Groaning Ben sat up and stretched, muscles tight from a night spent on the cramped couch. Twisting his back tensed before letting go with a crack releasing a wave of relief. Despite its size the couch had given him one of the best nights sleep he had ever had. The First Order was not known for keeping those amongst their ranks particularly comfortable.

Still better than hanging off a bed.

Getting to his feet he glanced over at Rey's sleeping form. Her hair, normally pulled back, was going in ten different directions. One arm wrapped tightly around a pillow the other under her head, while her legs were splayed in different directions. A grin crept onto his face. Shaking his head he turned his attention to his own hair. The now dark brown mop had developed overnight and was definitely pointing in at least eight different directions some of which he was sure defied the laws of gravity. Mildly annoyed he quietly rummaged through the different draws and found a brush.

Thank the maker.

Ben brushed his hair expertly into a frazzle-less, more appropriate and orderly state before slipping his shirt and vest back on. Walking over to the door he stared at it and was about to open it when Rey sat up. His shoulders tensed, heat rose to his cheeks, surely if he told her what had happened that night she would not believe him...would she?

"Ben?" She asked with a yawn, hair cascading to her shoulders in a ruffled mess. "What are you-"

"Leaving." He said abruptly, too abrupt he realized. "To get...breakfast. Yeah..." Cringing at his own awkwardness he pressed the button, slipping out into the hallway when it opened.

Stupid. Breakfast. Kriffing. Kill me now.

The urge to punch, blast, rip apart something anything surged through him. Heat radiating down to his clenched fists. It was all Lando's fault, he should have known better. How many times had his father told him wild tales about Lando Calrissian's antics and escapades. Unfortunately, killing was not an option at the moment. Something to hit then, preferably his uncle.

"Wasn't that Rey's room?"

Great. This is just perfect.

Stopping abruptly Ben turned his head to the side and stared, angrily, at Poe Dameron. He had impeccable timing it seemed as he just happened to be leaving his quarters as Ben was walking past. Clenching his jaw, Ben thought about saying something like "our room" or "two people can share a bed" the pilot did not need to know the details.

And then, before he could speak, Rey came up behind him with the blaster Lando had given him the night before.

"Ben! I don't know why you're running off but you forgot this on the table."

Forcing his shoulders to relax he turned and faced the little resistance hero who was still in her sleep attire and took the blaster and holstered it. "I...thanks."

Kriff.

Poe raised an incredulous eyebrow at Ben as Rey casually walked back to her room. "Did you two?"

"No."

"But then why-"

"You are dangerously close to being punched, Dameron."

Raising his hands Poe simply shook his head and turned down the hallway past the irritated Solo. Fists still clenched tight Ben continued down the hall, his right fist had an appointment with Calrissian's face.

——><—— ——><—— ——><——

The day passed agonizingly slow with Calrissian nowhere to be found, much to Ben's dismay. Poe, Zay, and the ever disgruntled Duros had left that afternoon to meet up with the rest of the Resistance on one of Lando's ships. Finn and Rose had left long ago to figure out a way into the First Order, Finn had some ridiculous notion of turning Stormtroopers to their cause. He wasn't wrong for thinking that some would want to desert the Order but fear kept all of them in line, not to mention the meager few that made up the Resistance offered little hope. Without hope their cause was dead.

That left him and Rey with Lando and Kaasha for dinner. Maybe this way he had a chance to punch Lando in peace. Kaasha would laugh and Rey would...well she might be disappointed but right now he didn't care. All he cared about right now was getting off Bespin and punching his uncle on the way out. Entering the dining hall with a huff he was surprised to find Rey already sitting and in... a blue silk wrap? She shrugged seeing his expression shift from aggravation to confusion. Gazing across the room he found both Kaasha and Lando standing at the head of the table.

"Ah Ben you're finally here!" Lando said, one arm wrapped around Kaasha's waist.

"You're one to talk."

Kaasha, seeing Ben tense up, spoke up before Lando's face was permanently reconstructed. "I must apologize for last night." That grabbed everyone's attention. "I gave Lando the wrong room for Ben. I'm sure you can forgive me."

"The door was locked behind me." Ben said flatly.

"A glitch I assure you." She grinned slyly. "Now let's eat." The Twi'lek gestures to the table as they all sat down. Lando across from Kaasha and Rey across from Ben.

Glitch my ass.

Rey gave him a sympathetic look, he could only imagine what she was thinking. Family dinners of any kind were a foreign thing to his- the scavenger. Something unfamiliar and yet something he knew she longed for day after day alone on that damned desert planet. Filthy junk traders. Pawning her off like property just to drink themselves into oblivion sooner. She was better without them. Unlike himself. Feeling a small knot form in his throat he grabbed the drink to his right and sipped it carefully, expecting a nasty surprise that would set his insides aflame, instead the drink went down smoothly. Deep red, mildly bitter, but with a sweetness he could not place.

Now this I could drink.

