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Chapter Text

Fucking failed her quiz again. How could she fail an open book quiz? At this rate she’ll never make it out of this shitty old town. And she desperately has to. There’s no way in hell she’s staying with Plutt forever. Staring at the big F on her paper, Rey thinks maybe it’s time to give Jack another blowjob in exchange for answers for her next quiz. There’s a chance he wouldn’t accept her offer this time, though. Not after he overheard her telling her friends how musty his dick and balls smelled and how she was so close to vomiting- and not because of her gag reflex. Whatever. She’ll make it up to him. He’d be a fool to say no to her offer. Everyone wants Rey, after all.

Biology class now, her worst subject. Her teacher’s quizzing the class on last week’s topic, which Rey knows absolutely nothing about (but not for a lack of trying). She usually manages to sneak past undetected though, coming from foster care meant that she mastered the art of blending in with the crowds and not being noticed. She sinks in her seat, pulling the collar of her hoodie up. If she stays silent and unmoving, there's a big chance her teacher would miss her. 

"Rey Niima?"

She curses under her breath. Of course he chose her in a room full of raised hands. They always pick on the quiet ones. It's not as if Rey didn't know this though, she picked on timid kids all her life. It's how she became the queen bee anyway. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts and stands reluctantly, flashing a bright smile at her teacher. What the fuck do you want, bastard?  "I'm sorry, what was the question again?"

"Photophosphorylation. When does it occur?"

"When it needs to occur," she looks down and mutters.

The class laughs. Yeah, she's hilarious. They love her.

"Very funny, Miss Niima. When does photophosphorylation occur? I'll give you a hint: daytime, or nighttime?"

This time, Rey has nothing quirky to say. She stands there, rubbing her feet together. Can he just let her go? She doesn't know the answer. Someone clears their throat.

A deep voice booms. "Can I try?" Rey turns to see Ben Solo raising his long arm. He swallows but doesn't return her stare. 

"Sure, Ben."

He struggles to get his long, lanky body out of the tiny chair they put him in. When he stands, he's as tall as a tree. "The word photo in photophosphorylation means light. So it occurs during daytime. This is a simplified answer, of course, but ADP is converted into ATP using the energy absorbed from the sunlight."

"That's absolutely correct, Ben, thank you. And it seems you've even read ahead," the teacher gestures for the both of them to sit. "Ben's right. The energy absorbed from the sunlight is what changes ADP into ATP. But we'll get into that next week. For now-"

Rey plops down in her chair and crosses her arms. Bloody bastard made a fool out of her and now he's acting all smug about it. She sneaks a look at him, and sees him chewing on his thumb while flipping through his textbook. Rey isn't sure why, but that image made her irrationally angry. Of course he could answer the question and she couldn't. Ben Organa Solo, son of the world renowned actor Han Solo and senator Leia Organa. Trust fund baby. His uncle represented the USA in the Olympics. His grandparents were important people too. His entire lineage was filled to the brim with prominent figures. Rey? She was a filthy nobody.

She turns away from Ben and clenches her fists, glaring at her own book. Ben's whole family was widely known and deeply loved. He was born to accomplish great things, has his whole life ahead of him. Has his whole life ahead of him... An idea begins to form slowly in Rey's head. Ben was an only child. His family's legacy would entirely be on his shoulders. It would be a big waste if someone were to, say, thwart his plans and ruin his life. Rey smirks. Oh yes, it would be a huge waste if that were to happen.

With everything planned out in her head, Rey was ready to get into action. She would have to get close to Ben in order to execute her plans. The only thing left now is to find out how.

Lunch break the next day, Rey hopped into her friend Bazine's car and drove off to a restaurant outside of school. She was riding shotgun, and four other rich kids were cramped up in the backseat. She usually stayed behind and ate in the cafeteria. The food was free and she could have unlimited refills, which meant that she could stuff herself full enough to last till the next day. Her foster father, Plutt, hardly feeds her. Today, though, Rey had a motive. Gripping her crumpled savings (money she got for working two months' worth of 12 hour shifts at Jakku Dessert), she turns to the group and smiles.

"Hey, food and drinks are on me today! So don't go easy on me." She winks. 

Mitaka, the only person Rey knew out of the four, jumped in his seat. "Woah, Rey! Thanks!"

"No problem," Rey smiles and turns to face the front again. She tries to stay smiling throughout the whole drive.

They arrived not long after and spent no time deciding what their orders were. With Rey's approval, they even ordered themselves two rounds of dessert. They thank her profusely and Rey waves it away. It was all a façade, though. She eyes the price of every order that's been made and stares at every dish that's being served. Those savings were meant to get her out of this town, but instead she's wasting them on these fools, fools who take these things for granted. Rey grits her teeth and smiles. It'll be worth it. After they've had their fill, half of the group gets up for a smoke and Mitaka excuses himself to the bathroom. Only Rey and the ginger-haired boy, Armitage Hux were left behind. Rey smiles at him and tilts her head.

"Armie, did you enjoy your meal?"

"I did, thank you for paying the bill, Rey. I appreciate it."

