Chapter 23 - The Day After

A/N - A bit of a shorter chapter.  I was aiming to add a bit of "cute".  Don't worry - the smut will eventually return!! (There has to be a story behind the passion!! 😜).  I hope you like it!  As always, please vote and comment!

____****____

Kylo paced around his room on the Finalizer, waiting for Rey to hopefully show up.   He had already eaten dinner, showered and changed into his night clothes, but found it difficult to sit still.  He didn't know why, but he was nervous.  His heart was pounding, his palms were sweating, and he felt like there were butterflies in his stomach.  What in the hell was wrong with him?  It had been less than 12 hours since they last saw each other!  Feeling a bit foolish, he took a few calming breaths, hoping to clear his head.  When that didn't help, he sat down at his desk, and tried to browse his holopad for any distractions.

When that didn't work, he simply gave up, tossing the holopad aside, and let his thoughts stray to Rey.  Even though it had only been half a day, he was excited to see her again, touch her again, see her smile..... He was also excited to see what this next stage of their relationship would be. How they could make this work.  He didn't care what needed to happen, he would ensure that it did.  His entire future was riding on it.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the bond connect, until he heard her exclaim.  "I did it!!"  from behind him.   Swiveling around, he found Rey sitting cross legged on the floor in the center of his quarters, a huge, happy grin plastered on her face.  Standing up from his chair excitedly, he strode over to her and held out his hands to help her up, smiling down at her.

"How many tries did it take?"   He asked.

"Just one!"  She exclaimed, "I did it the first time."  She almost jumped into his arms, winding her own around his neck and looking into his eyes.   Still smiling broadly, she said,  "Hi."

Running a hand through her hair to brush it away from her face, he gave her a soft kiss and a smile.  "Hi."

They both stood there smiling at each other, unmoving for several minutes, grinning like idiots.  Rey moved her hands from around his neck and smoothed them down over his chest and shoulders, before wrapping her arms around his torso and sighing happily.  She was wearing a tank top and shorts as her sleeping outfit, and he ran his hands up her back underneath her shirt, causing her to sigh contentedly again.

Rubbing her back, he told her.  "Looks like you figured out how to calm your mind enough to find me this time."

"Maybe."   She said hesitantly.  "But I don't think so.  I was so excited to see you, my mind wasn't clear at all, and I felt like I had butterflies in my stomach."  She paused.  "I think the bond is even stronger now that..."  She blushed.  "I barely had to try at all."

Thinking about that, he nodded. "Yeah, that probably makes sense. That's a good thing though, right?"

"Mmm hmmm."  She continued to snuggle into his chest, enjoying the closeness.

He chuckled.   "Butterflies, huh?  Now it all makes sense..."  She looked at him oddly.  "I think I felt them.  Before you got here, I had a feeling of butterflies in my stomach too."

"You felt them?"  She asked, shocked.  "My butterflies?"

He nodded.   "I think so..."

"Wow.  Then it has gotten stronger."  Her eyes widened and she looked up at him coquettishly. "Or...."  She postulated.  "Maybe I felt your butterflies?"  A cheeky grin was plastered to her face.

He rolled his eyes at her and shook his head, a slight grin on is face. "So,"  He started.  "What happened when you got to your new base?  Did anyone harass you about getting stranded on Lothal?"

Rey growled in frustration.  "Ugh, let's see.  First there was my 'discussion' with Chewie while we were flying there,"  She pulled back to point at the marks on her neck.  "and by the way he's the one who noticed these!"  She huffed.  "So I'm pretty sure he knows..."

"Rey, I'm pretty sure he knew the moment he saw us together this morning."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know about these."  She grumbled.  "You should've heard him, cheerfully laughing like an idiot when he pointed them out to me..."  Rey noticed Ben's lip twitch and his gaze suddenly seemed far away. "What?"  She asked.

A quiet laugh escaped his lips.  "That seems exactly like something Chewie would do.  He used to tease me mercilessly when I was young."

Rey's face softened, and she smiled warmly.  "Yes, its why I love him.  He may act all tough and mean, but underneath all of that fur is really a warm heart."  Reaching up she stroked his face "Kind of like you...".  She said softly.

Ben's eyes widened as he looked down at her before softening, and he gently touched his forehead to hers.

"Anyhow,"  She continued.  "Once we got to the base, I went to see your Mother, and –"

"You went to see my Mother?"  He cut her off, seeming panicked.  "What did you tell her?"

"Calm down Ben.  Of course I went to see her – first off.  I am still one of her people, and I was stranded on the base we had just evacuated.   I needed to tell her what happened, and that I was okay."

His eyes widened again.  "Rey –"

"Ben, don't worry, it's fine.  I told her that I had been mildly injured and was hiding, but that you were there, and could sense me through our connection.  I told her you sent the troops away, treated me, made me dinner and we talked."

Ben looked at her skeptically.  "And she believed you?"

