A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Obviously

Chapter 8: Opportunity

Poe laughed maniacally. Maniacally... that word definitely fit how he acted, and how he usually brings up a game he wants everyone to play. I raised a brow at him, highly skeptical of what he had planned for everyone. Then I remembered that he had to run every rule through everyone before we played. Knowing him, he forgot. Or he would exploit a loophole. "Poe, I hope you plan on running rules through everyone to make sure they're fair?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and tilting my hip out to let him know I meant business.

He lessened his joy, but the grin still remained. "Wouldn't dream of violating the rules, Reina." I rolled my eyes at the nickname. Ever since Cassian taught him that stupid word, he used it very defiantly. It was his way of sarcasm like a child saying 'yes, mother.' And of course, I didn't miss the play on my name either, which at first was funny, but now it's just annoying.

I sighed before dropping my arms and walking over to the rest of them. I figured I would hear out his hair-brained idea and go from there. Poe really was good at making up games. His rules just sucked. Or rather, his consequences did. But I supposed it was to make winning the better option, a must-do in other words. "All right. What's the game and what's the rules?" I asked as I sat next to Ben across from Poe.

"And the consequences," Ben chimed in, narrowing his eyes at Poe.

Poe playfully put a hand over his heart, as if our questions wounded him. "Ouch. Oh ye of little faith... do you not trust me?" His voice raised an octave, feigning innocence.

Without looking at each other, Ben and I said at the same time, "No." We glanced at each other and grinned, then returned our sight to Poe.

He only rolled his eyes at us and waved us off. "All right. All right. So we all choose a number. All the cups are numbered. Once you choose a number, you pick the cup, down the drink, get the laminated paper at the bottom and follow the instructions on the paper. If you don't, you owe a favor that you can't say no to."

"Like the wishes from the fair?" Zorii asked, unamused. I felt my lips tilt upwards in a small grin. She had a point. Poe liked putting people in odd situations.

"Exactly like the wishes from the fair."

"Yeah... no." Everyone looked at me curiously. I glanced among my crowd of friends and sighed at having to really defend myself. "Listen. You guys are brutal with these wishes. Why don't we save the wishes strictly for the fair games? If we refuse to do what's in the cup, why don't we take another cup, drink that, and pass the paper to someone else who can't say no?"

Everyone looked back and forth for a moment, but it was Ben who spoke up. "I think that idea sounds better. Besides, if you keep using favors or wishes as punishment, it'll get old real fast."

"Especially if you're on the losing end all the time," Rose teased with a giggle. I shot a look at her and shook my head with a smirk.

After a few moments of deliberation, everyone ultimately agreed to my version, rather than Poe's. "All right. Rey's rules. Same game. Everyone good?" Everyone nodded. "Cool!" he said as he clapped his hands. "So everything's been randomized. We'll draw straws to see who goes first." Poe reached for the straws, but Zorii snatched them away, shooting him a look. "What-"

"I'll hold them. You're too sneaky. How do we know you won't rig it?" Poe snickered and shrugged, but consented.

Rose drew, followed by Finn, Cassian, Jyn, Poe, Ben... then me. Zorii got the last one. Shortest straw went first, longest last. The way the order fell was Rose, Jyn, Cassian, Finn, Ben, Zorii, Poe, then me. The game was pretty straightforward. Rose grabbed a cup, downed the drink and retrieved the paper. She rolled her eyes with a sigh. She stood from the couch, brushed off her pants and walked over to me, kneeling on one knee with a devilish grin. "Marry me, Rey!" I just looked at her with a quirked eyebrow. "The paper told me to propose to the youngest person in the room," she explained.

I only laughed and shrugged. "Sorry... I think someone else will get jealous," I said, flicking my eyes up to Finn for a moment.

Rose giggled and shrugged. "Your loss," she teased as she sat back down on the couch.

It went around the room like that for several minutes. Jyn's face whitened at the paper that she received. Ultimately, she grabbed another cup, downed it, and got another one. She passed the one she had gotten first to Poe, without a shred of shame. Poe's eyes widened at the paper and he scrubbed his face with a groan. Jyn settled for the one she got the second time around, asking her to sit on the person's lap to her right, which happened to be Cassian. Then, Cassian was told to speak with his hands for the remainder of the night. He could speak, but when he did, he had to be animated. That was hilarious in and of itself, since he was so reserved and composed all the time. Everyone took their time asking him questions he had to answer, just to see him speak with his hands like it was the grandest thing ever.

