Chapter 1: You Want to Woo Me?

The Resistance leaders - Rey of Jakku, Finn and Poe Dameron - glared across the Pasanna plain at Kylo Ren. Rey had her lightsaber ignited in warning.

When the Supreme Leader had flown into the desert planet's airspace and been forced into a crash landing by the fledgling Jedi, the trio had not expected for his cover story: Armitage Hux had performed a successful coup, taking over the First Order and forcing Kylo to flee for his life.

He certainly looked disheveled and shaken, but that could just as easily be from him crashing his TIE fighter. Not so easily explained were his imploring, almost puppy eyes (which Rey secretly cursed for being so cute). And - most tellingly - no mask.

The missing apparatus was just enough encouragement for Rey to switch off her lightsaber, and Kylo's repeated plea rang clearer across the plain.

"Please! I only wish to speak with her."

A moment's pause, and then Rey began to stride forward. An alarmed Poe caught her arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Relax," Rey told him. "The Force guides me." She didn't know if the explanation would be placating enough, even as she did speak the truth. But Poe hung back anyway and Rey strode across the plain towards him.

It bothered her that the tiniest bit of restraint still needed to be consciously summoned, to prevent her from running into his arms. In the stolen moments alone together amidst their Force Bond over the past year, there had been no tender exchanges like the one in that elevator. No vows of love. No, the Bonds since that time had been filled with biting, caustic words. Screaming and tears. The unspoken frustration and grief as to why - why things had to be like this between them. After one scrimmage on Rodia in which the Resistance had barely escaped with their lives, Rey and Ben (she refused to call him by his monikered name, even now) had had it out. Rey had blasted forth that he was a monster, as she had once or twice before. Only this time, Ben's expression was difficult to read in that moment. His face stony, but his feelings in the Force swirling, Rey had actually been unsure whether he would kill her... or kiss her. And if he did kiss her, how she would not push him away...

Rey closed off these memories as she reached Ben at last, studying him indifferently, unemotionally. "Yes?" She asked it prissily, and through his Force aura assaulting her senses, she was ruffled to feel that he actually thought her tone... adorable. Cute. And all these notions bathed in an overwhelming wave of... relief. Almost as if he had... missed her. She would never let him know it, not now, but Rey had felt the same pining.

Ben leaned in close to her, and his proximity brought Rey back to their shared moment in the elevator. Her body responded viscerally to the memory, and she felt her eyelids grow heavy.

"I can give you intel," he told her. She cocked an eyebrow, waiting. "ID docs, whistleblower complaints, bombshell reports. All kinds of intelligence about how Hux runs things. His operations will have expanded tenfold now that he's in charge."

Rey's brow furrowed. "And why would you do that?" She had her own guess - Ben had a score to settle with his former subordinate. What he had to offer them was not borne out of any genuine willingness to aid their cause.

And yet his answer surprised her. His deep blue eyes downcast, he mumbled low, "Just so I can be with you. Woo you, if you'll have me."

Rey sucked in a breath sharply. In all their time together, he had never come out and said that he loved her, but this was damn close. Possibly the closest he would ever come. She supposed she would have to take it, even as she had to squelch a bubble of giddy elation at the news. It took every muscle to keep her face impassive, even as her eyes softened into curiosity. Reaching up a hand, she dared to caress his handsome, chiseled face. Run her fingers through his long and flowing black hair.

Even from a distance, Finn spotted the unusually intimate gesture, and his heart clenched forbiddingly. "This is weirding me out," he leaned over to Poe, whispering. Poe nodded in concurrence, but remained silent.

Rey finally tore herself away. "Very well. We will harbor you, and you will give us any and all information you have."

The pleading still in Ben's eyes told her that was not the assurance he was after. "Will I see you again? I want to woo you. Court you the way you deserve."

