back on Jakku. As she began to find an easy pattern, sounds escaped her and Ben. His gaze was fixated on her as she slowly rode atop him.
Rey's mind swirled and her body swelled with pulsing heat. Ben began thrusting his hips gently upwards with each of her forward movements, causing Rey to moan and grip his hands as they held her hips. His hands soon travelled up her stomach to her breasts, sending shivers through Rey's skin as their bodies formed a smooth rhythm together.
She wasn't sure how long this went on, so consumed as she was in the moment; time itself seemed to stand still. All she could focus on was the tension building below and Ben's dark eyes trained on her, the side of his face framed in red. The very air around her felt as if it were sucking into them, energy pulsing through her core up from her contact with Ben.
As she neared her peak, she sensed Ben reaching his, and he sat up to embrace her. Rey felt as if they were the only two humans alive, the Force circling around and enveloping them both as they struggled to breathe. Her mind felt connected and fluid with his own, and she was only barely able to hear the metallic straining of the structure around them as his feelings poured into her.
Ben's mouth pressed into her damp neck as his hips bucked harder. Panting for air, she moved more quickly with him as they found release together. Ben's lips held onto hers as he came in her. Their soft moans were muffled by their intermittent kisses.
"Ben," Rey breathed against his lips as she slowly descended the high, her legs still shivering.
Ben gripped the back of her head. "Rey," he responded, his lips brushing against hers.
Rey let out a long breath as Ben's face lowered to kiss her neck again. "I love you," she panted, running a hand through his damp hair.
"I love you too, Rey," he breathed, his voice gruff.
They remained in their embrace, enjoying each other's warmth before soon settling down under the covers and falling back asleep, Rey cozying up against Ben's chest, wrapped in his long arms.
….
Rey sensed they had slept another few hours when she woke again, this time to Ben's kisses on her shoulder. She turned around in his arms and met one of his dark eyes, half of his face sunken down into his pillow. His gaze shifted away for a moment and he flicked a lamp on across the room with his hand using the Force, illuminating the room in a weak yellow glow.
Rey shut her eyes and pulled his arm over her face. "No light," she groaned.
"I expect the sun would be up by now on Trora," Ben chuckled sleepily. He stroked her hair with his fingers, his eyes travelling over her face. He scooted closer to her and placed a soft kiss onto her lips.
Rey wrapped an arm around him as he kissed her gently, and his hand gripped her thigh. He tried pulling her leg over the side of his hip, but Rey pulled it back and pushed her hands into his chest.
"Too tired," she grumbled, burying her face into her pillow.
Ben stroked his hand up and down her side. "I thought you didn't want to sleep," he chuckled.
Rey turned and shot him a bleary, narrow-eyed look.
Ben laughed under his breath and smushed a finger against her lips. "I take it you're not a morning person. No need to be cross," he teased.
Rey narrowed her eyes further, knowing that he was using her word. She stared at him as he leaned over her, the ends of his mussed hair dangling and tickling her face.
"I just want to make love to you all day long, Kenobi," he murmured, lowering his face into her neck.
As he kissed below her ear, Rey's body warmed. For a few moments she succumbed to his impulse, and she closed her eyes as warm, pleasant sensations spread through her at the contact of his mouth to her skin. But she blinked open her eyes and shoved him off of her, wanting to rest. He rolled onto his back next to her and sighed.
"You'll have to return to your ship at some point," Rey said, searching his dark eyes. "I read your mind, I know you have a crew waiting for you. It wouldn't be fair to keep them waiting all day long."
"They wait on me, they follow my command," he said quickly, his brows lowering. "But I'm sure you need to begin your trek back to Trora soon, too," he added.
Rey frowned. "Not now I don't," she protested. She scooted against him and slipped her leg over the top of his. "We can stay here for awhile."
"I think we should get going," Ben said, sitting up and rubbing his head.
Rey stared at him blankly. "What? It's still so early, isn't it? We don't have to leave just yet." She gripped his arm, but Ben brushed her hand away.
