Archive of Our Own

He heard it was here.

And he was determined to get it back, to honor his father by keeping it safe... He decided that he would do whatever it took in order to do just that; To remember Han.

And now, he found it almost funny, how he used to seethe at the mere sight of the broken, rusting ship... But now, all he wanted to do was protect it.

Sitting in the basement’s cell on the Kanjiklub’s ship, Ben Solo leaned his head back against the stoned wall, letting his senses rest as he thought of the events that led him here.

It’d only been a year since Execgol, since Palpatine was defeated and Rey was saved... The memory makes him smile; Their first kiss, and even his death.

How likely, he thought, with his new found Paradise, come death knocking on the door only a moment later.

Now, he only scoffs, a slight thrill at the fact that his force was too strong to be killed. It had grasped onto anything there, in that World-Between; Where the time and stars did not exist, though he did.

However, just as much as he knew his energy refused to give up, his existence now was credited to Rey, the Scavenger and bringer of light, ender of war and darkness.

For the second time, the corner of his mouth quirks with the start of a smile.

Looking at the bars of the cell, still sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, Ben let out the long breath he’d been unconsciously holding.

He hated to think of her now a days... The thought of her always brought a smile to his lips, but a deep ache in his heart, a feeling he’d never truly known until Rey.

The ache he felt with the passing of both his mother and father was a different type of heartbreak...And honestly, something he was still reeling from.

He knew he would be for a long time to come.

But it was different, dealing with the loss of them and the loss of her. He was missing half of himself... the other part of the dyad, his bondmate.

He always hated thinking of it... Of the events that happened after Execgol.

With a lustful growl of heat within his abdomen, he decided it was only half true...

There were good times...

It wasn’t all bad.

With the quiet and lonely atmosphere of the cell, Ben allowed himself to remember, to visit the past that both haunted him and gave him life.

They had shuffled near the ships for a while, eager to get away from the dark place Palpatine had homed himself, but even without the use of the force, both Rey and Ben could tell that the other was feeling apprehensive with that fact that they would soon be leaving one another.

But it had been decided, as they had walked and then jogged back to their ships, eventually hand in hand, this needed to be done... It was too dangerous to risk being together, especially when Rey needed to return to her friends, and Ben now labeled a traitor, no doubt.

Approaching her ship, Rey’s brows knitted together with worry as her heartbeat sped up, inhaling deeply while slowly turning to face Ben.

Her wide, curious eyes met his admiring gaze, scanning his features for any sign of pain or tiredness, still frightened that he’d disappear at any moment, again.

It was only a short amount of time since it had happened, with Ben lying there on the cold gravel, her eyes watching as his body drifting away into nothing.

She’d cried, hard. And she’d cursed and screamed at the force, begging for it to return him to her, to scold it for taking him away in the first place.

And then, out of thin air and just as easily as Ben had vanished, a force ghost appeared to her, taller than her own frame, sporting shoulder-length shaggy hair that reminded her of Ben’s own thick locks.

The thin scar over his brow and strikingly serious gaze startled her, and again, a tear-streaked Rey couldn’t help but think she was in the presence of Ben again... And her heart clenched with a quiet sob as she stood.

“Please...” Her voice broke.

The man’s eyes held a note of sorrow, but overall, he seemed at peace.

“Hello, Rey.” His voice said with a calming, quiet tone.

Rey blinked through the tears, biting her lip to keep from trembling.

“Who-… Who are you?” She timidly asked.

His mouth quirked with the smallest hint of a smile, and he answered. “My name is Anakin Skywalker... I believe you were close to several members of my family...”

Again, Rey blinked a few times, causing new tears to trail down her red cheeks as she sadly glanced down to where Ben was only moments ago. She bent down, grasping his black sweater, and held it close as she straightened.

“I...Ben, he...” She struggled to find the words, struggled to gain hold of her emotions as the force energy within her moved with a frenzy.

She’d been so close... She had it, her happiness within her hands, and just like that, in a snap of her fingers, he was gone...

How long had she waited? To look Ben Solo in the eye, and feel at home...Finally, at home...

“Can you...” Rey swallowed, hard, choking on her words and grief. “Can you bring him back?”

Anakin shuffled, glancing to the ground at the girl’s feet, and then back up to her red and tear streaked face.

He recalled, a long time ago, when his own wife looked at him with such anger and sadness.

“Rey... I can, and I will... I know now... I know how, that is. It took a long time to learn... But I can. You should know though, that his journey is not over. He’s been in the dark for such a long time... The boy, “ Anakin smiled, thinking of his grandson and how similar they were. “He’s determined, and he will succeed. But his journey will be one that he must make himself.”

Rey’s lips parted, filled with hope, with such desperation and impatience that she stepped forward to him, and waited.

“Please...” She breathed, clutching at Ben’s sweater.

Anakin gave a curt nod, and his brows furrowed as he stepped forward, his eyes on the ground as he thought silently, his body easing the tension in the air away from them both, his force taking control as he steadied.

