Moment of Weakness

Visitor

Ben carries her suitcase for her out of the elevator and sets it on the floor by the kitchen counter while  Vicrul and Kuruk both make themselves scarce and go outside to the patio to give them their space. Chewie who lays on his dog bed lifts his head a little bit and looks at them before laying it back down, just to lift it again at the realization that Rey is back and charges at her. Rey squats down and he runs into her arms, wagging his tail excitedly and licking her face as she tries to hug him.

"He's been rather depressed in your absence," Ben says as he sticks his hands in his pockets and watches Rey cuddle with the dog on the floor.

"Oh I'm so sorry boy, I'm back, I still love you," she coos as she scratches his sides and his tongue flops out of his mouth.

Ben watches her with amusement, his heart doing flips in his chest as he revels in the fact that she's home with him again. The last four weeks of her being gone and completely blocking him out had been torture and he had in a way completely fallen apart without her there. Before they met, he was perfectly fine with how quiet his condo was and going through his day alone, but now, when she wasn't here, the condo was cold and too big for just him and he hated the absence of her laugh echoing through the rooms.

"What do you want to do?" Ben asks as he grabs Rey's hands and pull her back to a standing position in front of him.

"Well I'm starving, so food first, then I think I want to sleep for 24 hours in that bed because I've been on a sleeper sofa for four weeks."

"What do you want?" Ben asks as he opens the fridge and then the freezer. "I can make chicken or steaks."

"Whatever you want, I just miss your cooking," Rey smiles as she sits down at the island and leans forward on her elbows shamelessly checking him out.

"Okay," Ben comes over and gives her a kiss quickly as he works to push the sleeves of his sweatshirt up.

Rey watches him as he cooks, observing the outline of his jaw, how his eyebrows scrunch when he's thinking, and how his muscles flex with even the smallest movement. It had only been four weeks of silence, but she was almost looking at him as if this was all new again.

"I missed you so much," Rey says with a sigh and Ben looks up at her quick from the cutting board where he is chopping carrots.

"I missed you too, you have no idea," he continues to smile as he looks back down and keeps chopping.

"From the scruffiness of your face, I think I have an idea," Rey teases.

"Really? I was thinking about keeping it. Try out a new look," he smirks at her.

"Definitely not."

"You don't like it?"

"It's scratchy," she pouts.

"Is it?" Ben says as he sets the knife down and walks around the island to her. "So I shouldn't do this?" He says as he grabs her face and rubs his cheek on hers.

"Ow! Ben!" She giggles and tries to getaway.

"I'm just exfoliating your skin, that's important!"

"Noooo!" She yells as she sneaks under his arm.

"I'll shave after we eat. Okay, goofball?" Ben says as he walks back around the island and keeps cutting the vegetables.

"Okay," Rey says with a smile and sits back down to continue watching him cook.

"When do you want to go back to work?" Ben asks, looking down at what he's doing instead of at her.

"I can go back tomorrow morning if you'd like. That is if I still have a job?" Rey asks hesitantly remembering how he used to go through a PA quite frequently before her arrival.