"You're right, it's not fair to have my crew wait for me," he said, and began sliding out of bed.
Rey chided herself for having said anything. Her chest tightened and she tugged again at his arm, this time with sudden desperation. But his arms slipped through her grasp, and she watched with wide eyes as he made it around the end of the bed. "No, no, wait, Ben, stay. I didn't mean—"
Ben abruptly turned around, a dark smile on his face. "You really believed me right now?" he questioned, chuckling.
Rey sat back and let out a relieved breath. "Yeah...I did."
"You have the ability to read my mind, remember," he teased, getting back onto the bed. He was still smiling as he climbed up her body.
Rey wrapped her arms around him, pulling his face to hers to kiss him. "Don't scare me like that anymore," she said.
"But scaring you has always been so fun, Scavenger," he teased, nipping her ear.
Rey smiled as she remembered the times he'd unexpectedly turned up behind her, such as when she'd been listening to the sound of the nexus on Drecenia. She pressed the memory into his mind, and Ben rose to smile back at her.
"Exactly," he said. "If only we'd been able to stay there longer, in that little house," he mused, pausing to kiss her. "It would be nice to stay there now, to just have each other and be away from the rest of the galaxy."
"And have nexus clawing down our door every morning?" Rey asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, they were great company," he teased. His eyes travelled lower, and he shifted down to kiss her breast.
Rey's breathing quickened at the sensations pulsing through her. She couldn't keep her legs still. "Ben, we can...um…" she began.
"Have sex?" He murmured, reading her mind. His eyes rose to meet hers. His hand rose to brush her hair from her face. "If you want." His gaze shifted and he tilted his head. "But...I was thinking of something else, first," he mused.
"Like...what?" Rey asked cautiously, but Ben didn't answer, instead lowering his gaze and shifting to bring his mouth to her other breast. Rey furrowed her brows at him, then closed her eyes as his lips travelled lower, peppering kisses down her stomach. Rey sighed with pleasure, growing tense as his mouth moved lower, trailing kisses down to her belly button. Rey's body shivered as his face lifted and he slid from the bed. She watched him curiously as he sunk to his knees on the ground and gripped her legs, sliding her hips to the edge of the bed, towards him.
"Ben," Rey breathed, confused as he pulled her legs up onto his shoulders. He appeared transfixed, his gaze caught between her legs.
Rey tried to sit up, but Ben glanced across at her and pushed her down with a swift flick of his hand with the Force. She stared at him as he positioned his face between her legs. "Wha—oh...Ben...oh," Rey sighed. Her body involuntarily jolted and her hands reached down to grab at Ben's hair.
….
"Are you finally satisfied, Kylo Ren?" Ren teased, rubbing her nose against his.
Ben let out a breathy laugh as he rubbed a towel over his face, his hair still dripping from the shower they'd just taken together. "Never," he said huskily, searching her eyes. He stepped forward and cupped the side of her face as he kissed her, his hand running down her back, loosening the towel wrapped around her.
Rey allowed her towel to drop from her body, and she smiled as Ben's eyes traced over her and rose back to meet her gaze. She wondered if she'd ever get used to the way he looked at her. Her own gaze moved over Ben's strong chest and stomach, the towel around his hips concealing the spot she most enjoyed studying with her eyes. She sensed Ben reading her mind.
"If I take this off, Rey...I can't promise I can hold myself back," he said, his mouth tugging in a knowing smile. He stepped towards her, his gaze moving between her lips and eyes. "We'd have to shower again...and you know how my poor crew is waiting for me," he teased, his thumb moving across her chin.
"Funny...I'm starting to feel less sympathy for them, all of a sudden," Rey said, smiling.
Ben smiled back, but Rey noticed a twinge of sadness in his expression. They both understood they had to part ways again. "Well...we should get dressed," he said, sighing and moving into the bedroom. Rey wrapped her towel back around her and moved after him to find her clothes. She watched him as they dressed silently. He appeared solemn and completely focused on the task at hand.
Rey had felt thrilled at seeing him—large and imposing as he was—nervous and cornered in the elevator before, when she'd teased him about his wording. But feeling and seeing him silent with sadness—that pained her.
