A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this ABC Writing Prompt! Before you ask, yes I had this one already written. I just couldn't bring myself to post it out of order lol Anyway... enjoy!
Protector
Ben x Rey
A frantic knock came at his door. His brows pulled together in confusion as he glanced over at the clock. 12:28 am. Who in their right mind would be at his door in the pouring rain, at 12:28 in the morning?! He set his beer down on the coffee table, muting the television as he dragged himself off of his black leather sofa with a sigh. He was either about to deck the person on the other side of that door, or he was about to be met with no one there.
He walked over to the door in silence, unlocking it and opening it to reveal a rain-soaked Rey standing in his doorway. His eyes widened as he looked at her. She held herself, knuckles bloodied, hair sopping wet, a bruise on her cheek, a cut on her lip. His eyes narrowed. "Rey?"
"H-hey..." she sniffled with a weak smile. "Sorry it's so late... I-I... have nowhere else t-to..." Her grip tightened around her arms as she gave way to the tears she'd fought so hard to keep back. He wouldn't have even noticed with how soaked she was from the rain.
Ben quickly snapped to and ushered her inside out of the torrential downpour. He closed the door behind her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as he led her into his apartment. "Uh... wait here. I'll get a towel." He rushed to his bathroom and grabbed a fluffy black towel. He returned to her side, gently wrapping the towel around her shoulders and trying to help dry her off. She stood still in silence, the only sounds she made were sniffles and sobs occasionally. No doubt she'd gotten into another fight with what's-his-name. He'd finally set the towel on her head and started to gently dry her hair, an anxious mess to know what happened to her, but too uneasy to ask. She laid her head against his chest, gripping his shirt in her hands. It was then that he heard her sobs growing louder, her body shaking as she struggled to keep the dam from breaking.
His hands paused in her hair, processing her sudden movements. He opted for wrapping his arms around her tightly, holding her close as she finally let it all out. Her sobs became wails, her grip tightening on his shirt as if she were clutching life itself in her hand. Her body quivered in his hold, from being cold or being upset, he couldn't tell. He just held her in silence, his heart breaking for her. She'd always been a strong woman. She'd always managed to be cheerful and easy going. Even when her relationships failed, she always bounced back. But this guy...
She'd been with Finley for almost a year now. At first, she was over the moon. Things were going good, she said. But as time dragged on, the sunshine started to darken. Things at home weren't as good as she first portrayed them to be. She would never talk about what happened, nor would she say anything against Finley. She only ever said positive things about him, but everyone could tell she didn't mean it. That she'd been trained to say these things, or that she had rehearsed them enough. He'd offered to be a sanctuary for her, but she'd declined. Normally, she accepted, but with this guy, she always declined, saying that there wasn't anything bad to say about him. That's when he started getting really worried.
She'd cut off communication to him. She never returned his calls or texts. She was never at home. When they'd run into each other in public, she quickly ran away. Ben had learned to keep his distance. He'd stopped contacting her and when he was in the same vicinity as her in public, he went the other way out of respect. He'd noticed that this pained her, but he didn't know what else to do. So, they exchanged smiles and nods every once in a while. But they hadn't had a single conversation for about four months. Which hurt him more than words could ever express.
But now, she was here. In his arms. Crying her heart out. He was content that she was finally in his arms, but he loathed the circumstances. He gently pulled the towel off of her head, allowing it to crumple around her shoulders as she hiccuped from her sobbing. He gently held her face in his hands, pulling her away to look him in the eyes. He gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs, noticing how puffy and red her eyes were. "You should take a shower. I'll get you some clothes... take as long as you need. If you need anything..." he said softly. "I'm right here."
She nodded quietly, sniffling as she held his hands on her face. "I'm so sorry, Ben," she breathed as another wave of sobs racked through her small frame.
He shook his head and gently kissed her forehead. "There's nothing to be sorry for. Come on. You don't want to get sick," he said as he held her hand and led her to the bathroom. He sat her down on the toilet as he went to start the water. He stayed silent as he adjusted the water. Once he was satisfied with the temperature, he turned to her and saw her standing there uncomfortably. "Rey?" She flinched and hesitantly looked up at him. "Don't worry. I'll be outside." She quietly nodded her thanks and he hesitantly left the room, shutting the door behind him. "I'll get you some clothes and knock before I set them inside, all right?"
