Deep Waters

Anger and betrayal swam in Kylo Ren's mind as he ignited the dual engines of the light freighter. He could feel the blood pumping in his veins, driving his actions to follow that ship, to follow her. How could he have let her slip behind his walls, so much so that he was just inches away from taking her lips with his? She doesn't care about us, she left just like everyone else, creeping fear drifted into his thoughts. Kylo Ren grasped the joystick of the ship with a deathly grip as he slowly willed the spacecraft upward towards the stars. Not far off the ground, Kylo Ren glanced around the small cockpit, his eyes fell on a device that did not quite fit the ship's stock equipment. Studying the clunky piece of equipment, Kylo Ren realized that it was a hyperspace tracker. This is First Order technology, so how did these bounty hunters come into possession of it? Was the First Order aware of his whereabouts? Sudden fear coursed through his mind. He had to go back for his lightsaber. There was no way, if the bounty hunters had reported back to the First Order, would the First Order believe that the smashed up bounty hunter could be him. His lightsaber would be his only true way to protect himself if his location had been compromised. With that thought echoing in his mind, Kylo Ren lowered the ship back to the ground and cut the engines to the ship and jumped out of the pilot chair in haste, making his way towards the exit of the ship. His feet could not take him fast enough. The blank steel corridors seemed to be endless as he wove through them, each step placing him closer to the door.

The automatic door of the ship hissed open at his arrival. The opened door revealed the pitch-black airfield, illuminated by the light emanating from the moon of Dantooine. Kylo Ren's boots hit the soft ground with a thud before he took off in a sprint towards the carnage of his fury. He had to get back to the ship in time to follow that deceitful, manipulating, succubus before she and her friends got too far to track. No, she is not that, never that. A voice sounded deep from within his mind. Kylo Ren shook his words from his mind, pushing him further from the surface. He could not let the weak man within himself emerge, not now. Not when he was on a mission to completely stamp out the last bit of light and weakness that resided within his soul. Kylo Ren could not allow Ben Solo to love her, or her him. Kylo Ren is an agent of the Dark Side and the last hope for the revival of the Sith. A naive girl will not get in the way of his journey of ultimate power. Kylo Ren recognized that his mission and Ben Solo's mission contradicted the other. Kylo Ren wanted to kill what was left of his former persona at any means possible. And Ben Solo wanted to redeem himself from his transgressions, which only infused the rage within Kylo Ren and fueled his fight to kill Ben Solo.

Kylo Ren approached the mangled body of the bounty hunter who wore his robes. The long wooly grass of the field lay crushed underneath the dead, limp, mutilated body of the bounty hunter. Kylo Ren gave off a sick, half-smile at the sight of his extensive handiwork done to the man. He outreached his hand toward the lightsaber, that sat in the dead man's hand and summoned it into his palm. The weapon hit the bare skin of his hand with a smack. It felt so right to have it back in his hand again, but he had no time to relish in the reunion of an extension of himself. He turned on the balls of his feet, the long grass of the airfield ripped from its roots as he turned. Kylo Ren took off at a fast pace back towards the bounty hunter's light freighter. His grip on the tainted lightsaber tightened as he ran as if it provided comfort to Kylo. Each hasteful step took him closer to her. Closer to ending her once and for all, ending the last thing Ben Solo has left to hold on to. One last obstacle left before him and his destiny. The thought of that stung somewhere deep within him as if Ben Solo fought back at the mere thought of Kylo Ren taking away the last thing Ben had left unconsumed by him.

The ship's door wheezed open upon his approach and again, Kylo Ren wove his way back to the cockpit. The cramped cockpit allowed him to squeeze in between the two pilot chairs and sit down. He clipped the lightsaber onto his belt and turned swiftly to the controls, igniting the engines. The light freighter roared to life and the vibration from the engines ripple through the craft to Kylo Ren. I am coming for you, Rey, he thought to himself as his hand around the spacecraft controls willed the light freighter up towards the stars. Reaching over toward the tracker, he activated it with a press of a button in the top left corner. The clunky piece of equipment came to life with a high-pitched mechanical beep. The small screen in the center of the tracker began to deepen its' picture, the radar system without fault picked up Rey's ship. An insidious look fell upon Kylo Ren's face. His eyes turned a deep shade of black and his eyebrows pulled together as he locked in on the ship's location. Kylo Ren dialed in Rey's location into the navigation system as he began to ready the freighter for take off. The craft was ready for whatever the pilot could throw at it. Kylo Ren started his ascent towards the planet's atmosphere, anxious, almost excited to reach his destination.