Finn was told to divulge an embarrassing secret. Something about a rubber snake being thrown on him when he was half-in, half-out of consciousness, only to run through the dorm halls in his underwear, screaming like a girl. Ben drew a paper, staring at his paper for a few moments as if he were debating what to do with it, or if he even wanted to do anything with it besides burn it. He shot his eyes over at Poe and glared like he was aiming to kill. Poe only grinned in return, shrugging it off as if it wasn't his fault. He sighed and flicked his eyes over to me, as if asking for permission. He angled the paper so I could see.

Kiss the youngest player on the lips.

My eyes widened at the paper, my face burning at the realization he was asking permission. It occurred to me that if he passed the paper to someone, I'd have to kiss someone else. I sure as heck didn't want to kiss anyone else, so the logical option would be to let him do it. First kisses were bad anyway, right? I honestly didn't know what to tell him. I just shrugged, risking a glance up at him with a small smile, trying to let him know it was all right. He looked back down at the paper for a moment longer, then, without warning, he leaned over and kissed my lips for just a brief second, like it was any other kiss on the cheek.

I tried to play it off as no big deal, but internally, my mind was racing. I saw the slight tinge of pink on his cheeks that would have otherwise been missed had I not known he was already drinking. To any untrained eye, it looked like something from too much alcohol. I wasn't even sure I saw it. The more I think about it, the more I question if I actually saw it. I tried to keep myself under control, but my chest was squeezing too tight in my chest for me to even breathe straight. I only hoped no one else noticed. Ben cleared his throat and sent a serious look at each and every one of our friends. "That served as the part of the wish, along with the cup paper. Are we clear?" Everyone nodded, much to my gratitude. Ben leaned back on the couch, glancing over at me. He nodded so slightly that I questioned if it even happened.

Without any further delay, Zorii cleared her throat and reached for a cup of her own. She drank and got her paper, but all I could think about was two minutes ago. I couldn't hear anything in the room except my own blood pressure throbbing in my ears. I felt warm. Way too warm. Like I was in an oven. I sat perfectly still, but my mind was running a marathon. I couldn't look at him. I couldn't look at anyone. I couldn't even pay attention to what was going on with the game. I knew I needed to, but I couldn't. I felt a soft poke on my thigh, close to the couch, causing me to glance over at Ben. His look was one of concern. I couldn't really hold his stare. He gently looped his finger around mine, as a form of comfort, giving it a reassuring squeeze when I looked away. I think he knew how uncomfortable and confused I was.

I could barely focus on what Zorii's paper said. And I briefly remember seeing Poe do a bad strip tease. I think. But all that mattered was Ben holding my hand, out of sight of our friends. The gentle reassurance that whatever happened, we'd tackle it together; that he was there for me, no matter how I was feeling and no matter how he felt. I smiled over at him, then reached forward to take a cup, my hand slipping from his. I downed the drink without hesitation, then retrieved the paper. I unfolded it, reading it to myself and huffing quietly. Holding it up for all to see, I smirked at Poe. "Game over."

Everyone 'aww'ed and protested, but ultimately laughed all together. Zorii looked at the clock and stood, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "Time to go, folks. It's midnight." She looked over at me, giving me a playful wink. I mouthed a simple thanks to her. Zorii was left to usher everyone out, some stumbling as they walked to the door. Finn had to help Rose out, who was giving me a long drunken hug and telling me to claim Ben while I could. Finn quickly ushered her out, apologizing for her on the way.

Poe only winked at me on his way out with that stupid knowing grin I hated so much. Zorii only rolled her eyes and hugged me, whispering to me that everything would be all right. I didn't know how to tell her how unsure I was, so I just let it go. Lastly, Jyn and Cassian started to go out, too. Cassian hugged me and afterwards, Jyn did, too. "Don't be nervous. He's as scared as you are," she whispered to me.

I blinked several times, glancing over at Ben at her words. He was scared? Was he scared of changing our relationship so suddenly? Was he worried that we wouldn't make it, too? The clean up afterwards? The impact on our friends and us? His eyes met mine just as Jyn let go, causing me to look at her with an unsure smile. "Be careful going home."

