Keep Him There

Sweetheart

Only one thing stood out to Ben Solo as his ship dropped from hyperspace. And that was the crowd.

Hundreds of crafts lined the atmosphere, all heading towards the surface. As he and Rey followed them, he began to notice that the fleet his order had pursued for years was actually not a fleet at all. At least not by military standards.

Most of the vehicles were actually just old freighters, not in any way related to the war. And even without those standards and without regulation, they had still managed to wipe out the Sith fleet.

He marveled at the sight of so many being united under the same cause his mother started.

The same one he'd tried to destroy.

"You're not that man anymore." Rey whispered through his mind, "You can move on now, I'll help you."

Having already come so far from the broken boy he'd been, Ben nodded. He was strong enough, just as the memory of his father said. And if Rey believed in him even when he gave her nothing to believe in, then he could believe in himself too.

"Here goes nothing." he replied, following her ship in. Ben started to see masses of people as they got closer to the surface, some kissing, some hugging, some dancing, and still others running to find their loved ones. Thankfully, Rey led him to a smaller and more secluded landing platform. Like on Exegol, they set down side by side.

Ben's fingers had hardly reached to open the canopy when Rey's smiling face greeted him.

"I'm not going to have you try and climb out by yourself." she said, grabbing both his forearms. With her help, he cautiously moved to stand on the wing of the ship. From there, Rey jumped to the ground, leaving Ben atop the ship.

"Do you trust me?" she smirked, raising her hands up to him.

"Rey, I'm likely a whole foot taller than you, you can't be planning to catch me."

"Not alone I'm not," she countered with a huff, "Do you trust me?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Then jump."

And Ben did, stepping off of the craft into the air. He didn't fall, but was held aloft by the Force.

He looked to Rey, whose eyes were closed tight in concentration. She slowly lowered him the last few feet to the ground, releasing him only when he was inches from it.

Immediately after she did, she shot around his side to take his arm over her shoulder. Ben looked at her determined face, admiration building in his chest. He couldn't look away, she was so beautiful.

Her gaze snapped to his, more than likely conscious of his stare.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Why not?" he challenged, a little hurt by her command.

Rey softened, placing her free hand on his fallen face, "Because I need to take you to the medbay, not stare into your pretty eyes all day long."

"Pretty, huh?"

"Oh come on flyboy, into the medical center." she said and started in its direction. Ben walked alongside her, grateful that she was there to navigate him through the celebration.

He kept his head down as they neared the heart of it, praying that no one would recognize him without his mask. Most beings seemed confused as they passed, probably curious as to why Rey was helping a strange man across the base.

They had nearly reached the medbay when a little BB unit shot in front of them, stopping Rey in her tracks. Ben recognized it as the droid that once carried the map leading to his uncle.