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[nick--knack]

accidentally typed "trench kiss" instead of "french kiss". anyone wanna hold hands and kiss in a muddy hole full of rats as bullets and grenades and artillerary shells fly over our heads?

[gonnaregretthisgf]

Very specifically the plot of The Gorge.

[lilenee-deactivated20260315]

[sushigirlali]

No Body, No Crime - Part V (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI (Coming Soon!)

Summary: Assassin!Rey Palpatine is on her first mission for the evil Darth Sidious. The goal is simple: kill Prince!Ben Solo by any means necessary.

Pairing: Rey + Ben Solo

Rating: E

Continuity: Canonverse AU

A/N: I think it’s time for a heart to heart between our favorite wannabe assassin and public servant!

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

No Body, No Crime - Part V

By: sushigirlali

——————

Exegol Time

Unknown

——————

Rey marched toward the throne room, throwing the doors open with a wave of her hand. “What am I doing here?” she demanded of the shrouded figure looming before her.

“Welcome, granddaughter,” Darth Sidious said, sitting calmly on his dark, jagged throne. “Thank you for accepting my invitation to come home.”

“This isn’t my home!” Rey crossed her arms. “And what invitation? I just woke up here! But I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d stoop to kidnapping.”

“You’ve done well, my child,” he said, ignoring her interruption. 

The statement was chilling, but wrong. Everything was wrong. She should be taking comfort in Ben Solo’s arms right now, not hugging herself like a scared child before her abuser.

“I haven’t!” she refuted. “I didn’t complete your mission! I didn’t do what you wanted!”

“Oh, but you have. You will.”

“No!” He was lying, he had to be. But how the hell did she get here? And where was Ben?

“You’re seconds away from killing him even now,” he told her enigmatically. 

“Wait—what?”

“Sleeping within arms reach of you?” Palpatine motioned toward her. “My weapon? Tsk tsk, what a stupid boy, letting his cock lead him instead of his head. He had to know that I could control you.”

“No, you can’t,” she denied.

“Of course I can. Why else would I have sent you, my useless progeny, into the den of my enemies,” he said cooly. 

“No. You’re lying!” Rey yelled. “I don’t believe you!”

“Let me show you, then.” Palpatine moved unnaturally fast, closing the distance between them in a blink. 

Rey jumped backward, but his grizzled hand had already pulled the poison jade spike from her hair. There was no way he should have been able to do what he just did, given his decrepit state, and yet… 

“This isn’t real,” she realized. Looking around, the room began to almost ripple, like the mesh of reality was barely holding together.

“Your mind makes it real,” he said, twirling the hairpin in his spindly fingers. “Nightmares are reality for our kind.”

“Our kind?” But she wasn't his kind , she wasn’t a typical Force-user. She was part of something bigger, something special and rare. “Ben is my kind, not this monster.”

She could feel his influence now, parse it out from her own thoughts. It was different from when Ben’s mind merged with hers, from the feeling of unity he inspired. Palpatine’s invasion was all one-sided, toxic and intrusive.

He was trying to compel her to complete the mission through her dreams, but she had something he didn’t: a dyad. A buffer to outside interference. A layer of protection Darth Sidious could never comprehend or penetrate. 

Concentrating hard on Ben, on their connection, on everything they had shared over the last few days, she suddenly felt his body under hers, his breath puffing against her cheek. He was alive, in their bed. Waiting for her.

“I’m not like you,” she said firmly, soaking up Ben’s warmth through their bond, willing her mind to return to her body, to him. “Only you’re too stupid to see it. You won’t survive this—survive us.”

“What are—”

“Goodbye, grandfather.”

“No!”

——————

Hanna City, Chandrila

Early Morning

——————

“So much for dreamless sleep.”

Rey opened her eyes, breathing hard as the dark shadow was purged from her mind. She was straddling her lover’s waist, pressed closely to his front, and the poisonous hairpin was hovering inches from his pale neck. Her fingers shook as she carefully moved her hand away, clicking the needle closed before hurling it across the room. 

That was close. Too close.

Rey settled back down on Ben’s chest, feeling several emotions all at once as his arms looped around her waist: fear, relief, possession, they all blended together into a storm of anxiety. 

“What the fuck was am I going to do?”

As if sensing her disquiet, Ben pulled her tightly against him, one hand cupping the back of her neck while the other smoothed over her bare ass. He unconsciously squeezed her butt and Rey had to fight back a snort of laughter. Here she was worrying and he was getting frisky. Still, it comforted her that he felt possessive of her too. 

Nestling her head between his shoulder blades, Rey rested her lips against his jaw and allowed sleep to take her once more.

——————

Noon

——————

Ben tried not to be too concerned as Rey quietly allowed him to lead her across a grassy field some distance away from the city. The land belonged to a friend of his mother’s and he knew it well, having often set off on grand adventures into the wilderness as a child. Supervised by his family’s droids, of course.

And although he was a man now, with the burdensome responsibilities of an adult, every so often he would still trek out to his favorite secluded spot, which boasted a beautiful waterfall surrounded by ancient trees and wildflower fields tall enough to hide in. Horizontally, at least. His height made disappearing a little less feasible nowadays.

Rambling. He was rambling in his own head because Rey had been subdued all morning. Something had happened between the intimacy they shared last night and waking up clinging together this morning. He just didn’t know what it was, and was too polite, and frankly scared of pissing her off, to bring up her sudden silence directly.

Grateful that official activities had been canceled again today, even though it meant the war effort was likely ramping up, Ben hoped the refreshing scenery would help to lessen the strain on Rey’s pretty face. Maybe he could massage her shoulders or feet or something? Work out that perceptible tension coursing through her slim body…

“You just want to get your hands on her again,” he chided himself. 

True, but he also wanted to take care of her. She’d been alone for all intents and purposes for her entire life; and an entire planet full of sith cultists did not count as glad company as far as he was concerned.

“Ben, what’s that?” Rey interrupted his musings, her tone uneasy.

Recognizing the telltale sound of water crashing on rocks, he quickly set her mind at ease. “There’s a waterfall nearby.” 

She brighted, looking around intently. “Oh!” 

Smiling at her childlike delight, Ben reached for her hand. “Not much longer now,” he promised. “I have a surprise for you.”

“A fun surprise?”

“I hope so! I used to come here a lot as a child. No one but me and our droids C-3PO and R2D2 know about it. Well, and now you will, of course.”

“Really? So, it’s like a secret?” she said eagerly.

“Yeah,” he confirmed, squeezing her fingers. “It’s a beautiful spot; a small piece of paradise I wanted to share with you.”

“You’re beautiful,” she blurted.

He stopped in his tracks, surprised by the compliment. “Thank you,” he blushed. “And so are you. You’re beautiful. Stunning, actually. But you probably already know how much I… um…”

Rey looked like she wanted to tease him, but thought better of it. “So, how much longer?” 

Ben wondered what she had been about to say, but didn’t want to press it now that she was smiling again. “Uh—it’s just here, actually.”

She took off excitedly, tugging him along toward a thicket of trees that looked like the entrance to a tropical jungle. “I’ve never been in a forest before!”

“It’s not so much a forest as an oasis,” he chuckled.

“What’s an oasis?”

“Close your eyes,” he whispered, like he was telling a secret, “and I’ll show you.”

She readily did as he asked, and Ben felt the weight of her trust in his bones. Placing a kiss on the back of her hand in his, he used his free arm to pull a large palm frond back and allow her to pass into the hidden gully. 

“Now?” she asked.

“Now.”

“Wow!”

The verdant foliage formed a ring around a small cliff at the base of a large rolling hill. Just above the waterfall was a crystalline lake, filled with fish and other aquatic creatures that sometimes journeyed down into the pond below. The clear blue water was about four feet deep, surrounded by a carpet of clover. 

Ben smiled as he spotted the picnic his cook had organized for their trip, a lovely taupe blanket ladened with baskets of food and jugs of fruit juices and wine. The matching pillows looked plush and comfortable and Ben couldn’t wait to enjoy the ambiance with his companion.

“Oh, Ben,” she sighed happily, hazel eyes darting everywhere, cheeks flushed with pleasure. 

He’d never heard that tone from her before, nor witnessed the pure joy radiating off her. Ben’s heart skipped several beats, knowing he’d made the right decision in bringing her here. From what he knew of her homeworld, there was no greenery or sunshine or lazy afternoons spent in good company to revitalize the spirit.

“Would you like to sit?” He motioned toward the picnic.

Her eyes widened as they always did around food. “Yes!” 

Ben walked her to the edge of the blanket, then stooped to remove her shoes. This time he’d gifted her a long, bright blue dress topped with a navy poncho. Intricate designs etched the edges of the thin fabric in warm yellow and orange and cool white. It was a simpler outfit than most his grandmother owned, but still beautiful.

He was dressed more casually than usual, wearing dark crimson pants, a beige button up shirt with sleeves pushed to his elbows, and a dark blue vest. The ensemble was similar to those his father favored, but Ben only wore when he knew he might get dirty; he much preferred the fashions of his mother’s house.

“What are you doing?” she said curiously as he lifted the hem of her dress and cupped her ankle.

“We don’t want to track dirt on this nice blanket,” he answered, lifting her foot onto his knee. The buckles holding her low boots were easily undone, so it only took a moment to discard them. Releasing her, he removed his boots as well.

“That is quite nice,” she said, squishing her feet into the blanket. 

She looked so beautiful, so happy, so free in that moment that Ben couldn’t contain the love he felt for her any longer. Moved closer to her on his knees, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his cheek against her stomach. 

“Ben?” she gasped, hands threading into his dark hair.

“I love you,” he said softly. He wanted to look up, to see her expression, but he was scared. “I know you’ve only just learned of my existence, that we’ve only just met in person, but… for me it’s been a lifetime.”

“What… what do you mean?” She sounded hesitant but not unreceptive to his words.

“I’ve dreamed about you for as long as I can remember. I felt your birth, your childhood struggles, your teenage hopes and dreams being crushed year after year. When you were older, I wanted to come to you, to show you that someone loved you, but I waited. I waited for you to come to me, to free yourself because I knew we couldn’t be together any other way.” He took a steadying breath. “But I could have come for you, I should have. Not as the other half of my soul, my dyad, but as a fellow human being in pain. But I took the excuse of predestination to ensure we’d end up here together. It was selfish and I–”

“Ben.”

He did look up at her then, surprised by the evenness of her tone. “Yes?”

“Ben, you can’t love me.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because I’m dangerous, because I’m more of a weapon than a person. I could list a hundred reasons, but there’s only one that truly matters.”

Dread filled his heart. “And what reason is that?”

——————

Rey stared into Ben’s dark eyes, feeling his pained expression like a blow. She knew what she had to do but she didn’t know if she had the strength to do it.

“Say it. Say you don’t love him. Crush him, make him leave you, and… save his life.”

But she couldn’t do it. Her lips moved, but no words came out. She may not have dreamt of him for two decades, but her shared dreams with him every night since meeting had been revelatory. Hell, even their waking hours felt like a daydream. 

Over the last few days she’d worked with him, laughed with him, shared meals and even her body with him. She knew him, and he knew her, including her laundry list of flaws. 

And he still loved her…

“No!” Rey pushed hard against his shoulders, causing him to let go of her waist and topple backward on the picnic blanket.

Stunned, he lay unmoving on his back, staring up at her. 

“You don’t know,” she started shakily, “you don’t know what almost happened last night. What will happen someday if we stay together.”

“Rey, what happened?” His voice was hushed, as if afraid to scare her off. What a joke. 

She shook her head, suddenly wishing she had kept her mouth shut. If he was selfish for leaving her with the Sith so they could be together then so was she for wanting to hide her nightmares.

“Rey,” he said pleadingly. “Please.”

“I–I almost went through with it.”

He titled his head, as if his hearing was suddenly fuzzy. “What do you mean?”

Rey pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. “I almost killed you,” she admitted. Her stomach clenched at his disbelieving expression. 

“When? With what? With–oh.” Ben pulled something sharp from his back pocket. 

“Be careful with that!” 

“It’s okay,” he tried to sooth. “I know what it is.”

“You know?” she whispered. Sitting hard on the blanket at Ben’s feet, Rey covered her face with her hands. The needle in her mind was strengthening, making it hard to open her eyes without wincing.

“Rey, are you alright?” He dropped the pin by one of the picnic baskets and moved closer.

“No,” she gasped, rubbing her eyes. They were wet.

“Rey, let me–”

“Stop! Stay away from me!” She held out her hands, trying to ward him off. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

But he ignored her, closing the distance between them to pull her into a warm embrace. “Never,” he said firmly. 

Rey felt ice slide down her back, heard a chuckle in her ear. But it wasn’t Ben’s warm laughter. “Ben, no! He’s trying to–he wants to control me!”

“He can’t,” he murmured, stroking her back. “You’re stronger than him. And we’re stronger together. I love you.”

“Ben,” she groaned, sinking into him despite knowing she should resist. “I almost killed you last night. He was in my head, he almost made me… Ben, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Tears suddenly poured down her cheeks, expelling long repressed emotions and the stress of the last few days, expelling the noxious presence trying to take over her mind.

Ben pulled back to ghost his lips over hers, gently cupping her cheeks while he sipped her tears and kissed her pain away. “It’s okay, you’re not alone.”

She sighed into the next pass of his lips, loving the soft, insistent way he was touching her. “Neither are you,” she vowed.

He kissed her for long moments, not lustfully like before, but sweetly. Lovingly. 

“You can fight him,” he insisted when they finally parted, “I know because I’ve been there and you’re a hell of a lot stronger than I was at your age.” 

“You–what?”

He smiled sadly when she pulled away. “Rey, he’s tried this before. And he failed.”

——————

Ben told Rey about his childhood, delving into his nightmares and sleepless nights. Into the way his personality was affected, changed, by the darkness stirred within him by Darth Sidious. It was always him. Since his grandmother and grandfather were young, all the misfortune that had befallen the Skywalker family could be pinned on one man.

“But he didn’t win then and he won’t know,” Ben concluded confidently.

“Your grandparents,” Rey frowned. “They both…”

“Yes,” he said sadly. “I never got to meet them. My mother and uncle did meet my grandfather, but… he was saved, in the end. He did the right thing.”

“And you? How did you escape Sidious?”

“My uncle,” Ben smiled. “Luke could tell what was happening and he helped me open up. It was… difficult. But he helped me banish the darkness. Or control my darker instincts, at least.”

“How?” Rey looked hopeful.

Ben pulled his lightsaber off his belt and held it out to her.

“What?” 

“Take it.”

“I can’t!”

“You can.” Ben took her hand, wrapping her fingers around the thick hilt himself. “Now ignite it.”

She stared at him, aghast. “Why? A killer is trying to possess me and you hand me this?”

Ben couldn’t help it, he laughed out loud. “Just turn it on and you’ll understand.”

Chewing her bottom lip, Rey held out his weapon like it might bite her, then gently clicked it on. “Ben, I don’t–what the Force?!”

Smiling as her shocked eyes studied the amethyst blade, Ben knew she’d see the light at last. 

“It’s purple,” she said, nonplused. “Like mine.”

“Of course.”

“Because we’re one, because… we’re a dyad.”

“Yes.”

“And my energy…”

“Is yours, but also mine, also ours,” he said softly. “The energy surrounding us exemplifies everything you and I are, separately and together.”

She looked deep into his eyes. “And who am I?”

“Whoever you want to be.”

“I want to be… yours,” she admitted quietly.

Ben felt a weight lift off his heart. “You are, as I am yours.”

“I love you, Ben,” Rey said at last, placing both hands on his shoulders.

“I lo–ha!” Ben laughed as she pushed him onto his back again. “I love you, Rey,” he finished.

“I know,” she said, moving to straddle his hips with a sly smile. “Now show me how much.”

——————

A/N: So yeah, gonna be a sixth part I guess! This chapter was not what I had planned originally, but I wanted to flesh out the story a bit more before jumping into more sexy times (and the conclusion of this tale). Believe me, I am also shocked lol Until next time!

[sushigirlali]

Bad Idea Right? - Part III (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III (Complete!)

Summary: Rey Niima realizes she may not be over Ben Solo when Hux’s social media posts show her ex-boyfriend may be moving on at Poe’s Halloween party. Donning a matching costume purchased before their breakup, Rey decides to stop running and confront him. Horny Halloween hijinks ensue!

Pairings: Rey/Ben, Rose/Hux, Finn/Poe

Continuity: Modern AU

A/N: Hope everyone had a great October! Spooky season may be “over,” but Rey and Ben still have to do the scariest thing of all: talk about their feelings 😱 Thanks for the nice comments, I really appreciate the encouragement 🥰

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

Bad Idea Right? - Part III

By: sushigirlali

——————

Boston, MA

Saturday, November 1

——————

Yes, I know that he's my ex, but can't two people reconnect?

"I only see him as a friend," the biggest lie I ever said

——————

The next morning, Rey woke to an annoying, repetitive buzzing. Slowly lifting her head off of Ben’s shoulder, she blearily looked around for the sound, but couldn’t see much in the dim room. After removing every stitch of clothing from both their bodies and making slow, sweet love to her a second time, Ben had remembered to close his heavy black curtains before they went to bed. Even after two months apart, he knew how much she liked sleeping in.

Pressing a kiss to his chin, Rey smiled down at him. He hadn’t given up on her. He still loved her, she knew it. 

Buzz. Buzz.

Sighing deeply because she knew she deserved the rude awakening after what she’d put Ben through, Rey carefully lifted the arm encircling her waist and slipped off the bed. Ben stirred at her absence, turning to clutch her pillow, but didn’t wake. 

Grinning like an idiot at his unconscious possessiveness, she went about identifying where the sound was coming from. She vaguely remembered tossing her purse aside before Ben blew her damn mind…

Buzz. Buzz.

“Ah ha!” she said quietly, squinting her way to the black crossbody on the floor with her phone in it.

Removing the device, she shut off the annoying 9 a.m. alarm. Glancing at the current time–10:31 a.m.–Rey realized she was going to be late for brunch with her friend. “Oh, shit. Whoops.”

Sending off a quick text before dashing into Ben’s bathroom, she took a quick shower using his sandalwood scented body wash (no wonder he always smelled so good), borrowed his comb to get the kinks out of her hair (from his fingers last night), and then entered his walk-in closet to try and hunt down something to wear that wasn’t a soiled cheerleader uniform (no regrets). But it didn’t take much of an expedition to find an outfit as he had apparently kept some of her things during their temporary breakup. 

Shimmying into a simple black sleeveless dress and another set of expensive lacy underwear, she raced back into the bedroom to grab the white socks and sneakers she had worn with last night’s costume. Outfit complete, she glanced toward the bed to see if Ben was still sleeping.

“I really tired him out, huh?” she thought smugly. “Well, better leave a note in case he wakes up before I get back.”

Going over to the small reading desk in the corner, she pull out a sheet of paper and a pen and wrote: 

Went to brunch at Frenchie with Rose, will be back later. Love you. - R

Impulsively adding a few little hearts to the note, she left it on his desk and skipped down the stairs. They still had a lot to talk about, but Rey was confident that after last night there was no getting him out of her system or vice versa. Therefore, in her newly minted opinion (free from the fear of rejection), they were stuck together forever.

But first: brunch.

——————

Oh, yes, I know that he's my ex, but can't two people reconnect?

I only see him as a friend, I just tripped and fell into his bed

——————

Rey was amused to see that Finn and Poe had joined Rose at this thinly disguised interrogation over mimosas. Regardless of their intentions, it was probably for the best since she really needed to come clean with her closest friends. Ben’s reputation had been questioned because of her actions and, now that she had her head out of her ass, she needed to set the record straight.

“Hi, friends,” Rey smiled, dropping down into the seat they’d saved her.

Rose tapped her watch. “About time, babe.”

“Sorry, I totally missed my alarm.”

“It’s fine,” Finn said, defending her as always. 

“It’s not, but it will be.” Rey paused as the waiter came by to take her order. She always got the same thing: eggs Benedict with fruit and bottomless mimosas, but today she was feeling adventurous. “Can I get the spicy breakfast burrito and a bloody Maria?”

The waiter jotted it down and left to fill her order.

Turning back to the table, Rey drew up short at their stunned expressions. “What?”

“Are you… okay?” Rose asked slowly. “You always order the same thing here.”

“I felt like a change,” she shrugged. “And don’t worry, I’m actually better than okay. Ben and I are back together,” she beamed.

Poe exchanged a dark look with Finn. “Listen, I know he’s our friend too, but are you sure you want to get mixed back up with him? You’ve been a total mess since he broke up with you and—”

“He didn’t break up with me,” she interrupted, annoyed at the way Poe was talking about Ben. “I broke up with him.”

“What?!” Her friends all exclaimed together.

As they waited with baited breath, Rey steeled her nerves and began to explain. “So, back in August, Ben put together this amazing scavenger hunt all over the city for our anniversary. There were puzzles and anagrams and all manner of silly clues that led to… a question and a box.”

Rose gasped. “Rey!”

“Yeah, he asked me to marry him.”

