Love and War

||Chapter 1||

    Rey lays in her bed, body tired and aching, but mind remaining active and alert. It's hardly unusual for her to be awake this late, during the day she is preoccupied with so many other things, when nighttime falls, she is left alone with only her thoughts. Somehow even after the defeat of Palpatine, there is still so much to do. She tosses and turns, squeezing her eyes shut- trying to get rest for once. Finn told her if she had trouble sleeping she could always come talk to him. She never would though, she didn't want to wake and bother him. Besides, she figures he is probably just trying to be a good friend anyway, he'd sacrifice his rest to help Rey sort out her thoughts but she wouldn't have that.

She sits up, the covers of her bed bunched in her lap as she moves a strand of brunette hair from her face. She is still just as awake as she was earlier in the day, she knows she has to figure out some way to rest her racing mind. She slides off of the bed and grabs her shoes, slipping them on and standing up. She stretches and grabs her lightsaber and a small lantern before heading to the door of her room, stepping past it and closing it behind her. She makes her way out of the front door and into the dark of the night. A walk couldn't hurt. It would definitely take her mind off of her prolonged thoughts, like, what is to come next, are they all really safe now, and... where is Ben? He barely survived just trying to save her, she was sure he was a goner, but nevertheless he made it through above all given odds. Since the previously mentioned defeation of Palpatine, though, he is nowhere to be found.

Her lit lantern and the subtle light of the glittering stars leads her through the pitch black darkness that surrounds her. She stops for a moment, looking up. Rey smiles softly, enjoying the view. She knows it's such a simple thing, admiring the sky's beauty, though it fills her with such a peaceful and untroubled feeling knowing that on every planet people stare up at it and admire it too. One of the beings who happened to be appreciating it as well was none other than Ben Solo in the flesh. His gazing is cut short, though, an image of Rey appears in the form of a vision. He sees her walking through a grassy and boulder surrounded terrain, recognizing the planet instantly as the same one he is on. He tries to focus on it- concentrating as much as his mind will allow to find out where she is. He has been meaning to talk to her since their last encounter. He can feel that she is close, and he sets off to find her.

Rey spots a nearby cliff, thinking it might just be a delightful place to settle and just relax for just a little while. She approaches it and sits near the ledge, setting down her lantern at her side. She pulls her legs to her chest and takes a long breathy exhale, settling her chin on her knees. The water below the clifftop makes small waves, crashing softly against rocks and providing the perfect background noise for Rey to just relax. She finds herself feeling a bit better, though.. for some reason thoughts of Ben still flood her mind. Where could he possibly be- and why hasn't he talked to her again. "Rey" a gruff voice calls from behind her.

The air hitches in her throat and she quickly stands to her feet, turning around and drawing her lightsaber. Ben throws his hands up in defense and he backs up a bit "hey-" he calls out, taken aback. The fear and defense in Rey's eyes quickly turn into undeniable relief and longing. She casts her lightsaber away and re-secures it to her person, staring at him "Ben, where have you been? I haven't seen you since-" Ben finishes her sentence "since Palpatine, yes." Rey furrows her brows and looks around, searching for answers "why have you been away for so long? I.... I was worried" she admits, finally meeting his gaze. He steps closer to her and brushes the stray windblown strands of hair from her face with a black gloved finger. He closes his eyes briefly "Since the defeation of Palpatine, I have been making a slow recovery from battle, and... have been trying to find myself." He stares at where the water meets the sky. "Changing... for the better is not an easy task," he grunts in dismay "Many feel betrayed by me, and I've had to lay low for the safety of myself. Please don't misunderstand, I wasn't avoiding you, Rey. In fact, I've been trying to find you. I checked Jakku just a day ago, looking for you, and since then have found myself here, searching for you as well."

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I hope you guys liked the chapter, I know it's short but I'll make up for it in chapter 2. I can't tell if I like how this came out or if I absolutely hate it, but, y'know. Thank you for reading, it means a lot. Now if you'll excuse me- I'll be simping respectfully over Kylo Ren for the next 34 hours. Seriously though- thank you for reading. <3

-Trip

Word count: 839