Light in the Dark - A Star Wars Story (Kingooey & randomname98766789)

[Kingooey]

Even after cleaning herself, it felt like there was still sand on Rey's hands.

Just hours ago, Jakku's yellow sun had been beating down ruthlessly on her, her hands sore from scavenging for bits of metal, and the desert plains had stretched for miles in peaking waves. The sand was unavoidable; barely any shelter, and she couldn't remember the last time she hadn't slept with a coarse texture on her skin.

And now, she was... Surprisingly clean.

Rey rubbed her fingers against her palm, released them, and then looked down. Sure enough, there were no gritty grains of sand left on her fingers. A few cuts and scrapes here and there, and perhaps a bit of a red tinge where she'd burnt herself on some hot metal whilst scavenging, but she was almost completely okay.

Almost.

Where was Ben?

The scavenger looked at her bed, and then the door. She was supposed to have gone to sleep by now, remembering Han's passing statement about how tired she must have felt after narrowly escaping the First Order - and his debt collectors - but how was she supposed to sleep when the room felt so deathly silent?

It was horrible. When Ben had first arrived on Jakku, she had been apprehensive about letting him stay with her, sticking firmly to her 'loner' behaviour. But then over time, the activities she used to do by herself became something that was worth sharing. And what was most amazing was that Ben actually cared about it. For so long, Rey had been treated no better than the dirt on Jakku itself, but then Ben had stumbled into her life and showed her that she didn't need to feel lonely anymore.

Scavenging, eating, sleeping - they did it all. And now she was expected to sleep alone?

Rey huffed, annoyed and frustrated. Just being by herself made her distressed. The thought of being alone again on Jakku was enough to make her upset, but now she was in an unfamiliar environment, having been forced to abandon her life on Jakku when the First Order came looking for her, and her whole heart ached at the thought of not being able to hug Ben at the end of it all.

She brought her legs up and sat cross-legged on the bed, fiddling with the blanket nervously. It was going to be a long 'rest'.

 

[randomname98766789]

Ben Solo was training to become the next great Jedi. His mother and father tried to keep him away from the life, but his Uncle Luke Skywalker taught him once Ben became interested. One fateful night long ago, Ben’s best friend at the time decided to lose his damn mind. Every young Jedi that was in training underneath Luke was slaughtered. The temples were destroyed. Somehow, Ben kept himself alive and survived. Luke helped get Ben back to his parents so he could seek the medical help he needed. However, after that, Luke just disappeared and left Ben all alone for training. He had to teach himself after healing up.

Soon enough, Ben was with the Resistance full time. He read as much as he could, trained as much as he could, so not only did he become a good fighter for the Rebels, but he became a better Jedi as well. Things were going well for him. He was still on the Light Side of the Force and he was trying to teach more people but it was a dying art since his knowledge was not nearly as extensive as Master Luke’s. He would kill to have him back.

He was very close to Poe Dameron, who was a pilot for the Resistance. Poe taught him everything he knew about aircrafts and spaceship weapons. What started out as just another mission for them on Jakku turned into something else entirely. After coming face to face with the First Order and Kylo Ren, Ben was sent away to escort BB-8 back to the Resistance. He hated leaving Poe, but he realized there was no other option for him. Poe was in charge anyways. On Jakku, trying to get back home, he met a woman named Rey. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was kind, too. From the very first moment they spoke, there was undeniable chemistry between them. When they first met, Ben actually saved her life from a couple of Junkers that were looking to corner her and steal what she had scavenged.

Weeks had passed since then. Ben and Rey started a relationship together while on Jakku and he never felt like life was more right than it was now. They were currently on his father’s ship, preparing to meet up with other Resistance members on Takodana, but they were also hiding from the First Order, which meant they had to be careful while in flight. Ben recently showered and cleaned himself up for the evening, but he could not stop thinking about Rey. They spent nearly every second together since meeting. Why stop now? Ben debated it for a very short time, deciding to make the short walk from his room down to hers, stopping outside her door to knock a few times. “Rey, it’s me.” He called out.

