As the last embers of the Rebellion begin to fade, Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) and the brave, budding Jedi Rey continue to wrestle with their mysterious connection. Rey remains disgusted by Kylo Ren's murder and darkness, but holds hope that Ben Solo will e...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Rey started to feel melancholy and restless in her hut alone. She hadn't spoken a word or seen Ben the whole day. She could't deny their experiments the night before, though exceedingly awkward, had opened her capacity for desire. In spite of herself, she yearned for more.
At length, the night deepened and she was convinced Ben had given up on the whole thing. Rey prepared for bed, wiping the salt from her body with a damp rag, recalling what a luxury this had been in the desert. She thought again of the new, dear, loyal friends she had left behind to chase her rage and visions, and she gave over to regret for a moment. But when Rey heard soft footsteps outside the hut, her heart jumped and everything else was forgotten. She laid down the rag, smoothed her hair, and twisted a blanket into a decent, temporary dress.
She lingered for a moment at the door frame until she was able to see a hint of Ben's boots behind the door covering. Rey raised the cloth to find Ben standing just as close to her as he had the previous night. Her excitement melted when she looked into his face. Rey imbibed Ben's ruing eyes. When he spoke, her belly lifted with desire.
"I need a teacher," said Ben.
He looked so pathetic, Rey had to fight a smile.
"You weren't listening the first time," she said.
Already perplexed, Ben swayed his shoulders to walk away, and Rey took hold of his fingers. He turned to face her with surprised hope, like a fly in a web, not sure whether he should beg for freedom or a quick death.
"Will you do better?" she asked.
Determined, Ben cradled her jaw in his free had. He paused for a moment to recall how she had kissed him the night before with great relish. Then, he lowered his face, softened and wet her lips, then kissed her deeply. Rey inhaled through her nose, her eyes fluttered, and she clawed his shirt into both of her fists. Then, she broke away and exhaled slowly.
"How long can you make that last?" said Rey.
Ben slid the pads his fingers down either side of her throat.
"As long as you want," he said.
Rey stepped aside and let Ben into the hut. The cloth fell, finally leaving them alone again.
Once he reconciled with himself that the encounter would be solely for her pleasure, Ben noticed his natural talent for observation turned easily to the matter of ciphering Rey. He noticed things he had never marked before, like the shy way she covered herself and slinked away from him, bashful and modest. Logic alone would have told him she was afraid of him, but she had just rewarded his boldness with entry. Ben treated what could be awkward moments with Rey as he would a session with a Jedi master, combing the silence for lessons.
He turned his mind to Rey's perspective: to be entered. Literally penetrated. He remembered how unpleasant it had been to have Snoke in his head, twisting his psychic tendrils into Ben's vulnerability, at times, just to watch him shudder with humiliation. This parallel alone taught Ben a compassion for men-loving women that he never forgot the rest of his life. Ben may have allowed himself to wallow again in the embarrassment of his bumble the night before, but Rey did not invite him in to punish him. Logic and intuition combined with this insight, and Ben drew to the only possible conclusion—Rey was asking to be coaxed. She wanted to know, if she could totally open to him, would she be safe? Ben suddenly couldn't wait to prove his father right.