Kylo Ren watched the stars whiz by at light-speed almost absent-mindedly for hours as he thought about what he was going to do to her. He imagined what sounds she would make when he carved her flesh open with the red lightsaber, or what face she would make as she begged for mercy. Her deep red blood spilling out from the fresh wounds made Kylo Ren lick his lips. The images of her crying out in pain, begging him to stop felt like ecstasy ripping through him to his core. He ached to feed a monster deep within him. Ached to make her hurt, make her his toy, bending to his harmful touch. Kylo Ren closed his eyes and let out a deep and audible sigh as the images sat at the forefront of his mind. He needed this, craved it even. Loud mechanical beeps from the tracker sounded, ripping him from his twisted fantasy. His black eyes whipped to the screen that was notifying him that the ship he was tracking was dropping out of hyperspace. Kylo Ren's stolen ship was only minutes behind them. Anticipation began to flow through his body as his fingers gripped the ship's controls in his right hand. As the ship dropped out of hyperspace, he came face-to-face with the Resistance fighter's ancient AL-KM44 Allanar N3 light freighter. He tried to reach out through the bond to Rey, but there was nothing there as if she had shut him out. Kylo Ren was almost taken aback by this.

After a long moment of standing still, the Resistance fighter's ship fired first. Kylo Ren banked the spacecraft hard to the left. That shot was calculated and if Kylo Ren was not the pilot he was, the laser cannon round would have made contact. Adrenaline pumped hard through Kylo Ren's veins, his heart beating heavily. His index finger drifted above the trigger of the ship's joystick, ready to fire back, but he couldn't, as if something rooted deep within him stopped his finger from contracting around the trigger. In a panic, Kylo Ren turned the ship around toward the watery planet behind him. He slowly turned the light freighter around and pushed the joystick away from him allowing his ship to gain speed and close the gap between him and the planet below. As if an unintentional reflex, Kylo Ren's hand jerked left and then right, evading the Resistance fighter's fire.

Kylo Ren continued to guide his ship further towards the planet's watery surface. The atmosphere began to burn around the spacecraft's outer shell, causing the ship to rattle. The Resistance fighter that manned the cannon offered up a challenge to Kylo. He was coming up on the expansive ocean at dangerous speeds when the Resistance ship's laser cannon's fire landed a shot on the wing of his ship. At the high speed, he was traveling at, the clipped wing threw the ship barrelling towards the water. Kylo Ren tried to correct, but it was too late. The ship hit the water's surface, flipping violently, tearing the wings and body from the frame. His body momentarily became suspended in the air in the light freighter before it began to topple over, crashing into the middle of the ocean. Kylo Ren's body lurched as the ship landed in the water, the safety harness could only restrain him so much when his head hit the control panel ahead of him. The forceful contact gashed his forehead open before his body whipped back into the pilot's chair. The ocean began to envelop the light freighter as the water began to pool at his feet. Quickly, Kylo Ren unbuckled the harness and rushed out of the cockpit. By now the ship was beginning to fill with water at an alarming rate.

Weaving his way through the blank corridors with the water at his knees made it difficult to get out of the ship before it had filled up completely. Making his way through the corridors fatigued his injured body, but adrenaline kept him going, fighting to survive. All he knew was that he had to get out of there. His right arm clutched his left side, his body hunched over, he waded through the rising water level with his left hand outstretched before him in order to balance himself. Through the damp pieces of hair, Kylo Ren looked up with his mouth slightly open from ragged breaths to see the exit. With troublesome effort, Kylo dragged his feet through the icy water faster towards the door. The door did not open upon him approaching it. His right arm still clutched at his left side, he fell onto the doorframe of the exit. Grunting from the impact Kylo Ren withdrew his hand from his injured side to grasp the emergency lever to manually open the door. With leverage from supporting his body on the door frame, he used his free hand to pull the lever upward. The door began to inch open each time he pumped the leaver up and down, water began to pour in faster and faster. The door gave enough clearance for his large frame to just slip through. Kylo Ren took a deep breath before he squeezed through the door. The arctic waters of Ahch-To enveloped his body as he swam out and into the ocean.

The frigid water collapsed around Rey as she dove beneath the surface of the ocean. The setting suns gave off some light in the dark grey water. She looked around her to see nothing but the walls of water around her. The water's surface raged above her, but down here the water was calm and silent. Rey's hair flowed around her as she looked for the direction to go. The Force called behind her, willing her to swim toward the jagged rocky wall of the island. The dim light revealed a large arching entry leading inside the landmass. The cave was dark and yet, the Force willed her to swim toward the cave. Rey used her arms and legs to propel herself forward. While it was a short distance, the arctic waters made it feel as if Rey was swimming through thick molasses. The tunnel was absent of light as Rey felt tentatively through the dark with her hands ahead of her. As Rey felt around she noticed that the floor of the tunnel started to incline. She continued up the tunnel until her head was met with the still air of the underground cavern. Her feet found a foothold as she began to stand up. The underground cave smelled dank as she stood in the pitch black. Rey looked around as her eyes started to adjust, picking out rough shapes of jagged walls. The sound of water dripping from Rey's soaking clothes to the shallow body of water she stood in was echoing off the walls, filling the deadly silent cave. She took a cautious step forward, the water sloshed as she moved. She walked along the edge of the cave using her hands to guide her in the dark. The Force tugged hard at her chest, pulling her further into the cave.

