Disclaimer: Characters contained within do not belong to me.

Notes: Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. There's a finite number of hours in the day and you chose to spend some of yours reading my story-I'm very honored:)

The Shape of You

by Kristen Elizabeth

My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold

Until you find it there and lead it back home

Wake me up inside

Call my name and save me from the dark

- Bring Me to Life, Evanescence

One year later

The tree, with its thick trunk and leafy branches, was perfect cover. Wielding her light saber, Rey pressed her back to the scratchy bark and waited, poised to strike.

Her opponent was coming. She could feel it. Any second now...

Finally, just a mere moment before she sensed he would be rounding the tree, Rey made her move. The yellow blade of her saber cut through the air and connected with a white blade with enough force to make her smile.

On the other side of the opposing blade, Poe grinned back. "Did you really think I couldn't see you there?"

"See? Or felt?" Rey asked, hopefully.

He lifted his shoulder. "Hard to tell." Drawing his blade back, he swung at her. She parried with ease and retreated a few yards back into the waist-high foliage. "Whatever works, right?"

She shook her head. "You know this exercise is about sense, not sight. Did you feel me?"

Poe raised an eyebrow lasciviously. "No, but can I?"

The request and the look in her lover's eye was more than enough to shake her concentration. Gripping her saber tighter, Rey refused to give into her body's baser desires. Training first. Fun later.

"Concentrate," she ordered him. "Close your eyes."

"You sure that's what you want?" he leered. And just to ruffle her feathers, he added, "Master?"

"Poe!"

With a sigh, he did as she asked, raising his saber in preparation.

Keeping her steps silent, difficult to do in the middle of the forest, Rey crept slowly around him, keeping at least fifteen feet between them. When she was directly behind him, she lunged. At the very last second, Poe whipped around, blocking her attack. The sabers clashed again.

"Better," Rey told him, her face bathed in light from the crossed blades.

"Or maybe I just heard you."

"You did not."

He stepped back. "You came charging at me like a..."

Rey's eyes narrowed. "Choose your next words carefully."

Retracting his blade with a swift swoosh, Poe held up his hands in surrender. But as soon as she'd done the same with her saber, he added a quick and quiet, "Bantha."

In the blink of an eye, she pounced on him, slamming him to the ground with her slender, but strong body. Their light sabers forgotten, he wrestled with her on the soft carpet of leaves and moss, neither one of them gaining the upper hand and Poe laughing the whole while, until the flare of her temper died down and something else started to build.

Poe seized her hands, threading their fingers together, and pinned her arms over her head. "Surrender?" he murmured in her ear.

She squirmed underneath him as if still trying to throw him off, but her legs parted, cradling his body between her thighs in invitation, even as she declared, "Never!"

He found the spot on the nape of her neck that made her gasp every time. "You know you want to."

Rey's back arched, pressing herself into his rapidly hardening flesh through their clothes. "You're the one...who'll be begging soon..."

Still holding her arms over her head, he kissed her, making her moan into his mouth. When he finally released her hands, Rey circled her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with equal force.

When he started trailing kisses down her throat, Rey asked, her breath ragged, "Here?"

Poe tugged at the top of her shirt, inching it down. "Why not?"

"What if someone..." She gasped when he managed to bare her breast and circled her nipple with the tip of his tongue. "...someone sees us?"

"All the way out here?" he scoffed. "Besides, everyone is getting ready for..."

Suddenly, both of them froze. Scrambling in perfect unison, they sat up.

"Shit!" Poe cursed. "What time is it?!"

Rey yanked her top back into place. "We're going to be late!"

After retrieving their light sabers and hopping back on the pair of single speeders they'd abandoned deeper into the jungle, Rey and Poe raced for home.

Yavin 4 had given shelter to the veterans of the first Galactic War, Poe's parents included. Now that the second war was over, the remnants of the Resistance once again flocked to the peaceful planet, searching for a home of their own.

For Rey and Poe, it wasn't a long search. Kes had added on to the house so extensively over the years that Rey and Poe had been able to move into their own wing, which gave them plenty of space and privacy.