He heard a quiet affirmation and then the sound of her grunting, followed by her sopping wet clothes hitting the floor. He let out a small smirk and tore himself away from the door to make his way into his room. He rifled through his drawers and frowned as he looked at his clothes. He was a big man, and she was smaller than him. No doubt, his clothes would look like tents on her. He sighed heavily and grabbed a long-sleeved shirt with some shorts with a tie for adjustment. This would have to be good enough. He walked over to the bathroom and heard the water falling in the shower with soft sobs. Ben's face scrunched up in pain for her. He knocked on the door, pressing his ear close to the door to hear her response. He heard sniffles. "Can I set the clothes on the counter?"
"Um... y-yeah..." she called on the other side, hugging her knees in the shower.
He hesitantly opened the door and set the clothes on the counter. "They're on the counter." She hummed under her breath. He saw her silhouette sitting on he floor, curled into herself and he frowned. "The... hot water doesn't last too long here... Just a heads up." She didn't answer. "Are you hungry?" He saw her curl tighter around herself. "I'll... order takeout. If you're not hungry now, you may be later." He excused himself from the bathroom, shutting the door loud enough to let her know he was out. He lingered for just a moment, back pressed to the bathroom door as he glared down at the floor. Why was she so broken? What did he do to her? Ben's fist balled up at his side, feeling the anger slowly seeping into his consciousness.
He quickly dropped it as he snatched the phone off the table, dialing the pizza place. Thankfully this place was open until 5 am. After a few minutes, he had ordered the pizza and tried to find a way to occupy himself. He wasn't so fortunate. His eyes darted over to the bathroom door when he heard the water shut off. She'd be coming out of the bathroom any minute. What would he say? How would she feel? How would he help her? He didn't even know what happened or if she would even tell him!
The door opened and his eyes landed on her form. The shirt he'd chose was large on her, but it was very flattering and it made his chest swell with pride. It hung off of her shoulder just a little. The sleeves were long enough for her to scrunch it at her wrists and it still cover her palms. It was long enough to come down to her mid thighs and he was silently grateful that he'd gotten her shorts. The shorts were baggy and came down to her knees.
Their eyes met and she blushed, looking away quickly. "It's a little big..." she said softly.
"Sorry about that. It's all I have. I don't make it a habit of stocking women's clothes," he teased. She briefly snickered, smiling over at him. He allowed himself to take in that smile, even if it were only for a few moments. It had clearly been a while since she smiled last. He could tell because she quickly wiped it away, as if she weren't even allowed to do so. "Coffee?" he asked, pointing at the coffee pot. She nodded and skittishly walked into the kitchen. She took a seat at the bar, watching as he made the coffee cup for her, his back to her. "Cream? Sugar?"
"B-both."
He nodded and obliged before handing the coffee cup to her. She gently took it with a small nod of thanks. He looked at her face for a moment and frowned. "There's a first aid kit under the sink in the bathroom," he said as he turned his back to her again to make his own cup. He felt her eyes on his back and he so desperately wanted to turn to look at her, but he stayed where he was.
"Thanks, Ben." He glanced over his shoulder at her, seeing her stare into her coffee. When he finished his own cup, he turned around, standing across from her. "How have you been?" she asked as she nervously rubbed her thumbs up and down the cup.
He thought about it for a minute. That was definitely a question and a half. Miserable without her. Normal. He didn't know how to answer that. "I'm alive," he said with a shrug. She gave a weak smirk with a huff. He observed her for a moment. "And you?" She flinched, all movement ceasing. He sighed heavily and sat his coffee cup down. "Rey, what happened to you?"
She pressed her lips together in a thin line as she thought about what to say. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Rey... come on. You're completely different than a year ago."
"Ben-"
"No, tell me what he did to you!"
Rey flinched and shrank into herself, head lowered as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap. "Stop," she whimpered.
Ben rounded the counter and turned her chair so she was facing him. He got down on his knees in front of her to look up at her while her head was lowered. He took her hands in his, staring up at her with a pleading look on his face. "Rey, I know he hit you. How long has it happened? How long have you dealt with this abuse? Talk to me," he pleaded.
She felt another round of tears pooling, ultimately falling down her cheeks. She sniffled softly and shook her head. "Finley was... jealous.. of you, Ben," she whispered.
"Of me? Why?"
"He said I acted differently around you. That I threw myself at you. He told me to stop talking to you if I wanted to keep seeing him," she sniffled.