Rey took a step but her foot landed on something soft that gave way under her weight. She stopped in her tracks. Rey used the wall to balance herself as she bent down. Her hand came off the rocky surface as she searched in the dark for the object. The stone floors were cold and wet as she patted around. Her hands found the soft object before her. She moved the object around in her hands trying to figure out what it might be. It was a sort of material that was wet and cold. Rey unraveled the ball of fabric and set it down on the stone floor of the cave. She felt around its outline, it felt as if it was a tunic. The mystery pilot survived, or at least made it into the cave. Rey's head snapped up as she reached for the quarterstaff on her back, but it was not there. She left it above ground on the Millennium Falcon. She knew she was not alone and left herself defenseless. How could she be so stupid to forget her only means of protection? Even if the young Jedi had no weapon, she had to find that pilot. She pushed herself up and took hasteful steps further into the cave. The Force's pull tugged harder at her as she went, she was close. In her haste, Rey tripped over something in the dark. She landed on the hard floor, her arms and hands broken her fall, she let out a hiss of pain as the jagged rock bit into her palms and knees. There was a groan behind her. It was a man, the mysterious pilot. She had found him. Her pain was almost forgotten as she turned with her hands and knees. Rey felt around for the man in the pitch black. Her hands met soft flesh that was cold, but she could tell that he was still alive. The man groaned in pain as her hands found his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Rey waited in the dark for the man to give some sign that he was okay, but he could only groan. She could not tell if he was covered in blood or water. Rey shifted behind him. She had to get him out of here. Rey looped her arms underneath the man's armpits in an effort to drag him out of the cave. "I am gonna get you out of here, okay? Stay with me." She tried to reassure the mystery pilot as she began to drag him. The man was heavy. Rey used her strong legs to hold both of them up. She moved backward one leg at a time with tremendous effort. Rey let out a grunt with each arduous step as she made her way back to the cave's entrance. Her legs burned with every step she made. The pitch-black made it harder to know she was going the right way, but she kept moving. She had to get him to the surface to see what kind of injuries he sustained. Rey stepped into a pool of water that was ankle-deep. The ocean water was cold as it made contact with her skin. She knew that she had made it back to the entrance to the underground cavern. The man in her arms hissed when the water made its way to his exposed skin as she pulled them both deeper into it. The water made it easier to pull the large man as she went further down the decline of the rocky ramp. The man's body was weightless in her arms in the water, but it was still hard work to keep his head above the surface. The water was up to her shoulders at that point and the entrance of the cave was getting closer. "I am going to need you to hold your breath. We are going to have to go underwater to make it out of here. Can you do that for me?" Rey's voice was soft yet instructive.

"Mhm" Was all the man could muster. He took a deep breath as the water began to enclose around his face. Rey's lungs filled with air as she dipped beneath the surface of the water. She let go of the man to search for his hand. Her hand grasped his large but limp hand. She had to hurry. Rey turned quickly in the frigid water and began to swim forward. She knew she did not have long before the man would not be able to hold his breath any longer. The tunnel the led from the cave seemed endless. Rey felt as if she could not swim hard enough to get them out. The pitch-black made it harder to navigate. She kept her right hand outstretched before her to keep her from hitting the narrow walls. Every kick of her legs seemed to wear on her stamina. Her muscles screamed at her with fatigue, but she knew she had to keep going. She had to save the pilot. The oceans' tide was raging when Rey emerged from the tunnel. By now the dual suns of Ahch-To had set and already grey waters seemed black. As Rey swam upward with the man, getting closer to the surface, the light from the moon aided her. The pilot that she held onto tried to assist her, but he was growing weaker and Rey was growing tired. She tried to use the Force, but her mind was racing, and she was unable to call it to her. The tide threw them as Rey's head broke the surface of the water. Her teeth clenched and she let out a grunt in an effort to pull the man up. His face came to the surface. As he came closer to her, she recognized him. It was Ben Solo. She could not believe her eyes. Her arms quickly found their way back underneath Ben Solo's arms. She kicked her legs, propelling them backward. She did not know if it was panic or shock that drove her, but she swam hard against the strong current of the ocean. She looked up. There was no way she could carry him up the steep cliffside. She had to find another way to get them to safety.