Still, Poe realized as they reached the edge of the property and parked their speeders, the house would always technically be his father's. It was one of things that had been occupying his mind lately.

"Hurry!" Rey urged him at the door.

BB-8 scolded them as they ran inside, reminding them of the time and how little of it was left before they needed to leave.

"We know," Poe assured him as they ran down the hall and into the bath. When he closed the door, shutting BB-8 out, he got a very sassy reply. "Watch your language!" he told the little droid through the door.

Rey was already halfway out of her clothes. "He's going to kill us."

Poe stripped his shirt off and undid his belt. "Nah, he's used to being locked out."

Naked, she turned on the shower water and tested its temperature before stepping inside the stall. "Not BB-8. Him."

Kicking off his trousers, Poe joined her under the spray. "Hot, hot!" he shouted, wincing.

"Poor baby," she clucked. He tried to grab her, but she slipped out of his grasp. "No way! There is no time for that!"

Grudgingly, Poe behaved himself as they soaped up and rinsed off. While he toweled his hair and started getting dressed, Rey quickly dried hers and loosely pinned one side up.

Sitting on the edge of their bed, he watched her dress. It was rare to see her in colors-she still preferred whites and beiges-but for the special occasion, she had chosen a light blue gown made of soft, stretchy fabric that clung to her curves. It was sleeveless with a halter top that extended up to the base of her throat; the hem of the dress flared from just below her knees and brushed the floor.

He swallowed heavily. "You look incredible."

A blush colored her cheeks. "I could say the same about you," she said, looking over his black trousers, and the black vest that he'd put on over a white, collarless shirt.

Poe kissed her softly. "Ready?" She nodded and together they left the house, BB-8 at their side.

The garden in which Finn and Rose had decided to get married was one of the most beautiful spots in the settlement, but it was barely big enough to hold the two hundred or so people who had gathered to witness the wedding. Most of the guests were Resistance members, new, but also old. As Poe stood beside Finn at the head of the aisle, he could see Lando and Wedge Antilles out in the crowd.

But his eyes were on Rey as she sat next to his father in the front row. He winked at her and she touched her finger to her lips, sending him a discreet kiss.

Rose appeared, preceded by her friend, Lieutenant Connix. Poe patted Finn on the back as his bride started towards them. "Don't forget to breathe, pal."

His friend exhaled. "Yeah...thanks."

The ceremony passed in a blur, mostly because Poe only had eyes for the beauty in the first row. Rey was watching her best friend get married with happy tears in her eyes and her quiet joy made Poe's heart swell.

The last year, while not without its ups and downs, had been the best year of his life. Every day with Rey was a like a gift from the universe. He never wanted to take any of them for granted.

Of course, there were difficult times. Hearing the truth about her family, especially her grandfather, had been a lot for Poe to take in. Rey had always been a beacon of light; how could she have descended from someone so dark and twisted?

His encounter with Ben Solo's ghost had haunted him for weeks after this revelation.

You think I would ever let her become like you?

Ben's reply, so cryptic at the time, now suddenly made sense. No. In fact, I'm counting on it.

And maybe he was right to be concerned. She might have called herself Skywalker now, but Rey wasn't completely ready to give up on the idea of her own family. He could understand. She'd spent half of her life on Jakku, counting days and watching the skies, waiting for them. Dreams like that weren't so easy to let go.

So, they'd spent a week on Naboo, fruitlessly searching for any remaining Palpatines. Either her family line had died off or no one would claim that infamous, reviled name. They'd returned to Yavin 4 with nothing to show for the journey.

That was when Poe had made up his mind about something he'd been considering for months already.

The ceremony ended with a kiss and Poe joined the applause, grinning widely. He watched Rey brush a tear away with the back of her hand. She laughed at something his father said and nodded. It was a small moment, but it meant the world to Poe, to see the two people he cared about most in the world being so naturally at ease with each other. The only thing missing was his mother.