 

[Kingooey]

Rey was startled by a knock at her door, but that alarm soon dissipated into relief. The voice was muffled behind the thick layer of metal acting as the entrance to her room, but she could just make out the words. Whoever it was visiting her, they had just saved her from a miserable time tossing and turning in bed, distracting her from her worries of being alone. She secretly hoped it would be Ben, but she wasn't sure if he was willing to spend more time with her now that they weren't forced to, having been granted separate rooms. It was the sort of thinking she had sadly grown used to; nobody ever stuck around for long.

... That voice did sound suspiciously familiar though.

Naturally, she didn't leave her visitor waiting long. Mildly excited, Rey uncrossed her legs, slid off the side of the bed, and walked towards the airtight door to reach for the switch. In only a few moments, she was face to face with her "saviour".

"Ben!" Rey gasped and smiled, perhaps a little too loudly, pausing before adjusting the volume of her own voice. "I thought you'd be sleeping by now." Automatically, like she had many times before while on Jakku, she drifted towards him and wrapped him in a tight, adoring hug. Rey had already decided that she wasn't going to let him leave anytime soon.

Looking up at Ben, she rested her chin on his chest, pouting. "What're you doing awake? Is something wrong?" Rey was the last person to admit that there was something wrong with her, of all people, and that she wanted Ben to stay there with her because of it. Deep down, she knew that she desperately needed him to keep her company, but she was too afraid to ask him. It would make her look weak, something which was practically suicide when living on the desert plains of Jakku.

It didn't even cross her mind that he might have decided to visit simply to spend time with her.

 

[randomname98766789]

“Hello, Rey.” Ben greeted the beautiful girl when she opened the door. Feeling her immediately wrap her arms around him into an embrace caused him to do the same thing. This woman was captivating in every sense of the word. Ben considered himself lucky to have found her and vice versa. They had a strong connection with each other, not just because of the Force, either. The close proximity was wonderful. Ben never wanted to lose it or lose Rey. He never thought he would find something like this with another person. Then, Rey came into his life. “Nothing is wrong. Everything is wonderful.” Ben assured his girlfriend.

“I had an idea, actually…” Ben started. “If you don’t feel comfortable with it, I would totally understand. The last thing I want to do is for you to rush into a decision or get pressured into a decision. So, if you don’t want to do this, please let me know.” Ben was conflicted. On one hand, he knew it was pretty fast, considering most relationship norms. On the other hand, what was exactly normal about their relationship? Every day was a struggle for survival. Nearly every night on Jakku was spent cuddledup in tight quarters. They were just sleeping in each other’s arms. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. Did she feel comfortable with it happening now when they did not have to conserve space? Now that they actually had rooms to use, would she want some privacy?

However, Ben knew how infrequently Rey experienced this. In fact, she even told him that he was the first person to ever show her any love or affection. So, maybe she would want this. “What do you think about sharing a room with me for the rest of the ride? We could stay here or the other bedroom that I am using. We can do whatever you prefer. I just want to spend the entire night with you in my arms. I have been dying to do this since we first met. I want to hold you in my arms and I want to cuddle with you until we have to wake up without worrying about someone finding us and killing us. Nothing would make me happier than to do this.”

 

[Kingooey]

Rey's arms stayed tightly around Ben as she heard him talk, lifting her eyes to look at him. She could tell that he was finding it difficult to get his thoughts across, but it was more endearing than frustrating, a smile beginning to appear on her face as he stammered through his question.

"Oh, Ben." Rey tipped her head to one side, realising how adorable he was when he was uncertain about something. Her attitude towards him had changed dramatically over the time they had known each other. In their early days, she would have snapped at him or ignored him completely when he spoke to her, but over time she had allowed herself to open up to Ben. Her curiosity of the resistance had mainly encouraged that, as well as sympathy, and his name; Ben Solo. When she'd found out he was related to both Han Solo and Leia Organa, she could barely believe her ears.

