Rey scowled at the top shelf where the last ream of bond paper was. She never did understand why anyone would store the papers so high up. She looked around the office, looking for something she could use to boost herself up other than her chair. Seeing nothing, she sighed and rolled the chair over.

She was probably going to break her neck, and for what? A measly office supply just so she could print out the worksheet her class was going to use the next period.

She climbed on her chair, her knees shaking because it wasn't the least bit stable. As she tried to straighten, the chair moved, causing her to crouch back down and grip the backrest.

A snicker alerted her to someone else's presence in the faculty room. Rey looked over to see her boyfriend and co-teacher, Ben, leaning against the doorframe.

"Don't let me stop you," he said, clearly amused at her current situation.

"You could help, you know," she scowled, trying to stand on the chair again.

"Ah, but you'd call me out for helping when you wanted to do it by yourself."

Rey didn't respond, he had a point. There had been several instances when he assisted her and she'd get mad at him for it. Rey was used to getting things done on her own. Not that she didn't appreciate the help, it just took some getting used to.

"Be careful," he warned, moving closer to her in order to catch her if she fell.

"I can do this," she insisted.

She was standing upright on the chair now. It was wobbly, but she had a semblance of balance. All she had to do was reach up and get the paper so she could hop off the chair and be on safe, stable ground once more.

The only problem was, even though she was already on the chair, she still couldn't reach the paper.

She exhaled and estimated the distance between her hands and her prize. She could reach it if she stood on tip toe. Then again, her balance was already shaky.

"Rey?" Ben asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I can do this Ben," she replied.

Rey raised herself up to the tips of her toes. Her balance was precarious at best. Still, she was stubborn, she was so close. She could already grasp the ream.

Then the chair slipped.

Rey felt the air rush out of her lungs. She squeezed her eyes shut, so sure that she would fall on the ground. She braced herself for impact.

But it didn't come.

Instead she felt two hands on her hips, bracing her, holding her up. She slowly opened her eyes.

Ben had caught her. Sometimes it amazed her at how strong he was. She was tiny compared to him, but she wasn't skin and bones either. But he lifted her like she weighed nothing.

He set her down, and frowned at her.

"Next time," he said, no longer amused. "Just ask for help. I would have gone and gotten you a step ladder if it was so important that you had to be the one to get that."

He glared at the ream of paper that she had in her arms.

"Ben," she softly whispered.

"What am I saying?" Ben shook his head, his agitation building. "Of course you won't ask for help. Sometimes I don't know what to do."

"Ben," Rey said once more.

"Is it so hard to admit that you can't do everything on your own?" he continued.

"Oh Ben," she said, setting the paper down on her desk.

"What?" he asked, sitting down on her chair.

"Yes it's hard," she admitted, standing in front of him so she could cup his face. "I've been so used to doing things by myself that I forget that I can ask for help."

She leaned down and let their foreheads touch.

"But I'll try next time," Rey promised, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you."

Although Rey still found it hard to ask for help from time to time, she got better at it. After all, Ben, more often than not, offered before she could even ask.

Many thanks to jinxkatkazama at tumblr for the prompt!