Dinner continued as normal, Lando made some suggestive comments, Kaasha chastised him for such comments while giving her own, and Rey scarfed down her food with abandon. He smiled as he watched her eat, she was trying to eat as much as possible while maintaining her composure. It wasn't working.

The only thing that was admittedly odd about this meal was that he slowly began to become more comfortable as the evening went on. He felt as though the walls surrounding his mind were crumbling away with each bite, each drink, the conversations themselves delving into deeper territories, and he did not seem to care.

She's so...so....hmm

Words seemed to evade him as he watched her throughout the evening. Rey's silk dress dipped down between her breasts revealing just the right amount of skin. Ben had just noticed. He took note of all the things he had somehow failed to see before. The way her eyes danced in the light. Her hair was different now, a bit longer, darker, it cascaded just past her shoulders twisting at the ends. She talked with her hands when she was excited as if they could draw what she was describing. Before he knew it dinner was over and he found himself walking side by side with Rey back to their chamber.

Watch this be another dream.

Her arm was wrapped around his, holding onto him snuggly as they entered the massive room. The walls that he had built around himself were nonexistent finding himself strangely comfortable with the entire situation. They sat at the edge of the bed, hands intertwined as they had been on the Falcon. Warmth radiated from her infecting him. Thumb playing with the contours of her hand. They were so delicate. So soft. A smile threatened to sneak out, beginning to curl at the edges of his lips.

Rey rested her head on his shoulder. "I like this."

He raised an eyebrow and looked down at her, she had her eyes closed a small content grin on her face. "Mmmm."

Me too.

Raising a hand behind her he gently caressed her hair. Mimicking what he had seen his own father do to Leia so many times. He had been young then but he remembered every tender moment between his parents. Rey curled up against him tilting her head up at him, soft brown eyes gazing up at his. They held each other's gaze for what seemed like an eternity. He still could not understand how she could look at him like that, with such tenderness, after all he had done to her. To the galaxy. And yet here she was looking up at him.

Rey had looked at him in a similar way on the elevator in the Supremacy. Desperate and wanting. Needing him to turn to run away with her. He had messed up then. He should have kissed her and left the galaxy with her.

I'm not making that mistake again.

Leaning into her he hesitated for a split second before pressing his lips on hers. To his surprise Rey leaned into him returning the favor with a sweet kiss of her own. Everything stopped. Heat rose between them. Every move she made, every breath, he noticed it all. This was by far better than any dream he had had of her.  When they finally came up for air Rey had slid closer to him, nearly in his lap, without hesitating he pulled her closer so that there was no space between them. She was smiling up at him. Her hands finding the trestles of hair that had fallen onto his face, pulling them back behind his ears. Her fingers lingering around his neck.

"Well that was..." Rey paused trying to find words as her smile grew.

"Perfect. You're perfect." He caressed the curves of her face.

"Oh?" She giggled then. He had never heard such a wonderful sound in all his life. "And how would you know? Unless you've done that before?"

Ben rolled his eyes, "I just know. And that," He kisses her quickly. "Is called a kiss."

"Well then, I would like to kiss you again. Ben Solo."

I don't deserve this.

Silencing his thoughts Ben grinned playfully. "As you wish."

He kissed her softly, slowly becoming more intense when she had no objections, biting her lower lip lightly before peppering her neck with a wave of kisses. Before long he found his hands were exploring her small form just as hers were exploring his own body. Fingers fumbling over unfamiliar curves and crevices.

By all the gods...

Hot raging fire courses through his veins bringing new life and sensitivity to every touch, every sense. His hands, slipping under her shirt, explored her more thoroughly taking their time. Rey stopped momentarily and looked up at him, eyes filled with a hunger he had never seen.

"Is this okay?" He asked quietly, forcing himself to stop. "I haven't...I don't want to if you don't."

That's when she cut him off.

"If you stop." She took a long breath trying to stay composed enough to finish speaking. "I will...I will..."

He raised a playful eyebrow, "You'll what? Kill me? I don't think you can my little scavenger."

Securing her with his arm, Ben rolled her onto her back, ravaging her yet again with kisses. Following the same pattern he had envisioned so many times in his sleep. This was different though. Better than any stretch of the imagination. Unskilled hands pulled at the laces of her thin silk dress slipping it to the side revealing all of her. Every curve. Every feature. All of her. It was his.

Mine.

He could feel her heart racing, just as fast as his. Moreover he could sense her emotions, her desires. Ben just stared at her taking her all in. Carefully playing with her hair, untying the small braids. "Are you sure?"

Rey responded with a soft kiss to his hand and a nod. "If you are."

——><—— ——><—— ——><——

Authors Note: I will come back to this and edit a good chunk of it as it needs cleaning up and just...more. BUT y'all have an update! Enjoy the fluff while it lasts 😁 Hope everyone is still enjoying this fanfic I am hoping to make things quite exciting next chapter!

As always May the force be with you!

~KyloRing