Rey kept close to the cliffside to ease her struggle from the raging current. Holding on to Ben's cold and limp body with her arm snaked around him, she used the other to hold on to the rock wall. She looked behind her to see a pebbled beach that would provide a place to rest. She pulled the two of them with all her might. Her feet found soft ground as she got closer to land. The pebbles gave way under her weight as she made it out of the water. Rey collapsed when Ben's torso was fully on the beach. Her breathing was hard and fast. She felt as if she could not catch her breath. Ben's heavy body rested limply in between her legs. His chest was still and unmoving. Rey panicked as she moved out from under him. She took his wrist in her hands, planting her feet, as she pulled him out of the water and further onto the rocky shore. His limp arms fell hard to the ground when she let go of them. Rey rushed to his side. She shook him, but his body just thrashed with her jerking movements. "Don't you die on me, Solo. You can't die! I need you. You hear me, you dumb idiot? I need you!" She screamed at him, tears beginning to fall from her eyes down to his chest. Rey placed her hand one over the other and locked her fingers as she lowered them to his diaphragm. His skin was cold to the touch when her hands met his body. She looked at him as she began to start chest compressions, looking for any response. She pumped for thirty seconds before she stopped to tilt his head back. Rey pinched his nose and opened his mouth with her free hand. Her lips sealed his as she took a breath and blew an exhale into him. She could see his chest rise artificially by her breaths. She took another deep breath and exhaled and then another before she started compressions. Her tears fell faster as the seconds ticked on. She pumped and gave breaths for what seemed like thirty minutes. Her fear that he was dead flourished within her. If he died, it would be her doing. She was the one that caused him to crash. He did not even fire back at her when they chased him. It was all her fault. It was by her doing that Ben Solo was lying on this beach, legally dead.

Rey gave one final chest compression before her lips sealed his, giving him another breath. Ben Solo's body lurched as he coughed water out of his lungs. Rey turned him on his side to stop him from choking on the water. His eyes were squeezed shut as he continued to cough. His body shook violently as he tried to expel the foreign fluid from his lungs. Rey kept a tentative hand on his shoulder while she watched him come back to life. Ben rolled over and opened his eyes to a familiar face in the dark. The moonlight defined the worried expression she wore. Rey's hand sat on his chest, his skin was cold to the touch. They studied each other in the dark, watching the other's eyes as if searching for them to say that everything was going to be okay. The gash on his head was a deep purple, the sight of it riddled her with guilt as she examined it. Her eyes traced the scar she gave him before she met his waiting eyes. She had almost lost him. Her emotions were jumbled, but one was clear; she was glad he was alive. "Rey…" His voice was as soft as his eyes. It had an almost sweetness to it. He folded his left arm to meet her hand that rested on his chest. Rey's tears started to fall quietly in the dark onto his exposed torso. Her sniffles filled the silence that sat between them. She felt relief knowing that this man, not friend nor lover, was alive. Rey did not have the words to describe who he was to her or how she felt about Ben Solo. All she knew was that she was glad to feel his heartbeat beneath her hand. He closed his eyes to allow himself some peace. "Ben I- I am so sorry. This is all my fault. I did not know that was you on that ship. I am so-" Rey was interrupted by Ben hushing her as if it was a sign to be still and quiet. Her tears continued to fall as she watched Ben Solo. He looked so calm in the dark with his eyes closed.

The night air, along with their soaking clothes, made Rey shiver. She lifted the back of her free hand to her face to wipe the tears off. Her sniffles began to fade as she slipped her hand out of Ben Solo's grasp. He did not seem to be disturbed by her movement. He was exhausted and needed rest. Rey gathered herself as she stood up. The gravel beach crunched underneath her feet as she made her way towards the cliff. She placed her hands on the wall, trying to find a foothold. Rey hoisted her body up the short yet steep wall, taking her time to find her grip and footholds. The young Jedi found her next advance placing her at the edge of the cliff. Swinging her left leg over the edge, she pushed herself up and over the wall. Rey collapsed onto the soft grass that seemed black in the dim light. Her mind and body were fatigued as she lay breathless in the grass. Her legs hung over the cliffside while her body lay safely on the island. Her breathing was ragged, as if her adrenaline was fading while she lay there. Rey sat for a second to calm her lungs before she rolled over. She used her arms to lift her body at an angle to allow clearance for her legs to make it onto the solid ground. Her aching legs pushed her upright to walk towards the Millennium Falcon that sat off a short distance away. The freighter's ramp hissed open as Rey approached it, allowing her to walk aboard the ancient ship. She took an immediate right towards her old sleeping quarters. Her arms wrapped around herself, trying to stave off the chill that riddled her body as she walked. The soaking clothes still dripped with each step she took down the circular corridor.

The automatic door opened with ease as Rey came to it. It had been too long since she had been back here. She had spent so many nights here thinking about Master Skywalkers' warnings, but then there was Ben Solo always drifting back into her mind. The room was just how she left it. A few stray pieces of clothes littered the ground, her bunk a mess, and her dresser covered in books and loose papers. The room was small but made her feel at home as she quickly started to shake her way out of the wet clothes. Rey threw the belt to the floor with a thud, her soggy tunic followed with a wet smack. She stepped on the back of her boots, pulling her foot upward and out to discard the shoes. Her thumbs looped the waistline of her simple linen pants and pushed them down her legs. Gravity pulled the water weighted garment to the floor, allowing her to step out. Naked and cold, Rey crossed the room to the messy dresser. Her hand reached out and grabbed the pale wooden knob of the top drawer. Opening it, she pulled out a simple sleeping garment. It unfurled as she lifted it from the drawer. It was long and would provide warmth. Rey bunched up the material to slip her arms through the long sleeves. The material of the gown was soft against her bare skin. The slits down the sides of gown exposed her lower thigh, something she would not have chosen to wear in the company of anyone, let alone Ben Solo, but it was the only clean garments accessible to her. Rey pushed the thought from her mind as she turned toward her bunk. She bent down and grabbed the woolen blanket from the narrow bed. Her arms carried the bunched up blanket as she walked toward her door. The door opened when she approached to reveal the circular hallway as she stepped out. She quickened her pace. She had to make it back to Ben.