Once they were all gone, Ben shut the door and stood with his back to me for a moment. He turned to look at me, his eyes instantly landing on mine. We just stood there, as if time itself stopped for us while we sifted out our own demons. I didn't know what he was thinking, but from what I'd learned about Ben so far, he was very unsure of things that involved change. I could feel the tension rising in the room. Something had shifted. I don't know what, but something changed. The longer we stood there, staring in silence, the more I grew uncomfortable. When I couldn't take the silence anymore, I cleared my throat. "Coffee?" I asked, my voice giving away how uneasy I was. The slightest crack up to a different octave was more than enough to tell him how uncomfortable I was.

"Sounds good," he breathed, sighing a little harder than I think he wanted. I nodded, then darted to the kitchen without another word. I felt him follow me. I didn't know if he was as uncomfortable as I was, but I definitely just wanted a little bit of space to calm down. Unfortunately, I didn't get that. And... fortunately, I didn't get that. I did enjoy being around him. "Are you all right?" he asked from behind me.

I risked a glance over my shoulder at him. He was leaned against the wall at the entrance, arms folded over his chest. His eyes went down, then back up, settling on my eyes, as if he were looking me over for an imperfection or a wound of some sorts. I turned back around to finish pouring the coffee. "Why wouldn't I be?"

There was a few moments of silence. His next reply came right next to my ear. "Because you won't even look at me." My body tensed on its own. I didn't know whether to turn around or stay where I was. Scenarios ran through my head at lightning speed. If I turned and found myself too close. If I stayed where I was and gave the wrong impression. If I turned and upset him. If I stayed and upset him. "Rey-"

"I'm fine, Ben." As soon as my head turned, my eyes caught his. I gave him a small smile. "Really." At this point, I didn't know if I was trying to convince him or myself.

He sighed after a minute. "Jyn," he said simply. The look in his eyes was hard to resist.

I bit my lip quietly. Jyn wanted us to be honest with each other. I wasn't being honest because I didn't know what to say. I sighed and turned around to look at him, Ben stepping back just a bit to not be so imposing. I set my hands on the counter behind me. "Fine..." I whispered. Where would I start?

"You're upset about the kiss." My eyes shot up to him. I froze. "I'm not an idiot, Sunny." My lips twitched into a small smile at the nickname. "Sorry."

I shook my head. "It's really not a big deal, Ben. First kisses aren't really that special. They're just forgotten as we get older and eventually, it doesn't matter. It's overhyped anyway-"

"Stop." He sounded like he was hurting. Had I hurt him just now? Did it pain him to have to kiss me? "I know how much it meant to you, and I ruined it."

"Ben, you didn't-" His look made the words freeze in my throat. I'd never seen him look so vulnerable before, but that one look showed me that that one moment bothered him more than he let on. Did he regret it? Did he think I would expect more? I sighed softly. "I want you to be honest with me, Ben, when I ask you this next question." He remained silent, but showed no signs of declining. I had to spit it out before I had a chance to think about it. If my mind lingered on it too long, I would chicken out and I'd never know. So, I did what I had to: I spit it out. "What did it mean to you?" There. It was out. No taking it back now. I'd committed to either heartbreak or discovery. Either way, I couldn't reverse time.

He studied me for a moment, frozen in place as he contemplated his words. I assumed he was trying to find a way to tell me, short and sweet, that it was just for the game. That it was just to save me from pissing off our friends' mates. There was no getting out of it either way. Ben was the only one that would logically be able to kiss me and not cause problems for any of our friends. I was sure that Poe was the one that put that one in there, specifically targeting Ben and I. I tried to brace myself for whatever Ben was going to say, but he was taking longer than I'd hoped he would. Then he sighed heavily. "It wasn't right."

I waited for more of an explanation, but when he showed no signs of wanting to continue, I knew I had to pull it out of him. I needed clarification. For my sake. "What do you mean? That it wasn't fair, or what?" He only shook his head. His eyes found mine again and I could tell there was more to what he wanted to say. But he didn't want to say it. I frowned at him. He was as withdrawn as I was and it irritated me. "You need to tell me, Ben! I don't care either way, but I just need to know. Whatever it is you're feeling, we can work it out. Just... tell me!"

My heart was beating a million miles a minute as I tried to calm myself. I knew getting emotional wasn't going to help us do anything. I had to keep telling myself that it was the alcohol talking. Maybe now was not the time to be having this conversation with him, thinking about it. We'd both had some to drink. We'd both experienced something that made us both increasingly uncomfortable. At this point, we were really just digging a hole. I was digging our holes. He didn't even need a shovel. I did all the work for us. I pressed my lips together tightly, getting increasingly more flustered. I couldn't stand it anymore. I went to go storm off, but as soon as I got beside him, his hand clamped down on my wrist, demanding I stop and listen to what he had to say. I kept my sight off of him. I couldn't look. I couldn't see whatever emotions he was getting ready to express to me.