Rey nods, and fiddles with her napkin. "Do you hangout with Bazine and Mitaka and your group of friends often? I'm only friends with Bazine, so I didn't really know anyone else but Mitaka."

He nods, taking a sip of his drink. "We do. We kind of grew up together, being in the same neighbourhood and all. Mitaka, Thanisson and I used to be in a playgroup with a few other kids from school. I only met Bazine and Nastia last year. They're chill."

 Rey feigns interest. "Oh, a playgroup? That's cute."

"Yup. We used to be a tight-knit group. Some of them left after we grew up, though. Like Ben. Guess they think they're better than us now for not partying."

Bingo. 

"Ben?" Rey perks up. "Ben Solo?"

"Yup. That's the one."

"So... I take it you guys aren't friends anymore."

"We still talk to each other I guess. We just aren't as close as we used to be. He's got his whole life ahead of him, though. Trust fund baby and all. Now with a full ride scholarship to Oxford. Dude's set for life."

This is news to Rey. "Oxford?" Rey blinks. "Why Oxford?"

"Like I said, full ride scholarship. Harvard doesn't offer that so he chose Oxford instead."

The rest of the group returns and they get up to leave. On the drive back to school, Rey begins to refine her plans. Oxford? Full ride scholarship? Well that just made things a whole lot easier for her. She's got a plan, albeit a crazy one. It might not even work, it might backfire on her and leave her in a worse state than she's in right now but she wants to get out of here desperately. So desperately that she's willing to make the gamble. Getting to leave and making Ben Solo pay for embarrassing her? That's just a win-win situation. She's hell-bent on ruining his life now and there's no turning back. Kiss your full ride scholarship goodbye, Ben. Rey always gets her way.

Chapter Text

Maybe being under a negligent foster father's care isn't so bad after all. 

Rey could stay back in school for as long as she wanted and there was no need to come up with any explanations. She could easily come up with a lie though, she's quick like that. Not that Plutt would care. Not that it mattered if he did or didn't. The shrill ringing of the school bell snaps Rey out of her thoughts and she shoves her textbooks into her bag. She leaves class in a hurry and makes her way to the library where she plans to hide until everyone leaves. She'd been observing Ben for a week now, and she realizes that he stays in school until closing time. She's not sure why he does that, and decides that there's probably no explanation for that either. It's just how incels act. She heads for the bookshelves at the end of the library and picks one of them as her hiding spot. Nestling into the corner, she uses her bag as a pillow and closes her eyes in an attempt to take a quick nap. It won't be awhile until the rest of the students leave.

A consistent, high-pitched whine wakes her up. She opens her eyes and sees the silhouettes of two figures in a distance. They were huddled together, shifting their bags around as the taller figure wraps his arms around the shorter one. She gets a sense of déjà vu, like she's been here before, seen the same things, but can't figure out when or where. Eyeing their movement, she sees their mouths move but isn't able to make out anything but one word: "Rey". Curious - and a little bit miffed, if she's honest (why are they gossiping about her?) - she gets up and inches closer to them to investigate. 

"...Leave her," a feminine voice says. "There's no turning back."

"She'll be in good hands. They paid for her, that means they wanted her. Don't think too much about it, love." Male voice. They're a couple.

Rey quickens her steps, hand reaching out to grab them. She yells to catch their attention, but the piercing sound drowns her out.

"You sold her off, is that a good idea? We can't just- we can't just abandon her... can we?"

"Abandon who?" Rey calls out. The closer she gets to them, the taller they become. She has to tilt her head far back to see them.

"She'll be fine. I've been meaning to get her off my hands anyway. I would've done it for free but they were willing to pay and that's fine by me. They've guaranteed to keep her identity a secret, changed her name and everything. To Rey, remember? There's no way anyone can trace her back to us. Don't give me that look. You were sick of her too, this is partially your idea. Look, what's done is done. The bags are packed and bed's made." He pulls away from her. "You're either in or you're out."

"I... I'll go." The woman nods reluctantly, sounding resigned.

A cab arrives and honks, signaling for the couple to get in. “Wait! No! Come back!” They get into the car before she could stop them, and she takes off after the huge yellow Prius. Who are they? Why did they leave her? Who did they leave her with? She sprints after them but makes no progress as the sandy ground begins to shift and grabs on to her foot, dragging her under.

She falls deeper and deeper into the pit, the harsh and unforgiving sun the last thing she sees before the ground swallows her up.

She yelps and jerks awake, panting heavily. She takes in her surroundings and registers that the ringing sounds were coming from the bell. Shakily, she pats the carpeted ground, assuring herself that it was solid and that it was just the same recurring nightmare she'd been having for years. A sense of longing lingers but she decides that this time, she won't let herself wallow in self pity and sadness again. Not when she has a plan to fulfill. She snatches her bag up and dashes out of the library, heading to the back of the school where Ben parked his car. She makes it just in the nick of time, because there Ben was, loading up his car and getting ready to drive home.

She composes herself and yells in his direction. "Hey!"

He looks up from his car, turning to check if there was anyone behind him.

"Yes, you!" She waves frantically. "You're... You're Ben, right? Ben Solo?"