He felt a pang in his chest. He'd given her an ultimatum. He'd taken her away from him. While he knew that was the most likely situation, it still hurt to hear her confirm it. On top of that, he turned it around on her to make her the one to take the blame. He didn't know whether to be angry or hurt. He cursed the man under his breath. "Why didn't you leave him?"
Rey shook her head. "I had nowhere to go..." she whispered. Ben stared at her incredulously. "It started with Finley asking me to spend the night. Then it happened more frequently, then we moved in together. He'd convinced me to let my own apartment go. Then he convinced me to let friends and family go for various reasons, all of which made sense at the time... If I left him..."
"You'd have nothing," he confirmed. She nodded quietly. "Yet... here you are."
"Here I am," she whispered. "You were the only one that never abandoned me completely."
Ben sighed softly as he rested his forehead on her knees. His heart ached for her. He wanted nothing more than to take the pain away from her. He felt her pull a hand from his and tentatively pet his head. He stayed where he was and allowed her to do so. If this made her feel better, who was he to deny her? "You didn't answer my question," he said gently.
Her hand paused in his hair for a brief moment before resuming. "About four or five months..." She felt his grip tighten on her hand. "He started drinking and when he drank too much, he was violent." She sighed softly, continuing to delicately run her fingers through his hair. "We..." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat to try to hide it. "You and I had coffee one day. Finley found out about it. That night... he'd drank too much and... he hit me for the first time. He told me that he was sorry and that he was so upset that I went out with another man... that he was scared he'd lose me... He begged me to not leave him. I agreed, but... he told me that he didn't want to feel jealous of another man, so..."
"He gave you the ultimatum."
"Yeah," she whispered.
"So... you got hit... because of me." She stopped running her fingers through his hair. "Or rather, he made you think that he hit you because of me to guilt you into cutting ties with me."
"I felt guilty, Ben. I didn't want you to think that this happened because of you," she sniffled, tears falling again. Her hands went up to her face, furiously wiping them away. It was all futile. The more she wiped, the more that fell to take their place. "I didn't want to put that guilt on you so I stopped talking to you," she cried. "You were the last person I wanted to lose." She sobbed loudly. "I'm so sorry."
Ben gently held her wrists, stopping her from wiping her face. She continued to cry, her body shuddering occasionally. He released a wrist to gently wipe away her tears on her left cheek. She looked at him then, tears falling from her eyes at the motion. "I understand, Rey." He used the same hand to gently wipe away the tears from the other side of her face. "This isn't your fault, Rey. Don't think that at all."
She quietly nodded, sniffling and whimpering. He was so kind to her even though she hurt him. She held his hand against her face and cried softly. "I'm so sorry, Ben."
He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, gently shushing her as he let her cry against him. "This is not your fault, Rey. So, stop apologizing," he gently cooed into her hair. "I'll never leave you. I promise."
He held her for a time, allowing her to get hold of herself. Once she calmed down again, she sat up, sniffled and wiped her face with an embarrassed chuckle. "How annoying," she laughed sadly. "I can't stop crying." He remained silent as he looked up at her from his spot in front of her. "And it's not that I miss him or anything. He was a jerk. I just... I can't explain it."
He hummed under his breath as he stood, her sight following him up. "You've had to hide everything for a while. It's only natural it all comes out. Don't be ashamed." He looked down at her and she gave him a warm, affectionate smile. He swore he felt his heart stop in his chest. A few moments passed and neither of them made any move to say anything further. Until he cleared his throat. "You can stay here as long as you want."
She smiled wide and nodded. "Thank you, Ben."
He nodded quietly. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Ah, food," he said as he walked to the door to retrieve the pizza. He got what he needed and turned back around to see her fiddling with her sleeve, a small blush on her cheeks. He paid her no mind as he set the box on the counter and opened it, revealing pepperoni pizza. She glanced up at him. "Don't make me force feed you."
She blushed wildly and averted her glance quickly. "What kind of pizza place is open at 1 am?"
"The good kind," he teased. She let herself giggle briefly and quickly stopped, frowning when she did. "Stop doing that."
"What-"
"Stop stopping yourself from laughing or smiling. I'm not Finley, Rey." His voice held a slight annoyance to it. And honestly, he was slightly annoyed. Finley had even robbed her laugh.
