His eyes shot open when he felt a light breath on the skin of his back. Desperate fear of being killed in his sleep made him shoot out of bed and call his lightsaber to him immediately. He ignited it, but softened as soon as he saw her.
When he jumped to his feet and turned around, none other than Rey was asleep in his bed. She was extraordinarily close to where he had been laying. She wasn't really there, it was a connection through the Force. He shut down his weapon and put it on the table by his bed side. Then he circled the bed like a hawk eyeing his prey, but of course he couldn't hurt her. Not anymore. He wasn't sure he ever could have in the first place. Even when he met her for the first time, he was hesitant to force his way into her mind.
When he made his way over to the other side of the bed, he took notice of the fact that she appeared to not be wearing anything. The blanket was pulled up to her chest, but tucked under her arms which were exposed outside of the blanket. Everything was covered, but it felt wrong and uncomfortable. Ben turned away, prepared to wait out the connection.
Then something caught his eye. He stepped closer and saw what looked like bandages wrapped around her torso. They were almost the same color as her flesh, which is why he hadn't noticed them at first. He creeped forward and carefully pulled the blanket back. Her entire top half of her body was wrapped in them, and she was wearing comfortable sleeping pants on her lower half.
Memories came back to him. Three days ago, Hux ordered an attack on a resistance base. It was without Ben's permission, which made him furious. He always had the bases scouted first, telling the others it was so they wouldn't waste resources. It was really to make sure that Rey nor his mother were in the mix, so they wouldn't get hurt or worse.
After throwing the general into a wall during a burst of anger, Ben took his ship into the thick of the battle to put an end to things. He was beyond furious at being disobeyed, but he was sick with worry. He was certain his mother wasn't here. If there was one thing he knew, those in the position of leadership stayed out of the line of fire usually. But Rey wouldn't be able to do that, she would have to be here and helping. She was probably the first one on the battlefield. Finally he found her, engaged in a battle with a stormtrooper. He didn't know what he was going to do, maybe capture her, but he knew he couldn't hold her forever.
It changed when the stormtrooper caught her off guard and cut a deep wound in her back. She fell to the ground, bleeding and unconscious. She was about to be finished off when Ben stepped in, killing the man without hesitation.
There was so much chaos and dust around them, no one was paying attention. He stowed away his weapon and picked her up the same way he had in the forest the first time he laid eyes on her. He could feel her blood, warm and flowing fast. It was soaking through his sleeve. He rushed her to where he knew someone would find her, and he saw his way out.
He withdrew his forces, calling it a waste of time, much to Hux's protests. And he prayed to any being that would listen that she would be healed.
His mind came back to the present. Rey was asleep wherever she really was, but to Ben, she appeared to be sleeping in his bed. He touched her cheek, she didn't even flinch. For someone who had been through as much trauma as she had, it was likely that she was an extremely light sleeper. For right now, she seemed to be under the influence of heavy pain medication and possibly a sleeping pill to boost her healing.
"What have I done?" Ben mumbled to himself as he watched her back rise and fall. He began to pace and ran his hand through his hair. He did everything he could to protect her, even if he was the only one who knew what he was doing. And she still ended up this way. Hux would learn to keep in line, no more mistakes.
"Ben?" A soft voice spoke. He froze, had he woken her?
He turned around and she was still asleep. Her hand was reaching out to feel the sheets on his side of the bed, and her face screwed up like she was struggling to cope with something. She was searching for him in her sleep. He wasn't about to climb back into the bed with her, it felt like he would be crossing a line. Instead, he tucked the blanket back around her and she settled at his touch. Smiling just a little and curling into herself.
Ben sighed and backed away again. The last thing he wanted was for her to wake up, see him, and lash out in panic. As he had seen her wound fresh and up close, he was certain that three days was not adequate time for recovery.
He moved to the other side of the room and stared out of his window into the stars. It was the same thing every day, but he always found it peaceful.
"Ben." This time the voice was closer and solid. She was awake, and coming to him.
He took a deep breath and turned around. She was standing and staring at him that same way she had in the throne room. He averted his eyes and turned around again.
He flinched a little when he felt her touch at his back.
"Turn around please." She requested. He was powerless and did as she asked.
She simply stared at him.
"I remember what happened, what you did."
What was she talking about?
"You didn't have to kill one of your stormtroopers for me, you could have let me die. Thank you."
It was a nightmare for him. She had appeared to be unaware, but evidently he had assumed wrong. He also felt more and more uncomfortable. The bandages wrapped around her left very little to the imagination. He reached behind her, took the blanket from the bed, and draped it over her shoulders. She tucked the blanket around her and nodded her thanks.
"I didn't want you to get hurt." Ben mumbled to the floor.
"I'm okay, Ben." She used his given name, it still shook him to the core.
"I didn't order that attack. Hux undermined me."
"I believe you." So she knew, she knew she had him under her thumb and yet she didn't use it against him.
She carefully stepped forward, into his personal space.
"There's nothing you can't come back from with me, I will always have a door open for you." She was now standing so close she had to tilt her head up to look him in the eyes.
She stepped closer and carefully leaned her head on his bare chest, listening to his heart beat wildly. His skin felt warm and soothing to her. He leaned his forehead down to rest it on the top of her head and touched the tips of his fingers to her neck.
They waited out the connection, and when it finally severed, his blanket didn't drop to the floor like he expected. She took it with him. He was okay with this, even as he curled back into his bed where she had laid, with nothing to sleep under.
Back in the resistance ship, Rey dropped to her knees, still wrapped in Ben's blanket that carried his scent. She let the tears flow, she couldn't let go of him. She knew she would always be trying to bring him back into the light with her, no matter how far he took it. This man had a hold on her, and she both loved it and hated it.