He stares at her silently, eyes widening slightly as he realizes she's definitely approaching him. She pants as she comes up to him, mocking exhaustion. "I overslept in the library just now and missed the last ride home. Could you give me a ride? Please?"

"Uh. Sorry, I-"

"I'm really sorry. I don't mean to intrude, but my house is miles away from here. I wouldn't be able to make it home before nightfall."

He purses his lips, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. His eyes are narrowed as he decides whether he should accept her request. As if offering a helpless girl a ride home was some life-altering decision, how chivalrous. Rey resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"Hop in," he gestures for her to enter the car.

"Thank you!" Rey climbs into the silver car cheerfully. She tosses her bag to the backseat and it lands with a loud thud, causing his head to whip in her direction.

"What the fuck?" Bewildered, Ben reaches into the back and grabs her bag and shoves it back to her. "There are really fragile things back there!"

"Oops!" She forces a giggle. Silly me. "What's back there, your ego?" 

He cocks his eyebrow but doesn't seem upset by her light teasing. "Very witty. No, not my ego. Just really expensive equipment you wouldn't be able to afford if you actually end up breaking it." With that, he starts the car and backs out of the empty lot. "Where to, Rey?"

"You know my name?" She's not sure why that surprises her.

"We share Biology. Why are you surprised?"

"I didn't think you'd notice me. I don't speak up a lot in class, if you haven't noticed. Especially not in Biology- oh, turn left. Ackbar fucking sucks."

That earns her a chuckle from Ben, and Rey finds that she likes the sound of his deep, rumbling laugh. She finds herself wanting to make him laugh again, but removes that thought from her mind quickly.

"He actually kind of does. He likes picking on the quiet ones all the time. I've had him as my teacher for years now, you get used to it."

Eager to get on with the plan, she changes the topic swiftly. "You could answer all his questions, though. You're even ahead of class. Do you spend all your free time flipping through your textbooks over and over?"

"No, contrary to popular belief, I don't. I actually have hobbies."

"Oh?" That catches Rey's interest. "What hobbies?"

He's quiet for a moment, drumming his fingers on the wheel like he's deciding if it would be a good idea to let her know what his hobbies are. It can't be that bad.

"I have several but one of them includes uh... collecting Topps cards."

Fuck, it is that bad. Nerd. "Oh that's cool, my foster father collects items too."

"Really? You don't think it's dumb or childish?"

"Nope. Like I said, my foster father collects stuff too." Yeah, garbage. "What else do you like?"

"I collect Lego sets too. Also really into the WCU franchise- more so than the Galaxy Battles franchise. The ending was really bad, by the way. Don't watch it, trust me. It does not do the entire saga justice."

God, this is unbearable. Rey tells herself as she looks out of the window. She only asked him about his hobbies and he's already talking her head off. She's not going to last if he keeps going.

"You?"

"I'm sorry?" she blinks and turns to him.

"What do you do for fun?"

"Nothing, really. There's nothing to do at home and my close friend Bazine is quite busy juggling between schoolwork and modelling, so I can't hangout at her house either."

"Don't you have other friends? I see hoards of people surrounding you every single second of the day."

"They don't actually like me. They just want to be with someone popular. I'm not close to any of them, just Bazine."

He pauses for a moment, like he can't fathom how a girl as popular as she is would feel as isolated as he does. "That must be pretty lonely, Rey."

"It is." She answers truthfully. Her chest constricts and the same feeling of longing returns, threatening to suffocate her.

Perhaps sensing Rey's change of emotions, Ben stays silent and doesn't reply. They stay silent throughout the entire drive, save for a few directions from Rey, and she wonders if this means that her plan has failed. If the awkward silence between them is any indicator, it most certainly has.

They stop in front of a suburban bungalow a few blocks down from where she actually lives. There's no way she's going to let him find out that she lives in a stained, filthy trailer. She thanks him for the ride, collects her bag and steps out of the car.

Ben stops her before she could shut the door. "You're not alone, Rey."

She pauses, unsure of what to say. She decides to go with a nod and a tight smile. Nice try, flattery doesn't work on her anymore.

Then why does she feel a lump in her throat and a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach?

She closes the door and waves, turning to walk up the driveway. When she realizes that his car is still there, waiting for her to enter the house before leaving, she quickly kneels to pet a dog sleeping on the lawn.

"Max! I'm home! Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" Rey grabs the dog and hugs it to her chest, praying that Ben doesn't see how it's scrambling to escape from her grasp. "Betty" is spelled out in all caps on its collar.

Satisfied, Ben drives off. Rey heaves a sigh of relief and curses, letting Betty go. Betty barks indignantly and scrambles into the house through the dog door. Rey lingers in front of the house for a moment, making sure that he's really gone, and darts home. She'll have to come up with another plan now. She curses herself for the slip of tongue earlier. Being vulnerable in front of him is too dangerous, and Rey vows to never do it again.

Rey doesn't talk to Ben in school. Whenever they make eye contact in the hallways, he gives her a little wave and mouths "hi". She gives him a curt smile at most.