The breeze drifted softly as Rey stepped outside the Millennium Falcon. The quiet night was filled with the sound of the ocean's tide rolling and retreating from the shore. The soft grass felt good against the bare skin of her feet as she walked towards the cliff that led to Ben Solo. Peering over the edge, she could see him sound asleep on the beach. Rey let the blanket fall the short distance to the pebbled shore as she turned, lowering herself to climb down the cliff. She turned to pick up the wool blanket that sat just in front of her. Rey had never seen Ben Solo so at peace before. He slept soundly as she approached him. His hair, still wet and clumped in large pieces, fell across his expressionless face. His mouth was slightly open as he laid there. His muscular arm was tucked underneath his head as a pillow. Rey grabbed the opposite corners of the blanket and threw the other half out, slowly lowering it to the man who slept soundly in front of her. She sat down next to Ben with her legs folded into her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Rey rested her head on top of her knees and watched Ben Solo sleep. She watched the way his strong brows furrowed, dreaming about something. He looked sweet and innocent, things that Kylo Ren was incapable of. But watching Ben Solo in the smallest moment, Rey was able to see him and peak through his mask. He was vulnerable and insecure, it felt like she was intruding on something so private and intimate.

Rey looked away, casting her eyes to the horizon. The stars that littered the night, peeking through the black sky. The moon highlighted the crest of the waves rolling over the shore as they rolled in and back out. She closed her eyes with her head tilted upward at the moon. The night felt calm. The sounds of the excluded beach brought peace to her, pulling her from her thoughts. She turned herself, drawing her eyes back down to the sleeping man. She sat parallel to him. He was on his side, arm still tucked underneath him like a pillow, curled slightly into himself. She lowered herself next to him, laying her arms on her stomach. Her head was turned to the side, watching his peaceful state. Rey thought back to where their relationship started. Kylo Ren loathed the young Jedi and her naivety of the world, her childlike idealism, and wanted to tarnish her; bring her to the Dark. Kylo Ren was still heavily in control over Ben Solo, but Ben still had a voice within him. Kylo Ren wanted to watch her beg for mercy as he slowly watched the light slip from her eyes at his doing, relish in it even. The fight between the split personae waged on over the months Rey and Ben Solo have shared the Force-bond, yet Rey could still see him in there. His soul is so tattered, fraying at the edges, so broken, but he still fights for the sanctity for his soul and of his mind. On the outside, as he slept, he looked so tranquil, as if everything was so far away from him. There was no Kylo Ren, no Force-bond, no Rey, no trauma, no past, just Ben. Rey closed her eyes to the sight of Ben Solo, allowing the sounds of ocean waves coming in and out to carry her to sleep.

Ben Solo awoke suddenly as his eyes shot open. It was dark and he had no idea where he was. He sat up slowly, his left shoulder screamed at him as he used the arm to lift himself. The warm wool blanket fell bunched up in his lap. Ben looked to his left and saw the ocean and nothing else for miles. It looked black at night. The sound of the waves filled the silent air. He looked down at himself, he could see bruises on his chest and small cuts. Ben shifted his weight on to the left arm, the muscles burned with ache. His right arm tested the bruises that littered his torso. The one just over his diaphragm was a deep purple and was the biggest he found. What happened? How did he get on this beach? Where was he? Ben Solo did not remember anything after he had found the cave. He remembered what happened on Dantooine and how Kylo Ren butchered the Twi'Lek and the other bounty hunters. Ben looked at his hands, he could feel the way it felt to burrow his Lightsaber into each bounty hunter and how Kylo Ren felt ecstasy watching them die by his hand. Disgust, shame, and guilt were washing over the broken and lost man. Ben Solo had never been a man to cry, but replaying the last twenty-four hours brought sadness over him. How could he have been so weak to relinquish power over to him, that monster? Ben made no sound as he watched his hands, quiet tears falling into them. Something shifted next to him. He snapped his attention to his right. A human figure laid curled into a tight ball. It was a woman, but her back was turned to him. Her brown hair was long and was cast behind her. He moved closer to the woman, not knowing who she is, or her intentions. She wore a thin linen nightgown that was light in color. His eyes traveled down the woman's figure. Her nightgown had a slit up the thigh, stopping just short of her hip. He leaned over her sleeping body to see her face. The moonlight lit her peaceful face, her young features, her strong eyebrows. He knew her, it was Rey. Ben Solo almost laughed at the sight. She shot him down, almost killed him, and then rescued him. Ben thought to himself that he would never be able to figure this young woman out.

