it all revolves around you

chapter one

Spin... twirl... arm limps.... just.. there. Deep breath.

The crowd went crazy, cheering and screaming. As Rey came up, she saw Ben's smiling face, gleaming at her. It was a high score for sure. They would be going to their third and last Olympic games as a duo in Canto Bight.
They hugged tightly and pulled away again, smiling.
"That was a gold. I'm certain." Rey huffed breathlessly. "We're going to Canto Bight!"
"I think the judges are certain too." Ben winked at her as his hand twirled her into position for bows.
-
"Rey Kenobi and Ben Solo, scores are in," the speaker announced.
Still huffing and puffing, the pair anxiously sat on the couch with their coach, Luke.
"122.60! An olympic qualifying score"
Rey and Ben slowly turned to each other, grins the size of the moon, and embraced.
"We're going to Canto Byte! We're back, baby!!" Ben loudly exclaimed, kissing Rey on the cheek, before leaning over to hug his uncle.
He looked back over at Rey, passion unhidden from his face. He could just kiss her now.
Instead, she turned away. "I'm going to go find Finn to wish him luck before his program, I'll be right back."
"Okay, tell him break a leg from me."
"Will do," Rey said, kicking her skates off and running to find her friend. In their division, a team called the Resistance based on a team that actually had a revolution in a games one year, skating was a big deal, but they were the only ice dancing pair. Everyone else was a figure skater, including Finn, Rey's best friend.
Ben was still beaming. He had been waiting for this moment for four years.
After a series of injuries and bad luck, they hadn't done too well at the last games, and they had also taken long breaks in between. This was their final chance to prove their worth again as the best ice dancers in the galaxy.
It was also another chance for Ben to finally win Rey over.
-
They were back in their hotel, eating dinner at the restaurant while Leia and Luke rested in the suite.
After they ordered the same meal of pea and mushroom risotto, they could finally talk.
"So, how do you feel we did today? Actually?" Ben asked. Rey always seemed a little less satisfied than he was.
"Oh, you know I feel great. Relieved to say the least that all of the qualifying is over and we can really work on perfecting the program. I mean, I feel like I was missing something today, I don't know. I think I'm getting old." She laughed heartily and sighed. "But yeah, I'm happy. It could have gone way worse. I still disagree with you on the ending., though. We need a big finish. It's the best way to rouse the crowd."
"Eh, I don't know. I think the big finish is overdone. Our music is already so theatrical, we need to be different." Ben said casually, yet hoping she wouldn't push it.
"Yes, but it's our last games probably. Shouldn't we go out with a bang?"
Ben just shrugged and changed the topic.
"How's everyone else do? Where are they, actually?"
"Oh, spectacular. Your mother really has done a tremendous job coaching this season. You should stay and watch sometime."
"Eh, it's not really my scene. I don't know. I just feel like they are all so excited and, I don't know, into it all. I mean, I am too but just, I don't know, not in that way. Plus I just don't feel like they like me. They all like my Mom so much, I mean obviously, it's like they are her own kids and I'm just the annoying older brother."
"What do you mean? They love you! Plus, you're usually more enthusiastic than I am."
"Yeah, about us! About, our stuff. But the whole camaraderie thing I'm not really into."
"Well, we're going to be spending a whole lot of time as a team at Canto Bight."
"Yeah, I know. Maybe you could give me a makeover to help me fit in."
"Oh please, you're not the basket case. None of us are just one of the kids in the Breakfast Club."
"It is one of my favorites."
"I know."
Their waitress returned with their food.
"I heard you guys were famous ice dancers from a big fan over there," she said, glancing over to a young girl sitting in the corner near them, decked out in Resistance gear.
They both looked over and waved, blushing.
"We have a few fans, but we're no big deal." Ben said.
"You know, I actually have seen you guys on television before. Wait, are you guys a couple also?" The waitress asked.
They both blushed even harder. "No!" they both said simultaneously.
"Well, you'd make a cute one. Enjoy the food, it's on the house. Thanks for making us proud. I heard you made the Olympics! Good luck!" She said, walking off.
Both Rey and Ben, red to their toes, stared at the risotto and ferociously started eating. Rey was the first one to break the silence.
"God, that was so embarassing," she said, grimacing.
Ben nodded and continued to eat.
Rey continued, "I mean, I've been on twitter and Instagram and all that before. The last Olympics people got pretty excited about us. They have fan pages and stuff. It's quite bizarre."
"I mean, they have a point," Ben said quietly. "We have a lot of chemistry, y-y'know as a pair. Plus we've been together for so long."
"Well, yeah, but we're just close friends. You agree right? If we had feelings for each other, we'd know by now, right?"
"Yeah. Plus, how could anyone like you? You chew so loudly," Ben said, gesturing to Rey's mouth. She rolled her eyes as he chuckled.
Changing the subject, Ben asked, "How do you feel about this being our last games? I mean, I'm 32, you're 28, I-I guess you could pursue a solo career, but I'm guessing you won't."
She thought about it for a while, chewing slowly. "You're right. As much as I love all of the figure skaters, It's just not the same I guess. I'd be too lonely."
"Yeah, but they are all a team together. They compete individually but they practice as a team. You get along with them so well it seems."
"I know what you mean, but, I don't know. I still don't feel like I fit in. Like, I'm friends with them, we hang out, go to bars after practice,"—Kylo looked up at this—"hell, I was a bridesmaid in Jess's wedding, I just feel like I'm never really part of the group. I don't have with them what I have with you."
"And what do we have?" Ben asked gently.
Rey blushed and sighed. "Twenty years of partnership, for one thing."
Ben nodded.
Rey smirked, "I think once you've seen someone skate to Fall Out Boy when they were twelve you have a pretty good connection..."
It was now Ben's turn to roll his eyes, embarrassed.
"I was in my emo phase then. You were too busy skating to Stevie Nicks."
"Okay, one, you're still in your emo phase, and two, Stevie Nicks has a beautiful voice."
"You're right. Fleetwood Mac is classic, I can't argue with that."
"What? You've never liked my music before!"
"How can I not like Fleetwood Mac? Lindsay Buckingham is a genius!"
"Wow, I'm impressed. I guess we don't talk about music all that much."
"No, we don't. We haven't really talked in a while, actually, not like this."
"Not like what?"
"Like this, like sitting at a table by ourselves and just talking with each other. Not about the program or about how Luke has been bitching, but about y'know, what we like."
"I guess."
"Well, I'm glad we're going to Canto Bight. We'll have lots of time to talk there. This was delicious," he said, batting his stomach and setting his fork down.
As Ben flagged down the waitress, Rey looked at her plate. He was right. She hadn't exactly hung out with him, as a friend, in a few years.
He was so close to her, maybe the closest out of anyone, but she was sometimes put off. He was so serious, so honest about life and relationships he was sometimes hard to relax around. However, he was the most considerate person she had ever met. He knew her better than anyone, even Finn. She forgot how funny he was sometimes, how he was actually very insightful and smart. And as stared across at him, talking to someone on the phone, she felt a little guilty for not trying harder to care about him.
Her reverie was interrupted when he got off the phone. "My Mom said Luke's passed out in bed so we have the night off. She said we should go out with the rest of the team if we wanted to. You never did tell me where they were. Apparently they're at a really hip bar, she said." Ben rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go upstairs but you should go."
"Oh, okay. So you're not going to come?"
"Nah, like I said, not my scene."
"I think you should come. You can branch out. Remember we're going to be all together a whole lot in a few months."
"Maybe I'll stop by." With that, Ben tucked in his chair and left. Rey shook her head and followed him.