Written In Starlight (A Reylo Modern AU)

Year Two| 18

Ben's Point Of View

~The Next Day ~

I sat at my desk carving a small piece of wood into the shape of the necklace that my grandfather made for my grandmother.

I had been working on it for several hours when my uncle came in. "What are you working on, kid?"

"A gift for Rey, she told me that her birthday was yesterday," I replied.

"You forgot your girlfriend's birthday?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

"I didn't forget, I just didn't know. But I still feel bad about it, that's why I'm going to give her something special to make up for it."

"Good idea, what have you got in mind?"

I stopped carving and sat my pocketknife on my desk, then I showed him the pendant I was working on.

He looked at it for a moment. "It looks almost exactly like your grandmother's."

"Yeah, it still needs some work," I answered.

"This is a special gift, I can tell that you really care about her."

I nodded. "I do, I've never felt this way about anyone before."

My uncle smiled. "Then cherish every moment God gives you to be with her."

"I will, uncle, I promise."

Rey's Point Of View

I sat outside next to Finn, but we didn't talk like we usually did. He seemed distracted, I looked in the direction that he was staring to see Rose doodling in her sketch book. I looked at Finn smiling at the look of admiration that he had on his face as he watched her.

I bumped him with my shoulder. "Tell her how you feel, Finn. Sometimes you regret the things you don't say just as the things that you do say. Besides, why would you regret telling her that you love her?"

"I'm not afraid to admit it, I'm just afraid that I'll mess up, what if I freeze or stutter?"

"She's one of your best friends she's not going to judge you for being nervous. Just be brave, I can go with you if it would make you feel better," I told him.

He nodded. "Thank you, Rey."

We walked over to where Rose was sitting, but as soon as we reached her I could tell how nervous Finn was. He turned to go back the way we had came, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Rose, there's something Finn wants to tell you," I looked at Finn offering him a nod of encouragement.

Finn took a deep breath, then he spoke. "Rose..." he paused kneeling in front of the bench where she was sitting. "...you've always been one of my best friends, a part of this family that's bound together by love instead of blood. But you're...you're so much more than that to me." He reached over, gently taking her hand.

Rose was speechless, and I smiled at how red her cheeks were becoming.

"I...I love you," he whispered.

Rose smiled shyly, before cupping his cheek in her hand and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "I love you too," she whispered.

Finn smiled, then kissed her again. As they pulled apart, they both began to blush as they seemed to realize for the first time that I was standing there.

I was already smiling, but their shyness only made me smile even more. I was so happy for them, they'd been in love since they were young, but they hadn't admitted it until now.

~Later~

Finn came over to where I was sitting under a tree, reading. I had left him and Rose alone so that they could talk in privacy.

"I'm so happy for you and Rose," I told him as he sat down beside me.

"Thanks, I asked her to go to a movie with me," he said.

"That's great," I said, smiling at him. "Your first date."

He nodded shyly.

"Can I ask you a personal question? Was that your first kiss?" I smiled at him.

"No," he replied, but I could tell that he was lying.

"There's no reason to be embarrassed, I haven't had my first kiss yet either," I told him.

"That's because you're waiting for your prince to come and sweep you off of your feet," he teased.

I blushed a little as I thought of Ben. I had been saving my first kiss for someone special, and now I was saving it for him.

"I know I probably seem foolish for falling in love with him when I haven't even met him yet. It does feel more like a dream than reality sometimes," I said.

"That's good," he answered. "Remember what J.R.R. Tolkien said: 'one dream is worth more than a thousand realities.'"

I nodded then smiled at him. Being in love with Ben felt like a dream, but it was the kind of dream that made you want to sleep forever and never wake up.