All of the Stars - Reylo

Chapter Five

Chapter Five:
I'm With You.

Rey

   I rang out the cloth into the small pot below it. After I decided it was good enough, I walked across the cool floor to where Ben was sitting on a bench. We were stowed away in one of the private quarters, my private quarters to be exact. I gently dragged the cloth against skin, which was coated in dirt, blood and cuts. I took my other hand and tucked it under his chin, steadying his head. I was careful to not harm him. My mind started to wander as I rubbed my thumb along his skin. "Ah." He winced slightly, pulling his head away.

   I immediately pulled my hands from his face. "Ben, I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

   "You don't need to apologize to me." He said calmly, taking my hand and pulling me back to him. His smile warmed my heart. It was the greatest feeling in the world to see him smile. "You can continue, if you'd like." He gave my hand a small, reassuring squeeze. We began again, reassuming our positions. "Is it bad?"

   I shrugged a bit. "It's small, but deep." Of course I could just attempt to heal him with the force. This just felt more intimate. I couldn't resist it. "Do you want me to just heal it?"

   Ben ran his fingers through his hair, catching my attention from the corner of my eye. "No, this is good." He looked to my eyes now, immediately smiling as they locked. It was contagious. I couldn't help but smile every single time he did. He captivated me with that one smile. I rubbed it gently again, causing him to wince once more and for me to drop the cloth. "Maybe you can heal it now." He said with a small, playful laugh. Humor looked good on him.

   I gently placed my fingertips to his cut, looking him in the eyes before I shut mine. This wasn't what I thought it would be. My vision was filled with flashes of moments of a life... it just wasn't mine. Pain filled my soul. They went by so quickly I could only decipher a few moments. I saw Luke standing over me, lightsaber in hand. The green blade swung down at me. Then I saw Supreme Leader Snoke, inches from me. He held my face and spoke, but I couldn't quite make out what he was saying. It made me feel powerless, small. I saw Han Solo again. We were standing together on a bridge. The silence broke by the sound of a saber, which caused me to look down at the red beam inside of him. I saw myself this time. I was yelling, screaming at him. Murderous Snake. Monster. Over and over again. Lastly, I saw myself again, laying on the cold ground of Exegol. Dead.

   This life was not mine. It was Ben's. The next thing I saw was Ben's face. The cut was gone, but I had never seen him look so concerned. "Rey..." He took my hands in his own, steadying them. I didn't even notice I was trembling until he did. Ben pulled me closer to him gently, wiping the tears I didn't even know I had from my cheeks. "I'm so sorry." He sounded mortified.

   "I saw it..." I said, my voice shaking as much as my body. "Your pain, I saw all of your pain." Time stood still. Shame covered Ben's face and he looked down at his feet. This only made me cry harder, of course. I tilted his head up gently. His face met and matched mine. Two faces filled with pain, tears rolling down each of their cheeks. "Ben, do not be ashamed." I spoke sterner than I wanted to, but he needed to know. "You are not who you were. Not anymore. You're no monster."

"I always will be. You saw yourself." Looking at him feeling so helpless shattered my heart into millions of pieces. I wish this whole force healing thing could heal the pain of his past. I wish I could bare the load. Happiness is all I wanted for him. "You said so yourself." He said shamefully, seeming to regret it as soon as the words left his mouth. And he was right.

"None of us are who we were before." It wasn't a lie. I was a lonely scavenger on Jakku, searching for myself. Now I have so much more. Right in front of me. "I forgive you. I know who you really are, Ben. You're a good man. I'm with you."

Ben

Every day I learned something new about this dyad. Today, Rey could feel my pain. I was overcome by shame. Although she knew the most of it, I didn't want her to experience it. I wanted to spare her, shelter her. It was too late. "I forgive you. I know who you really are, Ben. You're a good man. I'm with you."

I'm with you. In the end, Rey's feelings were the only ones that mattered to me. "I'm grateful. For you." This got a small smile out of her, only making my heart skip a beat. "I'm with you."

Rey slid her arms around my neck gently, pulling her body to mine, embracing me. I wrapped my arms around her small figure. I allowed myself to relax in her arms. "I'm really glad you came with me. I thought you might avoid coming." Who could blame me, really?

"Well, this wasn't the number one planet on my list to visit, but you wanted me to come. So I came." I'd follow her anywhere. If she wanted to leave, I'd go in an instant.

   "Just because of me?" She pulled away to look at me now.

   "You know it's just for you." Everything I'd do from this point out would be for her. Every damn thing. "I'll go anywhere with you." She flashed a radiant smile, gently resting her forehead against mine. This was what I'd been waiting for all my life. This feeling, this moment... this person.

   "So..." She said brushing her fingers gently through my hair. "You'd go anywhere with me, from my understanding, correct?" A smile remained plastered on her face. I wished it would never go away.

   I felt a tug at the corner of my mouth as my lips formed a playful smirk. "That is what I said."

   She backed away from me now, holding onto my hand as she looked at me. "Well then. Are you up for an adventure?"