Rey's eyes flashed. "You want to woo me? Earn it!" She straightened and sighed. "In any case, you will be remanded here, on the work farm for all our POWs. It's pretty much defecting Stormtroopers at this point; General Dameron will supervise you." To her satisfaction, Ben appeared nervous. He gave a weak laugh.

"Dameron, huh? What's the worst he can do to me? He's pretty unimaginative, judging from his military tactics."

Rey scowled. "You'd be surprised." But she had to suppress a smile. With that, she turned and flounced away, preparing to lead him into custody. Ben grabbed her arm. "Rey." She turned, glowering impatiently. "You can trust me."

She studied him for a moment. And then, leaning in, she whispered into his ear, almost brokenly, "You can trust me back." Drawing away, she dared to peck him on the cheek, before she lost her nerve. And then she delivered him into the captivity of a delighted Poe Dameron.

"There's a treasure trove of intel buried in the files of his TIE fighter," she informed Finn, who eagerly raced for the wreckage. Then Rey leveled her gaze to Poe. "I expect you to treat him well, Commander."

Poe looked affronted. "My dear Jedi, we treat our prisoners of war exceptionally well."

"Poe," Rey's voice was laced with warning. "I want your word." Then, the killer point: "You promised Finn you would treat the Stormtroopers well. Promise me this now."

Poe regarded her curiously. She just stared blankly back. If she ever revealed to him a glimmer of the truth, she would die of shame. Immediately, she chastised herself for the thought. Was it shameful to know the ways of her own heart? Treason, to keep the vow she had made to it so long ago, to love and honor one man - the prisoner standing before her? Even if she had not yet confessed her love?

Poe finally sighed and slapped Ben in ion cuffs. "All right! Force knows we have nowhere else to put him anyway..." And grumbling, he led Kylo back to base.

Kylo Ren, also known as Ben Solo, was put to hard manual labor on the prison work farm, surrounded by captured and defected Stormtroopers. Stormtroopers he had once led. Since the Resistance had no place for captured First Order high command, the former Supreme Leader was simply lumped in with them.

When he wasn't in meetings with his advisers or planning battle strategy, Poe Dameron was his supervisor. To Ben's relief, he wasn't a harsh taskmaster - he just threw his weight around like some prancing peacock. Most of the time, Ben would catch the commander eyeing him warily.

The Stormtroopers eyed him warily too. Ben had expected that trust wouldn't be built in a day. But work was the greatest equalizer and that trust was being laid alongside the brick and mortar, little by little. And theirs wasn't the only trust he had to gain.

To Ben's joy, Rey came by the prison work farm every day, sometimes twice a day. In white Jedi robes, she looked bewitchingly beautiful. Sometimes she arrived to report something to Poe. Other times, she brought words of encouragement or another tiding of goodwill to the Stormtroopers, who always stood a little straighter and bowed when she approached. One time, Ben attempted to play it cool by leaning against his shovel... only for the tool to give way and send him toppling into a pile of manure. To his encouragement (evidenced by his tap-dancing heart), Rey giggled.

The sun was sinking over the dunes, yet determined to beat its rays down on the workers until the last possible moment, one evening when Rey approached the garden the prisoners were tending. She bore a tray of lemonade, and a gentle smile.

"Here, boys - I brought you something cool to drink." Without waiting for at-ease orders from Poe, the Stormtroopers gathered around.

"Gosh, Miss Rey."

"That's right. Drink up." Hanging back in line, Ben was last to get his glass. Smiling gently, Rey held out the cup to him. He took it with a dashing smirk of his own, holding her eyes even as he tipped the whole contents down in one go. "Thanks," he rasped, his thirst quenched. Or maybe it had only just been temporarily satiated, as Rey beamed back.

"You're welcome." The charged and smoldering look they now shared was broken only by the dinner bell.

"Quitting time!" Poe barked. "Cook's a-waiting in the mess hall!" The Stormtroopers nearly trampled over each other as comrade raced comrade back to base.

Ben and Rey awkwardly looked away from each other, the Jedi tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I, uh, I'd better go..." she stuttered.

