What She's Worth (Reylo)

Chapter 8

"Catch me if you can!"

"Oh, I will! Just you wait!" Ben tried not to sound as winded as he felt, but he'd been chasing Rey through the woods for a while now and for some reason, his body felt heavy. Or maybe she was just faster this time, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he couldn't lose to her. "Wait up, Rey!"

He could hear the peals of her laughter wafting in from between the trees. He followed it until he broke free of the woods, expecting her to be dancing around in a clearing, gloating and sticking her tongue out at him. But Rey wasn't there.

What he found instead was a strange girl—perhaps a few years older than him—in loose, off-white garments, her dark brown hair tied in three buns behind her head. She appeared just as shocked to see him as he was to see her.

The skies darkened in an instant, rain pouring down in torrents, soaking them both to the bone. He took a step forward, his body feeling heavier than before, like he was wrapped in layers upon layers of robes but he paid no heed as he approached the girl, whose shock had evolved into fright. He didn't know what was going on; just that he wanted to...needed to be closer to her. To be with her.

She backed away with every step he took, her mouth open in gasps until she fell backwards over a cliff he hadn't even realized was there.

Without thinking, he jumped in after her, falling, reaching out for her and...

...fell to the floor, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

Ben sat up in a panic, relaxing only when he saw he was back in his quarters. He turned to his side and saw a small foot dangling at the side of his bed, its owner still fast asleep. And snoring. And drooling. He sighed. Rey had kicked him out of his own bed. Again.

He rose to his feet and sat at the edge of the mattress, his lips curling into a smile when Rey mumbled something about blue milk. She wasn't exactly a picture of perfection, with her brown hair mussed and strewn all over the pillow, her mouth wide open with cute little snores, the lapel of her sleeping garb stained with drool, Papa Doll sprawled over her belly, and her arms and legs splayed so she took up most of the space in his narrow bed.

Weeks had passed since she started sleeping in his room, the first time being the night she saw the monster from his dreams. She had insisted on staying with him, saying her mommy used to do that for her to keep nightmares at bay, and he hadn't bothered to put up much of a fight. Because she was right. With her beside him, the creature and the nightmares were gone. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been constantly this well-rested, and he thanked the Force for granting him even that much.

He lay on his back, scooting over to give Rey more space while making sure he didn't fall to the floor. His thoughts wandered back to his mother. He had had an unexpectedly good time chatting and having breakfast with her over holo, conversation flowing freely until she had asked if he had made any friends.

He clenched his teeth. He hadn't been able to tell his mother about Rey. Not for the lack of trying, but his thoughts had kept going back to the revolting things Herron Casthre and his lackeys accused him of during their altercation in the garden. How was he supposed to tell his mother that a five-year-old knocks on his door every night to sleep beside him on the same bed? He hated it, absolutely hated how such innocence was now marred because of ignorance and malice. Rey...Rey was his only friend in the world. The baby sister he never had. The things those boys had accused him of never even once crossed his mind but now that it was there, it wasn't going away.

Still, he couldn't bring himself to stop what had now become his and Rey's new nightly ritual. He couldn't. He wanted...needed Rey to protect him. But it wasn't like he was just using her or anything. After all, he genuinely loved the kid.