A few days after their first ride home together, Rey decides to test the water and ask if he could send her back home again. He happily accepts, and soon they fall into some sort of routine. Both of them stay behind until it's closing time and meet next to Ben's car and head home together. On some days, Ben even stops at drive-throughs to get them snacks for the ride home.

She thinks the plan might have succeeded after all.

She gets to know that Ben is extremely interested in Science, and dreams of being as good as his grandfather was in cancer research. "He was really close to cracking the code, but he died before his breakthrough. I want to finish what he'd started. Make him proud of me. He was the only one who understood me. My dad... not so much. He doesn't try to understand me at all." He glances at her and grimaces. "Sorry. I don't usually unload all my baggages at strangers like that."

She nods, looking out at the passing trees. "It's okay, I like knowing more about you Ben."

"Really?"

She turns to offer him a reassuring smile. "Of course! And Ben," she adds sweetly. "We're friends now."

The look on Ben's face is utter relief.

They reach a silent agreement. They don't speak a word to each other in school, but they share their deepest secrets to each other on the ride home. Ben usually does most of the talking, which helps her case. She doesn't want to slip up and reveal something she isn't meant to again. Rey's plan seems to be proceeding smoothly, with everything going exactly to plan.

Until Ben decides to break the agreement. 

She's chatting with Bazine and Armie at her locker when Ben comes up to her. "Hey, meet me at the library during lunch? I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Rey tenses up and nods and he bids her goodbye, giving Bazine a friendly smile and Armie a pat on the shoulder. Bazine turns to Rey in shock, and even Armie seems intrigued. She scrambles to come up with an excuse to explain why Ben would talk to her. She wouldn't be caught dead hanging out with a loser like him.

"Are you dating Solo?" Bazine asks.

"What? No!"

"When did you guys become friends? I didn't even know you two talked!"

"We're not! He just..." Armie raises an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "He just came up to me one day and started speaking to me like we were friends and I thought it'd be rude to ignore him so we just kept talking. I don't know how to get rid of him!"

Bazine scrunches up her face in disgust. "What? That's so weird."

"Maybe he just wants to make friends." Armie offers.

"Maybe. He was definitely hitting on you though." Bazine turns to watch him as he makes his way to class. "I mean, he's not that bad looking. A longer hairstyle should probably help balance his features."

"He's disturbing." Rey insists. "He won't stop pestering me."

"Do you want me to talk to him for you? Get him to back off?"

"No! No. It's fine, I'll manage on my own. I don't mind talking to him once in a while." Rey hastily grabs her books and makes way to her next class to avoid any further questions. She has to think of a way to avoid Ben during school hours. She's not here to make friends with him. She's here to ruin his life. But coming up with a way to maintain the current relationship she has with Ben while simultaneously pretending they don't know each other in school is incredibly hard. If he lets slip that he sends her home everyday it could ruin her plans, especially now that Bazine and Armie are aware of her hostile feelings towards him.

Lunch arrives and Rey doesn't go to the library. To avoid further suspicion, she follows Bazine and heads out to a café nearby for lunch. Her phone beeps repeatedly, and she whips it out to see several messages from Ben.

Ben Solo: I thought we planned to meet each other at the library?

Ben Solo: Where are you?

Ben Solo: You're not there.

Think fast, Rey.

Ben Solo: I thought we planned to meet each other at the library?

Ben Solo: Where are you?

Ben Solo: You're not there.

Rey: sorry!!! i didnt mean to! bazine wanted me to follow her. argument with her family or something. ill make it up to u next time 🥺 ice creams on me? (Read)

That should stave him off for now. She's fairly certain he's upset, but would he forgive her? Rey's not sure what she could do to salvage their relationship if he decides to stop being friends with her. Usually, all it would take to be forgiven by a guy she'd pissed off was a blowjob in the janitor's closet over lunch, but Ben is unlike the rest of them. It could backfire on her. For once, Rey is willing to admit that she has absolutely no idea how to get out of this situation. She also finds herself feeling slightly bothered by Ben's reaction. She doesn't want him to be upset with her.

Because that would ruin the plan, of course. She quickly amends.

The school day ends, and Rey meets Ben at his car after closing hours. Ben's loading his car up with all the "expensive equipment" again- instruments for the school band, he tells her. Some of the freshmen can't afford the instruments, so he brings extras to school for those who need them. His dad plays with jazz bands on the side, so he's got plenty to spare.

Rey remembers feeling very fond of him when he told her that. A warm, unfamiliar feeling bloomed in her chest. Heartburn, probably.

Right now, he isn't talking to her. He carefully places the instruments into his car, anger rolling off him in waves. He seems mad. Really mad.

"I'll walk home today." She puts on a meek voice, looks woefully at her shoes. She's putting on a convincing show, but some part of her believes it, believes that she's done something wrong. Like she deserves to be reprimanded. She's not entirely sure what's gotten into her today.

"Get in the car," is all he grunts before he slams the door shut.

The drive home was eerily silent. Rey fidgets and picks at the scab on her right arm until it bleeds, then moves on to pick at the scars on her palm. Ben hasn't said a word since he told her to get into the car, and the silence is disadvantageous for her. She knows Ben's waiting for her to speak up; knows that there's nothing she could say to rid the rising tension between them, so she stays quiet too, growing increasingly frustrated.

