Rekindled (A Star Wars AU Fanfic)

Part 1, Chapter 4

The ceremony shed was filling up quickly as the sea of attendees crammed themselves inside, laughing with way too much intoxication and making rowdy unnecessary noises. Remii's least favourite type of music (as anticipated) bounced around the room as dirty boots mucked up the red velvet aisle. Whoever owned this plot of land had tried their best to fancy the place up with the budget they were given - silver ribbon hung loosely from the murky wall sconces, small bouquets of hydrangeas nailed to the benches, an arch of silver and blue balloons framing the altar. Luckily Remii and Ben seemed to be among the very few guests that genuinely cared about the wedding itself so many of the back benches were left completely bare (minus the one occupied by the family dog Rumble). Luckily the bench Remii scoped out was both human and mangey-dog free. 

Remii was about to approach to sit, still buzzing from her current hand in hand contact with Kylo, when he quickly pulled her to a stop. Remii looked up at him wide-eyed. He looked back down at her calmly, maybe with a hint of allure in his gaze. "Your zipper."

Remii turned her head as if she'd be able to see it for herself. "What about it?"

"It's half-zipped."

Remii smirked to herself, trying her best to brush away the thoughts that begged for her focus. Her zipper was fairly far down her back...how low had his eyes dragged down? "Well I'm flexible but not that flexible. I did my best."

"Stand still," Kylo chuckled, moving his hands to the zipper. Kylo chuckled. Granted it was short and half-assed but it was a real chuckle nevertheless. Remii hadn't counted on hearing one of those at all this evening. Her smile grew more genuine as she stood still and waited. She could feel him tussle with the zipper a bit, then stop. 

"What is it?"

Remii heard him inhale, hesitating again before returning to the zipper. Finally she heard it clip. "Why is your heart racing?"

He could hear it?! Was she going into cardiac arrest? Remii hadn't even noticed it was racing until now. But she played it cool, brushed it off. "I'd be surprised if it wasn't, Ben."

As the two took to the bench, Remii felt Ben's hand brush hers. She expected him to pull it away immediately but instead there it remained, their knuckles barely meeting. Remii waited some more. Still, he didn't move. Did he want to hold hands again? Or was Remii reading into this too deeply as she normally did, and he didn't even realize? Remii was afraid to move and find out. 

"Care to tell me why your heart would be racing now?" Kylo spoke quietly, just loud enough for Remii to distinguish his words. It wasn't difficult to mask this conversation with the rowdy hustle and bustle unfolding before them.

"No because you're clever. If you didn't know why already, you know why now."

A pause. The two kept their focus ahead of them, both staring blankly at the damp wooden wall behind the altar. In the process, avoiding the gaze of a few overly observant family members. "You were very open and eager to share your feelings two weeks ago."

"Yeah, well, two weeks ago I said too much. I think it'd be better for the both of us if I didn't say too much."

The words hadn't stopped ringing throughout Remii's mind ever since they'd been spoken. She'd wondered if the cloud of illness would've made them fade...but how could you forget?

You're so important to me....

I'm important to you?.....

Yes, you are....

The bride's mother - Remii's aunt - stood at the altar, doing her best to corral both families into silence. It wasn't working. Remii zoned out staring at her agitated face, hands raised as if conducting an orchestra. It sure felt that way. More silence.

Kylo's eyes drifted over to Remii, at her hands, at her legs, at what he could catch of her face without turning. She hadn't moved her hand. He hadn't either. "Did you mean what you said?"

Was it wrong to miss him as much as she did? Was it wrong to want him back, to wish he was once again a constant in her life? Maybe, but... It was why Remii stayed tight-lipped when she could. Because she loved him, but she may never admit that. "Of course I did."

Kylo nodded gently. Finally the guests settled and the ceremony began. Throughout its entirety, focus was never entirely granted on the bride and groom from Remii and Kylo. Remii was often distracted by their hands, hers and Kylo's. The fact that they hadn't moved. And then her imagination took the reins. When her cousin entered the room intricately veiled and garbed in twinkling whites and silvers, Remii envisioned herself in the dress, with Kylo alongside her at the altar. She'd imagined it as a kid too, the fantasy strengthening in innocent games of dress up. Unprovoked, little Remii and Ben had always crowned themselves the king and queen, the Mr. and the Mrs., and little Remii had relished in it. She never dreamt of a prince or a knight because she already had one. Her best friend. Maybe this was why Remii's eyes welled up with tears. Or maybe it was the beauty of the ceremony itself, weddings always made her cry. Maybe both thoughts were to blame. Either way Remii was so absorbed in the moment she didn't notice it at first when Kylo's hand brushed against hers. It was when the first tear fell that he finally held her hand, placing it on his thigh. 

Remii teared up for an entirely different reason now but luckily she played this off well too, her gaze glued to the bride. He must know, surely he had to know what he was doing. She was too afraid to hold his hand back, to return the touch, in fear that it would end. She got as far as holding his thumb as the room erupted into applause. Remii didn't clap...she was too focused on him. On the fact that he looked, even when she didn't.