"I... Was honestly thinking the same thing." She explained her own grievances to Ben, her eyes averting towards his chest, looking a bit embarrassed about opening up to him. "I tried to sleep in there, honestly I did, but I think I preferred it when you were with me. It doesn't feel right."

Rey mainly spoke out of necessity, rather than embellishing her thoughts with 'love' and 'romance'. Everything had to be practical. It was how she'd survived so long by herself on Jakku, and it was how her brain now functioned. Although this had helped her stay alive, it made it extremely difficult for her to open up emotionally, and she sometimes came across as too blunt or completely unaware of what someone was implying. Socialising was definitely not one of her strong suits.

Despite this, she began to pull Ben into the room with her. Unlike some people, the intimacy of the situation didn't scare her. The thought of letting him go did. "Come on then!" she let go of his arms and returned to sitting cross-legged on the bed. Rey patted the spot next to her, looking up at Ben with a friendly and expectant smile.

 

[randomname98766789]

Ben understood being in a relationship was new for Rey. She had never experienced something like this before, thus, it would take time for everything to make sense. Honestly, Ben was shocked at how affectionate and physical she had been so far. She just did not have the knowledge of such boundaries since she did not grow up learning about relationships or socializing with other people. That was fine, though. In fact, Ben preferred it that way. He would never ask Rey to stop touching him or stop being affectionate to him. Everything he did so far in reaction to her was positive, reinforcing the idea that she should be holding onto him as much as she wanted.

Joining her on the bed, Ben reached out with one hand to take hers, giving it a squeeze. Next, he leaned down to press a kiss to the corner of his girlfriend’s lips, finishing it off with a direct kiss to her lips as well. He pulled back just slightly, a smile widening across his face. He could not look away, even if he tried. “I am glad we decided to do this. I have always been fighting in this battle, but until now, I don’t think I ever knew what I was fighting for.” Ben explained.

“I think about the future and I think of you being there with me. I think of having nights like this where we can sleep in each other’s arms without having to worry about what battles await us the next day. You give me hope and a reason to keep fighting when things get tough.” Ben murmured quietly, just squeezing her body right against his one more time. Finally, Ben rolled away from Rey and pulled the covers down a bit, snuggling up underneath a blanket. He kept it raised up so Rey could easily join him when she was ready, his arms open wide. “Get into whatever position you are comfortable with. There’s no right or wrong way.” Ben explained, wanting Rey to do whatever is natural… hoping that naturally, she would want to be in a spot that afforded as much contact as possible.

 

[Kingooey]

Rey waited for Ben to join her, her eyes full of joy. This was exactly what she had wanted.

The scavenger had felt uncertain about the whole situation, wondering what was considered "normal" where Ben came from, and how much attention she should realistically be giving him. It was a learning experience for the both of them. Rey had lived her entire life largely in isolation, only remembering snippets about her actual family. While she had originally wanted to stay on Jakku to wait for her parents, she had actually found a new family with Ben and BB-8, and they had already provided her with so much more love than she'd ever experienced.

Ben's kisses were returned with enthusiasm, and Rey had a satisfied look on her face when he eventually pulled away, void of any childish bashfulness. She simply held his hand, gazing at him with the kind of pure appreciation that came from someone who had just been rescued. That is what Ben had done, essentially. He had saved her from her own loneliness.

"I like sleeping with you. I don't really want to stop doing this, even if we're not on Jakku anymore." Rey explained to him, hoping Ben would understand where she was coming from.

"I know that we mainly did it because we were scared, and we had nobody else there to protect us, but I think I appreciated it more than that... I felt empty before you arrived." She went a bit quiet, a distant and sad look in her eyes as she thought about her own statement. Then, she slowly shuffled her way back over towards Ben.

Rey climbed under the sheets, nestling herself as close to Ben as she could manage. She quietly placed her head against his chest, her brown hair splayed out against the mattress, and hugged her arms around his waist. Eyes closed, she almost immediately calmed down once she had him close to her. Any troubles on her mind instantly vanished.