"You weren't there today." He finally breaks the silence.

"Bazine needed me. She had a quarrel with her parents and I had to be there for her."

"And you conveniently forgot to tell me about that. I waited ages for you."

"It's not a big deal, Ben. You could've told me during our ride home. You could've easily texted me about it too."

"It'd be rude to. I was going to talk to you and ask if you'd like to come over to my place to hang out. It'd be rude of me to do that over text, my mom wouldn't have approved of it. It's not," he gestures with his hand, "gentlemanly or something."

"I genuinely wouldn't mind if you invited me over through text, Ben. And I'd rather you do that than come up to me like that in school."

"It was the courteous thing to do."

"You shouldn't have approached me in school." She says firmly.

"Because you didn't want to be seen hanging out with a loser?" Ben questions in an accusatory tone. "You and your little clique too good for me?"

"I just want to keep our friendship a secret."

His grip on the wheel tightens, and she sees that his knuckles have turned white. "Because you're ashamed of me." 

"Why would I be? Look, can we just move on from this?" Rey's patience is running thin.

"I bet it's 'cause that girl you were hanging out with didn't like me and you wanted to impress her. Hux too, the prick."

Anger flares in her. Good, she can do anger. "Yes, actually. They don't like you."

Ben scoffs. "Because I'm a nerd? What are we, preschoolers?"

"No," Rey jabs a finger at him. "It's 'cause you're a pretentious asshole. You think you're better than everyone."

"That's not an excuse to hate me and you know it. And I'm not the asshole, your judgemental little friends are. You're so much better than they are, Rey. You're like, a million times better than they'll ever be. You're smart, pretty, funny... you're everything. You don't have to befriend these idiots who can't pass a quiz to save their life. They'll just drag you down. If we're going to maintain this friendship then I'm going to talk to you in school. That's what friends do, Rey."

"Thank you for proving my point. And if you want to maintain this friendship then maybe you shouldn't insult my friends and I, Ben." She spits. God, she's reminded just how much of an ass he can be.

Ben makes to speak again, but upon glancing at how upset Rey looked, stayed silent instead. He parks the car right outside her "house" and they both sit in uncomfortable silence. It was getting intolerable, and she desperately wants to leave, but it didn't feel right to leave things the way they currently are. It could also potentially sabotage the plan at hand. All out of ideas, Rey reaches for the handle. Ben surges forward and grabs onto her hand, tugging it to him firmly. Rey jumps, frightened, but the way his hand wraps completely around her thin wrist is not lost on her. He purses his lips and gingerly lets her go.

"You're upset," he blurts stupidly. "Let's talk about this when we've both calmed down."

She gets out of the car and walks toward the house, feeling his gaze on her the whole way. He calls out to her before he leaves.

"If you ever feel lonely... the offer still stands, Rey."

He drives off into the distance, and Rey rushes up the block. She feels extremely rattled by what had just happened. What the hell was that? He just pounced on her and gripped her far too violently. Her phone buzzes.

Ben Solo: I'm sorry. Did I frighten you just now? You seem unsettled. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have grabbed you like that. That was really rude of me. My mom would kill me if she found out. I'm sorry, I really am. I just panicked because I thought you wanted to leave and stop being friends.

Ben Solo: Will you forgive me? I swear it won't happen again. I was wrong to touch you without consent.

Oh. Okay. Rey's pulse slows. It was an accident. He was probably so desperate to keep her as a friend he just freaked out or something. He seems eager to stay friends too. They could put this all behind and she could use the opportunity to get to know him more. Getting to go to his house would make her one step closer towards her goal. Everything's turning out perfectly well, she assures herself. It's all going to work out in the end.

Ben Solo: Will you forgive me? I swear it won't happen again. I was wrong to touch you without consent.

Rey: its ok. im fine, u dont have to apologize. just dont grab me like that again, ok?

Ben Solo: I won't let it happen again, you have my word.

Rey: ok. hanging out at ur house sounds fun. Meet up there next week? :)

Chapter Text

Rey decides to head to Ben's car earlier than usual today. She's feeling antsy, half worried and half relieved that the plan is progressing so well. Ben isn't here yet, so she picks at the lint on her sleeves. She's so engrossed in it that she jumps when someone pokes the back of her head. She's ready to lie about how she wasn't hanging out with Ben but had mistaken his car for her friend's when she turns around and sees that it's Ben himself.

"What's the hold up?"

"Nothing," he says nonchalantly. He leans over and opens the door for her before heading to the back and placing a cooler into the car.

Rey ignores the intimate gesture and climbs in. "You were never this late."

"Have you had lunch?" She nods, and they pull out of the parking lot. Ben takes a different turn today. Instead of turning left and going down the path as usual, he turns right and heads up the road. The further they drive, the more sophisticated the neighborhoods look. The neighborhood with the suburban bungalows Rey uses to mislead Ben are in no way inadequate or small, but they pale in comparison to the houses lining the street they're driving past right now.