He was going to start his process, just as he had practiced; Conjuring a memory of Padme’s face with her beautiful features and heartwarming smile, and a steady rhythm within the force that he had struggled to find for so long.

But even as his eyes remained opened, he felt it there, that string of hope he needed to latch onto, so close, yet so far.

Before he reached though, he stopped his movements, and paused the energy flowing through him.

“There is good in him... I’m glad you can see that... I’m glad you can see past the bad.” Anakin straightens, and smiles to himself. “My wife held the same hope and determination, for me to be good... I’m glad my grandson was able to show you that side of him, before it was too late.”

With that, Anakin turned to give a reassuring smile to Rey, who looked at him in disbelief as he conjured a bright, white light and nearly blinded her, but through it, she stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm.

“Thank you.” She breathed, and before the world went black, she saw him grin.

( X )

The first thing he had seen when he opened his eyes in his new life, was Rey’s face full of nothing but shock and admiration; Two things he’d never been the recipient of in such a loving way.

He stood now, dressed in the clothes he’d been in before his body had wisped into the energy of the force, held in the World Between Worlds where time stood still and the stars gleamed brighter.

Even in that world, his thoughts consisted of nothing but Rey.

He stood there, on a hill surrounded by water and green, the air crisp and clean as he waited... And waited, and waited...

It wasn’t long though, before a man appeared in his mind, tugging him along before he formed into a living person before him, guiding Ben back to Rey.

During his journey, he’d learned who the man was; His grandfather, the man he had aspired to be for most of his life.

In the smallest glance, every question and every plea had been answered, and Ben felt as if Anakin had been there all along; Guiding him, testing him, answering him, teaching him.

The feeling of being surrounded by his grandfather’s presence filled every gap within Ben's own force, and he was almost overcome with shame at the dark thoughts he had growing up, having cursed every star in the galaxy for his role model never being there...

But he was wrong... He was so, very wrong.

The two men exchanged no words until the end, when Anakin guided him to Rey, back on Execgol.

Before they parted, Anakin turned to Ben and moved his hand to Ben’s cheek, in such a strikingly similar way that Han did.

His hand drifted to Ben’s neck and gave a stern squeeze.

“We are with you, Ben, always.” His grandfather said with a small, knowing smile. “Now live.”

( X )

Her chest heaved with a mix of a gasp and sob, his own body shook with shock, his flesh breaking out in goosebumps as he adjusted to the cold air.

He was alive, and it felt as if it were for the first time.

Blinking a few times, Ben’s gaze settled on Rey for the quickest moment before she ran to him, and enveloped his large frame within her arms.

He stood frozen for a moment, second guessing his movements, caught off guard at the sudden affection, but eventually, his arms gathered her up and held her close, and he feared that he would be holding her too tight, but she made no refusal. Instead, Rey held him just as tight.

( X )

His mind spoke to hers, his voice too small and weak to speak out.

‘We should go...’ he soothed her mind as his warm hand trailed from the back of her shoulder and slowly landed at her hip.

Rey inhaled his scent before she lifted her head from his chest, basking in the fact that he was here again, that he was hers, and finally, she belonged to someone, too.

Her lashes flattered shyly as her gaze dropped to the floor, and up to meet his.

They were both still standing there, in the dark caves of Execgol, stained with blood, dirt, and tears.

Her head was throbbing, and she was sure her ribs were bruised just as much as her body felt. But even through the pain, she didn’t want to be anywhere else but at Ben Solo’s side.

It was so exhilarating....

To be free in such an intense way, after years and years of loneliness and lack of affection in her life on Jakku.

No one else had ever made her feel such a way, no one but him.

Even in his life as Kylo Ren, he challenged her, and pushed her to be better, even better than himself. For a long time, she tried to convince herself that he was only after her power, and her strength within the force... But it was a lie.

Funny, she thought, how she could never lie to him but could so easily lie to herself.

Their bond was greater than that, greater than the lies she told herself at night, greater than the nightmares that haunted him while he slept, greater than the enemies of the galaxy’s past.

It spoke volumes, the lengths that both Rey and Ben were willing to go through to reach one another, and to ensure the other’s safety even during the times when they had fought each other.

It was real.

It was raw.

And it was always true...

She loved him, even as the ghost in her mind, and even as the enemy amongst the stars; She loved him with all she had, and she could admit even while standing here before him, that she had been so angry with him for so long; Partly because he had denied her and the vision she had seen for herself, of them together and living happily as they explored the lands of green and orange.

And the other part, the darker side, rang deeper; She had refused his offer... And though she loved him, and had known if for so long, she could never commit to helping him hurt her friends in the Resistance, and she knew deep down that he was stronger than that – That he had the power and strength to overcome that negative outlook on life, that he was brave and courageous to ever succumb to following in Snoke, Palpatine, or Darth Vader’s footsteps.

She always believed in Ben...

And now, it was his turn to do the same.

Smiling to herself, Rey steadied her stance as she straightened and willed the oncoming tears away as his arms slowly let her go, letting him lead the way out.

( X )

“It’ll be okay.”