“You never told us that!” Rose looked upset. 

“Neither did Ben,” Poe said thoughtfully.

“So, what happened then?” Finn asked, confused. “Did you have a fight about the proposal or something?”

“Not exactly. What happened—” Rey stopped again as the waiter placed her food and drink on the table. “Thanks!” she called to their retreating back.

Taking a fortifying sip of her savory cocktail, she continued, “What happened was I let my past dictate my actions and get in the way of my happiness.”

“What do you mean?” Finn leaned in for her answer.

“I know I’ve told you all a lot about my childhood, but… whatever you think happened to me in foster care, whatever you read between the lines, it was worse.”

“Oh, Rey.” Rose reached for her hand and she let her take it.

Rose’s kindness was just another reminder that her fears, while valid when she was a powerless child, were not based in reality now as an adult. She had people who loved her, people who would never turn their backs on her; she had a family now and they weren’t going anywhere.

So, Rey pressed on. “As a result, I have a deep fear of being rejected by the people I most care for and who are supposed to care for me. So, I…” 

She choked up as she remembered the devastated look on Ben’s face when she had refused to marry him and ended their relationship. “Sorry, um… so, I told him I didn’t want to marry him or see him again and left him there all alone and it wasn’t his fault, so please don’t blame him.”

Her friends were silent for a long moment and she had to force herself to stay seated. If not for the passion she had shared with Ben the night prior, she didn’t know if this conversation would have ever happened. Actually, no, she did know. Ben still loving her after breaking his heart was proof that some bonds were strong enough to withstand almost anything.

At least, she hoped so.

“Rey,” Finn spoke first, “I’m not going to say that I fully understand why you treated him that way, you’re both so crazy for the other that it’s almost painful to watch sometimes, but it seems like you’ve really grown in the last few weeks and see that you were in the wrong.”

“Thanks, Finn.”

“Shit, I feel bad for how cold I’ve been to the big guy now,” Poe frowned. “I wish you would’ve told us sooner, but he certainly didn’t help things by keeping quiet too. Not that your relationship is necessarily our business,” he added. “I guess what I’m trying to say is you can confide in us in the future, okay?”

Rey nodded solemnly.

Rose was still holding her hand gently, but there was some fire in her eyes too. “I’m so mad at both of you for being complete and total idiots!” She tossed her long, black hair over her shoulder. “But I guess if you’ve decided to be idiots together again, I can’t stop you.”

“I appreciate it,” Rey chuckled.

“Anything else you need to get off your chest?” Finn teased.

Rey was teary eyed as she looked at her friends. They had been stern but fair, and they weren’t abandoning her. “I love you guys.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Poe drawled. “Let’s get another round. On Rey!”

“Cheers!” Rose and Finn said in unison.

Rey picked up her glass and smiled brightly. “Cheers!”

——————

Oh, yes, I know that he's my ex

Can't two people reconnect?

——————

Thirty minutes and three drinks a piece later, Rey was stunned when Rose threw an uneaten tater tot at her head.

“Hey!” Rey groused, rubbing her forehead. “What the heck was that for?”

Putting a hand to her temple like a migraine was oncoming, Rose handed Rey her cellphone.

Armie: Darling, I need you to get your friend Rey in check. Ben is drinking himself stupid in a shitty public bar and crying over a woman who “doesn’t love him enough to stay” 

Armie: Whatever that means

Armie: Oh, great. I think he passed out

Armie: Well, at least he’s stopped crying

Rey reread the thread several times, totally shocked. “This can’t be real, not after the night I just shared with Ben. Is Hux trying to stir shit up again? Like with Bazine? Rose?”

“Scroll down,” Rose sighed dramatically, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Quickly doing just that, Rey gasped at the photo. Ben’s head was resting on a dirty bar top, surrounded by several empty beer bottles, and he did appear to be quite unconscious.

“I don’t understand!”

“What did you do after you two got back together last night?” Finn wondered.

“We—well, I guess we didn’t say it in, um… words… that we’re back together,” she stuttered. “It was more of a feeling.”

They all sighed at her this time.

“If you two really are back together, couples therapy is clearly a must,” Poe said, more serious than he had been all morning. “Your communication skills are atrocious.”

“Hey, I left him a note before coming here! I’m going back to his place right after this to hash everything out with him!” she said defensively. 

“You left him a note?” Poe said skeptically.

“Yes! With a “love you” and stupid hearts and everything!”

Poe raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “And where did you leave this note?”

“On his desk, where I got the paper.”

“Not on his pillow or nightshade or in front of his damn coffee maker?” Poe continued.

“Oh my god,” Rey groaned, realizing her mistake. “I’m an idiot.”

Rose patted her hand. “That’s what I’ve been saying, love,” she said affectionately.

——————

The biggest lie I ever said

I just tripped and fell into his bed

——————

Slapping two twenties on the table, Rey pulled her phone out and opened a car service app. There was someone nearby who could take her to… where?

“Rose, ask Red where Ben is,” Rey demanded.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Rose said primly.

“I mean—please ask Hux the name of the bar he and Ben are at,” she amended.

Rolling her eyes, Rose sent her boyfriend a short message. He returned it almost instantly, as if waiting for the question. “They’re at that place with the cheap drinks by the bus station where Kaydel rescued a kitten that one time,” she read verbatim.

“Not a name, but luckily I remember where that is.” Rey kissed Rose on the cheek. “Tell your interfering boyfriend I said thanks.” Then she waved goodbye to the boys and dashed out of the restaurant without another word.

“So, who’s gonna text her later to get the tea?” Poe said casually.

Finn and Rose stared at each other for a moment, then launched into a competitive game of rock-paper-scissors for the privilege of butting into their best friend’s business.

“You’re both ridiculous,” Poe laughed at them, “but this has definitely been a Halloween to remember.” 

——————

My brain goes, "Ah"

Can't hear my thoughts

The biggest lie I ever said

——————

She found Ben slumped on the bar Hux had snapped a picture of ten minutes later, out of breath from running for several blocks; the hired car had let her out early after a traffic jam blocked their path. His friend was still there, drinking sparkling water and looking so out of place in his Gucci loafers and pressed suit that it was almost comical.

Ben, on the other hand, was wearing the rocker jeans from last night and a Hellfire Club raglan backwards. “Oh, Ben.”

Moving toward the bar, she tapped Hux on the shoulder to get his attention.

He tapped his expensive Rolex in response. “About time,” he said, prissy as ever. 

“Wow, déjà vu,” she returned once her breathing had regulated, “your girlfriend did the same thing.”

Hux’s expression softened at the mention of Rose. “Did she come with you?”

“Nope, just me. She’s still at Frenchie with the guys.” Rey smirked when he looked crestfallen. “What a simp. I guess he’s not that bad.”

Hux stood from the stool two spots away from Ben and cast him a sympathetic look. “Well, I’m off since you’re here—hopefully to clean up your mess—but I must say,” he turned to glare down at her, “if you hurt him again there will be consequences.”

“Thanks for the warning—and the Instagram post last night and the texts to Rose this morning. They were just the kick in the head I needed to work it out with Ben. You’re a really good friend, he’s lucky to have you,” she beamed.

He looked incredibly uncomfortable at her compliment. “Yeah, well, he needs someone with a modicum of intelligence in his corner.”

Rey chuckled as he left, then turned concerned eyes on the man she loved. She had to fix this, once and for all. For both of them.

“Ben,” she said softly, going to stand beside him. His hair was longer than usual, falling softly over his face where it rested on his bent arm. “Ben, it’s me, I’m here.” His head lifted slowly, groggily, and she saw his eyes were puffy and red. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.”

“What… what are you doing here?” His voice was like gravel.

“Hux texted Rose while I was at brunch with her and Finn and Poe. I only went out with them to explain my part in our—uh—time apart and make sure they knew you weren’t to blame since we’re back together now,” she said so fast she hoped he got it all. “I left a note on your desk,” she added lamely.

He looked absolutely floored. “But—you left. Again. And I—wait, a note? Really?”

She took his much larger hands in hers and locked their fingers together. “Yes. I was just going to brunch, then I was coming back to you.”

He looked like he might cry again. “We’re back together?”

“Yes,” she smiled tremulously. “I mean… as long as that’s what you want too?”

“Of course I do.”

“Good, I’m glad.” A serious understatement because she was relieved as hell he wanted her back. “Can we go home and talk?”

Ben slipped off his stool and pulled her into a tight bear hug, a little clumsily because he was slightly intoxicated, but no less enthusiastic for being so. “I’ll go anywhere you want, just don’t leave me again.”

“I won’t,” she vowed, soaking up his warmth. “I can’t believe I almost lost this, lost him, all because I thought at some mysterious future point he’d get tired of me.” 

Holding him close until he could stand on his own two feet, she promised herself that she wouldn’t make that particular mistake ever again.

——————

My brain goes, "Ah"

Can't hear my thoughts

I just tripped and fell into his bed

——————

By the time they arrived at Ben’s place, he was more sober than not, but Rey still insisted on helping him up the stairs to the bedroom. Ben wasn’t making it easy, however.

“Ben, if you hold me any tighter we’re going to fall back down the stairs,” she said, pushing at the arm clamped hard around her waist. 

“I need to hold you to believe that you’re really here.” He squeezed her against his side for emphasis. “And to make sure you can’t escape again.”

“What you need to do is lie down,” she said sternly, but his blatant desire for her company made her giddy. “I really don’t deserve him.”

“I’m fine,” he countered, wobbling a few steps from the landing.

“Right, you’re totally steady,”  Rey deadpanned. “Let’s just get to the bedroom and—”

He made a frustrated sound. “Rey, you really don’t have to prove anything to me.”

“I disagree.”

“I believe you about the note.”

“I need you to see it,” she mumbled stubbornly. 

They made it to the top of the stairs—finally—but Ben didn’t loosen his hold. “Alright, then show me.”

Moving awkwardly together, they didn’t speak again until Rey positioned them in front of his desk. “See?”

He reached down with his free hand and held the brief note up to read. “The hearts were a nice touch,” he teased after a minute. 

Rey stared up at him, carefully watching his expression. “Do you believe that I wasn’t leaving you again now?

“I believed you at the bar,” he smiled, turning into her body.

She hugged him tightly, resting her chin on his generous pectorals without breaking eye contact. “I’m sorry,” she said simply. “About everything.”

“I know.”

“Thank you for waiting for me,” she murmured. “I panicked when you asked me to marry you two months ago, but I don’t feel that way anymore.” 

“You don’t?”

“Well, I’m still a little worried that you’ll eventually discover you hate everything about me and divorce me and banish me to a life of loveless solitude, but only like”—she held her index finger and thumb slightly apart—“this much.”

“Rey,” he rumbled, “you’re it for me. I knew the moment I met you that I wanted to marry you.”

Tears gathered in her light eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he grinned, dimples popping. “I understand what it’s like to feel inadequate, to feel rejected, you know how it was for a time with my family, but I promise I’ll never make you feel that way. You’re my person and I love—”

Rey practically exploded at his words, climbing him like the tree of a man he was, her arms and legs wrapping tightly around his neck and waist. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” she said like a litany, pressing soft kisses over every inch of his face. “I love you so much, Ben Solo!”

He laughed joyously, easily taking her weight. “I love you too, Rey Niima.”

She quieted then, shyly biting her bottom lip. “I think Rey Solo has a better ring to it, don’t you?”

She would never forget the look he gave her, so intensely loving and hopeful. “Absolutely.” 

“Can we have a long engagement, though?” 

“Whatever you want.”

“And maybe… we should try couples therapy?” Rey said, recalling Poe’s suggestion. She just hoped Ben didn’t take her query the wrong way. “Just to start off on the right foot now that we’re together again,” she added quickly.

But she needn’t have worried. “My parents have a great couples therapist, I’ll ask them for a referral.” Ben looked thoughtful. “I want to share everything with you, Rey, so I think that’s a great idea.”

She kissed him again soundly. “I love you!”

He chuckled under her lips, then moaned as she ground her pelvis against his. “Rey, I only have so much control where you’re concerned,” he warned.

“Sorry, I know you’re still a little drunk,” she said sheepishly. “I just…”

“Drunk? Hell, I’m almost dead sober now thanks to your timely rescue.” He barked out a laugh when she didn’t look convinced. “I’m not drunk. What I am is about ten seconds away from tearing your clothes off, though.”

“Well if that’s the case,” she purred, “I must confess that out of control Ben Solo is my favorite brand of man.”

He exhaled harshly. “Do you want it sweet and slow or hot and fast?”

“You decide, I just want you.”

Ben’s smile was so tender that every worry Rey still had suddenly floated away. “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you, so I’m glad you feel the same way.”

Then he walked her to the bed and proceeded to remove every article of clothing between them, pressing sweet kisses to each of her body parts as they were revealed. He was slow and methodical, stirring her up with his hands and mouth until she was whining and begging for more.

“Ben, please!” Her voice cracked as he inserted a third finger into her opening and curled them upwards.

His eyes locked with hers from between her legs, shining with determination. Sucking her clit between his plush lips, he deftly manipulated her pleasure center, slowing down just before she was about to come, then speeding up again to make the build up to climax last as long as possible. When she finally found release, in what seemed like an eternity later, Rey screamed so loudly the neighbors at the end of the block probably heard her.

But she didn’t care; the orgasm rolling through her was so intense she was nearly incoherent with need. Ben’s name was the only word she could form for at least ten minutes after, but he was patient with her, allowing her to come down at her own pace before making love to her fully. And she loved him all the more for the respect he showed her body. 

“Ben?” she said when she was ready for more.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I want to make love now.”

He pushed her loose sable hair away from her face. “I’m yours,” he said solemnly.

“Damn right you are,” she said heatedly, pushing him onto his back and rolling on top of him.

Rey felt powerful in this position, she always had, but being with Ben like this also spoke to her femininity. Despite her dominance in the moment, he could easily control her if he wanted to. But his huge hands, which spanned her entire waist, were incredibly gentle, as if afraid she’d break if he was too rough with her. It was a heady experience to be both the aggressor and the one being cared for.

Needing to be one with him, Rey sat up for better leverage. His arousal swelled under her, ready and willing to give her the pleasure she sought. Holding his dark gaze, she gently rocked against him, lining his penis up with her entrance. 

“Rey,” he said reverently, palming her upper thighs as his tip parted her creamy folds. “Fuck, you feel so good.”

“And we haven’t even gotten started yet,” she said coyly, so soaked from her recent orgasm that when she lightly bore down on his length the rest of his cock easily slid inside her to the hilt.

They exchanged gasps, clutching at each other for stability. Rey rested her hands on his broad chest, playing with his nipples as he skated long fingers across her sensitive skin to cup her behind. Kneading her curves, he helped set the rhythm of their lovemaking, lifting his hips every time she pressed down to drive his cock as deep into her pussy as it would go.

Rey rose over him again and again, clenching and releasing her inner muscles in time with his strokes. It was the closest she had ever been to another person, and not just because she was riding him bareback. They were communicating the love they held for each other with their bodies, moving in perfect unison, giving and taking in equal measure. It was the most beautiful expression of love…

“Oh!” Rey moaned as Ben released one butt cheek to circle her throbbing clit. She was still hypersensitive from earlier, so even the slightest pressure felt like too much. “Ben, wait, I’m—ah!”

“Fuck, I’m going to—I thought I could last longer, I’m sorry—I don’t want to come without you though.” He flicked her bean faster, pounded into her harder. “Are you close? Rey, I—oh, fuck!”

She dipped her head to his chest to attack his nipples, sucking and licking the hard nubs like he’d done to hers so many times before. She’d never kissed him like this before, but judging by the sudden uneven thrashing of his hips, he liked it a whole lot.

“Okay?” she murmured knowingly.

“Don’t stop!”

Smiling, she took over rubbing her nub while both his hands squeezed her ass. The more she nibbled on his nipples, the more frantic he became. It was pure bliss, watching him lose total control like this. He was desperate to have her, fucking her so thoroughly that she knew they’d both be sore in the morning. 

“Rey!” 

“I’m here, baby, what do you need?”

“Kiss me!”

She was happy to oblige. Lowering her body until her chest was crushed against his, she sank her hands into his thick hair and pulled his mouth under hers. Technique was out the window at this point, so Rey just dedicated herself to devouring him with her lips, her hands, her pussy…

“Ah! Mmm! Yes!” Ben sounded like he might die trying to get close enough to her, dragging her on and off his dick so fast that the resulting friction on her clit from where their bodies were melded together was just the push she needed to go over the edge with him.

“Ben, I’m coming,” she yelped, still pressing sloppy kisses on his mouth. “You can let go, you can come. Fill me up!”

He shouted her name harshly before she had even finished talking, back arching off the bed and snapping his hips to hers one final time. “Rey!” 

Piggybacking off the incandescent wave of pleasure he was experiencing, she happily sailed over the peak with him. Afterwards, exhausted but more fulfilled than she could have ever imagined being, Rey felt smug that it was Ben who needed time to recover this round. 

“I’ve got you, baby,” she said, hugging him comfortingly as he groaned beneath her.

When he was finally able to manage full sentences, he rasped, “Just so you know, I’m never letting you out of this bed again.”

“Maybe… I should move in then?” she said bravely, holding her breath. Never being parted from him again sounded like heaven. 

His eyes widened. “Really?”

“To kick off our engagement, I mean.”

“Rey…”

“It’s not a bad idea right?”

“No,” he smiled, using his wide wingspan to reach into the top drawer of his nightside without dislodging her. He retrieved a small, black box and presented it to her. “Falling into my bed is the best idea you’ve ever had.” 

Rey stared as he revealed the gorgeous white gold ring she’d refused two months ago. The center diamond was large and flawless, with four bands of amethyst stones surrounding it to create a star shape. On the inside of the band, “You’re not alone” was inscribed in swooping cursive writing. The ring was perfect. It was so them.

Without reservation, she held out her left hand and allowed Ben to slide the ring onto her finger. “Thank you,” he said, kissing her hand before wrapping her up in a tight embrace. 

“Thank you,” she returned, tears long held finally escaping restraint. 

Rey closed her eyes, content that the next phase of her life was starting. She couldn’t wait to fall asleep next to him, to wake up with him, to grow old by his side.

She couldn’t wait to stay.

-FIN-

——————

Thoughts (Blah)

Thoughts (Blah)

——————

A/N: I’ve also been listening to 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and All You Had To Do Was Stay definitely influenced this fic too haha hope y’all enjoyed it! Now back to finishing my Assassin!Rey/Senator!Ben fic 😅

——————

Bonus Scene!

——————

Boston, MA Sunday, November 2

——————

Rose: So… 👀

Rey: Yes

Rose: Yes, what?

Rey: Yes, we took loads more nudes and tbh I should probably get a better app for security purposes because they are filthy 🍆🍑💦

Rose: STOP OMG TMI 😵

Rose: Let’s be serious for a sec 

Rose: Are you and Bennie back together?????? Like for real

Rey: Ben says “you can’t keep adding “ie” to everyone’s names and not expect retribution”

Rose: What does that even mean

Rose: I’m not scared of that simp!

Rose: Also answer my question 😤

Rey: So you can report back to those gossips Finn and Poe?

Rose: Maybe

Rose: Tell meeeee

Rose: Reyyyy, my bff, my love, light of my life 

Rey: Stop or Armie is gonna get jealous

Rose: REY

Rey: Well…

Rose: Omg!

Rey: We might be engaged, I might be moving in, we may be about to fuck again

Rose: Awwwww! ❤️❤️❤️

Rose: Wait ugh you just had to ruin it

Rose: But aww! Are you happy?

Rey: Yeah 😊

Rose: Are you about to get plowed like right now or can we chat some more?

Rey: I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Rosie 😛 Give Armie my love!

Rose: Okie, I get it, the “ie” is silly. JOKE’S ON YOU I LIKE SILLY

Rey: Wouldn’t have you any other way. Goodnight 😘

Rose: Goodnight! Tell Bennie I said to take it easy on you 😆

Rey: No, I don’t think I will 🍆🍆🍆

Rose: TMI

Rose: But yeah same over here 🍆🍆🍆

Rey: 🙌

[sushigirlali]

Bad Idea Right? - Part II (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III (Complete!)

Summary: Rey Niima realizes she may not be over Ben Solo when Hux’s social media posts show her ex-boyfriend may be moving on at Poe’s Halloween party. Donning a matching costume purchased before their breakup, Rey decides to stop running and confront him. Horny Halloween hijinks ensue!

Pairings: Rey/Ben, Rose/Hux, Finn/Poe

Continuity: Modern AU

A/N: Happy Halloween, rats!! May I present Part II of my holiday-themed fic, or as I like to call it: Rey, please get it together, babe, you’ve giving Ben whiplash 😵‍

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

Bad Idea Right? - Part II

By: sushigirlali

——————

Boston, MA

Friday, October 31

——————

Now I'm gettin' in the car, wreckin' all my plans

I know I should stop-, but I can't

And I told my friends I was asleep

But I never said where or in whose sheets

——————

A week passed and Ben didn’t text again. She would say he ghosted her, but that wouldn’t be fair. Expecting him to put himself out there again given how badly she’d bungled their chance of reconciliation was ridiculous. She had enough self-awareness to admit it to herself at least. 