The guests surged around the happy, newly-wed couple and Poe wove and ducked his way through them until he reached Rey. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah. I was just thinking of the first time I met Finn. I didn't even know his name, but I felt this...connection. I just knew he'd be important to me." Rey looked at him. "I've only felt that way one other time."

He touched his forehead to hers. "I know."

The party to celebrate the wedding was held under the stars, fitting for two of the heroes who had helped save the galaxy. It was a beautiful night with a warm breeze, softly lit by the reflection of Yavin in the sky and the paper lanterns strung across the tables and chairs.

A band played. It seemed like everyone in the settlement had brought food and drinks, plenty to go around several times. People danced, ate, laughed, drank as the night wore on, while Rose and Finn moved around thanking everyone.

As the evening wound down, Poe and Rey found themselves seated at a table with the bride and groom. Poe had his arm around Rey's shoulders as she leaned against him.

"Do you think anyone would notice if Rose and I got out of here?" Finn asked his friends.

Poe's grin was wicked. "I think we're all shocked you haven't already."

Rose laughed as Rey elbowed him. "Poe's right," Rose said. "Come on," she implored her new husband. "Take me to Felucia."

"Is that what the kids are saying these days?" Poe snickered, earning himself another elbow in the side. As the bride and groom got up, Poe and Rey stood, too. While Poe hugged and congratulated Rose, Finn wrapped Rey up in a strong embrace.

"I am so happy for you," she told him.

Finn kissed the top of her head. "Ditto." When she gave him a strange look, he just smiled. "See you in a few weeks."

When the couple were out of sight, Poe turned to Rey. "I'm not ready to go yet. Dance with me?"

"You know I can't," she reminded him. "Your feet will be black and blue."

"I'm willing to risk it." He held out his hand and once she'd reluctantly taken it, he led her out onto the makeshift dance floor.

It was easy to fall into a rhythm, especially with Poe guiding her. With her hand on his shoulder and his hand clasping her waist, Rey melted into the movements. As she relaxed, her fingers drifted over his chest, disappearing under his shirt, thanks to the buttons he'd undone.

After a moment, she frowned. "Your mom's ring." She felt along his collar bone, but she couldn't find the silver chain that he had worn every day since they'd met. "You're not wearing it."

Poe drew back. "Yeah." His hand shook a bit as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. "Actually...I was hoping you would instead."

She shook her head, confused. "What?"

"My father gave my mother this ring when he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. When that didn't happen, he gave it to me...so when I found the person I wanted to spend my life with, I could give it to them." Poe held it up. "I want you to wear it."

Rey's chin trembled. "Poe..."

"Spend the rest of your life with me, Rey. You can call yourself anything you want...Skywalker, Dameron, even Palpatine...but let me be your family. I want us to build a home together, a real home that's just ours. Not borrowed or temporary..."

"Or an AT-AT," she said, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Be my wife. Be the mother of my children." When her eyes grew wider, he amended this, "Or not, if that's what we decide. But whatever happens, be by my side, Rey." Poe paused. "Because I need you. I love you."

The simple words made her close her eyes as an unexpected rush of feeling swept over her. It was the first time in her life that someone had told her this, actually said the words out loud.

The empty part of her heart, while still shaped liked the man she'd loved and lost, was almost full.

"I love you," she whispered. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"To everything," Rey laughed. "Yes, I will."

The End

Notes: So, somewhere in this story, I fell in love with Rey and Poe. They were always going to be the end game, because I'm a canon girl and dead is dead (unfortunately-I wish they'd kept him alive, too), but I really started to ship them hard core. I will always find the concept of Rey and Ben forbidden and exciting and darkly sexy, but as a happily married woman, I can honestly say that I think real love is based on friendship, respect and shared passions-and that's what I believe Rey and Poe could have. I am sorry if I lost Reylo fans, but please know I meant no disrespect. The Rey in my story had to love Ben first before she could love Poe.

Thank you for taking this journey with me. I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts, good or bad:) Thank you again.