The Art of Broken Pieces

113 Porgs

The next morning, pain was a dull, empty throb in Rey's mind. Normally, she'd have carefully shed Poe's arms and crept into her clothes, but today...

She couldn't bring herself to leave just yet. Not for a little while longer. Because once she left Poe's arms, his bed, his estate, she'd have to face down the knowledge that her visit home was over. Maybe there was a report she'd need to fill out before she left, and she'd have to hunt down Finn and Rose and Chewie to say goodbye, but...she couldn't stay.

Ben was out there, and she couldn't reach him through the Force. He was hurt, and her anxieties told her that he was not safe alone, hurt, and angry at the other end of the galaxy. There was no telling what he might do, so she had to go. Even if he wanted to hate her for this, she wouldn't let him.

There had been no promises between them. There had been, she told herself, no desire on her part. Aside from one moment when she'd wanted to kiss him.

More than one moment. But that couldn't have been anything but her body telling her it was ready, and her heart telling her she missed home. Still, she had to go to Ben and put things right. Even if that meant shaking him and telling him firmly that she could sleep with whomever she wanted. In fact, so could he.

She turned over in Poe's arms, letting her hand creep up the dark curls on his chest. She brushed her knuckles along his jaw and stretched to kiss his chin and cheek until he woke.

Poe always slept better when he was not alone, and Poe turned his face to kiss her back as he slowly woke. Each of his lovers felt different in the slow light of morning, each with different comforts and different needs. But this morning Rey was not herself, and he could feel the anxiety under her skin. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her close, knowing she would be gone sooner than he liked.

The moment of chaos the night before had done little to allay his worries about her situation, but it also seemed like something he needed to let go. At least until she was ready to talk. He couldn't hide the fact that it had made him very uncomfortable, knowing about her connection to Kylo Ren and seeing it firsthand--and naked-- had been two very different things.

Slowly sitting up he pulled her with him, the sun reflecting through the windows across the lake.

"Will you be going today?" He asked quietly, brushing tangled hair back behind her ears.

"I think I have to," she said. "I know everyone planned on me being here at least a few days, but..." She sighed and leaned into his shoulder, kissing the tan skin that was now soaking in the sunlight. He was always so gorgeous in the morning, it was a little unfair. No one should be allowed to look that good with a sleep-swollen face. She sighed, and slid her arms around him for another hug. "I can't do anything from here. I'll ping you before I actually take off."

***

Finn and Rose were devastated, and Chewie—still refusing to come—gave her a one-armed Wookie hug.

"You'd tell me if you ever wanted to adopt, right?" Rey said into his tangled fur. Chewie gave such a lengthy response that she almost laughed. "Okay, well. I might know someone," she said. Then she turned to Poe, jogging up from the direction of the temporary senate building.

Her eyebrows shot up at the sight of the navy blue uniform, with its clean lines and heavy medals of state and service. There was something that might have been a paler blue half-cape tucked under his arm.

"I know," he said, scooping her against him without breaking stride. "Shut up. It's work." She took his face in her hands, relieved and grateful for his humor, and his understanding, and the solid friendship she still felt ringing between them. So, even though they stood in front of Rose and Finn and Chewie, she kissed him. It wasn't as if their affair was a secret, or that they hadn't kissed in front of others before, but they also didn't tend to parade it around, especially in front of Finn, who didn't understand why the two of them weren't married.