So, in an effort to give him some peace, she had decided not to go to Poe and Finn’s Halloween party that night. Although she had broken up with Ben, they still had numerous mutual friends in common and she didn’t want to make the event awkward for him. 

Another mark against her going was that none of their friends actually knew why they had broken up as far as she was aware. She tried to make it seem amicable anytime the topic came up, but she could tell Finn and Rose both low key blamed Ben. It wasn’t fair, but she was too ashamed to give the real reason. 

They all knew about her upbringing in foster care, some of the trials and tribulations she went through, but none of them had lived it. And while her motives behind rejecting Ben’s proposal made sense to her, or they had at the time anyway, she didn’t expect her moderately well adjusted friends to understand.

For his part, according to Rose, Ben’s response when asked about their split was always, “Whatever Rey says happened is what happened.” He was too gracious by far and she didn’t deserve it. Or him. Which was why…

Rey started as her phone dinged loudly. Lowering the volume, she looked at the screen and saw that Hux, Rose’s boyfriend and Ben’s best frenemy, had posted something new on Instagram. Curious, she couldn’t remember the last time the stoic redhead had posted anything, Rey opened the notification.

“What the fuck!” She held the phone away from her like it had bit her. But quickly after, unable to help herself, she pressed on the photo and zoomed in and out on every possible angle. Whitehot anger blazed through her at the sight of Bazine, dressed like Jessica Rabbit, sitting on Ben’s lap, her arm around his shoulders while they laughed about something she couldn’t decipher.

The freeze frame was captioned, “Eddie and Jessica, who knew 👀,” and it made her want to throw things.

“So, he thinks he’s over me, huh?” Rey raged, nearly tripping over a new pile of unwashed clothes on the way to her closet. “He’s wearing our couples costume and he thinks he’s over me? We’ll just see about that!”

——————

And I pull up to your place, on the second floor

And you're standin', smiling at the door

And I'm sure I've seen much hotter men

But I really can't remember when

——————

Rey adjusted her very short green cheerleader skirt, checking that her ass was covered before stepping through Finn’s front door. He didn’t know she was coming, nobody did, and she supposed she should have let her friends know in case some major drama was about to start, but she wanted the element of surprise. She needed to catch Ben off guard to get a real reaction out of him; he was too good at schooling his features otherwise. 

Gingerly twisting the handle, she was relieved when it opened without her needing to call someone to let her in. Pushing the door halfway, a wave of loud club music and strobe lights assaulted her senses.

There was a mass of people moving to the music in the living room, the green velvet couch Finn was obsessed with pushed against the wall to allow for a makeshift dance floor. Cupping her hands over her ears, she slowly walked inside, squinting at the faces before her. 

When she didn’t see Ben, and no one paid her any mind, she moved past the study on her right and into the open concept kitchen. Through the glass doors that led to the patio, Rey could see several of her close friends gathered around a game of cornhole.

Rose and Hux were dressed as western Barbie and Ken (how Rose got her snobby boyfriend to wear such a fun outfit was beyond Rey), Finn and Poe were Spider-Men Miles Morales and Miguel O'Hara, Jannah was Starfire, and Kaydel was wearing a giant, inflatable t-rex costume.

Rolling her eyes as her colorfully dressed friends drunkenly missed shot after shot, Rey backtracked to the hallway between the kitchen and study that led to the back bedrooms. What if Ben was back there with Bazine? Were they already fucking? The thought hadn’t crossed her mind until now, but it sickened her.

In all fairness, it shouldn’t. She was the one who ended things. It wasn’t his fault if he’d found someone else. But after what she and Ben had done on the phone last week? Yeah, no, she was…

“Ben.” Suddenly spotting a talk, dark shadow near the end of the hall, Rey released a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding.

He wasn’t in a dimly lit bedroom with another woman, he was alone in the hallway leading to the guest bath, leaning against the wall with a dejected look on his face. Had Bazine rejected him? Was he thinking about her? She had to know.

Pacing down the hallway, she wrapped her hand around one thick bicep. “Ben, we need to–” 

“Bazine, I said no. I’m not–Rey?” He looked shocked to see her, but not unhappily so.

“Come with me,” she said over the music. 

He didn’t resist when she tugged him into the nearby bathroom and locked the door. She turned on the overhead light and got a better look at him. He was wearing the Stranger Things costume they had picked out together, and he looked damn good in it. The patched vest, tight jeans, and long, wavy wig made him look like a rock god.

She had intended to immediately launch into an interrogation all the way here, but now that she was alone with him again for the first time in months, all she could think about was the other night. His direction, his selflessness, his filthy words…

Without another thought, she dropped to her knees in front of him.

“Rey!” Still shocked. Good.

Looking up at him from under her lashes, she reached for his black belt. He didn’t stop her when she undid it, or when she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, but he did stay her hand when she reached into the slit of his checkered boxers. 

“What is this?” he asked seriously, holding her fingers still when she tried to wiggle them against his hard flesh.

“I would think that’s fairly obvious.”

“Fine, then why?” he pressed. 

“Because I want to,” she said simply.

“Rey.”

“Because Hux posted a pic of you with Bazine and it made me jealous, okay?”

He shook his head as if to make sense of her. “Rey, you made it pretty clear last week that you–fuck!”

His hands went into her hair as she leaned forward to press her lips against the bulge in his shorts. “I want to suck your cock,” she said impatiently. “Are you going to let me?”

Ben cupped her cheeks, staring into her eyes, looking for something. Whatever he found there seemed to satisfy him, thankfully. “Okay.”

Smirking at her victory, she grabbed the waistband of his boxers and peeled them down over his hips, bearing his heavy sex to her eager eyes. “Yummy.” He staggered a little as she circled him with her hands, testing his hardness. “You’re bigger than I remember, heavier,” she said absently.

“Maybe because I haven't…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but she knew what he meant. “Neither have I.”

His expression turned tender, but she wasn’t here for that. She was here to wreck him. Stroking the base of his penis in tight concentric circles, she sucked his fat head into her mouth.

“Fucking hell, Rey!” he yelped, supporting the back of her head with his massive hands. “Baby, you really don’t have to–ahhh!”

She loved hearing him groan because of her, so she sucked harder and tongued his tip like a lollipop. His thickness was a little uncomfortable after not being with him for so long, but she just relaxed her jaw as much as possible and kept going.

“I’m not going to last–it’s been 69 days,” he gasped, trying to pull back. “Rey, please, I’m going to come.” He actually sounded kind of embarrassed by how turned on he was, poor boy. “Rey!”

She giggled around his length and wiggled her eyebrows. “69 days, huh?” 

He seemed to realize what she was so amused about and choked out a laugh too. Then he was swearing and straining against her again, trying to limit his response to a few quick, shallow thrusts. But she was having none of that. She wanted him out of control.

“Baby, please slow down. I’m going to make a mess all over your pretty costume,” he groaned. “You look so hot, I don’t think I can—uh!”

She smiled at his courtesy, but continued to ignore his pleas, focusing on the motion of her hands, the push and pull of her lips, determined to drive him wild. But it didn’t take much more stimulation before his fingers tightened almost painfully in her hair and his whole body shook as he came in her mouth.

Then she barely had time to swallow before he was hauling her to her feet with his hands under her armpits, lifting her onto the counter, and forcing her thighs wide around his hips. Brown eyes so dark they were almost black, he stared at her lips for the briefest of moments before kissing the life out of her.

Their bodies surged together, their hands and tongues everywhere. It was like the first time, it was like coming home. It was…

“Oh!” Rey moaned as Ben’s cock pressed into her wet slit. If she could only get him to move slightly to the left… His lips suddenly lifted and this time she moaned in disappointment. 

Dodging her attempts to bring his face back down to hers, Ben pulled up her skirt. “What–oh, fuck.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Your place?”

“What?”

“Do you have any condoms on you?”

“No, I–Rey, you’re not wearing underwear.” His tone suggested his brain had disconnected from the rest of his body.

“Right. So, your place?” she said again.

He lifted his eyes in wonder, or maybe it was shellshock, but he nodded.

——————

My brain goes, "Ah"

Can't hear my thoughts (I cannot hear my thoughts)

Like blah-blah-blah (blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah)

——————

Rey held his hand all the way to his black mustang and allowed him to open the door and buckle her in. It was like before, they way he took care of her. Smiling stupidly, feeling loopy and weirdly calm, the insistent buzz of her cell interrupted her train of happy thoughts.

Rose: Rey, what the heck? Did I just see you leave with your ex?.

Rey: Maybe

Rose: I thought you weren’t coming to the party?

Rey: Check your boyfriend’s insta

Ben looked sideways at her furious texting. “Everything okay?”

“Fine,” she said blithely. She didn’t care what anyone thought about her relationship–situationship?–with Ben. Not even her best friend.

Rose: I’m going to kill him. He did that on purpose!

Rey: Just realizing that lol

Rose: Look, he’s your ex but he’s also my friend and I know it’s none of my business, but do you think this is a good idea?

Rey: Yes, I know that he's my ex, but can't two people reconnect?

Rose: Are you together again then?

Rey: I only see him as a friend

“The biggest lie I ever said.”

Rose: Rey

Rey: What?

She could practically hear Rose’s annoyed sigh through the screen.

Rose: Can we at least meet for brunch tomorrow and discuss? 

Rey: Sure. Frenchie’s?

Rose: See you there at 11am

Rose: MAKE GOOD CHOICES

She turned back to Ben, amused that his tall form somehow fit into the too small muscle car. It was miraculous, really. He always took up so much space, always weighed her down in bed… “Mmm.” She especially liked it when his big body was on top of hers in bed. “Make good choices?” Rey reached over the middle console to lay her hand on his muscular thigh. “No, I don’t think I will.”

——————

Should probably not

I should probably, probably not

I should probably, probably not

——————

They stumbled into his brownstone fifteen minutes later, but Ben’s sense of urgency was seriously lacking as far as Rey was concerned; she pouted while he made her stay still long enough to lock the door and re-engage the security system. Struggling against the strong arm wrapped around her waist, she tried to turn and kiss his face.

“Still such a greedy little thing, huh?” he said fondly, deftly securing the door before ducking to haul her up over his shoulder.

“Ben!” she gasped, loving his display of strength. And the hand that creeped up her thigh and under her skirt. “That’s the spirit,” she simpered, hanging over his body like a limp scarf.

“Happy now?” he chuckled, kneading her ass.

Rey didn’t know how to answer that, so she stuck her hands into his back pockets instead. 

“Rey!” Ben danced on the spot like she’d jammed him with a hot poker. 

Releasing a peel of laughter, she squeezed his butt cheeks through his jeans. “Have you been working out more, Solo? I don’t remember these buns of steel!”

“Yeah,” he said a little sadly, “I’ve had a lot of time on my hands lately.”

“Well, it’s really paid off,” she replied lightly.

“Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “Are you, um, hungry?”

“Just for your dick,” she said boldly, wanting to sail straight past any awkwardness. “Take me to bed.”

“Fuck, Rey, you’re killing me here,” he complained, but he started moving toward his bedroom all the same.

The trip upstairs was quick and she was happy to see that his bedroom looked the same as it had two months ago when he flipped a lamp on. He even kept the numerous photos of them together, the heavy, expensive looking frames scattered across several surfaces. Clearly, he was about as over her as she was of him.

They really should talk before getting down to business, even if Rey’s natural instinct was to avoid all possibility of rejection. It was clear there was still something between them, that she hadn’t completely ruined everything. But before she could summon the courage to say anything, Ben was flipping her onto the bed and hauling her close to the edge. 

Shrugging off her crossbody purse, which only housed her phone, her keys, a slim wallet, and red lipstick, Rey hurriedly tossed it aside. The only distraction she needed tonight was Ben Solo.

Responding to her eagerness, Ben’s hands cupped the underside of her knees, stretching and bending her legs backward like the photo she had gotten off to a week ago. “Ben,” she whispered unsteadily, the position blatantly exposing her core to his needy gaze.

He looked down at her, sprawled in her green and yellow cheerleader uniform and blonde wig, already flushed and dripping. “I don’t think I can be gentle, the first time.”

“The first time?” She licked her lips. “Okay.”

“Can I fuck you in your costume?”

“Please,” she said enthusiastically, reaching for him.

But Ben captured her wrists and placed them above her head on the coverlet. “No, don’t move. I want to taste you first.”

Rey shook her head, so slick from anticipation that she was already primed to go. “I don’t need–”

“I do.” His eyes were saying incredible things, bright and imploring, wanting, loving…

Rey relaxed on the bed, clasping her fingers together where they still rested above her head. “You can do whatever you want to me, Ben.” 

She saw the exact millisecond he snapped, the switch in his brain flipping from considerate lover to voracious demon, and it was exhilarating. 

Prying her legs further apart to accommodate the width of his shoulders, Ben kneeled on the floor, pulled her close, and jammed his tongue so far inside her that stars burst behind her eyes. This was what she had been missing, what her stubbornness had denied her for weeks and weeks. The instant connection, the burning desire, the overwhelming pleasure only Ben Solo could rend from her body. 

Why had she broken up with him again? With someone who loved her to distraction? Someone who took care of her every need and allowed her to reciprocate without measure? 

Surely she wasn’t stupid enough to lose the man she loved because of a few silly hang-ups. They could work through them, maybe have a nice, long engagement to get her used to the idea. They didn't have to get married tomorrow, just the promise of commitment was enough. Somehow it all seemed so clear now when it had been murky before. 

“Ben, Ben, Ben,” she chanted as he switched angles, distracting her from serious thought.

He growled in response, nipping gently at her clitoris in time with the languid stokes of his tongue. She tried to grind her pussy into his intimate kiss, but he wouldn’t be rushed. Gripping her thighs tighter, he forced her lower body to remain still, single-minded in his pursuit of pleasure. Nobody ate pussy like Ben Solo.

“Ben! Yes! Right there!” 

He zeroed in on the spot that had her screaming, stirring her bundle of nerves until tears were streaming down her cheeks from pleasure so intense it boarded on pain. And then she was coming, gushing fluid into his waiting mouth, straining and whimpering while he held her captive.

What felt like an eternity later, she felt him shifting her body on the bed, tilting her pelvis upward to take him. “Ben?” she whispered, utterly boneless, ready and willing for anything.

“I need to be inside you. Right now.” His face was fierce, and the rocker costume he was still mostly wearing only increased her desire. 

She’d always wanted to roleplay in bed with him but had been too shy to suggest it. But now, with his pants pulled down just enough to free his pulsating need, Rey knew he would be willing to try anything she wanted. 

“I need you inside me,” she echoed, reaching for him again.

He went into her arms willingly this time, planting a knee on the bed for leverage before sinking into her warmth in one smooth motion. They both groaned as he penetrated her, the feeling of completeness bringing more tears to Rey’s eyes.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured, sipping the salty stains off her cheeks, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she sniffed. “Everything is incredibly right.”

Ben rewarded her words by kissing her upturned mouth in long, drugging pulls, sucking on her tongue until she was moaning harshly again. “I love the way you sound when I make love to you.” 

“Ben,” she sighed, wrapping her legs around his waist, wanting to trap him inside her body forever.

His mouth trailed down her cheek to her neck before meeting the edge of her shirt. Huffing at the barricade, he pushed the cheer top and her favorite lacy bralette up to her chin to gain access to her breasts. Ben dipped to capture a stiff nipple and her back arched of its own accord, pushing her small breast halfway into his mouth and choking him a little. 

“Bad girl,” he admonished, lightly biting her tip in playful retaliation, but she found the pressure to be oddly arousing.

“Ben! Oh–I really like that! Bite me again!” He laughed, delighted by her enthusiasm, and did as she asked. “Ah! That feels so good! Ben!”

He went to work on her then, biting and sucking at every piece of flesh he could get his lips on, tunneling his thick cock into her over and over again, reaching for an explosive completion that they could only achieve together. 

“Fuck,” he said, still pumping hard. “Rey, I forgot to put on a condom. I’m sorry, let me–”

“No! Don’t you dare!” She locked her ankles together to prevent him from pulling out.

His pace faltered, but when she squeezed her internal muscles hard around him, Ben’s hips snapped back into rapid action. “Ah! God, Rey! Are–are you sure, baby? I want to protect you.”

“I haven’t been with anyone else and neither have you!” she gasped, so close to coming again she could taste it. “I’m still on the pill, I never stopped taking it in case…” Ben did stop then and the sudden lack of friction was unbearable. “Ben, please!”

“In case what?” He held her down when she tried to lift her hips. “Tell me.”

“In case you called!” she shouted. “In case you still wanted me after–after what I did.”

He was quiet for a moment before picking up the pace again, pistoning his hips like he wanted to brand her. “Okay, but now I’m definitely going to make a mess all over your pretty costume.”

True to his word, Ben exploded inside her a minute later as she clenched hard around him, his release dripping all over her pleated skirt where it was crushed beneath her hips. As he collapsed on top of her, she made a cursory effort to say something romantic, to tease him about his desire for her, but the mind-blowing orgasm she’d just experienced left her mentally and physically depleted. 

Instead, she simply cuddled his dark head to her breast and murmured a weak, “Happy Halloween!” as his heavy body pressed hers into the mattress.

——————

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

Seein' you tonight, fuck it, it's fine

——————

A/N: I had a great time deciding what to make all the characters be for Halloween. I love dressing up for conventions all year, so cosplay is never far from my thoughts 💃 Check back tomorrow for Part III!

——————

Halloween costume reference:

[sushigirlali]

Bad Idea Right? - Part I (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III (Complete!)

Summary: Rey Niima realizes she may not be over Ben Solo when Hux’s social media posts show her ex-boyfriend is moving on at Poe’s Halloween party. Donning a matching costume purchased before their breakup, Rey decides to stop running and confront him. Horny Halloween hijinks ensue!

Pairings: Rey/Ben, Rose/Hux, Finn/Poe

Continuity: Modern AU

A/N: I wrote the outline for this on my phone with speech to text while stuck in traffic and listening to Olivia Rodrigo 😂 Happy spooky season, rats! I was definitely inspired by some reylo/hellcheer Halloween art I’ve seen recently as well 😛

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

Bad Idea Right? - Part I

By: sushigirlali

——————

Boston, MA

Friday, October 24

——————

Hey

Haven't heard from you in a couple of months

But I'm out right now, and I'm all fucked up

And you're callin' my phone, you're all alone

And I'm sensin' some undertone

——————

Rey Niima had a problem. Was it a problem of her own making? Perhaps. But it was a problem nonetheless. 

After swearing off men and dating and love for the last two months, she was lonely and bored and horny. More specifically, she was horny for her ex-boyfriend Ben Solo. It had been exactly 62 days since their breakup (yes, she had been counting), and every night without him was worse than the last. 

The urge to text him was almost overwhelming at times, but she tried to see it as an exercise in control. It made her feel a little better, to have a goal. Even if the goal was to ruin her own life.

Rey blew out an irritated breath, moving her unwashed brown hair away from her face. She really should shower and change after a long day’s work, but she just didn’t care. Flopping down on her bed in an oversized blazer and yoga pants, she wondered whether Ben was thinking about her just then as well. It was hard to focus on things like hygiene and personal needs (beyond what was strictly necessary on a mandatory zoom call) when there wasn’t anyone around to judge you. 

“Or praise you,” she thought wistfully, because Ben used to praise her for the tiniest, sweetest things…

Rolling over onto her stomach, crushing the front of her semi-professional blazer, Rey pressed her face into her battered, space-themed comforter and screamed.

——————

And I'm right here with all my friends

But you're sendin' me your new address

And I know we're done, I know we're through

But, God, when I look at you

My brain goes, "Ah"

——————

The breakup had been stupid, really. Or, she was stupid. 

Near the end of August, on the date of their four year anniversary, Ben had planned an elaborate scavenger hunt for her through the city. And at the end of the trek, there had been a box and a question. 

She could still remember the pain in his dark eyes when she refused him, the slump in his broad shoulders as he balanced on one knee, the quiver of his lips…

Rey pushed her guilt aside and focused on the other ways his lips had made her feel over the years. They were full and plush, with a tendency to hike up on one side when he grinned. And when he kissed her, sometimes she forgot her own name. And when he didn’t stop kissing her until she begged for more, slipping his lips hotly down her cheek, her throat, her breasts, her stomach… Well, she liked those memories most of all.

Stripping out of her house clothes, she tossed them onto an existing pile of dirty clothes by the foot of the bed. Ben would be horrified that they didn’t immediately go into the hamper, but again, he wasn’t around and she just didn’t care. At any rate, it wasn’t like one pile of junk was going to ruin the ambiance of her small, dingy apartment. 

Which honestly just felt like another fitting punishment for breaking Ben Solo’s heart. “Not that I could afford anything better on my own,” she lamented, thinking about the mountain of student loan debt she owed.

