Be With Me

Chapter Twenty

Rey woke up with sunlight streaming in from the window and hitting her face. She squinted and for a moment she forgot where she was. She looked around the room and quickly remembered. Her eyes closed again and, smiling, she turned over to face Ben. She opened her eyes to find his side of the bed empty. Confused, she looked around the room and when she saw that the door to the bathroom was open, she realized he must've left. She flung the blanket off of her, looked down at her bra and panties and quickly put on her leggings and hoodie. She stepped into the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a shower. When she was finished, she walked out, covered in her towel, and squatted down in front of her suitcase to look through it for clean clothes. She quickly slipped on her fresh bra and panties underneath the towel, hoping nobody would burst in, and then grabbed her burgundy long sleeve hoodie with a peekaboo cutout and dark gray leggings. When she was finished putting on her clothes, she checked her phone and saw Rose had texted her, letting her know that she was already awake and downstairs. Rey opened the door and listened for any voices but only heard Tali singing to Why Can't He Be You by Patsy Cline which was coming from the built-in speakers above the sink. She leaned over the wooden rail of the loft and saw Rose curled up in a blanket on the sofa with one arm resting on the backrest, watching whatever was going on in the kitchen. She came down the stairs and saw Tali opening cabinets while Ben stood in front of the stove, cracking eggs and whisking them with milk in a bowl.

"Morning," Rose smiled with puffy eyes. She was the first to see her and when she greeted Rey, the other two looked up at her.

"Good morning, everyone," Rey smiled back. She walked over to Ben and hugged him from behind as he poured the egg mixture into a pan with sautéed vegetables in it.

"Hey, sweetheart," he smiled and kissed her head. "Hungry?"

"A little," she yawned.

"Coffee is almost ready," Tali said, pointing at the coffee maker.

"Oh, thank you but I'd rather make myself a tee," she smiled.

Ben turned around, reached next to the refrigerator and carefully took a mug filled with hot water and the tag of a tea bag hanging from the side and set it in front of Rey. "I already made you one. Might be a little hot still, so careful."

"How'd you know when I'd be up and come down?"

"I checked when you were last active and guess-timated," he winked.

Rey smiled at his thoughtfulness and kissed his cheek before taking her tea that smelled of ginger and lemon over to the kitchen table. Right as she sat down, Finn and Poe came downstairs in their sleep clothes and took a seat at the table as well, squinting and disheveled. Tali brought the coffee pot over to them with two mugs.

"You two are still as tired as we are," Poe said to Rose and Rey who barely spoke. "But, you two? How are you guys so awake and already making breakfast?"

Tali shrugged saying, "habit, I guess."

"And you, Solo? You an early bird, too?"

"Sure," he mumbled.

Poe laughed at the tone in Ben's voice which wasn't exactly backing up his response. "Just not very talkative in the mornings?" He asked with a teasing grin.

"How can you tell?" Finn asked Poe. "When is he ever talkative?"

Tali raised her feet off the ground behind Ben and put her hands on his shoulders and looked over his right shoulder, "that's Ben. He's a man of very few words," she teased.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" He asked, opening his palms and then silently continuing to focus on preparing the eggs.

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