"I didn't want it to happen that way," he said softly, his voice sounding like a low purr. It was more of a tortured, agonized purr, but it was a purr that would stick with me. The way he said it was almost... intimate. It scared me, but excited me all at the same time. How was I supposed to take that?

I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes off of him. "That implies... that you-"

"That I wanted to." Our eyes met then and I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest and flop on the floor like a dying fish. I'd heard that right, right? His eyes held a sort of fire to them. I started to worry what those eyes would, and could, do to me. It was already irrational that I was having some form of feelings for this man that I hadn't known for too long, but now I was letting my mind run wild about him kissing me. This was... ridiculous.

"Oh," I breathed, mentally kicking myself immediately afterwards. If I'd been any less of a woman, I'd have flinched, too, but I managed to hold it together, but not by much.

He chuckled, releasing my wrist as he partially turned toward me. He tucked my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering just a hair longer than necessary on my cheek. I gave him an uneasy smile, unsure of where I was standing with him at the moment. "Oh?" he asked, a bit of amusement in his tone. My cheeks lit up quickly, knowing he was making fun of me now. Admittedly, it was stupid to say that. He didn't have to tease me though. Jerk. "Truth or dare?"

My eyes flicked up to him quickly, seeing playfulness in his eyes as he looked down at me with an emotion I couldn't quite place. "Truth," I whisper, unsure where my voice went.

His grin faltered, but he obliged. "How was it?"

I thought about it for a moment. It wasn't bad, but it was... "Quick."

He nodded, turning fully to me this time. He took a step toward me and I backed up. This little tete-a-tete led to me backing up against the counter where I first started. He loomed over me, staring down at me unyieldingly. That stare held me in place, making me wonder why he'd gotten so intense. "Truth or dare, Rey?"

His voice was like silk. I resisted a shudder though it was right there and about to break out at any given moment. "Dare," I whispered again. The heat coming off of his body was agonizing, intimate, foreign, but not unwanted. I didn't know where this was going, nor could I think of where it could lead. I didn't even think when the word tumbled out of my mouth. My eyes flicked to his lips, which were just far enough away that I relived our kiss over and over again, my mind modifying the memory to last longer.

His hands settled on the counter on either side of me, caging me in like in those cheesy romance movies I'd seen too many times before. I could finally see now, however, why women were so attracted to a man doing that to them. I felt safe. I felt wanted. I felt needed. Warm. Protected. I let my hands grip his shirt, finding that I needed something to steady myself as he continued to get closer to me. "I dare you... Rey... to let me have a do-over."

My head swam as the blood rushed to my face. What in the world was I supposed to say to that!? Who could resist such a request like that!? I was doomed... "O-ok," I choked out, my throat not wanting to cooperate with me.

Ben gave me a toothy grin as he glanced down at my lips then back at my eyes. "Now?" he asked softly. All I could do was give a small, but desperate nod. He chuckled and leaned closer. I felt his breath on my lips, my eyes shutting quickly. I felt his hand cup my cheek, his fingers wound in my hair at the nape of my neck. Then, his lips met mine and fireworks went off in my mind. Bright, spectacular fireworks. The kind that you didn't ever forget. The kind that couldn't ever be topped, no matter how many shows you'd go to afterwards. His grip tightened just a hair around my jaw, pulling me closer. I wrapped my arms loosely around his waist as I sank into the kiss, fully resigning to this memory overwriting the first one.

But it ended too soon. He pulled away from me, and my body instinctively followed. But I stopped when his forehead rested against mine. I opened my eyes and saw him staring at me with such an intensity that I thought I'd fall apart. How did he make it so easy to want to fall into him with just a look? His dark eyes stared deep into my green ones, a small smirk forming on his lips as his cheek caressed my cheek. It was as if every nerve ending in my body was on fire, a burning trail left behind after each stroke. "Truth or dare, Rey," he whispered.

I grinned up at him. "Truth."

His lips pulled up into a wider grin. "How was that?"

I let out a breathy laugh, nuzzling my forehead against his for a moment. "Intense."

"That's a word for it," he teased.

We stared at each other for a moment. "It was... what I'd hoped it would be."