"Of course she did.  Why wouldn't she?"  A soft giggle escaped her.  "She was surprised that you made me dinner."  Rey looked away.  "But I think she may suspect something though..."

Now fully panicked, Ben stepped away from her.  "Why do you say that?  Suspect WHAT?"

"Well, I had arranged some of my wraps around my neck to cover up your marks...."  She continued hesitantly.   "I tried to make them look nice..."  She looked away again, then back to his eyes.  "but....as I was leaving she complemented me on my 'new look', and it wasn't a 'hey, I really like your new look!' it was more of a mocking 'I like the new look' kind of comment."

"Oh Maker, she doesn't suspect Rey, she knows!"  He continued to pace around his room, muttering to himself.

Rey walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist again, looking up at him questioningly, curious about his seemingly unreasonable panic.  "So what?  Why does that bother you?  I'm the one that'll have to do the explaining if she asks."

Looking down at her, he opened his mouth to answer, but was temporarily at a loss for words. Finally, he told her.  "I don't know..."  He sighed and ran a frustrated hand though his hair.  "Its just that, despite everything, she's my Mother, and.... I feel like....she knows I've been...."  His cheeks pinkened and his ears turned red as he quietly said  "...naughty."

Rey burst out laughing, and he frowned at her.  "I'm sorry!"  She told him, still giggling.  "But you have been!  We have been!"

"Yeah, well, that doesn't make it any easier..."  He muttered.  Blowing out a breath he asked quietly, looking down at her cast.  "How's the leg?"

Smiling, she told him.  "Its totally fine, actually.  Its like it wasn't even fractured!  The base doctor at MedBay said the cast could probably come off tomorrow.  Whatever that droid did was amazing!"

He shrugged.  "We have access to lots of amazing things in the First Order.   If you joined us –"

"Ben."  She cut him off with a warning in her tone.

He sighed again, tightening his hold on her.  "You can't blame me for trying.  Especially now. Think of it Rey, we could see each other any time we wanted."

"We can already do that now – well, kind of.  And you know my feelings on it."

Growling, he stalked out of her embrace, pacing around the room again.  She watched him silently, not wanting to get into it.  Turning to look at her, he asked.  "Would you - consider something for me?"

She looked back at him warily.  "That depends...".

Walking back over, he took her hands in his, looking down at them.  "If I am able to negotiate a truce – a peace – with the Resistance, would you consider spending more time with me, here on the Finalizer?  Actually in person?"

Rey just looked at him in surprise, unsure of what he was asking.

"I mean, we could train together – we have a really great training room – and you could have your own quarters if you wanted, but I would prefer if you stayed here with me....".  Noticing her silence, he stopped, looking dejected.

Rey was still rooted to the spot.  Was he....asking her to kind of - move in with him?  Here?  She thought about it a bit more.  I mean, when she asked that they go to sleep together every night, wasn't that kind of the same thing?  Sort of?  Except, maybe this would be half of a home to her?  And the Resistance could be her other half of a home?  But how would the First Order see her?  Treat her?  How would she see them?  Treat them?

Ben let go of her hands and moved away.  "Its okay,"  He said quietly.  "don't answer that."

He should have known.  He was not the type she would want to live with.  Unstable.  Moody.

Gazing across the room at him, she could sense his uncertainty and hurt.  At that, her heart melted for him.  She had unintentionally hurt him, and his doubts were creeping in.   "No – wait – Ben – I'm still trying to process everything!  I'm not saying no – I'm just trying to think!"   She walked over to him, this time taking his hands in hers, and staring intently into is eyes.   "If, and I do mean if, the First Order and the Resistance are able to come to some sort of agreement or arrangement where we are no longer enemies....."  She looked around the room – really noticing it for the first time – and noted that it was a decent size, and modestly furnished.  There was a good sized kitchenette area, small dining table and chairs, a desk that was stacked with papers and writing implements (which she found odd), a good sized sofa and comfortable looking chair, and a huge bed tucked into the far end of the room.  She could see a door in the corner that probably led to the fresher.   "I think...that if that were able to happen, that I'd like someplace to kind of call home...".

His breath hitched, and she saw, as well as felt, a multitude of emotions pass through him. Mostly relief, but more than a little joy too.  Wrapping his arms around her he whispered.  "Then I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."  He felt her smile against his chest as she hugged him back.

"I've never really had a home.   Well, my AT-AT back on Jakku was technically my home, but it really was just a shelter that I turned into a bit of a home."  She was quiet for a bit before she said.  "I think, that maybe, I would consider my home to be wherever you are, if we're together."

His heart once again went out to this beautiful woman who couldn't recall having a home.  How could she have turned out so good - so purely light - after all she had been through?  If she let him, he would spend the rest of his life making her happy, and give her the home and family she so deserved.

He wrapped her in an even tighter hug and proppedhis chin on the top of her head, whispering. "Me too Sweetheart.  Me too."

A/N - sorry folks - a bit of an abrupt ending. More good stuff on the way - I promise!!  Please vote and comment!