"I know..." she said, her voice smaller than he was used to. He'd even robbed her of her confidence. He grabbed a piece of pizza for himself and watched her fiddle with the toppings. "He hated my laugh... and my smile. He told me it was annoying and ugly..."
Ben felt the anger surge again and it took all he had not to break something. He cursed him under his breath again. "Forget everything he ever told you. None of it was true."
"Easier said than done..."
He sighed to himself. "Then I'll just have to replace every lie he's ever told you with the truth." She looked up at him. "Starting with your laugh and smile."
"Ben-"
"They're not annoying," he interrupted. She paused and looked at him curiously, wondering where he was going with this. "I'm not too good with words, Rey, but I enjoyed your laughs. They were the only light I had in my life. I can listen to them all day and never once get annoyed." He raised his sight to hers, their eyes locking. "When you were sad or crying or upset about anything... I would try to think of ways to get you to smile or laugh. You're too beautiful to frown or cry, Rey," he said gently, his hand gently caressing her cheek.
Her cheeks lit aflame at the compliment he bestowed upon her. She slowly smiled at him before gently kissing his palm. "Thank you, Ben. You're so sweet."
Ben scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Me? Never." She laughed softly and shook her head, earning a small smirk from him. "I would do anything to hear your laugh and see you smile," he said as he ran the back of his knuckles over her soft cheek. She smiled wide when he pulled away from her. "Now, eat your food before it gets cold."
"You have a microwave..."
Ben sent her a chastising look. "Not the point." Rey snickered and nodded, not putting up any more of a fight. He watched as she started to take a bite of the pizza, carefully avoiding his gaze. He had to force himself to look away, realizing his stare was probably making her uncomfortable by now. He hadn't meant to stare; he just wanted to make sure she actually started to eat before he looked away. He took a bite of his own pizza and they ate in a comfortable silence, neither one venturing to break it with another awkward conversation.
A few minutes passed and Rey sighed when she finished, smiling softly at how full she was. Though she'd only eaten one slice, he was happy she at least ate something and wasn't foregoing her health for that idiot of an ex. "Thank you," she said as she hopped off the chair and looked around the apartment.
It was sizable, but it wasn't a mansion. It didn't need to be. It was comfortable. It was very minimal, too, but it was very Ben. He usually liked things to be simple, from what she recalled. She'd never stayed at his place too long. It was always just a meet up spot. They used to hang out here a little bit before she got her boyfriend, but she didn't recall what it looked like before. Well, she did, but her memory was fuzzy. It had been a rough year. Her eyes ventured over to the bookcase and saw his degree propped up on the shelf in all its glory. He'd finished school to become a mechanic, just as he said. To the right was a study manual to get his pilot's license. She smiled fondly at that. She'd been the one to encourage him to get it in the first place, remembering that Ben was seeking closeness with his deceased father. She wondered how that was going...
Her eyes moved on to a picture of them on the lower level of the bookcase. They were younger, but it was still a very good picture. She walked over and picked it up off the shelf, a small smile on her lips. Those were good times. When she didn't make stupid decisions and choose lousy men to date. She missed that part of her. She missed being that person that smiled easily and was goofy and honest with herself. But her lousy taste in men slowly changed that. Her decisions festered within her like an acid, corroding away bits of her personality at a time until she finally forgot how she used to be. She let her fingers gently touch their happy faces. It was a rare picture of Ben smiling. He was never one for pictures, and this was one of the most precious pictures to ever exist, in her mind. She remembered that day.
They'd gone out zip-lining together. She wore a dark blue helmet and he wore a black one. She'd met him over at the other side and that's when she wanted to take a picture, documenting that she'd overcome her fear and did it! It was such a proud moment of hers. She'd had a deathly fear of heights and Ben convinced her to let go and meet him on the other side. He'd even teasingly kissed her cheek before taking off on the zipline first. What a motivator, she recalled. "You were so scared," he teased.
She broke from her thoughts, jumping a little at the sudden intrusion of his voice by her ear. She glanced up at him to see him fondly looking at the picture. "I was," she agreed with a small sigh.
"But you overcame your fear and went anyway." She nodded, her sight fixated on the picture now. "And you'll overcome this with Finley." Rey's brows pulled together, her eyes finding his again in curiosity. "You'll bounce back like you always do. And when you're ready..." He hesitated, she noticed, and his eyes took on a regret that almost consumed him. He shook it away and sighed heavily, taking the picture from her and setting it down on the shelf where it belongs. "Anyway. Try to get some sleep. We can figure the rest out tomorrow."