Shaking her head to clear it, she went back to disrobing, removing her favorite lace bralette and matching panties and tossing them aside as well. She didn’t even know why she’d bothered to keep the very expensive, yet impractical cream ensemble besides years of childhood poverty making her thrifty. It definitely wasn’t because they were a gift from Ben and he loved peeling them off her.

“Don’t think about… actually, no. That works.”

Rey stretched to retrieve her cell phone from the bedside table and navigated through her contacts to the entry entitled “Ben Solo.” Her finger hovered over the call button for a second, the thought of hearing his deep voice again tempting, but she chickened out. 

“I really should have deleted his number by now, or blocked him at the very least.” But he hadn’t texted or called in 62 days, and she hated how hopeful it made her that he still could.

Closing her contacts, she opened the files app instead and unlocked a folder titled “Gardening Tips 🍆💦” with an extremely long and complicated password. Biting her lip as sultry images flashed before her eyes, Rey leaned back against her second-hand cotton bedspread, which had been washed so many times that the thin fabric felt like silk against her bare skin. 

The first few photos were of Ben’s hands, his long, tapered fingers and calloused palms. Despite his family’s wealth, Ben liked to work with his hands at his firm’s tech lab. He was an engineer, like her, so she understood the need to tinker.

Rey imagined those hands on her body again, running one of her own across her taut stomach to cup one of her small breasts. The pads of her fingers weren’t nearly as rough as his, she usually worked on sketching designs instead of with hard materials, but a picture was worth a thousand words as they say.

“Ben,” she whimpered, flicking through a few more photos before finding some of his face and chest.

He was smiling in a lot of them, something he rarely did around anyone but her, his expression intimate and open. Or, at least, that had been the case when they were…

Zooming in on his chest, she traced the curve of his muscles, the shape of his trim waist, the blush of his nipples, touching herself in each of those locations in turn. But it wasn’t enough.

Backing out into the folder, she skipped down to pictures of his ass, his cock, of them together. “Fuck.” She flushed with arousal at one particular set from the night before they broke up.

Ben was deep inside her, his pubic hairs meshing with hers, his thumb on her clitoris, her body contorted. Every frame showed a different angle of his penetration, from her point of view. 

Lifting her knees, she bent her legs toward her chest, trying to mimic the position, before flipping open the camera app and snapping a few new photos. She wanted to recreate the scene, but it was too difficult to hold the filthy position and touch herself at the same time without Ben pressing down on her hips.

Annoyed, she hit the share button and sent off one of the new full frontal nudes to her man before thinking better of it. 

Then, “Oh, shit. Oh, fuck!” Scrambling upright, Rey stared at her phone in horror. Ben wasn’t her man anymore and she had no right to send him unsolicited sexts. “Fuck, fuck, fuck—FUCK!”

Rey jumped as her screen lit up: Ben was calling her.

——————

Can't hear my thoughts (I cannot hear my thoughts)

Like blah-blah-blah (blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah)

Should probably not

I should probably, probably not

I should probably, probably not

——————

Rey was frozen solid for the first three rings, but on the fourth, she impulsively hit the talk button. Hitting that button meant she’d hear his voice again, it meant he hadn’t blocked her either, it meant… 

“Rey?” he said hesitantly, her name from his lips immediately heightening her arousal. 

Her jaw worked up and down, but no sound came out. She wanted to respond, to keep him talking, but what could she say? Sorry I haven't called? Sorry I’m such a mess? Sorry I ruined our lives? 

“Rey, why did you send me that picture?” 

“I–I’m..”

“Are you still naked?” His tone was neutral, but the question still brought heat to her cheeks.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Did you just take that pic? Is that what your pussy looks like right now?” His voice became gruffer.

“Yes.”

“Are you keeping your curls tidy for any particular reason?” He was stern now, or was it jealous? Maybe a bit of both.

“No,” she said, because, “I’ve ignored every other aspect of my hygiene except a biweekly bikini wax in case you ever wanted to eat me out again,” was insane.

“Good girl,” he said warmly.

Praise. Ben was praising her. “Fuck.”

Rey propped herself up on several pillows, put the phone on speaker, and set it on her chest with the microphone facing her mouth. Using one hand to pull her right leg up and back, the other slid between her legs. “Ben, I’m so wet.”

He blew out a breath. “Fuck, Rey. Do you need my help, baby?”

She nodded but then realized he couldn't see her. Clearing her throat, she said, “Yes, please,” very politely.

“That’s my girl,” he chuckled. Then, with more heat, “Are you touching yourself already?”

“Yes.”

“Where? How are you positioned?”

She told him and he groaned. “I’m so turned on, Ben, but it just isn’t the same without…” She cleared her throat. “What should I do?”

“I want you to run your index and middle fingers over your slit,” he commanded.

She did as he said and sighed into the receiver. 

“That’s it, baby. Do that until you’re so slick my thick cock could slip in without a hitch.”

She pictured him over her, touching her, fucking her. “Oh, god, I am!” 

“You’re doing so good,” he praised. “Now slowly spread your lips and slip your fingers inside.”

“Okay,” she panted, swirling her fingers around her opening before sinking them knuckle deep in her pussy. “They–they're in.”

“How does it feel?” he asked.

“Good. Really good. But I wish it was your fingers, Ben, they’re so thick.” Shit. She shouldn’t have said that.

He choked out his next demand, clearly affected by her statement. “Drop your leg, baby, and use your free hand to massage your clit. If I were there with you, I’d keep you open so wide, but you need to use both hands for me.”

“Okay,” she said, the image of him pinning her down with his big body flashing through her mind.

“Now close your eyes,” he murmured. “Are they closed?”

“Yes, Ben.”

“Picture me while you pump your fingers inside your cunt and rub your clit with your other thumb.”

“Ohhhh!” she moaned, doing his bidding. Her sheath clenched around her fingers as he continued to whisper into her ear, telling her how sexy she was, how much he loved this, how good he wanted to make her feel. 

“Are your nipples hard?”

“So hard!” She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore, she just wanted to please him.

“Is your pussy dripping all over your sheets?”

“Yes!” she screamed, rubbing, straining, curling and twisting her fingers until a flood erupted between her splayed thighs.

Ben talked her through the blinding orgasm, her first since they had parted, until she calmed several minutes–hours?–later. 

“Rey?”

“Hmm?” Rey was breathless, her body tingling and satiated.

“I have to go now.”

Her euphoria shifted into confusion and hurt, which was rich considering he had just helped her get off and asked nothing in return. “Oh, okay. Uh–thank you.” Then, her deep-seeded fear of rejection taking control, she quickly disconnected the call before he could say anything more.

——————

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

Seein' you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?

Seein' you tonight, fuck it, it's fine

——————

Rey pulled her comforter tighter around naked body, trying to smother out the light streaming through her window. During the excitement last night she had forgotten to pull the blackout curtains closed. 

“Ugh,” she grumbled when her phone buzzed a few times in quick succession.

Sticking her hand out of the warm cocoon, she blindly felt around for the device before pulling it back under the covers. Switching the light setting to dim, she read:

Ben: Good morning, sweetheart ❤️‍

Ben: Rey, are we really doing this again? 

Ben: I know what it meant to me, but what did last night mean to you? 

She sighed her favorite word in lieu of doing anything productive. “Fuck.”

Fiddling with the phone, she started texting him back several times, writing and rewriting a positive message, a negative one, something neutral, but in the end she turned it off without sending anything. 

She knew she should respond, that he’d take her silence to mean last night meant nothing, but she was scared. Last night was incredible, he was incredible, and he hadn’t even touched her. Just his voice had reduced her to a quivering mess, bringing back all her memories of them together. Sexual and otherwise.

Rey swore again, frustrated that she hadn’t gotten him out of her system. “It was just one call, idiot. It’s not like you fucked him again.”

But that couldn’t happen. Her dumb heart wouldn’t be able to stand letting him go twice.

——————

Yes, I know that he's my ex, but can't two people reconnect?

"I only see him as a friend, " the biggest lie I ever said

Oh, yes, I know that he's my ex, but can't two people reconnect?

I only see him as a friend, I just tripped and fell into his bed

——————

A/N: I intended for this fic to be a one-shot, but whoops it’s >10K words of feelings and smut. Part II coming tomorrow! Happy All Hallows’ Eve Eve!!

[sushigirlali]

Art Class (Reylo Drabble)

Summary: Rey’s art class heats up when her work rival shows up as the nude model.

Pairing: Rey/Ben

Rating: M

Continuity: Modern AU

A/N: A silly little drabble based on a prompt from Moem on Bluesky 🙂 Check out my new multi-chapter fic No Body, No Crime, where Assassin!Rey is tasked with taking out Senator!Ben and the mission does not go as planned (in a sexy way 😏)

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

Art Class

By: sushigirlali

——————

Couldn’t she have one sacred place all her own?! Rey was fuming, her fingers clenching so tight they threatened to snap her brand new paintbrush.

Ben Solo, her office nemesis, her one great weakness, smirked at her from the dais, keeping her stare as he slowly dropped the cloth covering his crotch.

She knew this was a test, but who would break first? Definitely not her. She was NOT going to look, to satiate her curiosity, to finally get a good look at what lie beneath those expensive, tailored—

“Fuck!”

The whole room turned to look at her, but Rey didn’t think, she simply reacted. She ran.

“Hey, Rey! Wait up!”

She glanced behind her and almost stumbled as a very nude Ben Solo chased after her. His legs were much longer than hers, so it wouldn’t take much for him to catch up.

“Go away!” she shouted, her cheeks burning with embarrassment and… something else.

“Will you just stop for a minute?” Then, softer, “Please.”

He sounded frustrated, but so was she. Quickly running out of hallway, Rey veered to the right. If she could just make it to the side door that led to the parking lot…

“Shit!” She gasped as strong arms suddenly snagged her from behind.

“Now will you listen?” Ben said drolly, holding her struggling form tightly.

She could feel every inch of his chiseled body pressed against her back and butt and thighs and the instant rush of arousal she experienced only made her angrier.

“I’m going to kill you,” she growled. 

“Look, I didn’t think you’d react that way, I didn’t mean to—to embarrass you or anything.”

“I find that hard to believe,” she said bitterly. “You’re always trying to fuck with me.”

He suddenly let her slide down to the floor and turned her in his arms. “Hey!” She grumbled up at him.

“Rey,” he said evenly, “isn’t that kind of our thing, though?”

“What do you mean?” 

His dick was hard against her stomach and, despite her awkward response to his state of undress, she itched to look at it again. Maybe sketch it, maybe touch—

“Ben!” she gasped when he backed her into the door she had been trying to escape through, hands on either side of her head.

“Fuck!” He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, his breath coming in quick, sharp pants. “The things you do to me, woman.”

His tone was giving her impossible ideas, but they couldn’t be true. Right?

“Ben, why are you here?”

“I wanted—I don't know. Maybe to shock you? Impress you?” He lifted his head, his soulful brown eyes staring straight into hers. He wasn’t smirking now. “Get your attention?”

“You wanted me to… see you naked?” He was saying something else, too, but she was having a hard time believing it.

“Vulnerable,” he corrected. His cheek dimpled as he chuckled. “It seems stupid now, but I had no idea you’d react like that. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” She was feeling vulnerable herself. 

Rey had never seen a man without clothes on in person before, and the fact that it was Ben? She blew out a harsh breath. No, she wasn’t ready to admit to anything, least of all that she maybe kinda possibly had a thing for her rival.

“Am I?” He seemed amused. Ben slowly pushed away from the door and she unconsciously arched toward his retreating body heat. “Interesting,” he remarked, letting his hands hang at his sides.

“What is?” Rey barely recognized her own voice, it was so husky.

He backed up another step and Rey’s eyes instantly went to his cock. It was long and thick and rising before her eyes and—

“Ohmigod!” Rey said in a rush. “You have an erection!”

“Glad you noticed,” he said wryly.

“Ben, we’re in class!” 

“At an art studio, for adults,” he laughed. “Don’t be so scandalized. Nobody here works at our office and I won’t tell anyone.”

“You won’t?” This whole incident seemed like the perfect piece of gossip for Ben to hold over her head. The shrinking virgin runs away from a massive dick.

“Rey,” he said, prying her attention off his genitals and to his face. “Want to get dinner?”

“What?”

“Would you like to go to dinner? With me?” He rushed on when she didn't respond. “I promise I’ll put pants on.”

“I don’t understand.” Well, she did, but he couldn’t possibly be asking her on a date while standing buck naked in a public hallway. This must all be a big misunderstanding. “I’m not mad, not anymore at least, so you don’t have to… why are you laughing?”

Ben moved forward again, crowding her against the door. “Rey, I like you. A lot.”

“I—uh. What?”

“Honestly, more than like, but let’s start with dinner and see where it goes.” 

“But you’ve always hated me?”

“No.”

“No?” 

“No, Rey,” he said quietly. “Quite the opposite.” And with the way his arousal was poking her, she believed him. 

“Oh. Oh!” Rey finally understood his actions, and hers. She hesitantly raised her hands and placed them on his chest. His muscles jumped under her touch, his smooth skin prickled. “Can you, um…”

“Sorry,” he said gruffly and attempted to pull away. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—oomph!”

His mouth softened under hers almost immediately and he wrapped her up tight again. “Bend your knees,” she whispered. “It’ll be easier to… yeah.”

They kissed heatedly, something Rey hadn’t done much of, but it was natural with Ben. After a few frantic moments, they pulled back to breathe.

“I… more than like you too,” she admitted. “A lot.”

“Thank fuck.” He hugged her close, then grabbed her hand. “Let’s find my clothes and get that dinner.”

“I mean, I suppose you do owe me for ruining class,” she teased. She was smiling so wide her face hurt.

“I thought bold statements were supposed to be romantic,” he chuckled.

“Lucky for you,” she said, pulling her hand away, looking pointedly at his cock, and then sticking her tongue out, “I’m easily impressed.” Then she took off running back down the hallway.

“How dare you!” he said with fake outrage, chasing after her once again. 

Rey giggled all the way back to the classroom, eager to leave and start their date. Now that she was over her initial shock, it really was a shame to cover Ben up, though.

Oh, well, she grinned, maybe he’d give her a private art lesson after dinner. 

“Hey, Rey! Wait up!” 

Oh, yeah. He definitely would.

-FIN-

——————

A/N: I don’t think she’s gonna be a virgin much longer lmao

[nitefyre443]

Song of the Moon and Sun

Song of the Moon and Sun 

By 

Nitefyre 443

I'm a huge Castlvania fan, I can’t tell you how much I love this game and franchise. I fell in love with the whip wielding vampire slaying Belmont's, Dracula, Alucard, all of it. I have not played every Castlevania game because there are a lot of them. My first Castlevania game was Castlevania II: Simon's Quest on the NES, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night being one of my all time favorite games. Also as many Castlavania fans I’m  heartbroken at the state of this important and beloved franchise. This is why the Deat’s Brother’s and Powerhouse’s Castlevania Animated Series excite me so much. They seem to be the only people who give a damn about this world, its story and its character because Konami could care less. So when Castlevania Nocturne the follow up to Castlevainia was announced, I was ready and Powerhouse Animation did not disappoint.  

What I’m going to talk about today is the music video for this song “I’m Free” by  Sydney James Harcourt  and Lindsey Stirling. What a beautiful song that serves as the character theme for not only Annette but Richter and Marie as well.  Watch the video here and let it play along while readying because damn Sydney James Harcourt and Lindsey Stirling did the thing with this one.

So the song and video starts with clips of Annette's childhood, with beautiful gentle and sorrowful lyrics   

See them stand ready to die  For whose sake  Was life fair?  

The way one could look at the start of the song is Edouard as an observer, a freed man himself  seeing his people in chains, literally worked and beaten to death for the sake of those that enslaved them, that is blatant and in  your face. However there is a lovely duality to this song when applied to the Belmont's in the context of Castlevania itself. Yes both meanings are valid and true to both Annette and Richter. I will go further into what this song means for Richter, his story and his legacy within the Castlevania franchise but let's say making his love interest and romantic partner, formerly enslaved Black woman, is absolutely brilliant on the writer's  part. Especially for Richter post the events of Symphony of the Night.  So we move to the next part of the verse 

Pleasure pleased and power gained  Slay I deal death, enough they seek to slay   

This part is one that I love and I’m all over the place about it. It feels very much from a vampire's perspective, this could be seen as applicable to Olrox in some way even though he is not shown in the video. The way the video presents it, makes it look like Annette's struggling as a child realizing she is going to have to kill to survive. There are no ways around it. I’m going to need to stew on this more. 

Sick at heart  Wicked betrayal  Another life escaping sight  The realm of flesh  were all things change  That life is mine and I am there x2 

Annette is now a “runaway” slave which is horrific in its own rights, a girl running for her very life  in a place where people saw her as nothing more than livestock to be sold, worked, bred and traded. There was no one who she could trust, absolutely no one. She is terrified and alone at this point with no place to go on an island with a slave master's dogs at her heels  Until she  fatefully runs into the opera house where Edouard is performing. This is the point where the song takes a dramatic shift from a lonely melody to this amazing warmth, life and full of color when the chorus kicks in. 

I’m free x2  unbound by fear that’s holding me  Holding, holding, holding, holding,  Holding me 

Now we move into the second verse and we see clips of when Annette first met Edouard, the first person that gave her refuge and trust when she was alone. Also this first time where Lindsey Stirling violin far more clearly, it was in the background earlier much subdued. This is important because each character is tied to an instrument. For Richter it’s the violin which can express sorrow and grief but also freedom and boldness. Maria’s the French Horn, why the French horn because Maria is a lot like that horn. She is loud and you will hear what she has to say on freedom whether you like it or not. The French horn has a very distinct sound and often heroic sound, we know it when we hear it and it’s declaration, so it just fits. Annette is the drums and percussion which by the start to come on strong in this second verse. 

Death am I, immortal life Touch the sky again and repent  The dark alive inside of me  Loving made  But made no sense 

The drums being Annette's instrument is so perfect, her being the descendant of Ogun the Yoruba god of War and Iron on her fathers side, war and drums are like peanut butter and jelly.  This goes even deeper because drums are some of the first musical instruments we as humans created, anything can be a drum they are as old as you can get for instruments or than our singing voices. Hold up, who is the first person she meets oh it’s Edouard an opera singer, well  look at that. This is the part of the song where percussion kicks in strong as we cover Annette and Edouard time fighting in Saint-Domingue during the slave rebellion that kicked the French's sorry asses off the island that would become Haiti. This verse also has  Annette realizing her rage not anger but rage. Anger is not a strong enough word. What I love about Castlevania:Nocturne is that it does not chastise Annette for her rage, it is justified and the weapon she wields, but it is not the source of her strength. “You wield rage but it is not the source of your strength” This is where  “Loving made but made no sense” applies that rage is born from being subjected to brutality and injustice beyond what anyone should live through. From witnessing so many you love taken away by such senseless cruelty. The source of her strength is love and the rage born of when that love is wronged by injustice and cruelty. Where it can’t stand to witness the sight of such brutality and action must be taken. Remember love and war are often bedfellows.   

The potency of evil kings  None can parish trust in me  None can perish trust in me  

This is where we hear Richter’s violin in the background and a little of Maria’s French horn. This little section covers the first night the trio meets and its the first time you here all three of the respective instruments together in the song. Annette's drums and percussion, Richter's violin and Maria's French horn but they are not unified yet, they are all still on separate paths but not one unified song.

I’m Free x 2  Unbound by fear that’s holding me Holding, Holding me   

Just like in the series when the trio meets there is tension and bumping up against each other. You have a set of wounded people fighting to survive in cruel times learning to trust each other.  This moves into the second chorus where Annette's percussion becomes much more clearer, defined and vibrant, she knows who she is and like a good drummer she is setting rhythm, she is the cadence it which the trio marches. Maria French horn settles in nicely as she is already very clear  on what she believes. 

I’m Free x 2  My love, My light  Will shine on thee  Will shine on, shine on, shine on, shine 

Richter’s violin is here  but still very distant in the background. Just like in the series he’s not quite there yet. It’s not until he see’s Annette during her speech that he realizes, “Oh shit, she is the one”  The shown in lovely fashion with a clip Richter awe struck during her speech. Also notice the lyrics changed. No longer is it just “unbound by fear”, its “My love, my light will shine on thee” Annette offering the same hand to Richter that Edouard offered her. See what they did there. Now we jump into a damn amazing part of the things and build up this just chefs kiss 

My heart set on truth That no fire can contain  Burnin the body lay life in the flame   I scoured the good  And I thrusted the Evil Back  Sacrificed everything  Watched as it burned to ash   No more self pity  No more will I wait  I’m breaking a path  That will take me away   From this place 

Remember when I said this was also Richter's song, well here it is because this part is all him and the Belmont's, this furious build up all this emotion the pain, fear, love, hate, having the generations fighting the shadows in the night. Him being the last descent of the family of Vampire slayers, being so terrified when faced with his own trauma and nightmare he did the only thing he remembered to do, the last words his mother said  to him “Richter, run” Remember everyone starts out running. Now, though he is running no more, because he is not alone in this fight anymore, the Belmont's, who are never really alone, he has his friends, his family, his love, his deadbeat grandfather Juste, and a pain in the ass recluse mentor Alucard. This is where Lindsey Stirling comes in with the violin and his melody as clear, bright, bold and triumphant as it must be for Richter Belmont, where we see him tie his famous white bandana around his head and become the Richter we know that kicked the monster of the night asses. Even giving us a clip of him using the greatest magical technique the Belmont's used, The Grand Cross. Yes that was the  burst of flame ya’ll saw when he faced off against the Hunters on the lake. 