Ben hadn’t realized he was chewing on the inside of his cheek out of anxiousness at the knowledge of departing from Rey so soon.

But her voice alone banished his nerves away, and her calm energy washed over him, seeing that he was still recovering from-

The memory makes her clear her throat, and a sharp pin stabs at her heart...

...Still recovering from his death... And resurrection.

She repeats her words again, this time for her own sake.

“It’ll be okay...” She sighed, and turned to face him, meeting the gaze that studied her features so intensely... The look alone made her body warm, and her abdomen tighten.

When had a man ever looked at her in such a way?

The realization that it had never happened, made her cheeks redden.

“Rey...” He spoke softly, her name coming to his tongue so naturally now.

“I have to return to the base... I just need to make sure everyone is okay...It isn’t safe for you, not right now...”

“I'm sure it won’t ever be.” He stated, and Rey knew it was true, but refused to admit it.

Instead, Rey bit her lip and dropped her gaze, though she noticed his own eyes watched the movement at her mouth before she looked away.

“I can meet you though... You’ll be safe on Ahch-To, I’ll meet you there, when I can get away.” Rey looked up to his face again, meeting his eyes with such a serious and innocent look that captured his attention every single time.

He admired her in such a way that both thrilled and scared him.

She was a fierce being, curious and ferocious in every single way, brave and new at everything, but so sure of herself when it came to something she wanted.

The fact makes him smile again, a motion he hadn’t done in years, but in a single day, he’d done twice in the presence of this woman.

The sight catches her off guard, and her own smile slowly blooms in awe.

( X )

They met only three weeks later, there on Ahch-To, in the middle of grey, green and white, surrounded by the energy of the force that gently pushed them together, and just as gently, the waves of the sea roared.

( X )

Back in his cell, Ben tapped a finger against his leg, inhaling the musky stench of the rusted bars.

Their past was so bittersweet, he decided.

But he knew, even with where they ended up, that he would do it all again in a heartbeat.

( X )

The first time they had seen each other after departing one another on Execgol, they had stood a foot apart, taking in the sight of seeing the other in the flesh, so vivid and real versus their force bond, which stuck around and seemed to be more intense than ever before.

Slowly, she grinned, and he grinned back.

The following day, they shared their next kiss in front of the fire that warmed them, beneath the gleaming stars and pale moonlight.

She’d been sharing her side of the story, when Anakin appeared to her, and brought Ben back. Tears welled in her eyes, and threatened to spill as she struggled to blink them away. When she met his eyes again, she inhaled sharply, and softly admitted to the dark energy that clawed at her insides, at the thought of the force taking him away so abruptly.

Silently, he also admitted to her mind that he too, was scared of never sharing another moment with her, and that he was both unbelieving and undeserving to belong to her, to have any piece of her all to himself.

And she saw then, just how much shame and regret he carried around, that he truly believed himself undeserving of the happy moments they had shared.

It shocked her how heavy she felt his pain, and how far it had crept into the corners of his being.

Without hesitation, she reached her hand to his, her heart aching when she felt him jump at the contact, but overwhelmed when he still committed to holding hers just as she held his.

His grip was gentle, but tight, just like when he had held her before their first kiss. The memory comes to her in a rush, a ticklish thrill creeping up her spine as she glanced from his eyes and down to his pink mouth.

Ben did the same, her thoughts loud, clear, and unshielded, allowing him to catch a glimpse of her intention, sharing in the same thrill that she had.

She remembered, and so did he.

She moved, and so did he.

Rey let the blanket fall from her shoulders as she moved to him, standing up on shaky legs. She hovered over him now, placing a warm, soft hand against his cheek, stopping there as she eyed his mouth, and then met his eyes, as if she were asking for permission, and checking if she was doing this correctly.

Trying to steady his racing heart, Ben struggled to hold his breath in anticipation as he looked up at her, waiting, hoping, letting her take the lead again.

Her hand on his cheek warmed him, and his skin seemed to pulsate at the contact, the first time he’d felt such a thing. The only other contact he’d received from others, from his master, was abuse, a situation extremely opposite to what he experienced now.

Sensing the thought he had, Rey’s brows furrowed, a flash of anger In her eyes before she blinked it all away, heated with the thought of others touching him in such an awful manner.

Rey’s thumb brushed over his bottom lip as they watched each other, Ben’s hand moving to softly rest at her hip, with a gentle urge to suggest that she step closer, to which she complied, her eyes growing wider.

His own eyes scanned her face, similar to how he did in the elevator before Crait.

She was breathtaking, and in all of her raw beauty, he was fully captivated.

“Ben...” She whispered to him, and his body answered by moving closer, still sitting on the stone bench as the fire before them burned on.

His arms encircled her, pulling her and causing her to stumble into him. She stood awkwardly between his legs, both hands catching herself on his broad shoulders.

He didn’t wait another moment before capturing her lips with his, and Rey couldn’t help but notice this kiss was much different than their first; Hot and eager, though it was never one sided, even when she felt the tip of his tongue brush against her bottom lip, she gasped and allowed it, meeting his tongue tentatively with her own.