She started to panic as he went to walk away from her. She sensed there was something wrong with him, but she couldn't understand what, and it frightened her. Without thinking, she reached and latched onto his wrist desperately. He turned to look at her incredulously. "C-can we... talk... for a little bit longer?" Ben stood in silence as he assessed the situation, glancing over at the clock to see the time reading 2:15 am. "Please, Ben? It's been a while..."
Ben conceded, unable to say no to her in this moment. "Fine, but only for a little bit. We both need to get some sleep." Rey nodded and gave him a grateful half-smile. He could tell she was exhausted, but he could also tell that she didn't want to be alone. She'd get this way when they were younger. She'd always ask him to stay with her when she felt this way, saying that he was the only one she ever felt comfortable with. He'd always obliged, not finding it in himself to say no to her when she made him feel so important to her. Now was no different.
He walked over to the couch where he was sitting before being interrupted and plopped down with a sigh. She skittishly walked around and sat next to him just as he reached to pick up his beer from the table. He took a sip absent-mindedly and remembered that this may actually upset her more. "Sorry. I should-"
"It's fine. You'd never hurt me," she said as she leaned her head against his shoulder. He couldn't argue with her. He never had and he never would. They allowed a comfortable silence to fall over them as she kept her head pressed against his shoulder, curled upon the couch next to him comfortably. "I really missed you, Ben."
"I missed you, too, Rey." He finished his beer and set it on the floor next to the couch, careful not to disturb the woman beside him.
"Ben?" she asked, her voice tiny. He hummed under his breath in response. "I love you."
His eyes widened and his body became rigid as he processed those three words he so desperately longed for her to say to him. The words he always thought he'd say first to her. His heart pumped rapidly in his chest, his mind not being able to process words at the moment. Then, reality slapped him in the face. She probably meant as a friend. It wasn't what he thought. She was feeling vulnerable right now and she wanted someone on this planet to love her, but not romantically. She was probably on the rebound, too. Not intentionally, obviously, but he was pretty sure that her emotions were a wreck right now and she didn't even realize what she'd implied just now. Or how he took it.
He forced himself to calm down, forcing himself to accept that she hadn't meant it the way he originally took it. They were friends. She loved him as a friend. His heart started to ache. He so desperately wanted to push her over and kiss the life out of her, but he shoved that thought far from his mind as soon as it came up. He wanted her to know that he loved her more than life itself. That he couldn't live without her. That he would do anything for her. If she wanted Finley dead, he would be more than happy to kill him for her. He'd gladly rot in jail for her if she only asked it. But all he could do was wrap his arm around her shoulders and hold her against him weakly. He was scared to let himself hope for anything else.
He heard her sniffle against him, curling closer as she pressed closer to him. It was then that he became keenly aware of how close they were. He could feel the warmth radiating off of her chest and onto his side. He felt his cheeks start to burn as he tried his best to control himself. This was pure, unadulterated torture. "It should have been you," she whispered.
And then, the spring flew across the room in his mind. "What?" he asked in disbelief.
She sat up to look at him, eyes full of love and desperation and pain. "It should have you been you. I love you, Ben. So much. I should have told you sooner and then Finley wouldn't have happened at all and we wouldn't be here like this. I wish I'd realized it sooner. I'm so sorry," she cried softly.
Ben's mind was reeling. Was she meaning it how he thought she was? Was she truly too emotional to think straight? Or was this real? Was this just desperation that she'd come to regret later? Or was this something that she truly regretted not telling him sooner? "Rey, I... don't understand..." He wanted to. Oh, he so desperately wanted to! But he didn't want to jump the gun and ruin their already delicate relationship.
She sat up straighter, facing him completely as she pulled her knees up, sitting on them on the couch. "I've loved you for a while now, Ben. Since way before Finley. I just never told you. I wanted to, but... I was scared of losing you. And even if you don't feel the same, just let me say it anyway. Please don't leave me," she cried, reaching out and holding his face affectionately. God, was she so beautiful. It made his heart ache. He was frozen in spot at her words, unable to completely respond to them as his mind struggled to keep up with the present. All he was focused on was that she loved him and that she was here, giving him a chance. He wanted to tell her to wait. He wanted to tell her to sleep on it. He wanted to be logical about this, darn it! But she was making it oh so very hard. "I love you," she whispered as she leaned forward and delicately placed her lips on his.