 

[randomname98766789]

Ben smiled when Rey said she did not want to ever stop sleeping with him. “Trust me, Rey. You will never have to spend another night without sleeping with me. I will never let anything come between us.” Ben knew it was going to be difficult to ensure this while fighting the First Order, but it was not unreasonable. No matter where they were, no matter what they did, Ben would make sure to be as close to Rey as possible. “Well, you never have to worry about being lonely again. I will never leave your side. I will be with you through everything we do.” Ben assured his girlfriend, a smile on his face while threading his fingers through her hair once she could settle down into his arms.

As soon as Rey climbed underneath the sheets, Ben let one arm be used as a pillow as the other wrapped around her waist. She was pulled about as close to him as physically possible. Ben continued to look at Rey with a smile. “Good night, Rey. You just sit back, relax, and just enjoy yourself.” Ben commented with a bright smile, pressing one more kiss to her lips, giving her a tight hug. “If you ever need anything, just let me know. Don’t hesitate to wake me up. In the meanwhile, I am going to just play with your hair if that’s okay.”

Ben smiled at the idea of playing with her hair, having always seen this as something he loved to do. Ben knew that usually the person getting their hair played with was considered to be the one receiving most enjoyment from the act, but that was not the case here. Well, maybe Rey would enjoy it a lot, but he was going to enjoy this as well. He did not know why he thought it was such a wonderful feeling, but he could not get enough of the idea, now moving his hands and fingers through her long, perfect hair.

 

[Kingooey]

“Good.” Rey replied affirmatively and nodded, trusting Ben to keep his word. “I swear I’ll do the same.” Picturing a galaxy where Ben left Rey, she decided that it was too dull, lonely. She knew that she was willing to do anything in her power to ensure that she never had to return to a life like on Jakku ever again. The First Order was an entirely different issue. Rey felt less terrified of them than she did with the thought of losing Ben. She knew that whatever happened, Ben was there to protect her, and she would protect him.

Rey laughed slightly when he explained how he wanted to play with her hair, unfamiliar with the gesture. Her hair wasn’t something she ever flaunted, or even allowed someone to touch, often tying it tightly behind her head. The thought of it being a useful quality was an idea that flew over Rey’s head completely.

She nodded curiously anyway, allowing him to run his hands through her hair.

It was enjoyable, much to her surprise, having him pet her while being totally enveloped in his warmth. It made her feel calm, and protected, like being carefully rocked to sleep. Rey shuffled in closer while her arms still clung around his chest, feeling the cottony texture of his clothes against her skin.

Finally, she settled down properly next to Ben and found a comfortable spot.

“... Goodnight Ben.” Rey smiled sleepily up at Ben while laying there, her eyes struggling to stay open, although they eventually closed after a long while of her trying to gaze at him. Gradually, she began to drift off into sleep.

 

[randomname98766789]

“Good night, Rey.” Just as Ben requested, his fingers would glide through her long locks repeatedly until Rey fell asleep. Then, once he could tell that she was asleep because of her breathing patterns, Ben finally allowed his own eyes to slide closed. It only took a minute before sleep came for him as well. Being with Rey allowed him to accept the warm embrace, his entire body experiencing the most relaxed state he had ever experienced before. It was all because of Rey.

For the first time since that fateful day where he was nearly killed along with the rest of his cohort at the Jedi Temple, Ben experience true peace and bliss while sleeping. Dreams did not plague him. Nightmares did not wake him up. Instead, there was pure happiness and glorious feelings. Ben would even stay asleep the entire night, which was strange as well. When he finally did wake up, his eyes slowly opened and Rey’s beautiful face was the first thing he saw. That was exactly how he wanted to start each day. Unable to help himself, Ben knew they would have to get up soon anyways, Ben leaned down and gently pressed his lips against Rey’s.

Even though anyone might be grumpy at being awoken after a night of sleep, he hoped that waking her up with a kiss and a soft touch of his hand cupping one side of her face would help her transition smoothly. He would be smiling at her the entire time, looking to greet her with one more kiss once her eyes opened for him. “Good morning, Rey.” Ben whispered quietly, hoping that sleeping beside him provided Rey with everything she needed.