He makes a sharp turn and they arrive at what Rey thinks must be a mansion, because she's never seen such a luxurious house before. The gates open up and Ben drives in, parking right under a designated spot with a fancy looking shade. Two men approach Ben as he gets down from the car and he instructs them to place the cooler in the fridge. They carry his things into the house and bitterness rises in Rey. With his background, Ben would never have to struggle. He would never know what it's like to have to fight to survive. He has his whole life ahead of him, but Rey-

"Everything okay back there?" Ben calls gently, walking over to her. He touches her elbow, and Rey pulls away. Don't do that. You're not allowed to be close to me, she thinks bitterly. I can't be close to you.

"Yeah, yeah. Show me your room?"

Ben was not lying when he said he collected items. Rows and rows of collector's items lined his shelves. If Rey stole just one of them, she'd be set for life.

"You look like you're about to run." He observes.

Run and commit burglary, yes. "I like it."

"Oh, really?" Ben cocks his eyebrow sarcastically. "You don't think I'm an incel?"

She runs her fingers over the spines of the comic books that are sitting above his couch. "My foster father would love these." She can feel the protective covers he used to wrap them. They're absolute junk, and yet Ben treats them with utmost care.

"Really?" He sounds genuinely surprised this time.

Unkar hoards garbage. Piles and piles of absolute rubbish around his trailer so that he can get Rey to dig through them for useful scraps. Scraps that are more valuable than she ever will be. He would definitely love these. They'd sell for thousands. Maybe millions. "Yeah. They're vintage."

"You can borrow them any time you want. They're fun to read." He pulls one from the stack and hands it over to her. "This is my favorite."

She keeps it and thanks him, knowing she'll discard it the moment she leaves.

"Is there anything you'd like to do?" Ben sinks into the bed and tugs his bag into his lap.

She shakes her head no. "You?"

"If I'm honest, yeah. I should prepare for Ackbar's quiz."

"Shit." She dives for her bag. She totally forgot about that. "I should, too."

Ben's face lights up. "Cool. We could be like, study buddies or something."

She flips through her mostly empty notebook while rolling her eyes. "You're practically five."

"And yet here you are, hanging out with me." A smirk. He notices Rey flipping through her notebook hopelessly and nudges her. "Take mine."

She pushes it back to him, shaking her head. "You need it more than I do. I'd still be as lost with your notes."

"You don't have to be. I could teach you." With that, he scoots over, huddling close to her on the bed. He explains the topic to her, answering her doubts patiently.

It turns into another one of their routines. They'd spend hours in his room together everyday after school, going through every topic. Rey is surprised when she finds herself actually absorbing what's being taught. Things stopped looking as complicated as they used to, though she's still got a lot to catch up on. Ben is a very gentle teacher, never losing his temper when she struggles to understand. The bitterness and anger in Rey dissipates as the days go by. He isn't as arrogant as he lets on, and he's surprisingly charming. He's fun to be with, when he's teasing her over dinner, laughing at how bad she is at cooking and always telling her how much he enjoys her company.

It isn't lost on Rey how his parents are hardly home, and how happy he looks just to have her around. Maybe he isn't so bad after all.

But no, Rey's gut has never led her astray. She would never be wrong about Ben. She can't go wrong.

Rey does her best to maintain distant.

The day before the test, Ben makes flashcards and quizzes Rey on the biological terms. She gets them all right on the first try.

"Look at you go," he smiles, watching her do a happy jiggle on his bed.

"I feel like God," she flops back, hair splayed across some of the used cards. She squints at the light. "If I can deal with Ackbar, I can deal with anything."

Ben swipes a card from under her and stands. "Well, you have me to thank for that."

"The gentleman merely cleared my doubts. The rest of it? All me baby."

"Define photosynthesis." With that, he leans over her laying form and eclipses the pulsing light, dark eyes boring into hers. His normally tousled hair now frames his face, the ends of his raven locks curving into him like the wicked branches of a tree during the winter. And yet his face gleams with mischief, lit up by the shit-eating grin he's currently wearing. Time stills, and Rey studies her nemesis-turned-friend. Has the Ben she's known since the beginning of the school year always carried this roguish charm? Struck by the impish look on his face, Rey discovers a shocking revelation that yes, under the taciturn and snarky façade he displays to those he finds critical of him, he always has. Way under the wealth and privilege he has that Rey can't - refuses to - see past is an endearing boy who, in much different circumstances, Rey would have gladly fallen for.

Startled, she sits up in a hurry. Ben chuckles and mutters something about arrogance being her downfall, but Rey is too disgruntled to reply.

"I should go." She really should. There are boundaries she shouldn't cross if she is to succeed in her plan. He can't keep messing things up for her. She hurriedly makes her way to the door, but Ben gets in the way before she could escape.

"So soon?"

Eyes cast downward, she nods. "The test's tomorrow."

"But you always stay for dinner." He rests his hip on the left side of the frame and bows his head, trying to catch her eye. "C'mon, I'll make you dinner. Lasagna. You love lasagna."