The dam broke. Everything that he'd refrained from doing or saying or feeling flooded over him without restraint. His hand wound its way to her jaw as he deepened the kiss, pouring his very soul into it to show her that he meant business. His other hand snaked around her waist, holding her tight against him, causing them to collapse as she laid atop him, their lips locked in a desperate battle of emotion. He felt her heart beat against his chest, her hand a fiery touch against his chest as she braced herself against him. He felt her tears drip onto his cheek and drop off into his hair as she broke the kiss to stare down at him. Their eyes met and it was like the clouds were gone in the midday sky. "If you truly mean what you say..." he started, his breath a shaky whisper. "Tell me again tomorrow morning."
She smiled softly and nodded her agreement. She kissed his lips briefly and settled onto his chest, laying her head at the crook of his neck. He held her against him with a soft sigh, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. He hoped tomorrow wouldn't be filled with regret for him. How he so desperately wanted this to be his reality. Before they both knew it, they fell asleep on the couch, Rey perched atop him, snuggled into his chest affectionately as if snuggling with her emotional support teddy bear. He positioned himself comfortably on the couch so one leg hung off and the other propped up against the back, bent at the knee for stability so he wouldn't slip down the couch during the night. His arms held her gently as he fell asleep to the gentle breaths of her sleeping.
X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X
The morning came faster than either of them wanted. It was Ben who woke up first. He blinked the sleep from his eyes as his body started to wake up. He looked around carefully. Was it all a dream? Then his body registered a weight against him. His eyes drifted down and his heart stopped in his chest. Rey! So he hadn't dreamed it after all. So, then, he supposed what she said last night... was real, too.
And then the anxiety started to seep in. What if she said that in a moment of vulnerability and didn't truly mean it? What if she meant it, but she didn't want anything to progress because she didn't want to lose him? What if they proceeded and they ultimately decided that they weren't meant for each other? All these thoughts raced through his mind and he closed his eyes with a soft sigh, trying to suffocate them and make them disappear.
It was then that he felt her stirring on top of him. She moved her head with a content sigh, her lips millimeters away from the skin on his neck. His pulse started to pick up all over again and he had to silently will himself to calm the heck down. Then he heard her inhale deeply and sigh quietly with contentment. His cheeks burned, realizing that she liked the smell of him. How could one woman reduce him to a blushing madman? It was simply unheard of! It was downright embarrassing! He felt her move again, this time, her hand going up to cradle the other side of his neck. This was driving him insane. Was she toying with him?!
He felt lips on his neck and he shuddered at the touch. His grip slightly tightened around her, but released her almost as quickly as he tightened it. He heard a soft giggle against his skin and knew she was toying with him. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," he scoffed.
She nuzzled her nose against his neck with a content hum. "You're comfortable," she whispered.
Deciding to just roll with it, Ben allowed his fingers to gently trace up and down her back through her shirt. She shivered at the touch, but made no move to get up. "Sleep well?" he mumbled, his voice coming out as a purr, which was foreign even to his ears.
She nodded. She finally opened her eyes with a sigh. She pushed herself up to look down at him with a beautiful smile. "Thank you for last night, Ben. I can't tell you how much it means to me," she said softly.
He could tell she genuinely meant it and he nodded. "I've already told you. I'm not going anywhere."
Her eyes watered again, her smile not budging. "You're the best."
He rolled his eyes. "It took you until just now to figure that-"
Her lips were on his before he could even finish his sentence, causing his eyes to widen. It wasn't a dream. This was happening. He melted into the kiss and held her close, feeling her hand gently caress his cheek. When she pulled away, she smiled down at him brightly. "I love you, Ben."
Ben held her face and kissed her again, flipping their positions to where she was on her back and he hovered above her. She sighed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Before he could get carried away, he broke the kiss and set his forehead on hers. "I love you, too." She smiled up at him. He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of her hand softly as he stared down at her, having sat up just a bit more. "I promise you I'll never mistreat you. You can stay as long as you want. You deserve to be happy, Rey, and I want to be the one to make you happy."
Her fingers curled in his hair at the nape of his neck as she smiled softly. "I've never been happier than when I'm with you." He grinned down at her and kissed her again. This was the start of a beautiful relationship that was over four years in the making. And they only had forever to go.