Beneath the stars and across the fire, their inexperienced touches and kisses soothed the wounds and bruises of everything they’ve gone through, together and apart, healing their childhoods and becoming one – A single being in a world they’d thought there were both doomed to live in alone for the rest of their days.

Her gasps and moans filled the air around them, accompanying the crackling fire and in turn, pleasuring Ben’s own desire with the feeling of her body along his.

It was a long night, but it was burned into his memory; Nothing but Rey... All of Rey.

A gift he was positive he had no right to.

( X )

Shaking his head, Ben let out a long-held breath as he softly hit his head back against the wall of his cell, unbelieving that it had been a year now, since that had happened, since they’d given themselves to one another in such an intimate way.

They were connected, even more so than before after sharing that part of themselves, their force bond rooted beneath the force and housed deep within their minds and souls.

So long ago, he thought, they’d sworn to never leave the other’s side, to be there through thick and thin, to never let anything greater than the force come between them...

But he did.

He let his thoughts and past bubble to the surface, and spill, and spill and spill...

He knew, even back then as they grew closer, that he never deserved her love or her warmth... That after every terrible deed he’d committed, that he should never be one to live with something that made him happy.

The guilt tore at him, burned him and scarred him deep and further than the bones within him.

Eventually, he had to get away, to answer for the crimes he’d committed and bring some type of good to the galaxy.

People talked and gossiped that the long-lost son of Leia Organa was alive again, but he made sure to never stay in one place for too long, to make sure he’d never get captured but continue doing what he could to better the planets and stars around him.

He was a living ghost, a shadow that watched from a far, and that’s how he lived.

It was about a year now, since he’d been brought back to life, since he lived a truly delicious and beautiful dream with Rey, since he let his past become the start of something good, for Rey and for all the people he’d brought pain to...

To Ben, that’s the least he could do for them.

And for his father...

Ben aimed to do good in the eyes of his father now, trying to be a good person and make better decisions, to carry on the Solo name in the best way he knew how; By tracking down the Falcon, and keeping it in his possession.

He’d been in a small bunker of a bar on Naboo, preparing to meet an arms dealer for the First Order remnants in order to capture the dealer and deliver him to Maz Kanata, an old friend of his parents and a person Ben had come to trust with keeping his whereabouts a secret.

He’d gone to her when he left Rey, in pursuit of a ship that could disguise him but something he could still rely on to get him out of bad situations. Upon meeting with Maz, she beckoned him to bend to her level, which was a bit hard and awkward with how tall he was, but when he accomplished the movement, she gave him a very hard, stinging smack to the side of his face.

It was expected, sure, but he wasn’t prepared for the strength behind it to come from her small being.

He had cleared his throat and moved to stand, sure that she would call for her own guards to take him prisoner, but again, she surprised him.

“Ben Solo, you have much to answer for... But I am glad, and honored, to welcome you home.”

He had looked at her in disbelief, his own brows knitting together as if to ask if she was sane, to which she only smiled.

The memory in turn, brings a small smile to his face as he sits in the prisoner cell, recalling his journey on Naboo again.

It was inside that bar, before the meeting with the arms dealer, when he’d heard drunken gossip between two men, going on about how Kanjiklub was alive again, thanks to the son of Tasu Leech, the leader that had suffered a gruesome death aboard Han Solo’s ship.

Tasu’s son, Naum, had gathered the remining members of Kanjiklub and made it known across the stars that he’d bring chaos and terror to those that stood in his way as he looked for Ben Solo, if the rumors were true that he was alive, that is.

In the bar, Ben listened even more intently as the men went on, stating that Naum had successfully captured the Millennium Falcon from “that Jedi girl”.

Ben had no doubt that they had been referring to Rey, and the knowledge of this made him freeze, wondering if she were okay, and how she’d let them take the ship to begin with.

He was sure she was safe... If she weren’t, he’d feel it, he was positive.

Though they hadn’t appeared to one another through the force bond for a long while, their connection to each other’s force signature was still alive more than ever.

Standing abruptly from his seat, Ben walked out of the bar and took off in his own ship, going straight to the spot he knew he’d find Naum and his gang.

Though he didn’t have much of a plan, he allowed himself to be captured, and took a moment to feel around in the force to see how many people he had to deal with on their ship, in order to get to the Falcon, which he noticed was sitting on their on-board docking bay.

It wouldn’t be difficult, he knew, to get the damn ship back and into his rightful possession-

Just then, he heard several voices going back and forth at the top of the stairs that lead to the prisoner’s cells. They sounded eager and frustrated with one another, talking in rushed, heated attempts at whispers.

“I told you this would happen!” One man said, followed by a lot of shuffling. Ben turned to watch what he could, the bars blocking his view.

“It’s all Naum’s fault! He told everyone we had this kriffing ship here, and now look! All these pathetic Jedi’s show up!”

The men grew quiet for a moment, until one of them spoke up again, this time whispering to the other, though the cold, empty room carried their voices enough for Ben to hear.