"Will I see you at supper tonight?" Ben pushed out before he lost his nerve. Failing to bite back a shy smile, Rey nodded. "OK," Ben grinned. His hand and head flicked, swayed, bursting with energy and at war with each other over whether he should shake her hand or peck her cheek goodbye. Ben ultimately chose neither, and shuffled past her to return to base.

"Ben." The call of his birth name, the softness in her voice as she said it, made him turn back. Standing up on her tiptoes, Rey draped her arms lazily about his neck and pressed her lips to his. She kissed him gently, her mouth dancing slowly along his, and her smooth hand tenderly cupped his face. Ben didn't remember closing his eyes, but he opened them when he could no longer feel Rey's lips pushed against his own. She was leaning back and gazing at him expectantly, her face permanently flushed. She was biting her rouged lips nervously as she swayed back off her tippy toes. Ben wanted to reassure her by grabbing her and ravishing her mouth with his. Kiss her the way she should be kissed - passionately and constantly. He didn't give a kriff that Poe Dameron was likely watching.

"What... what was that for?"

Rey smiled weakly. "You earned it." It was clear: he had earned more than just her kiss, and with it her love. He had earned her trust.

Ben beamed. Taking her hand, he gave it a squeeze. "I'll see you in there."

"See ya." And Rey ran back to base, hiding how pink in the face he was. Gazing after her with crippling love, Ben followed behind with a new spring in his step.

Ben stopped off at the showers to change and freshen up. When he arrived at the mess hall, he found Rey seated with her group of friends, and with an empty space next to her. He tentatively situated himself beside her, hardly noticing how everyone else stiffened significantly at his approach. He had eyes only for her.

When she raised her eyes to his, Ben smiled in greeting. "Hi."

Softly, Rey smiled back, her voice coming out in a chirp. "Hi."

They kissed hesitantly. Even then, it felt as though they had been kissing each other their entire lives. It felt natural already.

The immediate effect that this chaste kiss had on the rest of the table, however, was incredible. Dangling in mid-air and tilted halfway to her face, Jannah's cup was spilling blue milk all over the tabletop. Around his fork, Finn's knuckles were white, his face contorting into something murderous. Rose, at the very least, tried to appear sympathetic.

"When the bloody kriff did this happen?" and if Finn thought he could have gotten away with it without alerting the entire mess hall, he likely would have bellowed the phrase. Ben laced his fingers bravely through those of his lover.

"This afternoon," Poe answered for Rey, staring into his bowl. He alone appeared unfazed by the Force users' public display of affection. "At quitting time, down on the work farm."

"And what were you doing down there?" Finn demanded of his best friend, his gaze remaining on Rey as though Poe hadn't even spoken.

"I brought the boys something to drink. Ben and I agreed to meet up for dinner and well... we kissed." Rey's smile was sheepish, but her eyes were firm.

No one knew what to say to that. Poe finally broke the awkward silence by gesturing at Ben's plate.

"Well, hurry up and finish eating, Solo. I have to take you back to your cell."

Rey looked stricken. "Oh, Poe, can he stay with me in my room tonight?"

"Oh, hell naw! Absolutely not!" Finn thundered.

"It's just that we have a lot to... talk about - Oh, get your mind out of the gutter!" Rey's face collapsed into a scowling frown as she and the Force read Finn's horrified thoughts like an open book. "We're just going to be talking!"

Finn's entire body clenched, and he pointed an accusing finger at Ben. "If this 'talking' involves sticking anything in places where it shouldn't be, so help me Force..."

"Finn!" Rey squealed, her face glowing red. "Shut. Up!" Standing, she held out a hand to her paramour. "Come with me?"

Wordlessly, Ben took her hand. Holding each other's eyes, Rey silently and with purpose guided Ben back to her room. Jannah watched curiously until they were out of sight, then set about mopping up her mess. "Oh, they are totally gonna fuck."

"Stop that!" Finn hissed.