Rey wakes up a bit before her alarm and eagerly checks her messages. No new messages or pictures from Ben. She tries not to feel disappointed but was hoping for another little bundle of joy from him. Scrolling through their text chat, she stares longingly at the pictures he has already sent and she smiles to herself.
Her heart skips a beat when she sees three dots show up, the telltale sign of a text possibly coming through. Sinking into her hotel bed, she giggles aloud when the picture finally comes through.
The caption which follows reads, "I'll have to add plant comforter to my resume." Rey squeals at his words and texts back how much she loves the picture, giving it a heart after sending her message. Her heart swells with emotion as she reads the caption again. Ben really is so caring and thoughtful all the time. He certainly is with her. Feeling the need to speak with him more before her day of conferences begins, she opens up her typing board. When she asks what was wrong with her planet baby, she's startled when she sees Ben calling her. With her heart beating rapidly, she answers.
"I figured it would be easier talking about it over the phone, especially since your first batch of conferences is soon and I don't want to keep you," his deep voice says over the phone.
"This is a family emergency. It takes priority over everything else," she replies.
Ben's heart hammers in his chest from not only hearing her voice but her pure love of family. He knows her childhood wasn't an easy one. If she ever needed anything, Ben always wanted to be there to keep her fed, cared for, supported, anything she needed. This feeling has never gone away and surges even now as he begins to tell about Rey's plant.
"She was looking a little sad even after I gave her plenty of water and had her sit in the sun. So I sang to her," he explains.
Rey finds she's holding her breath. She melts from hearing his words and feels herself swooning. Ben doesn't sing often and Rey has only been lucky enough to catch him a handful of times. But every time she's heard him sing, she's mystified by him.
"What did you sing to her?" Rey asks softly.
"I can sing a bit of it if you'd like?" Ben replies.
He is shocked by his own words. Singing for others isn't his first choice in any setting. There is always a fear of being judged or finding out you're actually out of tune even though you thought you weren't.
"I would love it, Ben," she answers, her voice like heaven to his ears.
Taking a deep breath, Ben begins singing the chorus of "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John. Rey tries to keep her squeals internal so she doesn't miss a single note. Even over the phone his voice is perfect and makes Rey dizzy in the best way possible.
"Oh Ben…" Rey sighs into the phone.
Ben blushes deeply. He wishes he could hear her say his name again and again. Something about it is just right, perfect, and wonderful. Before meeting Rey, he never liked his name and even considered possibly changing it. It wasn't until he heard his name on her lips he changed his mind and kept it. It sounds amazing with her voice and he knows now his name is a special one.
"I know I've said this before but thank you again for taking care of all of them. You really are the greatest, Ben," Rey says.
"Anytime at all. Good luck with your conferences today. It's a new day!" he replies.
They end the call and from miles apart they both smile to themselves. Before Ben starts his day, he hears his phone buzz and picks it up. He is floored when he sees the picture Rey sends him.
She looks so beautiful he wishes he could pull her through the phone screen into his waiting embrace. The caption she texts out reads, "Smiling since you're in my life." Her words run through his mind all day long and he can't keep his smile off his face, knowing he feels the same way about her.