“If they are Jedi’s, why don’t they…”

Ben didn’t need to see to know that the man gestured to his own temple, suggesting mind tricks with the force.

The motion made him scoff quietly, knowing that it was true; He could very easily escape the cell, and the ship for that matter. He was trained to use the force well enough for it, but he was trying to keep a low profile from the rest of the galaxy and wanted to test his surroundings first before making the jump to take the Falcon.

“Oi! Move!” A third man appeared, shoving another person down the steps in front of him. The other two men followed hastily.

“I swear to the stars, you little pirate, that if I hear you are causing trouble, I will come right back down here and strangle you myself!”

The man threatened the other person, their back to Ben’s view… But he knew, almost instantly, he could feel who it was…

“Sure, as if you’d get that far!”

Her voice rang in, pounding itself into Ben’s mind, making him stand up instantly in answer. His eyes never left her, admiring and taking in everything about her.

Her hair was longer, and she wore half of it up in a small bun. Her outfit consisted of white, grey and hints of black, her arms still in wraps though her midriff showed beneath the layers.

Ben tried his best to swallow, though his tongue felt stuck and saliva began to pool until he forced a gulp.

He continued watching as they shoved her into his cell, stabbing at her with a sharp electric prod, which she winced at and rubbed at her arm.

She hadn’t seen him though, standing there against the wall as he watched, heart racing and blood heating.

Before the men closed the cell, she quickly turned and raised an open palm, but caught herself feeling as though she were being watched, and proceeded to close her palm while biting her lip, keeping the slew of curses to herself as they laughed and left the cellar, closing the door behind them.

She groaned and with tension filling her, she slowly turned around, meeting Ben’s eyes for the first time in months.

Rey’s pink lips parted with a silent gasp, taken back that he stood here in the flesh, and together they stared at one another, not speaking for a few moments, until she did.

“Why… Why are you here?” She demanded, as if his presence had ruined her plans.

Unbothered, he gave a lazy shrug and raised his chin in the air. “I have important business that needed to be taken care of…”

She stared at him for a moment with a stubborn look, until her features changed, and he realized that she was struggling not to laugh, right before he felt her take the answer from his mind.

“You’re here for the Falcon? So am I…” She inhaled deeply and glanced to the floor, letting her eyes roam over him as she looked back up to meet his eyes. “Why?”

He clenched his jaw at her, wishing so badly to talk about anything else.

Leave it to the force to set them up this way, he thought.

Rey eyed him, narrowing her eyes the more he stayed silent, until he finally surrendered with a sigh and shake of his head, raking a heavy hand through his hair.

“It’s...complicated.” Ben muttered, his agitation growing just as his cheeks began to burn.

“Mhmm...” Rey hummed. “The son of a gang leader has put a price on your head because of his father and Han, and you waltz in here expecting to simply...take the Falcon?”

This time, Rey was the one that scoffed, not waiting for his reply. “Unbelievable.”

At this, Ben rolled his eyes. “No, sweetheart. Far from it.”

The loving pet name makes Rey’s teasing smile quirk for the quickest moment, and silence settles around them as they both remember how he’d called her that so often before.

After a while, Rey gulps down an odd feeling of sadness that was beginning to be overwhelming with being so close to Ben.

“Well...” She begins to pace slowly. “I guess it won’t help at all, if we fought over it...”

‘I miss you.’ she wants to say, but quickly throws the thought from her mind as she glances back to him. He’s standing there, studying her and she can visibly see the tension in his tall body, and it causes her to fully smile.

She glances from his captivating, handsome eyes, to his black hair that seems to have gotten longer and shaggier, and she wonders for a moment if he ever puts it up. His jaw is still sharp and perfect, and looks as though he’d recently shaved.

Eventually, her eyes cast down over him, noticing that garb he wore, so different than his previous Supreme Leader clothes; Black pants and black boots, but he had a brown, torn, leather jacket draped over a loose black shirt, with two empty holsters at his hips.

He looked so...

She struggled to find the word...

‘Normal’, came to mind, but so did ‘confident’.

Clearing her throat, she quickly moved to glance back to his face, seeing that his brow was raised under her study.

Feeling out of place, she bit at the inside of her cheek. “You look.... good.” Rey settled on, trying hard to resist the blush that came to her cheeks.

The quick clench of his jaw and the way his brows momentarily shot up told her that he was still not accustomated to receiving compliments, and after he gulped, he gave a curt nod with a small “Thank you… You look… Great.” He struggled.

Other compliments came to his mind, ones he knew that would deepen the blush along her cheeks, and with a slow glance down to her collarbone, he knew the blush would trail down, reddening her neck and ears, and eventually her chest-

His eyes shot to hers, and they shared a long moment of awkward desire, to scared to voice any true emotions or need, too angry to say any of their troubles and questions they had for one another.

For Rey, she truly never thought she’d see him again, especially so close.

Rey tried not to remember the last time they’d seen one another in the flesh, knowing that the hurt and pain would return in an instant.

