Music And Silence- A Reylo AU

Chapter 19- One of My Kind

How was it Friday already? Rae's Ben dilemma was as much a dilemma today as it had been at the beginning of the week. Yes, she'd managed to get him to agree to be her plus one to Paige and Wesley's wedding, but that was as far as she'd gotten. The 'don't be subtle plan' had not even started, and Rae was now contemplating on a somewhat regular basis grabbing Ben on his way upstairs or to the kitchen, hauling him into the stationery and supplies cupboard, and just kissing him. At least he'd get the picture, and it wouldn't be subtle. Perhaps she could be that bold with someone else, but with Ben, her nerves kept getting the better of her. Pleasantries were all that had passed between them since the 'be my plus one conversation'. Everything now hinged on Saturday. She was rapidly running out of time. This Saturday was the last night out before Paige's wedding. The following two weekends would be the mad rush of collecting bridesmaids' dresses, making sure Paige's dress was perfect, shoes, cake, sorting out the venue, nails/hair, everything. On top of that, everyone at New Order was snowed under with the work for the StarKiller account. Despite working late, Rae had still failed to get Ben alone long enough and her nerve up enough to carry out Hux's seemingly effortless instruction of 'tell him'.

Rae currently sat biting her lip. It was 6 pm on Friday, and she couldn't do any more work till Monday after the morning meeting as the departments all needed to liaise. Poe and Finn were shutting everything down and packing up to head home. In the gallery above, Ben leaned against the glass, and Hux was pacing back and forth animatedly.

"Didn't get to have a word?"Finn asked.

"No, it's all pinned on Saturday," Rae answered with a sigh as she started to shut her computer down and pack her things away.

"No pressure then." Finn offered.

"Uh, this week has nearly killed me. Thank god it's the weekend," Poe moaned as he approached the pair. "I may join you this weekend."

"Didn't think it was your kind of place," Rae responded as she shrugged on her coat.

"It's not really, but I can have fun anywhere, plus I wouldn't miss watching the show that is you making your move with the Boss; I can't decide if the show is going to be a romance or a horror," Poe responded as they started to head out of the office.

"Thanks for the support," Rae said, giving Poe a friendly shove with her shoulder.

"That's also why I'm thinking of coming: to support you," Poe said, reassuringly putting an arm around her.

"Thanks, man," Rae said, hugging him back.

Unbeknownst to Rae, Ben watched the three of them leave from the gallery. They hadn't had a chance to speak all week, but they were all meeting up at the club tomorrow. For the first time, he felt genuinely nervous, not the normal anxiety he felt with new people and talking, but one in the pit of his stomach. He kept getting the impression that she was trying to say something, yet she hadn't. The looks, their interchanges, everything since last Friday was different, and he hoped it was in the way he thought, but he couldn't be sure. The way he felt about her, he wasn't willing for this to be some fling, some short dalliance. Could he trust that her feelings could change so quickly from Corey to him and be faithful?

"Mate, I'm done. Can we call it a night?" Hux said behind him.

Ben turned to see Hux had face-planted his desk in desperate exhaustion.

"Definitely," he answered.

.......................................................

"Urgh," Rae threw another top onto the pile of rejected outfits, which was now almost her entire wardrobe.

"OK, I'm calling time. I'm coming in," Rose charged into Rae's room, where Rae stood in a state of undress.

"Me too," Phoebe followed suit and gazed around Rae's room in shock, "did a bomb go off?"