The Redemption of Fate ~ A Reylo Story

22

Ben wiped the tears from under Rey's eyes, and delicately ran his fingers through her hair. Her head full of tangled, muddy hair. Rey knew she was a mess, but Ben still adorned her as if she was embellished with velvet and jewels.
Rey's fingers trailed down Ben's neck and shoulders. Those strapping, brawny shoulders. She had only felt them when Ben was a ghost, but now she could feel his real skin. The sturdiness of his collarbones, his prominent muscles tensing beneath his clothed chest. The rough, yet smoothness of his skin. The way warmth radiated off of his body, just enough for the tips of Rey's fingers to sense. Ben is really here, Rey thought, and despite her aching face and body, Rey smiled. She smiled so fiercely that it burned her cheeks.

"You're here." Rey was still full of amazement. "Ben, you made it."
Ben pulled back to stare into her glimmering eyes. His expression was serious, but his eyes were lost in the hazy fog of passional adoration. For once in his life he couldn't fight the desire aching his soul. "I almost lost you. You're aware of that, right?"
"Well, you didn't," Rey replied, her voice hoarse and croaky. She sucked her teeth, mocking indignation, "You really didn't believe I would come back for you? How unthoughtful."
Ben would have kissed Rey--in fact, he would have let himself go, fully and unconditionally--if it weren't for Finn, somehow watching it all unfold in front of him. Awkward and uncomfortable. 
Finn! Rey snapped her head to stare at her stiff comrade. She had sensed him there all along, but she couldn't have pulled herself away from Ben's lips even if she endeavored to.

"Finn. . . Finn, how did you--"
"Rey," Finn quickly recovered from his intense awkwardness, and he felt his tender disposition slip back into place, "are you okay? W-what happened?"
Rey had no other way to explain what she had been through in the past hours--if they were even hours, it all felt like days, weeks perhaps. Like one gigantic nightmare, taunting and delirious. But Rey was free of that now. Seeing her friends again--seeing Ben again--was like finally seeing the sun poke through the clouds after a lingering, horrific night. 
"I don't know how to say it. Thinking about it even hurts, but there was a lot of pain, a lot of devastation. Several instances where I thought I was dead. I. . . felt dead. "

Finn sensed Rey's overwhelmed brain. Her scattered, mangled thoughts. He observed the way her body trembled, struggling to even sit up properly. 
"It's okay, you don't have to explain. Just--are you okay now?"
Rey nodded hesitantly. She wasn't aware of how much energy she had exerted already--even a kiss seemed to enervate her greatly. "Yes, I think I am," she rubbed tentatively at her temples, "I--I just need some sleep, that's all."
"We can take yo--" Ben began, but Rey interjected, staring Finn straight on with inquisitiveness in her weary eyes. "How did you know, Finn?"
Finn glanced at Ben then back at Rey, unsure of himself. "Uh, about what?"

Rey shifted, wincing from the strain that it caused her already-strained muscles. "How did you know I was hurt? Did you feel it?" 
Finn took in a quick breath. His eyes captivated on Rey's. "I just woke up with pain, all over my body. I knew it wasn't mine. Then something--the Force--whispered your name inside my head, over and over again. Suddenly it all made sense. And then the light show--"
"Light show?" Rey inquired curiously.
"Yeah, the sky burst with blue electricity. It was something I had never seen before. I knew that wasn't natural, and I knew it had to do with you. So I ran here, all the way from camp, right to you. By then, of course, Ben had already found you." Finn said, then added, "I don't know how I sensed everything so strongly. Must've been all that meditation training."

Despite Rey's fatigued self, she managed to crack another smile. Finn was her best friend and always would be. At times, he was there for her like no other friend had been. She threw outstretched arms over Finn's back, nearly toppling over into his chest if he hadn't caught her. "Whoa, there. You really need some sleep."
"Sorry, I'm just so glad you're here, Finn. Truly." Rey spoke into the collar of Finn's shirt. He returned the smile, apprehensively patting her on the back. 
"I'm glad, too. But you need to rest, Rey. Can you even walk?"
As if to answer Finn's question, Rey pushed herself up, wobbly and unsteady. Ben caught Rey in time before her knee went out. Her point had been proven. Rey was weak. Weaker than she would have liked to admit. She huffed, frustrated with her devitalized self. 

"Well, that's why we're here to help." Finn pushed himself up off of the loamy jungle soil. He nodded at Ben, who returned his acknowledgment. 
Ben was already lifting Rey off her feet before she could protest. She would have liked to try standing by herself again, even if she toppled over and collapsed, but inside she knew proving herself was unnecessary--she had just defeated the dark side without help, and brought a man back to life. Her gumption was fierce, and both of the men, stabilizing her at sides of her shoulders, knew that.