Now I’m Free  Now I’m Free  Unbound by fear that holding me Holding me  Now I’m free  Now I’m free  My Love, My light  Will Shine on the 

The song is their song finally coming together clear, and bold.  Richter violin, Annette's percussion  Edouard voice, Maria French Horn, and even a choir saying cheering them on saying “Shine on”  which we can say is Julia, Juste, Annette mother, Tera, and those that came before urging them forward.  Also the lyrics change again, to "Now, I’m Free." It’s just no longer saying they are free, it’s now a declaration, not just a wish but a statement of fact. They are free and no longer afraid to face the denizens of the night. 

What a journey this song was in the 4 minutes and 27 seconds we were with it but what a perfect song for Castlevania: Nocturne.  A song that is Annette’s song but very much it’s Richter's song by the end because he is a Belmont he is the clear unifying melody where everything just comes together. Richter is so important for not just his martial prowess, but because he was one the last Belmont's to solely by himself wield the Vampire Killer. After the events of Castlevania:Symphony of the Night, realizing that it could not just be the Belmont's who wield these powers to fight the monsters of the night. He trained others and he placed an enchantment on the Vampire Killer that if one wished to wield it they would fight his shadow, if they won they would be allowed to wield it, if not, the Vampire Killer killed them. He made it so more than just the Belmont's duty to fight the night, it was not just one family's legacy anymore, The family legacy itself being a very old world concept, any and everyone could take up arms. This theme runs through the period of history in which Castlevania: Nocturne takes place the fights for independence and revolution. Richter reforms lead to the creation of the Order of Ecclesia. The theme of an animated series featuring Richter Belmont being titled “I’m Free” has so much meaning not just in the narrative of this story set within the Castlevainia world but for the franchise itself.  Some Ster Werms shade Richter is everything Luke should have been and what Ben Solo could have been for Star Wars. 

Now if we could just get Castlevania free from  Konami and get some new games.  

[nitefyre443]

@allgirlsareprincesses @whattheforce @sushigirlali @violeteyedhero

[faya-feya]

One more version of “Blade”

[sushigirlali]

No Body, No Crime - Part IV (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI (Coming Soon!)

Summary: Assassin!Rey Palpatine is on her first mission for the evil Darth Sidious. The goal is simple: kill Prince!Ben Solo by any means necessary.

Pairing: Rey + Ben Solo

Rating: E

Continuity: Canonverse AU

A/N: This chapter ended up being longer than I intended whoops! You’re welcome haha 😆

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

No Body, No Crime - Part IV

By: sushigirlali

——————

Hanna City, Chandrila

Morning

——————

Ben knocked on the bathroom door when Rey failed to emerge twenty minutes later. “Rey?” he called. “Are you alright? May I come in?”

“Yes,” was her muffled reply.

Curious, he slid open the door. “Rey?” he said again when he didn’t immediately see her.

“In here!”

Realizing she must be in his walk-in closet, Ben crossed the room. “What are you–oh, Force–what happened?” Sitting on the floor of his closet, a hurricane of clothing surrounding her, Ben could clearly see the young woman behind the assassin. 

Rey had the grace to look guilty as he took in the absolute disaster before him. Numerous shirts, robes, pants, and other accessories lay strewn around the closet on top of stools, shelves, and on the floor. And was that a slipper hanging off an antique wall sconce?

“Hey, so… I just thought–um–maybe, I could dress you too?” she said sheepishly. “And then I couldn’t figure out how to match the pieces together or what colors you like or if it would clash with whatever you picked out for me and… yeah.”

Her earnest explanation instantly melted his shock into bemusement. “Need a hand? You look like you’re about to drown in silk.”

“No,” she glared, “I can do it.”

“You sure? People consider me to be pretty fashionable around here,” he teased.

“Don’t believe everything your mother tells you,” she shot back.

“Ouch, sweetheart, that stings,” he laughed. 

It felt good to be able to joke with her, to talk of less serious things than war. Further, they seemed to share an interest in beautiful things. Although it was unlikely Rey had ever been able to express herself freely on Exegol, he hoped in time she would develop a fashion sense all her own. But until then, Ben was happy to play dress up.

“So, what outfit am I wearing today?” she said casually. 

Pretending he didn’t know what she was doing, that she wasn’t asking for his help, he confidently strolled to the opposite side of the closet to select a flowy dress dyed with an ombre of yellow, pink, and purple. It was another one of his grandmother’s and a personal favorite. 

Dramatically brandishing the ostentatious dress, he smiled when she eyed the length and quantity of fabric. “I think this will do nicely for a casual jaunt around town. Don’t you?”

——————

“Yeah, I can really tell you’re going for casual,” Rey said several minutes later as Ben intricately twisted and styled her hair. Not that she would ever admit it, but his work looked beautiful from her vantage point in front of his vanity mirror. And what’s more, it made her feel beautiful.

“My mother tells me I’m a natural at recreating the hairstyles of her homeworld,” he informed her. “And yes, I believe her.”

Rey rolled her eyes, half in amusement and half in self defense. The way Ben’s fingers were moving in her hair, and occasionally diverted to massage her neck and shoulders, was slowly driving her crazy. Plus, there were the sounds he was making…

“Oh, yeah,” he basically moaned, pleased with whatever braid he was tying off. “This might just be my best work yet.”

At his statement, something unpleasant occurred to her. “Have you done this a lot?”

“Braided hair?” he said absently. “Sure.”

“How many times?” she scowled.

“Dozens.”

“With how many partners?”

“Huh?” He looked up then.

“How many partners have you—you hoodwinked with this whole hair styling seduction routine?” she demanded.

“I’m sorry, but—what?”

Rey batted away his hands and turned around on the plush vanity stool to face him. “Tell me the truth.”

“Rey, there has never been anyone else for me.” His dark eyes implored her to believe him.

“Then who—your mother,” she said in sudden understanding. “Right. Okay.” Rey turned back around to stave off further embarrassment. “Finish up, then, or your servants are going to think I’m holding you hostage in here. They’ve knocked an absurd number of times about breakfast.”

He hesitated for a moment, then slid one last hair pin in place and pronounced her done. “Let’s go get you something to eat, sweetheart, you sound a bit peckish.”

“Don’t coddle me,” she sniffed, rising to inspect the finished product in the mirror. “Nice.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He adjusted the all black attire she had picked out for him to wear, smoothing out the long, pleated tunic tucked underneath a thick belt. 

The solid block of dark clothing really made the most of his pale features if she did say so herself. “It’s like we’ve switched clothing,” she mused, an unbidden sense of ownership lancing through her. 

“And I’m not apologizing for… misunderstanding earlier,” she insisted out loud.

“Wasn't asking you to,” he said, throwing a matching black cloak over his broad shoulders.

“And even if there had been 100 others before me getting their hair played with after a night in your bed I wouldn’t care.”

Ben bit his plush lower lip and suddenly she didn’t want to leave his room after all. “Good to know.”

Deep down, she knew he wasn’t fooled by her false bravado, but it felt better to pretend indifference rather than admit how much she cared. “Let’s go, prince, I’m starving.”

When he offered his arm, like he often did, she took it, compromising that allowing him to guide her to the correct room was the most direct line to breakfast.

“I’m a terrible liar,” she thought, keeping the concession internal. “To him, and to myself.” 

Because she certainly was starving for something and it wasn’t food.

——————

After breakfast, Ben steered Rey toward the hospital. He knew everything was likely in hand, but he wanted to ensure Finn’s incoming stormtroopers—however many there were—had adequate care. Plus, there were a few existing patients to check on. 

For her part, Rey was looking everywhere, eyeing people closely as they passed, suspicion dripping off her. The change in her demeanor was probably due to another conversation with his mother at breakfast.

Not known for her subtlety, Leia once again warned them about treading lightly in case of spies. “You never know who to trust,” she looked pointedly at Rey, “until the chips are on the table.”

“Now you sound like dad,” he’d replied, trying to head off a lecture.

“I’m only trying to protect you, son.”

“I know, mom.”

But he really wished she wouldn’t. He knew what he was doing, the Force was with him. Probably. And his dyad, well, she was coming around. Hopefully.

“Rey?” he called, catching up to the present. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she denied, stopping in front of the hospital doors and peering around to check if anyone was following them.

“It’s not nothing, you look like you’re about to pounce on the next person who comes within ten feet of us.”

“I’m not a loth-cat,” she dismissed, staring down a man in blue robes that had been walking toward them until he changed direction.

“Rey.”

She turned finally and looked him in the eye. “What?”

“Don’t take my mother too seriously. I doubt anyone could conceal themselves long enough to do any real harm here. There are soldiers and politicians and reformed stormtroopers everywhere.”

“You’re too trusting,” she frowned.

“You’re too cynical,” he sighed.

“Maybe, but my way will keep you safe.”

Ben touched her arm. “Rey, I do feel safe when I’m with you, but you needn’t worry about me. I’m Force-sensitive too, I can handle myself in a fight.”

“Too sensitive,” she muttered.

“Excuse me?”

“I was sent here to murder you,” she reminded him.

“Yeah, but—”

“And all you’ve done is leave yourself open. I could have killed you countless ways by now,” she informed him.

“But you haven’t. Rey, we—”

“And you returned my lightsaber!”

“I thought you’d… I wanted to show you that I trust you!”

“Ben, you can’t just assume the best of people all the time,” she reprimanded. “Me, Finn, tons of other stormtroopers you’ve never even met… come on.”

“Come on what?” He crossed his arms across his broad chest. “You’re not even wearing your lightsaber. You left it in the room.”

“A decision I’m definitely regretting right now.”

“Rey—”

“Good morning!”

Turning to Kaydel, who’s sunny head was peeking out of the front door to the hospital, Ben mentally took a deep breath. Though he was happy to see his friend, the interruption was ill-timed. 

“Good morning, Kaydel,” he said with forced enthusiasm.

Rey remained silent, scrutinizing the blonde with narrow eyes.

“I was just coming to find you! Thanks for making my job easier,” she grinned. 

“No problem. What’s up?”

“I’ve been told that you and your lady should take the day off,” she recited.

Ben frowned. “Told by who?”

“Your uncle.”

“Hmm.” Ben wondered what the old man was up to. “But what about the preparations for the new patients? The ones already here? I should at least check on them.”

Kaydel shook her head. “We’ve got you covered. Several of the stormtroopers who arrived with Finn are medics. Combined with the other Force healers and doctors we already have on staff, we have all the help we need and more.” She paused, taking in their outfits. “By the way, did you two switch clothing or something?”

“Kind of,” Ben smiled. “What do you think?”

“You make a perfect pairing, you’ll have perfectly cute babies,” his friend teased. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

Ben didn’t look at Rey, but he could feel her tense like a drawn bow. “Something like that,” he said noncommittally, wanting to defuse the situation before it became one.

“Well, I’ll take my leave,” she replied, perceptive as ever. “We’ve got it covered here, so go enjoy your day, Senator Overachiever.”

“If you’re sure?”

“I am.”

“Okay. Thanks, Kaydel.”

“Oh, and speaking of, the senate isn’t meeting today either.”

“Wait, what? Since when?”

“Since now!”

“Kaydel—”

“See you later! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” She winked before closing the door with a decisive snap.

“Uh—bye,” he said lamely before turning back to Rey. “Hey, I’m sorry about what she said. Do you want to talk—”

——————

“She knows about us,” Rey murmured as soon as they were alone again.

“Not exactly,” he replied. “Kaydel knows you’re important to me, but not any… specifics.”

“Did you tell her we met at a bar or a casino or fruit stand or something?” she said sardonically.

“No, I just—a fruit stand? Really?” He chuckled sweetly like she intended. His laugh was quickly becoming synonymous with needing air to breath. “What’s your favorite kind of fruit, anyway?”

“I don’t know, I’m not sure I’ve ever had real fruit.”

“What? What!” Ben looked outraged. Taking her hand, he quickly steered her toward a small market near the hospital.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

But he didn’t answer, weaving in and out of the crowd and towing her behind until they were standing in front of a Twi’lek couple and several heaping mounds of… fruit.

“You can take whatever you want, I’m buying,” he told her.

“Oh! Oh, I don’t know…” But a ripe looking green shape stuck out to her. “What’s that?” she pointed.

One of the shop owners smiled and answered before Ben could. “A pear, dear. They’re not really in season right now, but my husband was able to nurture a few in our personal garden.”

“Did it take a lot of effort?”

“Tons, but it was worth it.”

“You’re giving them away, though?” Rey questioned. “Don’t you want any for yourself if they’re special?”

“We shared one, it was delicious, but sharing with the town is our privilege and duty—and much more lucrative than eating all the inventory,” she winked.

Rey was about to speak again when a ball tumbled into her foot. Looking around, she saw it was the same youngling she had played with the night before.

“Hi, lady!” the Twi’lek child beamed. “Do you want to play ball with us again?”

“Oh, um, well…”

“Do you know this young woman, son?”

The kid nodded enthusiastically. “She’s the one who scored three times in a row yesterday! And showed me how to kick like her! She’s fun!”

Something tight uncurled inside her, lightening her heart. “Fun? Her?”

“Very fun,” Ben agreed in her mind.

“Well then,” the woman smiled, “please take a pear on the house. Thank you for being so kind to my son.”

“Kind? Her?”

“You have a kind heart.” The warmth in his tone made her flush.

“I don’t know what to say,” Rey admitted. She was floundering, confused. How did one respond to overt kindness?

“Say thank you,” Ben instructed.

“Ah—thank you.”

“You’re welcome! I'm Twila, by the way.”

“Rey.” 

Twila nodded and turned to Ben. “You’ve got a keeper here, Senator. Pretty and polite!”

“I know,” Ben said. Then, looking at Rey, “She’s beautiful, one of a kind.”

Rey felt like she might throw up. “Please, please stop complimenting me.”

“No,” he grinned. Stupidly. Like a lovesick—nope. No, no, no!

Rey accepted the fruit, made a hasty excuse to the child that she’d play later, and zoomed away into the crowd, spies be damned.

——————

Ben lengthened his stride to keep up with Rey’s billowing skirts. “Rey, wait up, let’s talk about this.”

“Which ‘this’ is that?” she tossed over her shoulder. “Darth Sidious? Our weird connection? My inability to take a compliment?”

“Rey!” He didn’t want to make a scene, but maybe that was exactly what she needed. “Look, I know this—us—has been a lot, but—”

She whirled around, grabbed the front of his robes, and shoved him backward into an alley. Her mouth covered his before he was able to mutter another word. Putting their practice from the previous night to good use, Rey kissed him so thoroughly Ben felt his knees begin to shake.

“Rey,” he groaned, wrapping her up tight. “Rey, I’m sorry.”

Her eyebrows drew together. “What for?”

“For leaving you alone with him all these years. I should have come after you, I should have saved you,” he agonized.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t take that from me. I survived. I’m still surviving.”

“But—”

She placed a finger over his lips. “No, that’s not for you to take onto your shoulders. I may not have had an easy upbringing, but I’m who I am because of it.”

“I love who you are,” he said vehemently. “My dreams have nothing on the reality of you.” Rey’s eyes were bright, but he could tell she was struggling to accept his words. “We will have to work on your acceptance of compliments, though, sweetheart.”

She laughed, and the sound was like music. “After this whole war thing is over, maybe we will.”

——————

Afternoon

——————

They walked arm in arm toward his uncle’s house in compatible silence. Rey’s emotions were still settling, he could feel the conflict in her, but she seemed to be on better footing after their kiss. In fact, Ben felt more grounded himself. 

Luckily, they had the afternoon off and Rey agreed that speaking with the infamous Luke Skywalker was the next logical step in figuring out their connection. And getting a sense of her grandfather’s greatest nemesis would be educational for her in its own right, he mused.

“Hey, your majesty?” Rey slowed her pace as they passed a couple of elderly senators.

“Yeah?”

“Why are those guys looking at me like that?”

Immediately on alert, he traced her gaze. “Oh, those two? My mother knows them. They happened to be off-world when Alderaan was destroyed.”

“Okay, but why are they staring? Is something wrong? Did I mess up your grandmother’s dress?” 

“No, nothing like that. I think it’s because, um…” Ben felt his cheeks heat. “I may have used some very traditional, very formal braiding techniques when I did your hair this morning.”

“They’re staring because of my hair? Why?” She looked skeptical. “I saw it, it’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you think so,” he grinned. 

She huffed out a breath. “Don’t get used to it. And don’t change the subject!”

“Well…”

“Ben Solo!”

He held his hands out in a placating manner. “These particular braids might also maybe be kind of used exclusively during… wedding ceremonies.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Rey pinched the bridge of her nose like a headache was oncoming. “Is that why your mom was so bent out of shape this morning and going on about spies and trust and shit?”

“Probably,” he said sheepishly, “but she’ll get over it.”

“But will I?” Rey shot him a look of mock outrage. “I might actually have to kill you now. And I was just beginning to change my mind. Such a shame.”

“Don’t worry,” he grinned, “I’ll make it up to you later.”

——————

“Well, I have to say I’m disappointed,” Rey muttered.

“Maybe we should knock harder?” Ben frowned. “Or just blast the door open.”

“He’s not here.”

“Yeah,” he said, “but it would make me feel better.”

Rey laughed. “I bet your mother would love that.”

“She’s been known to destroy door jams from time to time,” he chuckled. “But seriously, I wonder what the old man is plotting.” 

“What do you mean?” Rey looked up at him.

“He didn’t want me working today, but isn’t here to answer questions now. It doesn’t make sense. Unless…”

“Unless?” she pressed.

“Unless he saw something,” Ben contemplated.

“A premonition?” 

“Perhaps,” he said slowly. “Luke has been known to jet off to parts unknown to avoid interfering with the Force’s plans in the past.”

“You talk about the Force like it has consciousness,” she said, interest clear on her pretty face.

“I’m not an expert, I quit Jedi training when I was a teenager to pick up my many other hyphenated titles, but I do know that the Force is not a power you have. It’s the energy between all things, a tension, a balance… what?” He paused at Rey’s wide smile; he felt humbled that she was letting him see it. “What is it, Rey?”

“I don’t know, you seem different,” she said thoughtfully.

“You do too,” he returned. “Ever since…”

“The night we met,” she finished.

They stared at each other for long moments, their breathing slowly syncing up. Then their heart beats, their thoughts, and a simultaneous blooming deep in—

“Hey, if it isn’t my two favorite Jedi!” Finn bounded up to them and slapped them both on the back. “But don’t tell the General, okay?”

Ben sighed as if in severe pain, reaching for Rey’s arm. He was gratified when she looped hers through his once again. “Literally none of us are Jedi, Finn.”

“Not by any metric,” Rey glared, but she was half smiling too. It was hard to be annoyed with Finn, he knew.

“So, uh… I was wondering if you’d heard anything about Poe?” Finn asked quietly.

“Ah, the point emerges,” Ben replied. “All I know is he's running point on the bombers. They’re coordinating with Rose’s team for that other thing too.”

“Who’s Poe?” Rey queried.

“My boyfriend,” Finn said at the same time as Ben said, “A pain in my ass.”

“And what other thing?” she continued.

“This one doesn’t miss anything, does she?” Finn winked.

“She doesn't,” Rey confirmed.

At Ben’s nod of approval, Finn filled her in. “Our friend Rose is working another angle, she’s got a contact inside the First Order.”

“A spy?” Rey stood up straighter.

“Oh, don’t get her started,” Ben sighed.

“Shut up,” she said sweetly, then to Finn, “Please continue.”

“That’s about it, we’re just waiting for the final go ahead. However,” he lowered his voice, “I think Rose may come back with more than a hunky red-headed spy.”

“Huh?”

“I swear on the last holo it looked like they had just been fu—”

“Okay!” Ben intervened. “So, did my mother say when all the excitement is going to occur?”

“Sometime within the next few days,” Finn said somberly. “Could push to next week if there are any major issues.”

“Still, that’s so soon!” Rey exclaimed. “Why didn’t the senate meet today then?”

Ben and Finn exchanged a long look, then said in unison, “Spies.”

——————

Evening

——————

They spent the rest of the day bouncing around town, alternating between speaking in hushed tones to Finn and Leia as updates came in and introducing Rey to the locals. She wasn’t sure which conversations were the most productive, but all of them were exhausting.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she yawned when they retreated to Ben’s room after dinner.

“The same thing that’s wrong with all of us,” Ben responded as he locked the door and walked to the bed. He sat down and removed his boots and socks.