After everything they’d experienced together, heartbreak was among it. He had said that he needed time to correct his past, if that was ever possible for him, and she knew it were true, from the words Anakin Skywalker had told her, she knew she couldn’t hold him back, no matter how much it had hurt…

She understood, in a sense...

And she hated to admit, but she had begged him to let her come along, to let her be at his side through it all...

But he needed to do this for himself, to forgive himself for everything he’d done and begin his own life as Ben Solo.

She hated it... But she let him go.

Clearing her throat, Rey straightened herself and refused to re-live the memory.

“I um, I heard he had the Falcon... So...” She muttered awkwardly, wringing her hands in hopes of ridding some of the tension.

Ben nodded, never taking his soft gaze off of her. “So did I... How’d you lose it anyway?”

This time, Rey was the one to roll her eyes as she crossed her arms in immediate annoyance, which Ben bit his lip in response to, in order to hide the smile that began to appear.

“I didn’t lose it... I just... I was exploring, on Pasaana. By the time I’d returned, they had already captured it along with my droids, and stranded Chewie and me.”

At the name of the wookie, Ben gave an empty chuckle. “I’m sure the wookie was thrilled...” he mused, making quick work to cover up the hurt he felt at he father’s best friend’s name.

“Well...” Rey answered, smiling a wide, bright smile as she recalled the scolding she’d received from him.

In response to her grin, he smiled sheepishly, feeling everything return to him; His love for her, the infatuation, the respect and hope that lingered between them.

The force seemed to sing in response, opening their minds and bond, and as it always had, it made Rey gasp and Ben’s skin tingle.

“Rey...” Ben began, and on instinct, he took a step forward, to which she took a step back.

“Don’t. Please.” She breathed, uncrossing her arms and balling her fists at her sides out of frustration at the fact that she felt herself wanting to cry, wanting to run away from this.

When she allowed herself to be captured by Naum and his goons, she had sensed Ben’s force signature around, but as she had trained herself to, she pushed away the bond and whatever thought she had of him, out of fear that she’d open herself up to him again.

“I can’t... I just...”

“I know. I know, Rey... I’m sorry for ever hurting you... It-…. It was never my intention, you must know that.” Ben answered with a racing heart, desperate for her to understand; It had all been for her.

Her body shuddered, and he heard her sniffle away the tears, just as his heart clenched. He had never felt so human... So vulnerable, around any other person before. It was only ever Rey, that brought him back to his roots, and with the help of his father, he was cemented there as Ben Solo, a name he’d now grown to be proud of.

If only he felt as though that were enough.

Silence sat between them again, and his head hung low as he searched for the words.

“Rey... I really never meant to hurt you. You are just so strong and courageous with everything you do, it’s in your blood to do and be good... I had to learn how to be that again, if I ever was to begin-...I just-… I just wanted to be something you’d be proud of, too...”

Ben’s voice drifted quietly, but she still heard every word.

She was already nodding, knowing it all too well. “I know, I know, Ben… Do you remember that night on Ahch-To? When I told you what had happened during…”

Ben blinked slowly, recalling the night by the fire, and softly nodded. “Yes, I remember…”

Rey sighed. “Your grandfather, before he brought you back…he told me that you’d have to go on this journey, back to the light I can only assume… He said it was a journey you’d have to make yourself… I don’t know, the more I think of it, the more I believe that it was warning, maybe to help prepare me.”

Her gaze was on the floor, but it didn’t stop him from watching her face.

“You closed yourself off from the bond…” He said, as softly as he could. He didn’t mean to accuse her, it was simply a fact. Though in the force, their bond raged on, allowing one another to feel their life force, beckoning and calling out to answer the call, but it always went unanswered.

“I did,” Rey’s eyes moved up to meet his again, sorrow filling them. “I thought it would make it easier for the both of us.”

They watched one another again, the pair frozen in their place, fighting the desire to move forward to their other half.

Unable to stand it any longer, Rey turned to face the cell’s door, facing an open palm to the lock and quickly crushing it with the force. As much as she sarcastically wished she could credit the Kanjiklubs new leader, she just couldn’t. They were not a smart group, but she expected this.

“Rey…”

She paused at Ben’s call, refusing to turn.

Before she could move out of his grasp, he quickly stepped forward and held her arm, turning her softly but with urgency. Backing her up against the bars of the cell, his chest heaved with heavy breaths, her own breathing quickening as she instinctively moved her hands to his abdomen to push him away, though she didn’t.

They stood there, closer than before, as Ben held her in place.

“I’m sorry.” He breathed.

But there was something different about his tone of voice, something deep and sorrowful, and Rey knew that he wasn’t apologizing for grabbing her, but instead for their past and how it had ended.

She shook her head slowly, the tears already forming.

“I’m sorry.” He said again, because he was, and he wouldn’t stop saying it. “I love you… Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you.” This time, he glanced to the floor as a shaky breath escaped, feeling overcome with emotion as he spoke.