Rey tries to squirm through the tiny opening on the right where his body isn't obstructing the exit (how is someone so lanky also so big), shaking her head frantically. "I really shouldn't-"

He straightens, entire body barricading the door before wrapping his left arm around her and gently pushing her back into his room like she's nothing. He steps closer to her and she retreats, back bumping into one of his shelves. "Stay?" He pleads.

She looks up at him; dark, fuzzy eyebrows furrowed like it pains him that she's leaving. "Stay?" He begs again, lips inching closer to hers.

She doesn't answer. Doesn't have to, because he closes in and kisses her softly. Thick lips pressing against hers tenderly, mournfully. Because she doesn't say yes. "Please," he whispers, and she decides that maybe it isn't so bad to reciprocate, just this once. He evidently wants her. It wouldn't be a huge setback in her plans if she lets herself slip just this once. Just once. She kisses him back, much to his surprise, and dips her hands under his shirt to feel his skin.

Encouraged by her actions, Ben deepens the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth. He presses closer into her, and tugs at her sleeve, exposing her shoulder. He gives it a light nibble before lifting her up and heading towards his bed. Rey wraps her legs around his hips and grinds against him teasingly as he drops her onto her back and he looks up at her in wonder.

"Who knew Rey Niima was such a tease?"

"Oh please," she rolls her eyes. "Hurry up and fuck me already."

He retrieves a condom from the drawer of his nightstand and swats her thigh. "So bratty. Now," placing the unopened packet between her lips, "be a good girl and put this on for me."

She rips it open with her teeth and puts the condom in her mouth before sitting up. He steps back and cocks his eyebrow, as if he's trying to figure out her next move, prompting her, challenging her. Go on. What will Ms Niima do?

She pushes the stray strands of her hair back before unzipping his pants and pulling it down to his thighs. A sizeable bulge outlines his black boxers, and she hooks her finger over the band to pull him out. This isn't Rey's first rodeo, she's seen many dicks before, and dicks that have managed to impressed her are few and far between. But Ben's made her pause- she's never seen one so big before. Thick and long and girthy and just... big. She wraps her hand around it gingerly, feeling the vein that runs along his silky shaft. She tries not to let drool fall out of her open mouth.

"Scared, Niima?" Another one of his shit-eating grin. "We can take it slow if you want, no worries."

She shoots him a dirty look. Playing with fire, Solo. Rey thinks before putting him into her mouth and going all the way down to the base. The condom rolls down his cock smoothly, and Rey gives it a quick suck and twist for good measure. She thinks she hears a faint "shit fuck" and she looks up at him, and this time the cockiness in Ben is completely gone, replaced with a look of pain, awe and maybe even fear. Feeling empowered, she pulls away from his cock slowly and gives the head a light suck before going down quickly again, letting the head of him touch her throat before letting out a small moan.

Suddenly, Rey is lifted off his shaft and shoved further up his bed. She scrambles backward towards the headboard and he advances, bed dipping low from his weight. "Ready?" He asks as he lines his shaft with her entrance and begins pushing in without waiting for her answer. They both curse, the size of him and the condom making it hard for him to get past the head, but he's eager, and he pulls out and pushes back in again, this time with slightly more force. Rey squirms under him, whimpering and panting lightly, her cunt stretched and pulsing, wanting more of him but also unable to take in so much at once. She's given a lot of blowjobs, sure, and maybe she's done a bit of petting, but it never got this far. No one has ever been in her before. No one but Ben. And he realizes it too, because he stops pushing and pulls back.

"S-Sorry. It's okay, it's okay." He mutters profusely, as if he's assuring himself too. "I haven't... I haven't done it before, either. We'll- We'll take it slow."

Rey nods, and he buries his head at the crook of her neck while they wait for her to adjust to his size. It doesn't take long for him to start writhing and circling his hips lightly again, desperate for some friction. His movements cause him to rub against her clit slightly, and the stretch no longer feels unbearable.

She tilts her pelvis up, in search for more friction, and tells him that it's okay to move. He nods and pushes in lightly, as if he's genuinely apologetic for hurting her earlier. He presses in inch by inch until he bottoms out and he buries his head once again, giving her more time.

"You're so tight. So fucking tight." She can feel his dick twitching inside of her, as if it's taking everything in him not to just slam into her and come. "So warm and tight."

Her cunt throbs and tightens. "You can move now. I need you to move," she begs. "Hard, please."

A proper gentleman would ask her if she's sure of it, if she's really fine with moving forward and assure her that it would be okay if she needed more time to adjust. But Ben doesn't need to be told twice to move. He begins to pump into her without care, hips undulating rhythmically with so much force that he's slamming sounds out of her. Her whines and moans sound more like hiccups with the way he's thrusting, and it's too much for Rey to bear. One particular hard thrust makes her yelp, and the word "daddy" slips out of her mouth.

Ben catches it and lifts himself up to look at her, still pushing his cock as deep into her as he can. “You like that, huh?" He places his arms next to her head, settling closer and cradling her. "You like it when I fuck hard into you?” He groans as he pulls out and forces his way into her again. "Like it when I, fuck, when I pump my cum deep in your tight cunt?"