He watched her for a moment longer, her face made an expression as if she was dreaming about something sad while tears were leaking from her closed eyes. He put a steady hand to her head, brushing her hair back to try to comfort her. Rey nuzzled against his hand as he brushed her soft hair, watching her begin to calm. "Ben…" Rey mumbled softly and unconsciously. It sounded so sweet the way she spoke his name. He bit back a smile, fearing that this woman would make him give up all reason and move in closer to her. Rey looked so soft and beautiful, something Ben Solo never dare notice. Her long brown hair, her long eyelashes, her soft yet strong features, the slight turn up of her nose, things that made him feel warm to look at. She looked as if she was so untroubled by life and was at peace with it as she slept. Ben moved his hand to her face, it was soft as he stroked it with the back of his fingers. What was he doing? How could he let himself fall deeper into her grasp? It was as if she were a beautiful poison, born to drive him mad. Ben Solo did not care if he fell deeper into her hold, it was soft and warm there. She has been the only person in the entire galaxy to not turn away from him in fear or disgust. The only one that could look him in the eyes, see his demons and not back down. Rey was the only one who reached within him, to that dark corner that hid him for so long and pulled him back out. And she did it almost effortlessly, how was kindness so easy for her? Thrown away like trash, scavenged to stay alive, and then turn out to have such a kind yet firm disposition.

Rey shivered as the ocean breeze blew past her. The night was cold and Ben could see no material for a fire. The blanket that sat bunched in his waist would have to do for both of them. Ben took the woolen material in his hands, whipping it outward. He lowered his arms, the blanket following as it began to cover them. It was not a big blanket, big enough only for one, but if they stayed close, it would keep them warm throughout the night. The blanket only covered half of Ben's body once he covered Rey. He lifted the corner of it, slowly moving closer toward her. He had never been so close to a woman before he met her, let alone sleep next to one. He was a grown man and she made him feel like a teenage boy all over again; so inexperienced and nervous. He laid on his back, giving as much distance he could to keep from touching her and still have the blanket covering him. Rey nuzzled into the blankets, her body relaxing from the warmth the blanket provided. She turned over to face him, her arm landing softly on his arm. Ben froze but settled at how nice her hand felt on his skin. He moved in closer to her and her sleeping body positioned around him. Her leg over his, her head on his shoulder, her arm across his chest. He did not know how he was supposed to react to her. He just laid there, with this young woman draped over him, and yet it felt right. She felt right. It comforted him, made him relax. He let his eyes close, letting peace find his mind despite the warm pool in his stomach. Ben Solo opened his eyes and cast them upward to the dark sky that was littered with stars. His eyes traced the few constellations he knew from the nights spent on Dantooine. The sky brought him peace, allowing his eyelids to fall. Ben Solo did not try to fight the exhaustion as sleep fell over him

The warm light of Ahch-To's first sun penetrated through Rey's eyelids causing her face to contort. Squinting, Rey opened her eyes to the pebbled beach. The sound of the waves filled her ears as she began to lift her arm above her, stretching her muscles from their stationary position. Something heavy rested on her side. Rey moved cautiously, turning her head to see who occupied the space next to her. Ben Solo laid there deep in sleep. His lips were slightly parted as soft sighs escaped him. Ben's soft black curls blew across his face in the gentle breeze. The tips of Rey's ears began to heat up as she looked at Ben Solo. All she could think about was how close they were to each other or how the warmth of his body radiated off him. At this moment everything seemed so calm and still and Rey felt as if she could sit here, watching him, forever. She snapped herself out of it. She cannot allow herself to fall deeper into his intoxicating clutches. She must be strong and refrain from herself, from him. Ben Solo did not need a lover; he needs a friend, a teacher. Rey's hand grasped his wrist and forearm carefully in order not to wake him and moved out from under the weight of his limp arm. The tips of her ears began to now burn at the thought of their proximity throughout the night. She slowly inched away from Ben Solo who laid asleep with an exposed torso. Rey rose as she brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, the graveled beach shifted with her movements. She watched for a moment longer before she looked out at the expanse of the ocean. The first sun of Ahch-To was sitting above the horizon, the second nowhere in sight. The warm light caressed her skin, bringing warmth to her body. Rey closed her eyes in the peace the secluded beach provided. The sounds of the waves drifting in and out, the sound of the breeze surrounded her senses. She brought her breathing to a slow and steady pace, clearing her mind.

Off to the side of Rey laid Ben Solo, slowly being coaxed from a deep slumber. The warmth of the first sun and the light traced the skin left exposed from the blanket. He brought his free hand to his face, moving around the skin that felt tight from inactivity. Ben Solo squinted as he opened his eyes to the light of the morning, examining his surroundings. It took him a moment to remember the events of when he woke up in the middle of the night to a shivering Rey. Flashes of the slit running up her thigh that the nightgown exposed, inching in closer to her to cover her, the feeling of her feminine body draped over his all came rushing back to him in an instant. The foreign warmth began to pool again in his abdomen at the images playing in his mind. He let his hand drop to his side, tilting his head back to look for Rey. She could not have gone far. Is she upset about last night somehow? Ben thought to himself as his eyes search the beach for Rey. But, from where he lay, she was nowhere in sight. Ben Solo slowly rose, allowing the arm he laid on to uncurl as he put his weight on it. His muscles were sore and stiff, his body littered with cuts and bruises. Ben began to whence at the crash catching up with him.