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“The near constant feeling of flight or fight, except you can’t escape what’s coming and the fight never seems to arrive,” he said sagely.

She mulled over his words for a minute. “That actually makes sense.” Then, smirking, “Surprised you thought of it, your highness.”

“Brat,” he said affectionately. 

The look on his face, sort of soft and dreamy, made her tingle all over. What’s more, she wanted him too. It was a tough pill to swallow, even after last night, but she did. If truth be told, she’d never wanted anything so badly, not even the acceptance she once sought from Darth Sidious. 

Ben made wanting him easy, made wanting a future outside of the grim reality of her childhood seem possible, and she was tired of resisting his gravitational pull. It had only been two days, but it already felt like she’d lived a lifetime with him.

“Remember what you promised earlier?” she said in what she hoped was a seductive tone.

“That I’d make it up to you?” His dimpled smile told her that she had succeeded.

“It’s later,” she said softly. Then, not so softly, “Take off your shirt.”

Dark eyes twinkling, Ben stood and unclasped first his cloak and then his belt. The black shirt took a moment longer as he worked the invisible side zipper down and pulled it over his head. His hair was mused after, but she barely noticed, staring at the wide swath of skin now exposed from the waist up.

“Okay?”

“Yeah,” she breathed. 

Smiling, he moved behind her. She started to turn, but he grasped her shoulders and stopped her. His palms were warm and teasing, kneading her tight muscles for a moment before tracing the back of her neck. She shivered before she could control her reaction.

“May I?” he asked huskily, touching the back of the metallic collar holding her dress up.

Excitement raced through her, anticipation trumping the weariness of the day. She tilted her head forward, allowing him to undo the clasp. He smoothed the fabric down her body, which pooled in a mass of multicolored silk at her feet. Ben’s hands crept back up her sides, circled around her stomach, then captured her small breasts.

“Do you like the lingerie I picked out for you?” he rumbled, pressing his massive chest to her back. 

His deep voice rolled through her, and all she could do was nod. The matching butter yellow lace set was comfortable despite its delicacy and she could at least admit to herself that wearing such beautiful garments boosted her confidence. “Who knew?” Ben Solo apparently.

He teased her nipples through the thin fabric, lightly pinching her stiff peaks until she was arching against him. “Can I take it off?” He tried to sound in control, but the fine tremor in his voice betrayed his eagerness.

“Yes,” she managed, his desire reinforcing her own. 

She made a disappointed sound when he stepped back and he chuckled. But just as she was about to complain, he released the catch of her bra and let it drop to the floor. Within seconds he was pressed against her again, touching her bare breasts, kissing the side of her neck, letting his appreciation of her body be known…

“I’ve touched your penis, but somehow this is more intimate,” she said with unconscious humor.

Ben’s chest shook against her back and he broke out in a cross between a laugh and a groan.

“What?”

“I’m trying to pamper you, so let’s try to ignore my penis for now.” Ben’s breath tickled her ear in a strangely delightful way.

“I’ve never been pampered before,” she said coyly, pushing her hips backward into his.

He hissed as his cock made contact with her ass. “Rey,” he said warningly.

“I can’t help that I feel restless,” she whined, “I should be doing something too.” 

“You are doing something,” he stated.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” he murmured, slipping one large hand down her stomach and under the waistband of her panties, “you’re making it difficult to think of anything but putting my tongue inside you.”

“Oh!” she squeaked as two long fingers circled her damp opening.

“Is that something you want?” he whispered against her ear. 

“I—I don’t know,” she said shakily, leaning back into his big body again, wanting to feel his hardness, his heat.

“Rey,” he admonished softer this time.

“Please, let me feel you,” she whispered back. “I–oh, Force! Ben!” Rey clutched him as his fingers slid into her body, one hand on his forearm and the other on his hip.

“I can curl my fingers in just the right way with you standing like this,” he nearly growled, demonstrating his point to mind-numbing perfection. “Do you like it this way? Tell me if you like what I’m doing to your body.” 

“Yes! Yes!” 

For all his pedigree, Ben’s bedside manner was intense bordering on domineering. He was all around her, inside her, body and mind. “What do you need?” His thumb circled her clitoris, first lightly and then urgently. “This? Do you need this? Need me?”

“Yes! Ben! Please!”

She was out of her mind, in his, floating on a wave of euphoria as his fingers strummed her body like a finely tuned instrument. “You’re nearly there, sweetheart. You’re so responsive, so sexy, everything I’ve ever wanted.”

The next caress had her screaming as his words and ministrations merged into a feedback loop that built and built until an infinite stream of pleasure coursed through her. “Ben!”

——————

She was laying on the bed when she regained consciousness, Ben kneeling between her damp thighs. “Are you alright?” He looked worried, like he had done something wrong.

“Yes, but I–I’ve never felt this way before,” she admitted, needing to reassure him. “Ben, you’re…”

He smiled, bending to kiss her. Compared to how he’d just dominated her body, the kiss was sweet and comforting. “I’m glad. I lost you for a few minutes there and was afraid…”

“You never have to be afraid of making love to me,” she said, surprising them both. “I mean, um, I–”

“So, you wouldn’t be opposed to… a little more pampering?” His smile was wolflike.

“N–no.”

His hands went to her hips, caressing the sides of her underwear. “I want to taste you.”

“Okay,” she gulped. “If you really want to.”

“I want to.”

Eyeing the front of his black trousers, she could believe it. “Oh!” she gasped when he bent to pull her underwear off with his teeth. “Force, Ben! That’s–I like that.”

He looked up from under his unfairly long lashes. “I like you.” Stuffing her panties into his back pocket, Ben grasped her knees and spread her legs wide. “Damn. Look how wet you are, sweetheart.”

Her breathing quickly grew labored as he stared at her pussy like a man starving. “Is it normal?”

“How we feel about each other?” Ben said absently, easily grasping her meaning. He leaned down to kiss the inside of her thighs, seeming to breathe in her scent before delicately touching his tongue to the hood of her clitoris. “No, it’s not normal. It’s extraordinary.” 

Laying back, letting him do what he wanted to her, Rey realized that Palpatine had given her a gift. He couldn’t comprehend human emotions, it was clear to her now. And although she still didn’t quite understand what a dyad was, she knew how it felt. And it was, in fact, extraordinary.

——————

Later, she traced her fingers down his chest to rest on the prominent bulge tenting his high waisted pants. “What about you?”

He captured her wrist and brought her hand to his lips. “Just lay with me,” he murmured, pulling her closer. “I just want to be close to you.”

Rey closed her eyes, trying to contain the riotous emotions surging through her. He loved her. She knew it in an instant. He loved her.

“Ben,” she whimpered, curling toward him. Nobody had ever loved her before. 

“Shh, it’s alright. I'm here.”

She clutched him tighter, throwing an arm and leg over his body like the night before. But this time she fell into a dreamless sleep, safely resting with her cheek over his heart.

——————

A/N: The story is wrapping up, and I promise a nice big bow 😁 Hope y’all are enjoying it! Feels good to write again after tros.

[shiroishi8]

[sushigirlali]

No Body, No Crime - Part III (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI (Coming Soon!)

Summary: Assassin!Rey Palpatine is on her first mission for the evil Darth Sidious. The goal is simple: kill Prince!Ben Solo by any means necessary.

Pairing: Rey + Ben Solo

Rating: E

Continuity: Canonverse AU

A/N: The alternative title for this chapter is just the "Sure, Jan" meme lmao ;D

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

No Body, No Crime - Part III

By: sushigirlali

——————

Hanna City, Chandrila

Midnight

——————

She had to kill him. Tonight.

“Yeah, like it will be that easy,” she murmured to her reflection.

Leaning over the marble countertop, Rey pressed her face against the cool surface. She wanted to scream, to break something, to release all the negative feelings she’d suppressed over the years. Her body felt heavy, her muscles tight, almost like her physical form was at war with her every thought. And maybe it was. 

There was still a missing piece to the puzzle of her connection with the man in the next room, but she didn’t have much time left to decide what to do about it. 

“You don’t even know him.” And yet she did. She could. She wanted to. Desperately. 

“Before yesterday, he was just a name on a list.” But somehow today he was everything. 

Limitless possibilities lay before her, but they all hinged on the outcome of this moment between battles, of her own internal war. 

Bracing her hands on the counter, Rey lifted up so that she could see herself in the mirror again. The underclothes Ben had lent her were a silky peach number. He’d guessed her size somehow, because the fit was perfect against her tanned skin.

He’d liked seeing her in them, too, she could tell. Maybe it would be easier to… no, nothing would make this choice less burdensome. But she had to make it.

Taking a steadying breath, she retraced her steps to the bathroom door and opened it. The room was dark save a single lamp on her side of the bed. Moving quietly across the room, Rey felt a sudden surge of deja vu. Had it only been 24 hours since she last infiltrated Ben Solo’s sanctum? 

“Don’t get distracted,” she berated herself. So what if she was completely confused and conflicted, her mission remained the same.

The only question now was: could she go through with it this time?

As Rey reached the foot of the bed, she noticed that Ben had moved her lightsaber, which had been safely tucked next to him, to the shelf below her nightstand. “But why?” she mused, nonplussed by his trust in her; she knew she didn’t deserve it.

Silently scaling the high mattress, Rey carefully kneeled next to Ben’s still form. He was breathing deeply, his bare chest rising and falling in a captivating rhythm. Even in the dim light, he was so attractive to her that it was hard not to gawk at him.

Dark hair pooled around his head, framing his strong jaw and highlighting his handsome face. He looked like he was chiseled from stone, all pale skin and interesting features…

“Snap out of it!”

Slipping the poisonous green hairpin from her top bun, Rey palmed the weapon, careful not to prick herself. The retracted needle was only about an inch long, but with a flick of the wrist, a single dose could kill a man within minutes. 

But time was playing with her, it seemed.

Rey didn’t know how long she sat there, staring at Ben, then the pin, then Ben again. She wasn’t so much deciding what to do as trying to will herself to do anything.

“Kill him or don’t, save him or don’t, love—” Rey shook her head. “Where did that come from?!”

Steeling her nerves, Rey lowered the needle toward the strong column of Ben’s neck…

But she couldn’t do it. She couldn't force her hand to move another inch. The thought of causing Ben Solo harm was the most abhorrent thing in the universe. He was a puzzle, but she didn’t want to upend the table and start over. She wanted to solve it. Understand it. Him. Them. She wanted something for herself for the first time in her life… and she was determined to get it.

Rey set the pin down on the side table shelf next to her lightsaber and laid down with a sigh, “Maybe tomorrow.”

——————

Ben came awake slowly, sensing disquiet from his companion. They couldn’t have been asleep for more than six hours, but he felt rested for the first time in a long time. “Maybe meditating isn’t all it's cracked up to be.” 

Turning his head on the silky pillowcase, he blinked a few times until Rey’s elfin face came into view. She was close, her shoulder almost touching his. “Or maybe she wore me out.”

Smiling at the pretty picture she made in his bed, Ben smoothed an errant lock of sable hair away from her face. A crease formed between her eyes and he held his breath, worried he’d disturbed her. Her eyes didn’t open, but flickered wildly under her eyelids.

“Ah, she’s dreaming.” 

He could read her mind, of course, but the notion was distasteful while she was defenseless in sleep. There was a time when his uncle had done something similar to him, albeit for completely different reasons, and it had affected their relationship for years. 

Whatever the topic of her dreams, he could tell it excited her. Her cheeks were flushed, she was gently biting her bottom lip, and her body began to slide against the sheets…

“Ben,” she whispered, slurring slightly, “Ohhh, Ben!”

His eyes widened. “Wait, is she–” 

Ben swallowed a gasp as she suddenly rolled half on top of him, throwing an arm over his chest and a leg over his right hip. The bedding was momentarily caught between them, but pulled away as she shifted her weight onto his side, straddling his thigh. 

“Fuck.” His cock instantly hardened for her.

But Rey didn’t give him time to recover as the tips of her small breasts poked into his chest. The thin bralette and underwear she had apparently worn to bed were the only pieces of clothing between them save his drawstring pants.

Frozen in place, unsure how to react, Ben stifled a groan as she started to rub her lower body against his. He could feel the searing heat between her thighs as she rode him, and was suddenly struck by the similarity of the moment to a dream he had experienced recently.

“Did she pick up on my dream somehow? I’ve always known her, but is she starting to dream about me too now that we’re in close proximity? Or–” 

“Ben,” Rey whimpered, canting her hips harder and grasping onto his shoulders for purchase.

Snapped back to the moment at hand, Ben pushed aside his inquisitive nature and focused on the woman in his arms. He had promised to take care of her, and he would. Emboldened by her whispered plea, Ben bent his knee, lifting his thigh upward and increasing the friction between them as she pressed down. 

“Mmmm, Bennn,” she sighed in response, seeming to gain relief from the simple move.

Lifting the sheet, he slid his large hands down her back to palm the soft globes of her ass, assisting with the push and pull of her hips. Ben helped her hump his thigh until his pant leg was soaked with her juices, until she was barely coherent, increasing the speed and pressure until her slim body jolted into climax.

“Ben!” she whimpered, shivering madly as she came.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” he murmured in her ear, holding her until she quieted and fell back into a deep slumber. And even after, he didn’t let her go. He never would.

——————

Rey stretched like a loth-cat against the mound of cushions and blankets she was cocooned in. It felt like she was sleeping on a cloud, the complete opposite of the cold, uncomfortable bunk she used back on Exegol. Dragging her cheek across the surface of the pillow, Rey took comfort in the strong, steady beat of–

“What the fuck?” Lifting her head, Rey gaped as she realized that she was lying on top of the man she’d been sent to kill. “How did–when did–uh??” Hazel eyes flicking to his face, she was relieved to find him very much asleep. 

“Okay, but how do I get back to my side of the bed without waking him up?”

Taking stock of the situation, Rey realized she was stuck between Ben’s big body and the bed linens. Carefully shifting so that she could untangle the sheets from around their legs, Rey jolted as something heavy touched her thigh. “What is–oh!” 

Staring at the foreign object, Rey was momentarily dumbstruck. Ben’s penis was thick and long, the outline under his thin pants blatant. The drawstring was barely holding on and there was a wet spot where his appendage pressed against the fabric, drawing her gaze.

Intrigue suddenly overriding shock, she reached out to lightly trace the bulge from base to tip. Ben shivered slightly, but otherwise didn’t react. It wasn’t enough. Almost involuntarily, she pulled the string below his navel, loosening the waistband of his pants. Another slight tug allowed his cock to break free, spilling out of the untethered fabric like a gift.

“Wow,” she whispered; she’d never seen such a specimen before. Curiosity getting the better of her, Rey ran her fingertips up and down his skin this time, marveling at the distinct feel of his–

“Rey.”

“Fuck!” she yelled, sitting up guiltily. “I–Ben, I–”

“Hey, it’s okay,” he said with a slanted smile. “I guess last night wasn’t one-sided after all.”

“Huh?”

“Last night,” he said again, motioning to a dark spot on his thigh.

“What?” Rey glanced at his pants, then back to his face, then down at herself. Her underwear were crooked and still wet with release. “Oh. So, uh, that wasn’t–”

“A dream?” he provided. “No. Well, yes, but no.”

“What?” she said again, mostly just to play for time. Ben had yet to cover himself, and if anything, his dick had only become more prominent in the last few minutes. “Oh, Force.” Rey clenched her thighs together.

“I had a dream about what happened last night some time ago,” he confided. “I think maybe it was a premonition?”

“The Force is a freak, then,” she said sardonically. Ben laughed and Rey felt warm all over. “Ben, I want… I want to touch you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Please,” she insisted, driven by a sudden hunger she could barely contain. “You said I could take whatever I want, remember?”

“Y—yes,” he stuttered. 

“So, can I?”

Ben propped himself up on his elbows and leveled her heated look. “Yeah.”

Sliding between his thighs, Rey sat with her knees tucked underneath her. Studying his sex like an archeologist that had just made a significant find, she tentatively encircled him with one hand. 

“My fingers don’t meet, do you see?” Rey inquired.

He made a choking sound and nodded.

Rey wondered at her boldness, but touching him like this seemed… right. “This is just… experimentation. It doesn’t mean anything,” she reassured herself.

Ben laughed like he caught her thought, and probably he had, but Rey was too focused to care. Circling his penis with both hands, she pulled them up his length. The movement was awkward, but his hips jerked in an encouraging way. 

She spent a few minutes getting the hang of pleasuring him, realizing the fluid dripping from his tip made for great lubricant. “Is this okay?”

“It’s fucking amazing,” he groaned. “You have no idea how hard it was to control myself last night.”

Looking up from under her lashes, Rey said, “Yeah?”

“You were grinding yourself against my thigh,” he said huskily, “and it took all I had not to turn you over and fuck you into the mattress.”

Rey gulped and pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from moaning at the tempting images he’d conjured.

“But do you know what I want right now?”

“N—no?”

“Right now I want to slip my fingers inside your pussy and give you the same pleasure you’re giving me.”

Rey’s pace faltered. “And how would we go about that?” 

“Come here,” he said, laying back and opening his arms. “Lay by my side.”

Hesitating for the briefest of moments, Rey released him and slid onto her side next to his taller frame. Ben immediately turned towards her so that they were facing one another.

“Now what?”

“Put your leg over my hip,” he instructed. 

She complied, but not gracefully. “Sorry,” she muttered when her knee banged into his.

“It’s okay,” he smiled. “Here, like this.”

Rey sucked in a harsh breath as his large paw dragged her closer. It was the most intimate embrace they’d shared so far, and she felt excited and nervous. “What—what else do you want?” she dared.

“A kiss.”

“You’ve kissed me before.”

“Not like this.” Ben cupped her cheek with one hand while the other went to her waist. “Kiss me.”

“Okay,” she breathed. Tentatively learning forward, Rey pecked him on the lips.

“Again,” he whispered.

She closed the distance, but held her lips against his this time. Reaching up to touch his face, she could feel the crease of his dimple, his smile, and it made her almost… giddy. “Not an emotion I’ve felt many times before.”

It was all so new, so weird. And yet… 

“Now, move your lips like this,” Ben instructed, tracing her mouth with his. 

She copied him and quickly got the hang of it. Kissing was like training, she told herself, it just required practice. Focusing on the soft push and pull of their kiss, she was shocked when Ben suddenly slid his tongue into her mouth.

“Oh!” she gasped, pulling back.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

“No, it’s…” Rey tried to explain how she felt, but came up empty. “I want to try that again,” she said against his lips.

Ben waited for her to make the first move this time, kissing her back without intensifying the experience. She could tell that he wanted her to initiate further intimacy, so she experimented with deepening their kiss. 

Slipping her tongue from between her teeth, she lightly traced the seam of his lips. He readily opened his mouth to her, groaning when she slanted her mouth across his. Ben’s tongue quickly joined hers in a duel for pleasure, and their bodies awakened further in response.

As the kiss went on and on, Rey frantically tried to push her panties down, but Ben stopped her, breaking their kiss to say, “No, don’t. Leave your underwear on, I don’t want to go too far yet.”

“What if I don’t care what you want?!” she said in the heat of the moment.

“We both know that’s not true, Rey,” he said softly.

“Fine,” she pouted, “then just touch me already!”

Quickly finding her slick nub through the thin layer of silk separating them, he circled it with two long fingers before gently tugging from side to side. She squirmed under his ministrations, the sensation of someone else touching her intimately new and strange and exciting.

“Ben!” Rey moaned as his fingers slipped past her panties and traced her nether lips. 

“Does this please you?”

“Yes.”

“Can I keep touching you?”

“Yes!”

Ben kissed her again and soon his fingers were mimicking the arousing actions of his tongue. He fingered her vagina with controlled vigor, curling two digits deep while his thumb stimulated her clitoris. 

Needing to feel him as well, Rey palmed his penis again and began the hastily practiced motions he seemed to enjoy. She was gratified by the sounds he made in response, the quiver of his lips against hers, the hardness of his erection…

“Fuck, Rey, I don’t know how long I can last!”

“Me too, but I need—ah! Ben!” she cried out just as he began turning his wrist in a twisting motion, seeming to read her mind once again. 

His repeated movements provided the extra bit of pressure she needed to tumble over the edge, so it was no surprise when was screaming her release seconds later. “Ben!”

And as if her euphoria triggered his, Ben shouted in concert with her cries. “Rey!”

Afterward they were quiet, cuddled together in a sticky, sweaty mess on once pristine sheets. Rey could only imagine how they looked, the word debauched raced through her mind, but she didn’t care. She felt no shame in her newfound sexuality. She felt safe here, with Ben, she realized. And powerful and satisfied and just generally amazing.

There were still a lot of questions needing answers, so she wasn’t going to let him off the hook, but Rey understood a new piece of the puzzle now. From just this taste of him, she knew they would fit together quite nicely when the time came. 

She only hoped it would be soon. Before it was too late.

——————

“Good morning, Senator,” someone called through the door to his room while Ben tried to steady his breathing. “Breakfast will be served in 30 minutes.”