“I’m sorry for hurting you. But I’m thankful for what we had… I’m thankful for you. You believed in me, you saved me, and I just… I needed to make things right, and I needed to be someone that deserved you, Rey-“

Before he had the chance to finish, she was on the tips of her toes with tears spilling down her cheeks, pressing a hard kiss to his lips.

Ben didn’t waste a moment, his arms quickly encircling her and holding her tight against him as he crushed his lips to hers, basking in the sensation and warmth of her mouth on his.

Rey’s hands moved to his hair, gripping tightly as he lifted her feet from the floor with the way he held her.

Finally, she broke away to take a deep breath, their faces only an inch away.

“Ben, you were always enough… Always.” Rey said, meaning every word. One of her hands released the grip on his hair, and moved to touch his cheek softly, a sign that always voiced affection with Rey and Ben more than anything else.

He gave her a small smile, and she returned it, both with tears in their eyes as they held each other close. Ben slowly let her down, her feet touching the ground, but refused to fully release her.

Sniffling and regaining her composure, Rey tried to give a stronger smile. “Will you-… Where will you go?”

Ben licked at his lips, tasting her there still. With a sigh, he looked for the words. “Wherever you go… If you’ll allow it…”

“Ben…” Rey started, but he cut her off.

“My days are filled with thoughts of you, no matter where I am…” He chuckled, and Rey realized just how much she had missed the sound. “I sat here, thinking of you for the longest time… Maz said it was a sign.”

At the name, Rey’s brows furrowed as she looked at him. “Maz? She never mentioned-“

“I asked her not to… I had a lot to do, Rey. I’ve been trying to put a final end to everything that was the First Order, and everything that had to do with Kylo Ren.”

Rey swallowed, trailing a fingertip along the zipper of his jacket, memorizing every jagged edge. “And... How’s that going?”

Ben’s own hand moved from the small of her back, and took hold of a strand of her hair, twirling it between his thumb and index finger.

“It’s going... With Maz’s help, we’ve captured nearly sixty First Order officers and arms dealers.” Scanning her face, Ben gulped before he went on, his voice lower than before. “And I’ve been able to restore a water system for Jakku... And we’re working on ending slavery there... Unkar Plutt is... Well he isn’t around anymore.”

Rey’s head whips up towards him, and her eyes are wide with shock as her heart pounds away, blooming with such disbelief that forces her love for this man to secretly grow.

How had she not seen it? She wondered of her home planet, and how much he’d done in honor of her... Rey thinks of the children and elders she’d grown up with, and how free they must feel, finally able to bathe with clean water, to drink a cold glass of it while the heat baked away.

Again, her heart soars.

“Ben...”

“It’s the only way.” He answers before she has the chance to say anything else. “It’s the only way that I knew, to get you to see...”

Her brow quirks gently, confused, but still in awe.

Gazing into one another’s eyes, Ben speaks, and he himself can’t believe that he’s going on about his feelings for her, in the middle of a prisoner’s cell... But everything was always so raw with them, that it almost felt right.

“Rey, I love you. I’ve loved you for as long as I could remember, even when in the darkness before I had ever truly met you, you were still my light in the force... I’ve never stopped loving you... I’ve never sto-”

Again, she leans up and captures his lips with her own, tasting him and claiming him, never wanting to let go again.

Those words made her swoon, they made her feel free and alive; A feeling she hadn’t known for quite some time now, but leave it to Ben Solo to make her feel such a way within a heartbeat.

Against his lips, Rey spoke the words back. “I love you, Ben. I always have. Always.”

Together, they sighed a breath of relief that seemed to translate just how tense they both were, but now, relieved. Their bond soothed them and caressed them, singing songs of praise now that they were together again.

Rey smiled at the feeling, and so did Ben.

Breaking away for a moment at the sound of the door being opened, Rey was reminded of the cell being opened, and lock broken. Glancing to the entrance, and back to Ben, they shared a look of understanding and determination.

“Meet you at the Falcon?” She asked with red cheeks and pink lips, sighing.

Ben gave a toothy grin, feeling like he was caught in a day dream still while in her presence.

“Race you there.”

( X )

They decided not to hurt anyone that did not make a move to hurt them first, giving them the chance to make a better choice than to cross them.

It was just like old times in Snoke’s throne room, and in Palpatine’s cave; They moved in sync, using the force to find their way around and channeled it to work alongside them when the time came to defeat a challenger, including Naum Leech.

There were a few scrapes and bruises, but in the end, they were safe.

And in the end, they were together.

( X )

Approaching the Falcon, Rey couldn’t help the giddy feeling that began to rise within her the closer they came, gripping Ben’s hand. She hadn’t even thought of how he’d be feeling to return to this ship, that is, until his footsteps slowed until he stood frozen in place, feet away from his father’s ship.

Ben stood there, staring up at it in admiration, and a velvet sheet of regret loomed over him as he took the Falcon in for the first time in the past two years.

Rey glanced to him, and reaffirmed her grip on his hand in hopes of giving the reassurance she sensed he needed.

“He’d be proud, Ben.”

His gaze slowly met hers, and she was shocked at how scared he seemed in the moment, unable to recall a time he had seemed to be in such a state.