"Careful now, you have been through a lot." A soft and firm voice sounded from behind him. He knew the voice well. Hearing it almost brought a feeling of relief over him. Resting on his arms that were outstretched behind him, he turned his head to meet the voice. Rey stood there, arms folded, with her dark brown hair flowing down to her shoulders. Her face wore an expression of concern, but also relief. Again, something Ben Solo was not used to since the birth of Kylo Ren so many years ago. Ben Solo almost smiled at the sight of Rey before him. The ocean breeze picked up loose pieces of Rey's hair and the hem of her long nightgown, whipping them around.

"How are you feeling? How badly do you hurt? Do you remember anything?" Rey walked over to his side to face him, lowering herself to rest on her knees. Her tone was genuine and inquisitive. Her eyes looked up from the ground to meet his watchful gaze. He dare not move to avoid feeling his injuries. Her eyes were soft as she stared into his, but there was a worry that riddled them too. He cast his eyes to the rocky cliff wall that was a short distance away behind her. He could not look at her right now, not after the things he had done since she had last seen him. Especially with the images, Kylo Ren fantasized about just before the crash. He felt evil and disgusted by Kylo Ren for being apart of himself.

"I think I am okay, just a little banged up from the crash. I am surprised I even survived. So, thank you, Rey. I remember everything. I remember you coming to get me from Dantooine, the attack when we almost…" He couldn't say it, the words in relation to her, a woman, felt so unfamiliar to him. Rey nodded her head at each segment of the events that played out in the last twenty-four-hour cycle until he came to the part where they almost kissed. She looked away to the ocean, bashful at the thought of their recurring proximity.

"Good, I am glad to know that you remember everything and that you are okay. I am so sorry for everything. If I had not come for you, just let you be on Dantooine, then you would not have been put in this situation in the first place. I would not have fired at you if I had known it was you piloting that ship. I feel so foolish! If I had not closed myself off to you last night, then I would have known it was you and you would not have crashed. You almost died and it is my fault." Rey let out an exasperated sigh as she stood up abruptly and turned her back to him. Her hands rose to her wind-whipped hair, raking her fingers through it before letting them fall back to her side. Ben Solo grunted in pain as he lifted his stiff legs to his chest, using his arms to leverage himself to stand up. He walked quietly towards her, the pebbled ground giving his movements away. Rey turned her head to him, her eyes were filled with sadness and guilt. She looked at his face as he came closer, it was soft yet serious. Rey looked away as he stopped behind her.

"Rey, look at me," She stayed with her back turned towards him, "Look at me." Ben Solo ordered her, but his voice was not angry but it was stern. She turned to face him with teary eyes and her lips starting to quiver. Ben Solo's countenance was gentle yet searching. Her eyes stayed level with his as quiet tears began to fall her youthful face.

"What matters now is that I am okay. I am alive thanks to you. So, thank you, Rey. You did not have to come back for me. Hell, you didn't even know it was me in that ship." Ben Solo's voice was genuine and gentle as he spoke to her, trying to reassure her that somehow he was not upset. He rose his large hands to either side of her shoulders, grasping them lightly. Rey's eyes glanced at his arms, looking at each sizeable hand that gripped her. It is not like Rey had never been touched in such a familial way before, but with him, it meant something completely different to her. The tips of her ears began to heat up as she slowly raised her eyes to look back at his. His gaze was unwavering but seemed to have a soft quality to it. How was she supposed to keep him at a distance if they kept ending up in these situations? Ben Solo took a step closer to Rey to close the already small distance between them. His hand slipped from her shoulders and sunk down her back, pulling her closer as he brought her into his hold. Rey has hugged and been hugged before, but not in such an intimate way such as this and certainly not by him. Her body went stiff at the sudden change of their proximity but began to melt into his exposed chest. His hold was firm, but soft, it felt secure to her. She let her limp arms, that were tucked in between the muscles of his arms, rose to return the embrace. She rested her hands flat on the warm, bare skin of his back and pulled herself further into him. The guilt and fear of almost losing him became too much for Rey to handle as her body began to cathartically release tears from her eyes. Although she was crying silently, Ben Solo felt the overwhelming sadness ripple through the bond. His hold on her tightened in order to comfort the young woman in his arms.