Ben anticipated Rey’s reaction and held onto her when she would have pulled away. “Thank you!” he called back. Then to Rey, “Stop struggling, sweetheart.”

“What if they come in?” she said anxiously.

“They won’t.”

“But—”

“Why don’t you have a bath while we wait for sustenance?” he recommended.

She lifted her head from where it was resting over his heart. “A bath does sound nice.”

As soon as she’d shut herself away in the spacious bathroom, Ben swung his legs over the side of the bed and moved to his meditation spot. His mind was in disarray over the intimacy they had just shared. It was too soon, there was still too much to say, but he hadn’t been able to control himself when she started touching him.

The vision of his cum on her taut stomach, of her wetness covering his hand, the smell of her still lingering, almost made Ben double over with renewed arousal. “Control yourself!”

Rey was untouched, he knew. The one thing her grandfather had actually protected her from. Not out of any great love, but practicality. And while he was grateful she didn’t appear to be afraid of sex, it still felt like taking advantage of her when he had so much foreknowledge of what it would be like to be together. How well they would fit, how perfect their union would…

“Ben?” Rey was standing in the doorway with a fluffy white robe around her shoulders. Her hair was wet and dipping, her feet bare. 

She was naked under that robe. “Fuck.”

“I’m not done, but I had a thought and…”

“Couldn’t wait?” he smiled.

“Couldn’t wait,” she agreed. “Did… did you do something to me?”

“What?”

“That first night, when you put me to sleep,” she said slowly. “Did you… connect us, somehow?”

“No,” he said truthfully.

“No,” she repeated. “No, you didn’t. There’s always been something inside me. Something that was reaching… but, then why haven’t I had premonitions about you?”

“I have a pretty good idea,” Ben scowled. But not at her, never at her.

“Palpatine,” she said. “He… blocked me. Does he know? Do you think he knows about this… dyad thing? Whatever it is.”

Ben mulled the question over. “I don’t think so. A dyad is a rare thing, something beautiful and special. A connection rooted in… strong emotions.” He withheld the L word for the moment.

Rey seemed to accept his answer, but her sharp gaze told him she knew he was still keeping secrets. “Alright,” she nodded. “I don’t know why, but I trust you.”

“Rey, I—”

“Just tell me one more thing.”

“Anything.”

“Am I feeling… this way… because of the Force, or…”

He desperately wanted her to elaborate on how she felt about him, them, the closeness they’d just shared, but chose to read between the lines instead. “I don’t know. I’ve dreamed about you, known you, wanted… I’ve felt a connection to you most of my life. But meeting you now, in person, being with you, it’s more than magic, it’s right. We’re right. You know?”

“Yeah,” she said in understanding. “I don’t know why, but… yes.”

They were saying nothing and yet everything. It felt like a breakthrough. It felt like a chance.

“Let’s go to the hospital after breakfast to check on the patients. And then we’ll track down my uncle and have him walk us through what it means to be a dyad.”

“Don’t you already know?” she queried.

“I know some, but… it didn’t all make sense without you here,” he said. 

“Okay,” she said simply, her curiosity piqued. “I’ll just finish up and get dressed. Speaking of, what ridiculous costume are you going to foist on me today, your highness?”

Ben laughed at her question, but he already had the perfect outfit in mind. And despite the roll of her beautiful hazel eyes, he could tell she was eager to know what it was.

——————

A/N: This Barbie is the progeny of a powerful darksider who wants nothing more than to kiss the hot prince and eat tons of bread! Ben is definitely going to enjoy dressing—and undressing—his soulmate in the next chapter 😉

[sushigirlali]

No Body, No Crime - Part II (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI (Coming Soon!)

Summary: Assassin!Rey Palpatine is on her first mission for the evil Darth Sidious. The goal is simple: kill Prince!Ben Solo by any means necessary.

Pairing: Rey + Ben Solo

Rating: E

Continuity: Canonverse AU

A/N: I’m back after a long hiatus!! Couldn’t stand leaving an unfinished fic up, but I’ve also been battling writer's block ugh. Residual tros trauma I guess (sigh). Anyway, get ready for some dramaaaaa! Enjoy!

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

No Body, No Crime - Part II

By: sushigirlali

——————

Hanna City, Chandrila Noon

——————

Rey sat on a long bench in the atrium, anxiously twisting calloused hands in lacy skirts. “What the hell am I doing? Who’s game am I playing? Not my own, that’s for sure.”

Given all she knew about her grandfather, and what she now knew about Ben Solo, it seemed more than likely that her first mission was also supposed to be her last. 

There had been a moment once, a brief second, when she thought she’d gained her master’s approval: the day she forged her lightsaber. After meditating for hours, for days, she was sure she would produce a weapon worthy of her house, but when she ignited the kyber crystal for the first time, it’s heart was amethyst, not crimson. 

And Sidious had never let her forget it. 

“There’s too much of your father’s heart in you, young Palpatine,” he liked to taunt...

Pushing down those chilling memories, she tried to parse out his intentions. If the old Sith had never meant for her to kill the Skywalker heir, then what was his aim? Distract the Resistance long enough to do—what? Invade the heart of the galactic government? “No, that’s too bold,” she thought. “Darth Sidious always strikes from a distance, he never puts himself or his advantage at risk.” But, then… what was his plan?

Feeling Ben’s approach before his long shadow loomed over her, Rey jumped up to meet a pair of fine eyes. “Ready?” she asked before Ben—the prince, she quickly corrected herself—could. 

“Yes. Would you like some lunch? I have time before I’m needed at the Senate building.”

Rey’s stomach rumbled as if on cue. “Yes, your highness.”

He rolled his eyes at the title, but didn’t correct her. “Shall we then?” he said, presenting his arm for her to grasp.

Uneasy about the way his name was suddenly at the forefront of her mind, she ignored his courtly gesture and breezed past him. “Sure, I’m never one to turn down free food.”

——————

Wiping his mouth with a crisp linen napkin, Ben hid a smile as Rey tucked into the stew his prized chef Maz had prepared. Despite the childish way she was pushing her vegetables around the bowl, it was clear that she was enjoying the rich dish.

“Would you like some bread?” he queried, motioning toward a covered basket.

“There’s bread?” she asked, eyes wide. “Real bread? Not portions?”

Ben’s smile slipped at her innocent question. “Do you… not have bread? At home, I mean.”

“The citadel isn’t my home, not really,” she replied, reaching under the napkin for a thick roll. “But… no.” Tearing it into little pieces, she dropped them into her bowl and resumed eating.

Staring down at his own lunch, Ben tried to conceal his anger. Not at Rey, but at the neglectful monster who was supposed to be responsible for her. Here he’d been in the lap of luxury for nearly thirty years and his intended had lived off scraps. 

“Can I get you anything else?” he asked, realizing the only sound in the room was Rey’s hurried chewing. She must be famished after skipping breakfast... and who knew how many other meals in her young life. He would have to take better care of her from now on. “More stew?”

Rey held out her nearly empty bowl in response, but avoided his gaze. “Thank you.”

He filled it to the top and handed her another piece of bread for good measure. “Rey?” he said after a moment.

“Mmm?”

“I just want you to know that if there’s ever anything you need, you can come to me. You can take whatever you want.”

She froze mid-chew and looked up at him. “W—what?”

Ben felt his face heat. “Sorry, uh, that was probably inappropriate.”

“Probably,” she echoed before going back to her food. “But, um…” she murmured after a few more bites, “thanks.”

Regaining his smile, Ben pushed what remained of the breadbasket toward her. “You’re welcome.”

——————

Watching with rapt attention as the senator from Chandrila gave an address to a room packed with politicians, Rey wondered what it would feel like to command such respect. Her grandfather certainly never had; ruling with fear was not the same thing as having the trust of your people. She understood that now.

His full lips quirked up at the corners as he glanced in her direction and she was struck with a sudden remembrance of the kiss they had shared upon first meeting. Rey touched her mouth, recalling the sweet pressure of the prince’s lips on hers…

“It was more of a distraction than anything,” she thought unconvincingly. She purposefully didn’t dwell on who was distracting whom.

Although, if a distraction could be defined as something she wanted to do again for purely practical reasons, maybe kissing the prince would make him trust her enough to relinquish her lightsaber.

“Well, that’s one way to rationalize making out with the enemy,” she chided. “Get it together.”

“...And on behalf of my mother, General Organa, I would like to reassure you all that the Sith threat will soon be extinguished.”

Rey tilted her head at Ben’s bold proclamation. “Oh, will it?” she silently challenged, willing the prince to look at her. 

As if picking up her thoughts from thin air, Ben met her gaze from across the hall. “Yes,” he mouthed over multiple heads of state.

Shocked more by the fact that he had responded to her unspoken question than his answer, Rey kept her eyes on him throughout the rest of the meeting. He would look at her from time to time, smile mysteriously, and then resume talking. It was mildly infuriating, sure, but Rey was determined to puzzle him out. 

Taking a deep breath, she tried to clear her mind, to focus solely on the man at the podium. “There must be a pathway,” she thought, recalling the feeling that he was trying to impart something nonverbally to her earlier in the day. “With force abilities, there’s always a path...”

And if he’d figured out a way to get into her head, maybe there was a way to get into his too.

Relaxing further into her seat, she reached for him, parsing out the energy flowing around her until only Ben’s signature remained. It almost hurt to perceive him, his light was so blinding. But somehow, it was easy too. Familiar and sort of… warm? He felt so warm...

“Rey, what are you doing?” 

She barely managed to stifle a gasp as he slipped into her mind. “What am I doing? What are you doing? And how are you doing it?”

“This isn’t the time or place,” he replied sternly.

“You can’t keep using that excuse,” she huffed. “You promised to give me answers, remember?”

“And I will.”

“When?!”

“Tonight.”

——————

Dusk

——————

The sun was setting by the time Ben ushered Rey out of the Senate House. He felt nervous, Force knew why. She had become considerably less hostile and more trusting throughout the day, so he hoped telling her the truth about them wouldn’t scare her off.

“Or send her into a homicidal rage,” he worried. It had been necessary to disarm her the night before, in case she realized how much power she had over him. “If only she knew how long I’ve been waiting for her, then maybe she would understand why I could never lift a hand against her.”

He supposed now was the time to enlighten her, but having never handled rejection well, the prospect terrified him. “All these years, I thought it was the same for her as it was for me; I thought she was dreaming of me too...” 

Spending an entire day in her presence had made his visions of her and their future together more clear, provided context, but there was still a lot he didn’t understand about their connection. His uncle had helped him research this rare phenomena, a dyad Luke called it, but Ben’s thirst for knowledge had yet to be sated.

“Old books can only teach me so much,” he reflected. The practical experience of being in his dyad’s presence was proving to be much more educational.

“Prince,” Rey murmured as they passed a few younglings playing with a ball.

“Yes?”

“What are they doing?”

“Who?”

“Those children.”

“Oh,” he paused, “they’re playing.” Catching the eye of a small Twi'lek, Ben motioned toward Rey.

“Oh!” she jumped when the grinning child kicked the ball toward her.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, placing a placating hand on her back. “It’s a game.”

“A fun game?” she asked.

“Why don’t you give it a try and let me know.” 

She looked up at him with big eyes. “But what about you? We were going to talk...” 

“And we will,” he promised. “Play for a while and then come find me. I’ll be in my quarters.”

She gave him a searching look, as if to say, “You really trust me not to run?” 

Departing with a playful push forward and a contented smile, he knew she understood the answer to be, “Irrevocably.”

——————

An hour later, Rey was practically skipping back to the Old Guard House when a commotion stopped her short of the building. “What--stormtroopers?!” There was a cloister of them standing in a small circle around a beleaguered sounding gold droid. “Ben!” she thought, fearing the worst.

Rushing forward, she forgot all her training in her panic, taking exactly zero care to remain hidden. “What’s going on here?” she demanded of the closest soldier. 

A handsome young man looked up at her in surprise. He wasn’t wearing his helmet, a strange sight for a stormtrooper, but instead holding it under his arm. The white mask was splashed red, forming the shape of a handprint. 

Looking around, Rey realized all the helmets were similarly marked.

“I’m Finn,” the soldier said. “Who are you?”

“What are you doing here?” Rey pressed on, ignoring the question. “Where’s Ben? What have you done with him? I want to speak with my grandfather.”

“Uh—what?” Finn blinked. “Who’s your grandfather? Who are you?”

“She’s my guest.”

Rey flipped around and nearly ran into the prince’s muscular chest. “What's going on?” she glared up at him. “Where have you been? I thought you might be—what are you laughing about, idiot?!”

Ben chuckled as she fumed, “I’m sorry to have worried you, sweetheart, but Finn and his crew are friends.”

“But they’re stormtroopers.”

“Former stormtroopers,” Finn corrected her. “Hi,” he said with a charming smile, “let’s try this again. I’m Finn. And you are?”

“Rey,” she replied uncertainly, looking between the two men. 

“Rey what?”

She could feel the prince staring a hole into the side of her head, but she didn’t falter. “Just Rey.”

“Well, Just Rey, it looks like you’re right on time for the party,” Finn grinned.

“Party?” 

“Rey, I don’t know how to tell you this,” Ben started gently, “but the war is nearly over. Finn and his stormtroopers rebelled and turned the tide. The Republic is on the brink of winning.”

“And… and him?” 

“He was losing well before he sent you here,” Ben said honestly.

“Then why send me?” 

“Why indeed?” a regal voice sounded.

Ben stepped in front of her, obscuring the newcomer from view. Belatedly, Rey realized he was being protective and it made her feel… weird. Jittery. Safe. And… something she’d never felt before…

“Mother, I can explain,” he said lamely.

“Glad to hear it, son,” General Organa murmured sardonically. “Because this looks like a royal fuck up to me.”

——————

Evening

——————

Ben tried not to preen as Rey stuck like glue to his side at dinner. It was clear she was uncomfortable meeting so many new people at once, but her body language was also protective, as if a battle could break out in the dining hall at any moment. 

“To be fair,” he thought, “mother is a force to be reckoned with under the best of circumstances...”

“Rey, was it?” Leia queried. 

“Shit.”

His intended froze while reaching for another soft roll. “Yes.”

“How did you come to our cozy, yet rebellious little planet? I don’t believe I’ve met you before.”

“Mother.”

Leia ignored him, eyes intent on Rey’s visage. “You seem to know my son well, somehow, and you’re wearing clothing of my house, my mother’s I believe, so I think it’s perfectly rational we should get to know one another.”

“Mother, please.”

“No, it’s fine,” Rey said with false confidence. “Your mother is just being careful. And I am practically a stranger in your home.”

“You’re not!” he refuted, reflexively reaching for her hand under the table; he was a little stunned when she didn’t pull away. 

“It’s okay,” she reiterated, squeezing his fingers. Turning to Leia, she said, “I was sent here.”

“Rey, don’t!”

“I was sent here by my grandfather.”

Leia’s back straightened, as if seeing the younger woman properly for the first time. “Stop,” she commanded, standing from the table. “You two, come with me. Finn, you as well.”

Rey shot to her feet before Ben could react, dragging him up the strong grip she had on his hand.

Leia noted their bond, but just said, “Follow me.”

——————

General Organa led them to a chamber Rey had never seen before, with comfortably staged couches and reading chairs enticingly lit by warm fire. The walls surrounding the hearth were lined with high bookshelves and dazzling art pieces and ancient weapons of eras gone by. 

Rey was awed by the collection, by the overwhelming sense of rightness she felt standing in this very place at this very moment, with…

“Please, sit,” the General said, indicating a plush couch covered in green velvet directly in front of the flickering fire.

Ben let Rey guide him to the sofa, while his mother took a seat to the right and the stormtrooper sat across from her on a second, identical wingback chair. Normally, Rey wouldn’t have felt intimidated, but Ben’s unease was making her nervous. The library was a sanctuary from all life’s ills, yet she could feel the prince’s urge to run.

“Calm down,” she thought.

“I am calm,” he returned.

“Now then,”—they turned to the General in unison, waiting for her to continue—“why don’t we start over.”

“What happens if I tell the truth?” Rey wondered.

“I don’t know,” Ben answered honestly. “But if anyone besides me is willing to hear you out, it’s her.”

“Okay.”

“But still—”

“I’m Rey,” she blurted before she changed her mind. Ben’s hand tightened almost painfully around hers, but she pressed on. “Rey Palpatine.”

Finn gasped, but Leia didn’t visibly react. “Yes, I thought so. My brother mentioned your arrival was likely during the climax of the war and here we are.”

“What?” Ben said, bewildered. “You knew about her? About us?”

“Us?”

“Darling,” his mother said softly, “you don’t honestly believe your uncle would have kept the possibility of a dyad from me, do you? You know the consequences of such a bond, and the toll it can take if not properly nurtured.”

“It was my choice.”

“Yes, but you haven’t given her a choice yet.”

“There hasn’t been time,” he said stubbornly.

The General gave her son a look only a mother could. “Then make time.”

He nodded solemnly, but didn’t look at Rey.

“Excellent,” Leia smiled. “Now, onto the pressing matter of Palpatine’s last defenses…”

Ignoring the fact that her supposed enemies were discussing tactical plans in front of her, Rey focused on the word now at the forefront of her mind. “What the fuck is a dyad?” she asked. 

Ben’s thumb traced the inside of her wrist, feeling for her pulse as she had done to him earlier in the day. But this time, something was different. Something had shifted. She could hear her own heartbeat and the echoing of his just as strongly; as if their hearts beat as one. 

“Ben, what have you done?” she demanded, pulling back from him.

——————

Ben half paid attention as his mother and Finn prattled on about strategy and war games, his mind preoccupied by the live wire sitting next to him. Rey’s fingers slipped from his as she turned to face him and the loss was like a punch in the gut. 

It was all too fast, too soon, but Rey deserved to know the truth about their bond all the same. And besides, it wasn’t something they could realistically fight. Telling her everything was a gamble, but the arrival of the Resistance fleet made his personal timetable irrelevant.

He’d promised they’d talk tonight, but he thought there’d be more time to warm her up to the idea of—

“What do you think, Ben? Ben. Ben!”

“Huh?” Ben belatedly realized Finn was asking him a question.

“Did you hear what I said?” His friend asked.

“No,” Ben said honestly.

“Palpatine knows about the stormtrooper plot, but it’s too late to stop it. I’m worried a lot of good people are going to die. What should we do?”

Ben contemplated their next move, knowing the original plan was too costly to continue. “Do you remember when we first met?”

“Yeah,” Finn grinned, “you were trying to kill me.”

“I aimed wide,” he scoffed, “but more importantly, do you remember how I convinced you and your team to turn?”

“You hacked our comms!” Finn exclaimed. “And gave us the sappiest motivational speech on record.”

“Shut up. But, yeah, exactly. What if we get Rose to hack all the helmets at the same time and broadcast a call for surrender? The rebel troopers will have cover to escape in the confusion and it should give us enough time to cripple Palpatine’s operations while his attention is focused here.”

“A diversion,” Finn nodded. “Once the command structure is gone, I doubt many of the remaining stormtroopers will continue fighting.”

“Why would his attention be focused here?” Rey piped up.

“Because he sent you here to kill my son, dear,” Leia said calmly. 

“A move that big is guaranteed to split his attention and forces,” Finn agreed. 

“But I haven’t, I mean, I…” Rey trailed off awkwardly.

“No, you haven’t,” Leia said pointedly, “and he knows it.”

Rey fell silent and Ben ached to reach out to her again, physically, telepathically, anything to bridge the sudden gulf between them. But her posture said she needed space and he wouldn’t deprive her of that.

“What about the praetorian guards?” Finn asked, clearly trying to keep things on track. “They’re loyal to a fault.”

“All enemy combatants will be given the chance to surrender,” Leia said.

“And if they don’t?” Rey pressed.

“Then they’ll be dealt with,” his mother said dispassionately.

“And my grandfather?”

No one said anything for a long moment and the silence was uncomfortable. The truth of matter was Palpatine had to die and they all knew it; he could not be allowed to regain power ever again.

But Ben felt disquieted about the actions of his side for the first time since the war started. For a person who believed themselves to be extraordinarily empathetic, it had never occurred to him that the Resistance wasn’t the only group to suffer losses. 

“Rey, I don’t know what to say,” he admitted, suddenly feeling inadequate. He didn’t know how to comfort her. He didn’t know if he should. 

She shook her head. “I didn’t expect you to.” 

“Rey, wait!” he called as she stood and stiffly walked to the door.

But she left without another word.

——————

Rey retreated to the prince’s room, peeling off the costume he had given her this morning and tossing it on the end of the bed. Lifting up the soft sheets, she dove into the center and pulled them over her head.

The shock of the last few hours was only undercut by how much she still didn’t know. There was a lot of talk about war and plans and death, but there was still a missing piece to this puzzle.

She understood now why Palpatine had sent her. She was as a last ditch effort, a contingency plan, to stop the Resistance if he failed to fool the stormtrooper rebellion. Without his brainwashed child soldiers, he would certainly lose.

“A means to an end,” she thought. But what if her next move was so impressive that her grandfather had to take her back?