Brushing her thumb over the back of his hand, she tugged him forward, and kept leading him until it was done, until Ben Solo was back home aboard the Millennium Falcon.

( X )

The Falcon was set to auto-pilot as they drifted amongst the stars. Rey gave Ben some time to wind down and re-familiarize himself with the ship as she busied herself with small tasks, ensuring that everything was just as she left it.

Turning the corner, Rey jumped with a start as BB-8 and Dio popped out from the floor panels with a loud ‘clash’.

“Goodness! Was that necessary!” Rey shouted as they rolled to her, though Dio still gave a comfortable distance.

BB-8, however, whirled with happiness at her return, quickly telling her of all the awful things they’d seen. Rey knelt to the ground and gave him a pat on the head, fixing his antenna as she smiled after a moment.

“Yes, yes. I’m sure you were both very brave.” she mused.

“Danger! Danger! Large tree, very large tree.” Dio shouted in an anxious hurry, just as Ben appeared behind Rey.

BB-8's head turned to the side, eyeing him with a small beep of surprise that turned into intrigue.

Rey smiled, standing up and glanced to Ben.

“Ben, this is BB-8, and that one over there is Dio!” She gleamed, then motioned to BB-8. “He’s too curious for his own good, and Dio is much too skittish to get to know.”

With a smirk, Ben replied. “Sure you’re not describing yourself?”

Rey rolled her eyes and walked over to the kitchenette, eager for something to eat and felt Ben slowly following behind her.

Both droids stayed put, watching Ben intently, which he was extremely aware of.

Glancing to the bots, Ben raised a brow as he muttered to Rey. “I don’t think they like me very much...”

Rey smiled at this, turning around to face him as she jumped up to sit on the counter, giving up on the hunt to find food for the moment.

“Just don’t step on them and you’ll be fine.”

Ben huffed, and turned his attention to her, taking in the sight of her bare abdomen with her new outfit. His face flushed at the want to see more, remembering how soft she was in the parts that were hidden, and then recalling how his own mouth had trailed across the parts of her that were exposed now.

Rey’s brow raised, and she gave him a small push from her mind to his, making his gaze shoot up to meet hers, caught in the act of admiring her body.

Right when Ben was about to look away, she used the force to move him forward, and he easily complied, placing a hand on both sides of her, gripping the counter as he lowered his eyes to meet hers head-on.

Her hand cupped his cheek, and she moved forward to slowly kiss him, taking her time to playfully torture him some more. Catching on to this, Ben groaned, moving a hand to the small of her back and pushed her to him, forcing her thighs to widen enough to move around his own waist.

Just as her lips were going to meet his, he moved his head to the side and planted a hot kiss to her neck, causing her eyes to close while she let a gasp escape directly into his ear.

The sound, in such a delicious state, made an animalistic urge leap into the pit of his abdomen, warming him and exciting him all the same. Through the bond, they shared in this feeling and together, they remembered how intense their first time was.

Eager to re-live it, Rey’s hands went to push his jacket off of his shoulders, which Ben easily assisted with, followed by his shirt.

Trailing kisses along her neck and up to her earlobe, Ben let his other hand wander to the part of her outfit that exposed her stomach, planting his palm against her and brushing a thumb along her ribs.

Her fingers immediately dove into his hair, giving tugs here and there as pleasure and desire both bloomed within her. She was beginning to feel drunk on this feeling of being with him, of being touched by him.

Wanting him to feel the same, Rey straightened and pulled away from his mouth, and planted a long, warm kiss to his lips before trailing her mouth along his jawline.

The motion caught him off guard, but he was curious, and intrigued as she did it, and by the way his breathing grew rough and long, she knew the anticipation was both satisfying and killing him.

At his neck now, she let her tongue peek out to taste Ben, to kiss him softly before her mind presented the idea of biting him there, and carefully, she obeyed with a gentle nip.

At the feeling, his body gave a small jolt that he was unable to hide, and Rey darkly chuckled as she did it again, letting her hands roam across his bare chest.

He sighed, relaxed as the excitement grew, still, after everything, in disbelief that they were here, sharing this moment together, and unbelieving in the fact that Rey was still at his side, and he was sure, always would be.

“Yes, Ben. Always.” She said with a dream-like tone while she listened to his thoughts, something she once would have scolded him for doing, but now took pleasure in at a time like this.

Rey’s eyes were still closed as she moved away from his neck and returned to his lips, and with a smile, Ben closed his eyes with her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against his body, lifting her up and off of the counter as he carried her to their room.

As the pair left in bliss, pieces of clothing began a trail to their room, where Rey, in her own way, properly welcomed Ben home.

( X )

…

“What was that?” Dio asked, watching as the door closed behind Rey and the tree.

BB-8 gave a confused beep and whirl, zooming over to where Rey’s clothing lay. Unfolding a tool, the droid picked up her breast band and examined it, wondering if the girl was okay.

With a disapproving hum, Dio rolled away as he answered his own question.

“Owner malfunction, owner malfunction.”