"Yes, daddy! Fuck fuckfuck." She garbles, saying whatever's on her mind. "Want you- want your cum in me. Giving me a baby. Fuck, Ben, give me a baby."

The thrusts abruptly stop and Rey whines, shifting beneath him to search for friction. "Ben, need, want, move." Hoping he'd get the hint. She can't think straight, let alone communicate with anything more than monosyllables right now, but she desperately needs him to move so she can finish.

He begins moving again. much to her relief, and in her drunken state she faintly registers that one of his arms left her side and is now caressing and pressing into her flat belly.

"Don't say that, Rey. If you know what's good for you, don't say that."

It's a warning, but also something more.

Sensing this information may be useful for her plan, Rey files it for later, too busy chasing the high. His thrusts become erratic, losing all the rhythm he steadily maintained before. After a few pumps, she mewls and comes hard, her cunt gripping and pulling him in. He fucks into her a few times before coming too, barely even able to pull his cock all the way out of her tight hole. Resting his forehead against hers, he gives her cunt the last few lazy thrusts before pulling out of her reluctantly.

"When you... when you said that just now. Did you mean it?" He mutters into her shoulder.

"Said what?"

"Said to give you a... thing."

Brows furrowed, she turns to look at him. "What thing?"

"A baby." He doesn't meet her eyes. opting to stare at the freckles and scars on her shoulder instead. He traces them gently, as if they would help with his nerves. "Did you mean it?"

His warning earlier comes back to her, and she wonders if he wants her to mean what she had said. "Were you disgusted by it?" Rey probes, "sorry. I should've discussed with you abo-"

"No! No." He cuts her off quickly. "No, no, I wasn't disgusted or disturbed. I just..." Ben trails off.

"You... liked it?"

He nods shyly, and Rey smiles to herself. That's good. She could use this to her advantage. If she could just find a way to record these desires of his and manipulate it so that it looks like he's forcing his will onto her, then she could easily paint him as a predator and ruin his life. "I like it too."

He sits up and smiles back at her. "Really?"

She nods, and asks if he's up for round two, to which he eagerly replies yes to. He leaves to freshen up a bit before they went at it again, and Rey uses the time alone to press the start button on the voice recording app she has on her phone. When Ben returns and fucks her again, this time proclaiming loudly about how badly he wants to make her swollen and round, how much he wants to force a baby into her, Rey doesn't reciprocate, merely whimpering into his ear softly so the phone doesn't pick up her voice.

It becomes yet another routine for them to fuck in his room.

It becomes another habit for Rey to turn on the recording before they begin.

Unsurprisingly, Rey passes the quiz with flying colors. While they weren't given any more quizzes, their routines continue. She would head over to his place regularly and they'd have dinner together every time she's over. Displaying affection to each other privately has also become a regular for them, though Ben still occasionally complains about how she wouldn't let him display it in public, how she always seems distant when he approaches her in school and how she never replies any of his flirtatious texts. She makes up for it by being more loving when they're together in his room.

Rey starts to waver again, finding that she enjoys having his attention and all those cuddling sessions they have, with her wrapped up in his arms and his oversized hoodies. He makes her feel safe and warm and wanted. She's never felt this secure. Is this what it's like to have a family? Would this be what her future looks like if she started a family with Ben?

The sex they have is great too. Rey finds herself recording their sessions less and less, opening up to him more and more when he's buried deep in her and she's pulsing around him. It's easier to be vulnerable around him when she can chalk it up to sex talk, gibberish that she's spouting because she's coming so hard from his cock and not her deepest longings, unfulfilled wishes she's harbored since she was a child. 

He's pushing himself into her for the third time that day when she tucks his hair behind his ear and cups his face adoringly, murmuring about how she can't wait to start a family with him (at times like these she isn't even sure herself if they're empty promises or if she actually plans on fulfilling them). In turn, he peppers her face with loving kisses, telling her how lovely she is, how her pussy is so warm and tight, the perfect place to grow a baby. Their baby. A safe haven for him and the miracle they're going to create one day.

"I love you, Ben." It's so easy to say these things and mean them when they're like this. "I love you so, so much."

"You're perfect, Rey. Perfect. Lovely. Perfect for me-" He punctuates each word with a forceful thrust. He places his hand on her belly, the huge paw spanning across the entire thing. "Can't wait to put a little baby in your belly. See you grow big here and here," he pinches her nipples. "Swell up with milk and be a mommy to my kids. You'd be the best mother, never leaving them alone, leaving them to fend for themselves. The perfect mother for my children."

She slaps his arm playfully, drunk on his affection, "that's not where babies grow, dumbass. I thought you were a Biology expert." He chuckles. "Do you really think so, Ben?"

He looks at her reverently, "I wouldn't trust anyone else to mother my children but you, Rey." He dips his head and kisses her, movements growing languid as he focuses on proving his sincerity through his kisses. Rey nods, finally letting herself believe him. With each other, they'd never have to search for love anywhere else. Their children would never have to go through what they did. They would be happy. She could forget her plan ever existed, let all of this go and live a happy life with Ben.

She wonders if it's too late to change her mind.