Despite the General’s relative lack of hostility, Rey knew that Ben’s mother wouldn’t hesitate to “deal with” her if given the slightest provocation. But Palpatine was the devil she knew. And sometimes it was just easier to go with the original plan when every alternative went bust. 

Even if he was trying to end them all.

“Rey?” Ben called out quietly. 

“Sneaky bastard.” She hadn’t even heard him enter the room.

The bed dipped as he sat to her right. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t how I wanted you to meet my mother.”

Rey didn’t respond, waiting to see what else he’d say.

“I want you to be comfortable here,” he went on. “I was born here. My mother and father made this planet home after Palpatine destroyed Alderaan.”

“What happened?” she mumbled, interest peaked.

“It was a planet much like this one, beautiful and peaceful. My mother was part of the royal family, a princess, but about 30 years ago, during the last war, she was captured and punished with the death of her family and friends and everything she knew. The planet was destroyed with the use of a massive weapon. It was called the Death Star. Your grandfather and… mine built it.”

Rey snatched the sheets away from her face in shock. “Your grandfather was… he worked with mine?”

Ben nodded. “Darth Vader was Palpatine’s greatest pupil.”

Just when she thought the night couldn’t get more shocking, Rey suddenly understood why her grandfather hated the Skywalker’s so very much. “I need to think.”

“Alright,” he said gently. “l need to meditate, anyway. Today has been… a lot.”

“Wait,” Rey said, grabbing his arm.

“What is it?”

“I’d feel safer if you slept here,” she invented.

“Here?” 

“On the bed.”

“Oh,” he gulped.

“I’m just going to use the fresher first,” she said in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone. Slipping past Ben in nothing but her underwear, Rey was starkly aware of his eyes on her. Ignoring the shiver that ran up her spine, Rey finally knew what she had to do.

She had to kill him. Tonight.

——————

A/N: Dun dun dun!! Dipping into a little more angst than I usually do, but never fear, smut is always just around the corner in my fics :D

[foolishdoodles]

some comfort hellcheer

[sushigirlali]

No Body, No Crime - Part I (Reylo Fanfic)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI (Coming Soon!)

Summary: Assassin!Rey Palpatine is on her first mission for the evil Darth Sidious. The goal is simple: kill Prince!Ben Solo by any means necessary.

Pairing: Rey + Ben Solo

Rating: E

Continuity: Canonverse AU

A/N: I love writing canonverse, but I decided to do an AU spin this time where Ben grew up with his parents and never went to Luke’s temple and Rey grew up on Exegol with old pickle Palps.

Master list –> AO3 | ff.net | Tumblr

——————

No Body, No Crime - Part I

By: sushigirlali

——————

Hanna City, Chandrila

Midnight

——————

It was a quiet night at the Old Gather-House, almost too quiet, but Rey knew it was time to strike. Since arriving on the lush planet a few days ago, she’d been steadfastly surveilling the palatial structure in the heart of Hanna City from the shadows, noting every guard rotation and the comings and goings of household staff.

Stationed near Eleutherian Plaza, which contained the Chandrila Senate house, seat of the New Republic's galactic government, it was a tricky proposition to get close to the Old Gather-House during the day. In the dead of night, however, the movements of its occupants were exceptionally easy to track. 

“There goes the last worker. His majesty's personal chef, from the looks of her,” she observed. “And any minute now, the head of security will walk out the side door and… GO!”

Dropping down from the fruit tree she’d been perched in for several hours, Rey silently sprinted toward the slowly closing door. Catching it with her booted foot a moment before it shut, she slipped inside without raising alarm.

“Grandfather will be proud,” she congratulated herself, peering left and right to make sure no one was in the long hallway. It was late, so the only people between her and the prince of Alderaan should be his escorts. “Better safe than sorry, though,” she thought, carefully creeping forward.

She had considered coming in through the roof, but security always appeared tight up there. Instead, she’d discovered the existence of a spiral staircase near the kitchens that led to the penthouse on the top floor. Her research had revealed it was as direct a route as she could hope for and lightly guarded to boot. 

Having snagged a lucky lead while eavesdropping the day prior, she’d been able to infiltrate a local repair shop and download schematics and shift change data from a broken serving droid with ease. 

“Not too smart, your majesty, leaving sensitive information lying around like that,” Rey smirked, advancing until she reached the archway leading upstairs. 

Sticking close to the wall, she took two stairs at a time until she reached a landing about halfway up. She paused to listen, continuing when only silence met her ear.

It was a rush, being out on her own for the first time, on her first solo mission. All of the hard work and training she’d put in over the last 15 years would finally be worth it; her grandfather would finally see her as something more than a burden.

Heart pounding as she neared the final landing, Rey braced herself for a fight, but none came to her. “That’s strange…” 

The back entrance to the prince’s rooms was completely unguarded, an oddity which she was both grateful for and concerned about. Lightly touching the jade hairpin pressed into the top of three identical buns, she breathed deeply to calm her sudden nerves. Her guardian rarely gave gifts, so she hoped the versatile ornament was a symbol of his trust in her. Or at the very least, an extra layer of protection should she find herself without her laser sword... 

Knowing she was only delaying the inevitable, Rey gathered her courage and entered what she could only assume was her target’s closet. Expensive looking robes and tailored evening wear billowed from every corner, reminding her exactly who Darth Sidious had sent her to eliminate.

“Skywalker scum,” she hissed internally. “It’s time to put an end to that family’s oppressive bloodline.”

Her resolve renewed, Rey put an ear to the door leading into the next room. Once again, her senses failed to pick up any sounds or movements. Placing one hand on the handle of the pocket door and one on her lightsaber, she slid it open. 

“No one,” she mused, dumbfounded. Closing the door behind her, she stayed low, crossing the pristine white marble bathroom to the open entryway. “Finally,” she thought, spying a large four-poster bed surrounded by heavy cobalt curtains. 

Listening hard, the only discernible noise she could pick up in the dim bedroom was a man’s light breathing. Unable to believe her luck, Rey opened her senses to the dark side, allowing the Force to flow around her. “One person. Humanoid. Male. Big. And… something else… he’s…”

Gasping as electricity coursed through her veins, she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Shit… what was that?!” 

When the man didn’t stir at her slight outburst, Rey resumed infiltrating his chamber. Reaching her destination after a few heart-pounding moments, she took another second to steady herself before gently lifting the hangings on the left side of the bed. Drawing her lightsaber, she peered inside, the warm purple light of her weapon revealing a stunning sight. 

“What—but I thought he was an old sage? Who is this young man?” Her heart stuttered, caught off guard by the man’s handsome face and wide expanse of bare chest. “This can’t possibly be the cruel prince my grandfather warned me about… oh… oh, no… he’s... a Jedi.”

——————

Holding out a commanding hand, Ben bade the fetching maiden—assassin?—to switch off her saber and sleep. Catching her before she fell, he pulled her into his arms, ignoring her weapon as it clattered to the floor with a metallic clash. Placing a hand under her knees, he lifted her slight form to lie next to him on the mattress. 

“At last, my love,” he murmured, pushing a few loose strands of sable hair behind the shell of her ear, “I’ve been waiting for you.” 

She was dressed simply in matching black trousers, pleated vest, and ankle boots. Inconspicuous, functional; nothing at all like the outrageous fashions the members of his house were known for. 

Reaching for the zipper on her shoes, he removed them and slid off the bed. Stowing her belongings in the cubby beneath the nightstand, he studied the woman’s lightly freckled face in the darkness, a face he’d seen in countless dreams and visions...

Ben pulled the covers over her and sighed, realizing it would be a battle to earn her trust, let alone her love. Attempted murder was a complication he hadn’t seen coming, but when had the Force ever played fair?

——————

Morning

——————

Turning her face away from a persistent sliver of light, Rey moaned into her plush pillow. She was so comfortable, the thought of moving was unbearable. Still, she knew the punishment that would await her if she failed to get up and perform her daily duties in the citadel.

“Mmm…” she groaned, stretching widely. “That was the best sleep I’ve had in a long time, maybe ever.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” a deep voice rumbled to her left.

Scrambling up on all fours, Rey’s hazel eyes snapped open, zeroing in on the source of the comment. “You!” she gasped, frantically looking around for her lightsaber. Spying it resting under the bedside table, she made a grab for it. 

But the prince was faster.

“Now, now, sweetheart, I don’t have time to play this morning,” he said calmly, grasping her arm before she could reach her black quarterstaff.

Curling her free hand into a fist, Rey attempted to punch him in the face. “No? Well, why don’t you make—oh!” 

Stunned as he pulled her into an intimate embrace, she scarcely knew what to do before his soft lips were on hers. His spicy scent invading her nostrils, Rey struggled to remember to struggle. But he was on her and around her and kissing her so hotly she couldn’t catch her breath.

“Mmm…” he said several minutes later, lifting his dark head with a smug smile. “Very nice.”

“Am I?” she replied, nonplused.

His brows drew together, considering her. “You’re a little rough around the edges, but considering your upbringing…”

“Don’t pity me,” she gritted out, assuming he was referring to her obvious lack of experience. He couldn’t possibly know about her mission, her family.

“Never,” he promised, tracing her cheek. “Let’s begin again, shall we?”

Rey belatedly realized he was pinning her to the bedspread. “Let me up,” she said briskly.

“Do you promise not to attack me again?”

She narrowed her eyes, but nodded.

“Yes?” he persisted.

“Yes.”

He smiled at her, pulling back. “My name is Ben Solo.”

“I know who you are,” she responded impatiently. “I’m—”

“Rey,” he supplied, saying her name like a caress.

Sitting up straighter, she surveyed the room for an escape route. Despite his ardor a moment ago, he was clearly playing some sort of sick game. It was morning, there must be guards covering every exit by now…

“We’re quite alone,” the prince broke in. “You needn’t be worried that you’ll be caught. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Snapping back to face him, Rey was astounded by the earnest look on his face. “But… if you know my name, you must know why I’m here, what I am...” 

“All I know is a beautiful woman crawled into my bed last night,” he said cheekily. 

Blushing at the compliment as much as the innuendo, she demanded, “What did you do to me?” 

“Nothing.”

“I don’t believe you!” she charged. “You… you used some kind of Jedi mind trick on me!”

“Just a small one,” he said irreverently. “Just to help you sleep.”

“Help me—what did you do once I was unconscious?!”

“Nothing,” he reiterated. “I graciously gave you the bed and sought rest elsewhere.”

“You—what? Then where did you sleep?” she said suspiciously.

“I didn’t. Sleep, that is. I meditated,” he said, pointing to a pile of cushions by the window, “so that I could watch over you.”

“But why?”

His lips thinned a little. There was obviously something he wanted to say, but all he did was shrug. “Another time.”

“Why not now?”

“You’ll just have to trust me when I say now is not the right time.” 

“But you’re a Jedi!” she blustered, sliding off the bed. Annoyingly, he still towered over her from his spot on the edge of the mattress. Rey hated feeling small, but she needed to be on her feet, to be ready for battle. “How am I supposed to trust you?”

“I’m a Grey Jedi,” he corrected, as if that explained everything.

“Is there a difference?” she demanded.

“Several,” he chuckled.

“Well?” she stamped her bare foot. “Care to elaborate?”

“Not really,” he said plainly. “Not right now, at least.”

“And why not?”

“I have work to do,” he informed her. Then, more seriously, “And so do you.”

“What?” she snorted derisively. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“I spared your life, so it belongs to me now,” he replied simply, standing far more gracefully than she had. Rey backed up, trying to ignore their height difference, but the prince’s presence seemed to fill up the room. “There’s a change of clothes for you in the bathroom. Put them on and we’ll go.”

“Go where?” she glared, glancing past him at her saber once again. It was just out of reach and the prince was as solid as a fresher; if she tried to summon it, he would likely block her the same as before. “Damn.”

“You’ll see,” he said enigmatically. Then, lightly, “You might even like it.”

——————

Ben tried not to show his appreciation for the way Rey moved in his grandmother’s flowy, hand embroidered yellow dress, but it was hard going. Everything about her was magic, even when she was glaring daggers at him for making a simple request.

“I won’t!”

“And why not?”

“I’m not one of your servants!” she huffed. “You can’t just order me around and expect me to do your bidding!”

“I’m not ordering,” he sighed, “I’m asking. As a favor.”

“A favor?” she repeated, scrunching her nose. “What’s that?”

“I—ah… it’s like a promise. If you do something for me now, I’ll reciprocate in kind later,” he explained, careful to keep his sympathy hidden.

He’d seen into her mind when they touched last night and then again when they kissed this morning. “Poor girl, it must have been difficult growing up on Exogal with a spirit like hers.”

“Oh,” she said, looking puzzled. “And going to this healing temple with you is a favor? How could I possibly be of use there?”

“You’d be surprised.”

Rey narrowed her eyes at him again. “I don’t like secrets.” 

“On that we can agree,” he replied. “You’re not the only one with relatives who keep secrets,” he said internally.

“Really?”

When he offered nothing more than an expectant look, she made an annoyed sound and said, “Lead the way, then, Prince Solo.”

——————

“You can just call me Ben, or Senator, if you’d prefer,” he chuckled, adjusting the silver lightsaber clipped to his leather belt. The crossguard shape was a design she’d only seen in ancient scrolls, but it seemed to suit him.

“How many titles does this guy have?” she wondered. “Prince, Senator, Jedi… I mean… Grey Jedi.” Pondering on the last, she tried to recall ever reading about one, but came up empty. “Grey implies some kind of impurity and those sanctimonious light users would never.” She peaked up at the prince’s striking side profile. “Or would they? He looks...”

“Is there something you’d like to ask?” he said nonchalantly, but she could tell he’d caught her staring.

“No!” she snapped, embarrassed. Picking up her long gold skirt in frustration, Rey stomped ahead of him. Why the hell had she even put the cumbersome garment on? Sure, she had never seen anything so beautiful before, but the corseted top and billowing skirts were a pain to walk in. “Not to mention fight in…”

“Are you sure?” he insisted, speeding up to catch her.

“Yes!” 

“You don’t sound sure,” he said lightly.

Rey rounded on him, dropping her skirts and placing her hands on her hips. “I don’t know why I’m even listening to you. I’m here to—”

“Sightsee?” he supplied, tensing up.

“No, I—” 

“Rey, please,” the prince said meaningfully, eyeing a couple Senate Guards who were drawing near.

“Fine,” she relented, dropping her combative posture. “Let’s just get this over with.”

He gazed at her for an extended moment, his dark eyes sinking into hers, like he was trying to say something without speaking… but then he was hastily moving forward again and the spell was broken.

“What was that?” she thought dazedly. 

Shaking off the feeling that he was trying to pass her an important message, Rey tried to focus on her surroundings. She hadn’t sensed the guards before the prince pointed them out, which wouldn’t do if she wanted to complete her task and live to tell the tale.

Falling into step behind him, she followed until he paused outside an imposing white brick building a few minutes later. A large sign over the doorway indicated that the structure was a hospital, its cracked and faded facade revealing the building’s age. “I wonder how long this city has been here? I’ve seen so little of the galaxy and grandfather never answers my questions...”

“This way,” her jailer said, pushing the door open and holding it for her.

Slipping inside, she was startled when an excited voice cried, “Oh! Senator Solo!” as soon as they entered the large, sunlit atrium. Sizing up the slim blonde running toward them, Rey instantly dismissed her as a threat.

“Good morning, lieutenant,” the prince said warmly when the woman drew near.

Perturbed by his tone without understanding why, Rey decided it best to keep her tongue and just watch the scene unfold. “Maybe she’s a weakness I can exploit...” Somehow the thought didn’t sit well with her, though.

“Did General Organa send you?” he asked.

“Yes,” the lieutenant responded. She looked curiously at Rey, but continued with a nod from the prince. “Leia is expecting more injured soldiers to arrive tomorrow and she wanted to make sure you had everything you needed to heal them.”

“She wanted you to check up on me is what you’re actually saying,” he ribbed. The prince placed a hand on Rey’s shoulder, making her jump slightly. “Nevertheless, please let her know that we have everything we need.”

“We do?” she said slowly. Then, more brightly, “We do! Oh, how wonderful!” The woman smiled at Rey. “I thought I recognized that dress, you must be—”

“On duty,” he cut her off with a meaningful look. “And we really must be going now, Kaydel.”

“Sure,” she responded with a conspiratorial nod, “see you!”

Shaking his head, the prince’s hand slipped from Rey’s shoulder to the small of her back. “No doubt she’s off to report to my mother. Shall we?”

Reaching behind her, Rey captured his wandering hand, placing her index and forefinger over the inside of his wrist. “What was that? Who’s dress am I wearing?”

His pulse lept. “Caught that did you?” 

“I’m not an idiot, your highness. Despite what happened last night, I’m actually quite capable!” 

“I know,” he said, but this time his heartbeat remained steady.

“You don’t know me,” she denied, confused by his apparent honesty, “no one does.”

“Rey, I can’t explain how right now, but… I do,” he said with conviction.

“You’ll have to tell me later, then. As a return on your favor.” She wasn’t quite sure why she was letting him string her along, but her gut told her he didn’t mean her harm. “I suddenly have the strangest feeling… like we’ve met before… like I know him too.”

“You want words and not your weapon?” He seemed surprised, but pleased.

“I don’t need my lightsaber to kill you, your majesty,” she responded recklessly, thinking of the hairpin he’d neglected to take from her.

The prince looked around, making sure no one overheard the threat. “Not so loud, we don’t need any trouble.” His free hand slid over hers, capturing it. “Come along now, there’s a lot to do before the next group arrives.”

Allowing him to tug her toward a large red door embossed with the symbol of a snake coiling around a lightsaber, Rey ignored the jump of her own heart.

——————

Smiling slightly as Rey juggled a few containers of bacta, Ben carefully took one from her and added it to the second of five medical stations in the infirmary. “Once we replenish the supplies here, I’ll need to check up on a few patients.”

“You’re a doctor too?” she said in amazement.

“Force healer,” he shrugged, pulling out clean gauze and medical tape before moving on.

“That’s a thing?”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “It’s really rare, though.”

“Oh.”

Ben finished lining up equipment on the third station while he decided how much to tell her. “Have you ever… healed a creature before? Even something as small as an insect?”

“No, I—um…” she paused. “Actually… there was a mynock I found once. Do you know what that is?”

“I do.”

“It was clinging to a ship and when the dock workers scraped it off, one of its wings was crushed...” she trailed off, looking confused.

“And?” 

“And I put my hands on it and then it flew away,” she finished, looking up at him intently. “Do you think I healed it?”

“Yeah, I think you did,” he confirmed. “You’re special, Rey.”

“What?” she said in disbelief.

Feeling her mental walls rising in defense, Ben backed off. “Can you hand me another bottle of bacta?”

“Oh, yeah, sure.”

Ben smiled as their fingers touched in passing.

——————

“You’re special, Rey.”

The words kept ringing in her head, that deep voice praising her, encouraging her… Rey felt warm all over. Fanning her face, she tried to concentrate on what the prince was doing to no avail.

Last night, her mission seemed so clear. But now... she wasn’t sure she wanted to complete it. It seemed unlikely that her grandfather didn’t know Ben Solo was a Jedi. Which begged the question… why hadn’t the old man told her?

Was her master setting her up? And if he was, why not just kill her himself? It was a rather bleak question to ask, but Rey knew Darth Sidious was capable of anything...

“How’s this?” the prince asked a middle-aged Mon Calamari who appeared to be blind in one eye.

“Better! I can see tiny wisps of light!” he said excitedly. 

“Progress!” The prince motioned for her to join him. “Rey, would you help me—”

“No!” she said loudly, roused from her dark thoughts. “Um… no. I’m not…”

“Hey,” he said softly, “it’s okay, sweetheart. Why don’t you wait for me in the lobby. I’m almost done here, I’ll come find you in a bit.”

Rey turned tail and practically ran from the room, more confused than ever. Regardless of her master’s intentions, how was she supposed to kill someone so kind?

——————

Ben finished repairing his patient’s eye, but it was hard to keep his mind off Rey. Her outburst had startled him because he hadn’t felt it coming. He was used to sensing emotional reactions before they happened, it was one of his gifts, but Rey was… surprising, in more ways than one. 

“She’s more powerful than she knows,” he thought. “And if I can sense it, I’m sure Palpatine did as well. Is that why he sent her after me? Because he was afraid to face her himself and wanted me to do his dirty work?”

It was an uncomfortable thought, but Ben knew from experience how corrupting the dark side could be. The only comfort he had was that the old Sith Lord would never have sent Rey in his direction if he was aware of their connection.

“Better luck next time, old man. You’ve made your last mistake.”

——————

A/N: Things are gonna get a little dramatic next chapter, stay tuned! In the meantime, check out my many other fics :3

[erosia-rhodes]

Actual Google results for “World’s Greatest Detective”:

[sushigirlali]

Keep thinking about Joel clenching his injured hand in the flooded hotel after helping Ellie up. His hand hurts, but she’s alive… he was finally able to do what he couldn’t with Sarah 🥺