Rey, still holding Ben Solo, tore her face away from his tear dampened chest to peer up at him. Ben Solo looked down at her wet eyes that seemed to be apologizing a thousand times over. He brought his hands up from her back to wipe the tears gingerly off her face with calloused thumbs. His eyes searched for any reflective spots from tears on her face. Rey watched his worried and focused eyes search over her face, thinking of how fate threw them together here on this beach. Happy that he had successfully rid her face of tears, Ben Solo looked back to Rey who stared at him with awe, he watched her eyes, watched what she was saying through them. His hands now, back at her shoulders began to trace up the sides of her delicate neck. Rey stood unwavering, closing her eyes to his reassuring touch as his hands made their way to cup her face in his hands. She opened her eyes when his hand stopped at her face. Through the bond Rey could sense the warm feeling pooling at his core, how the blood rushed through his veins, his heart beating hard within his chest. He was nervous and Rey felt that ripple through him to her. In response to his delicate touch and his emotions rippling through her. Rey's body shivered against the body of the one man she could not have, yet wanted to give into him so badly. The Force-bond shared between them cast what the other was feeling, or at least the essence of it, and threw it back at them. When Rey felt happy, safe, or secure, Ben felt it too. But, at this moment, the nerves and the pooling warmth in their abdomens, seemed to feel tenfold of what they were already enduring. Ben Solo and Rey stood there in shock, waiting for whatever was going to happen. Her face still cupped in his large hands when Ben Solo lowered his head mere inches away from her face. Rey's mouth fell slightly open as her breath hitched in her throat at the newfound proximity.

Their eyes never looked away from each other, they were locked in and hyper-aware of each sensation. All she could focus on was how the way his hold made her body ache for his lips to touch hers. The bond allowed Ben Solo to feel her longing, her ache for him to close the gap between them. His heart jumped erratically within his chest. They stayed standing in each other's arms, caught in the moment. Rey closed her eyes at the feeling of his warm breath cascading over her skin, relishing on how it felt to be in his arms. Ben Solo needed this, needed to know what she felt like against his lips. As if in slow-motion, he closed his eyes as he pressed his full lips to hers. Stunned at the contact, Rey's eyes widened and fell shut at the soft and tender kiss he gave her. It was sweet and subtle the way Ben Solo kissed her, like a nervous teenager. She never imagined her first kiss being with him, Kylo Ren who was slowly turning back into Ben Solo. For him this moment swelled his heart, pulling at his chest. Loving someone and being loved in return was all he ever wanted. Rey pushed her lips further into his as the bond compounded their sensations and drove it back to them.

Lips interlocking, conforming to each other, the two stayed holding one another in the shared kiss, but it quickly turned into a heated moment as Rey parted her mouth to take his lips with hers. Her hands moved out from behind his back towards his torso. His skin was soft despite the countless roughly healed scars that littered him. Her touch was delicate, causing Ben Solo's body to shiver as her hands rose to his chest. Ben Solo's hands that still held her face began to move. His right hand wove its way through her hair, grabbing a handful of her dark brown locks. He took his left hand down to the small of her back, his hands staying close to the contours of her frame. Holding their position, Ben Solo pulled her in closer into him, deepening the kiss. She felt so right in his arms as if everything in his life led up to this moment. Breathless, Rey drew in a deep breath through her nose, never breaking away from him, and pressed further into his warm body. Through the Force-bond the shared bliss washed over their bodies in a heated wave. Ben Solo let out a tortured moan against her lips, tightening his grip on her hair as she softly bit his lower lip. Almost as quickly as the feverish kiss had begun it ended when Rey drew her lips from his. Breathless and in awe of the moment, they stared at the other, searching for them to give away their reaction. Rey's face wore an expression of confusion as she looked at an awaiting Ben Solo, breathless. Master Skywalker's teachings about love and attachments ran through her mind. Traditionally, forming attachments is strictly forbidden within the Jedi Code, but it is not truly a path to the Darkside. Weakness, fear, and anger is your downfall. Loss is inevitable when you love, accepting it and letting it go is a fact of love. She looked away towards the sea, separating herself from him. Rey turned her back to him, unable to look him in the eyes

"Ben, we can't. We can't do this. I will not serve as a distraction to you. You are too fragile. You need a teacher, someone to help you back to the Light. Not a lover." Rey declared with a mournful tone lacing her voice. Ben Solo could hear that she meant what she said, but their bond deceived her. She did not want to say the words. Ben grabbed her arm that sat at her side, taking it in his hand. Her head whipped around to where his large hand held onto her, looking at it before casting her eyes to his. His face was now serious, almost frustrated at the young woman.

"Rey, will you let me decide what I need. All my life my decisions had been made for me. My parents, my uncle, Snoke, with them I had no freedom to choose who I wanted to be. I was always told who to be, how to act, and what to believe. Not once in my life have I been able to pursue what I wanted. And for once, just once, I would like to do something I want. The struggle between Kylo Ren and I is not easy, but ever since I first laid eyes on you on Takodana, there has been a change within me. Rey, it has always been us. We saw it that night on Ahch-to, so please do not tell me what I need." Ben Solo's voice was calm and collected, his words seemed to cut like a knife. Rey knew what he said was true.

"It is as the Force wills." Ben Solo added in a soft-spoken voice, looking at Rey with eyes that begged her to see what he saw for them.