To Place Upon His Brow

Part 11: Rematch

Ben was tossing in his head, unable to sleep. He could feel Rey not sleeping either, but unlike him, she was perfectly still in her bed, still upset at the words she had said to him earlier. He checked the time beside his bed. It was three hours after lights out. Everyone was in their beds, dreaming their Resistance dreams, and he and Rey lay awake. But there was also something else. I kind of tugging at his gut.

I feel it too, Rey said, and he chuckled at her choice of words.

Rey caught it, and he could feel her laughing too, at the irony of her statement.

Then she began mocking him from across the hall, you know I can take what I want, she purposefully made her voice deeper, trying so hard to copy him.

You need a teacher!! she shouted.

Ben sighed. He was never going to live down the day he let his scavenger beat him on Starkiller.

Let me? Rey piped, agitation bristling.

You heard me, Scavenger, Ben prodded.

He heard a door in the hall open and close, and then he heard Rey pressing buttons on the keypad on his door before she gave up and forced the locks to disengage. She leapt on him from across the room, letting out a primal growl. She wrestled him off the bed, and they landed on the floor.

"You did not let me win," she said, not a question.

"Sure I did," Ben prodded, rolling over so he had Rey pinned down tickling her ribs.

"I beat you fair and square," Rey giggled, much like a child.

Ben tickled her a little too hard, and Rey snorted. Ben stopped, shocked.

"Did you just.." before he could finish, Rey had him flipped and pinned.

"No," she denied. Then she bent down and kissed him. Ben met her lips violently. He had wanted to kiss her all damn day. He rolled again, pinning Rey beneath him, knocking things off the bedside table.

"I want a rematch," she hissed, breaking her lips from his.

"Deal," Ben agreed, before pushing off of Rey and standing up. Rey scrambled to her feet, and looked at the door.

You're already in here, might as well stay, Ben shrugged.

Rey climbed into his bed without another word, pulling the blankets up around her neck. Ben climbed in beside her, and pulled her close to him, snuggled so perfectly against his chest.

"It's the same feeling, the one I had in the cave, with all the crystals," Rey said into his chest.

"I know. There are crystals out there, calling to us," Ben responded, a twitch of excitement in his voice.

Sleep came quickly for both of them, tight in each other's arms.

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Ben woke up to the beautiful feeling of Rey's hair tickling his nose. He craned his neck to look down at her surprised to find she was already staring at him.

They're awake, Rey said, gesturing to the wall behind him, the wall he shared with Poe.

They? he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She bit her bottom lip, smiling and nodding.

Ben smiled at the thought of Poe and Finn, sharing a room while he and Rey shared his.
Ben got up, and pulled Rey with him.

You need to go, he said, opening the door to the hallway to make sure no one was out and about.

Excuse me? Rey asked, disbelief foaming up.