"Ben," Rey coaxed, stepping towards him after she'd slipped on her dress, "come here."
Ben rose to his full height from sliding on his shoes, and he looked at her with troubled eyes. He swallowed and moved towards her slowly, his steps heavy. Rey held his arms as he stopped before her.
"We'll see each other again soon, you know we will. If we could make this work, I don't see why we can't find a way to meet up regularly," she said, searching his narrowed eyes.
"I hope we can," he said, his eyes searching hers. Rey sensed his mind churning with thought, but she didn't want to invade his head before he had a chance to speak. Ben's gaze lowered for a moment as he took her hands in his. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he declared softly, his dark brown eyes boring into hers. "You know that, don't you? Whatever comes our way, wherever this war takes us...I want to be with you, as much as I can."
Rey blinked, taken aback by his serious tone, and nodded. A small smile spread across her mouth. "That's what I want, too. To be with you forever," she said, leaning up to kiss him. As their lips parted, Ben stroked his hand through the length of her hair.
"I mean…" He began, but he faced away, seemingly in thought. But through their bond Rey sensed shyness, and she pressed a hand up to his cheek.
"You can tell me anything," Rey coaxed, "although, I could just pull it from your mind."
Ben turned and met her eyes again, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I was going to say...I would ask you to marry me, but a ring would obviously be too conspicuous, and—well, I shouldn't repeat my grandparents' mistakes, as you said before. A secret marriage—it's not the best idea, right now," he said, studying her. "Do you agree?"
Marriage. Rey was taken aback. She'd never thought of marriage as a possibility in her future, especially when she'd lived on Jakku. But even since Ben had come into her life, she'd never even thought of it. Marriage, she repeated in her mind. "I—yes, I agree," she finally said, her brows pinching together.
Ben's eyebrows lowered. "Did I upset you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean that we couldn't marry now, Rey, we can, I just—"
"No, no," Rey urged, leaning up to kiss him. "It's just that I...I never even thought about it. Marrying, I mean," she said, staring up at him.
"Oh," he said, surprise crossing his face. "All the same, I didn't mean to be so forthright. But if it's not something you'd want with me, that's fine, Rey..." he said, his voice softening.
Rey shook her head, a wide smile spreading across her face as she wrapped her mind around the idea. "But I do, Ben, I do," she insisted, and Ben smiled back at her, apparently relieved. "I just—I never thought it would be something that ever happened for me. I didn't think it would ever be a possibility." She gazed up into his eyes lovingly, and he leaned down to kiss her. She gripped his face, holding the kiss, savoring it, and he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her from the ground for a few moments.
As he lowered her back down to the gleaming marble floor, he lowered his brows and turned around to lift his coat into his hands with the Force. He dug through the coat's inner pockets as he faced her again, his face focused. Rey watched curiously as he procured a small box and she scrunched her brows he slid it into her hand.
"Well, there is...this, if you want it," he said, opening the box in her open palm.
"Oh...wow," Rey exhaled, looking down at the small sparkling diamond set in the cushion of the box. "Ben...I...I can't take this..." She was at a loss for words.
"Of course you can," he said, lifting the diamond, and a tiny silver chain fell out, attached to it. He walked behind her and brushed her hair to the side to fasten the delicate necklace around her neck. As he walked around to face her, he smiled. "Less conspicuous," he noted, meeting her eyes. Rey looked down to see the small stone covered by the fabric of her dress, only the chain showing, so thin she knew it wouldn't attract attention.
"Take it as a promise, that we will be together one day, as family," Ben said, kissing her forehead.
Family. Looking up at him dazedly, she fully realized that this hadn't been a spur-of-the-moment conversation; he'd obviously thought about this, planned this. For how long, she had no idea, but she sensed longer than she could guess.
Family. What she'd always wanted, craved. To have real family. Tears forming in the corners of her eyes, Rey stepped forward and wrapped Ben in a hug, overcome with emotion, and he rested his head on hers, holding her close.