Work Text:
Today is a Luke day.
Rey loves having Luke around. Typically, at least. After five fast years of working under his tutelage, Rey has grown to be quite comfortable in Luke’s presence. He can be steady, sure, and at times straight up silly.
But days like today? After Luke has slid himself into retirement six months ago? These days feel contentious, through no fault of her own.
The Rebel Fleet team’s surprise when their fearless leader Luke Skywalker announced his immediate retirement and introduced Ben Solo as their new CEO was a thick, salty slap in the collective face.
“I’m just done here, friends. I’ve given my all to Rebel and I think it’s time I rebel a bit myself,” Luke pronounced, his smile the widest Rey had ever seen on him. His reasoning, short and sweet as ever, seemed to tide over the room. “I know this is sudden, but it’s what I need. I’m going to fly with Mara across the planet in the beautiful planes you all work so hard to create. I’m still the owner of Rebel and will continue to be until I croak.” Adored as he is, no one wanted to see him leave but Rey has a deep understanding of the need to go, the need for flight and distance and time.
“I’ll still be around as we transition to this big guy, my nephew Ben Solo. This is our new CEO.”
Yes, Rey loves when Luke is around, but not if Ben is too. It’s such an awkward paradox; the wavelengths between those two. The familial love for each other shows and is burdened by the magnetic repulsion in their communication. It’s exhausting for the uncle and nephew. It’s exhausting for the bystanders in the vicinity. It goes and goes and goes with every drop in Luke makes.
And the thing is…
Rey really enjoys working with Ben.
He’s receptive to new ideas, willing to do deep work for innovative changes, respectful of her feedback as she tests and troubleshoots each piece manufactured in Rebel’s workshop. He listens dutifully and responds candidly; his demeanor towards her causes her to feel welcome in his presence. And in her twenty-six years, welcome is a feeling she’s seldom felt. He’s an exemplary boss, really. And it’s not Ben’s fault that Luke is struggling with giving up control to the person he himself chose to be his successor.
It’s undeniably uncomfortable for the entire building when Luke stops by to “check in.” She can’t help but feel useless when Luke shuts the door to Ben’s office and reams him for choosing to do this job a different way. She can’t help but wonder just why Luke is so intensely critical of his nephew and what it is that’s causing him to shamelessly berate Ben in front of the whole office. It’s just a shame that Luke is too preoccupied with giving up his agency to see what good Ben is doing across the board.
So yes, today is a Luke day and Rey hopes with all her might that tomorrow won’t be.
As she clocks out for the night, she sneaks a peek into the window of Ben’s office. It’s just him, sitting behind his desk with his head in his hands. His uncle left hours ago; she hasn’t heard any yelling for the greater part of the afternoon. Has Ben been sitting like this since Luke left?
She raises her hand to gently knock on the door and sticks her head in. “Hi Ben, the workshop is all closed up. Is there anything I can do for you before I head out?” she asks with a tilt of her head and an understanding smile.
Ben runs his hands through his hair as he looks up at her. His eyes seem red, but she spots no evidence of tears. “Thanks, Rey. I’m all good here. Get home safe, please,” he offers her a soft smile. Her heart aches at the sight of him so down. She hates to leave him like this, but she’s been dismissed. She tamps down the urge to hug him, to whisper in his ear that he is so appreciated.
“Okay, Ben. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
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Finn: Today was brutal. Fucking brutal. None of the yelling was directed at me but damn… Luke really has some strong lungs 😬
Rose: Work used to be so peaceful. RIP our sanities 💀
Rey: I feel so bad for Ben. I just don’t get why Luke is so angry with him all of the time? He used to say such nice things about Ben and now he’s yelling out every negative thought about him in his head.
Finn: Yeah about that… Rey can you do something? Luke likes you! You’re his favorite!
Rose: We also thought he liked Ben sooooo 🙃 not sure what Rey can do in this situation to make this stop
Finn: idk, can you talk to Mara? Maybe tell her that her manfriend is nonstop screaming at the person he handpicked for the job? If you tell Mara what’s up maybe she can knock some sense into him?
Finn: Or at least get him on a plane to a very far destination for a bit so we can have a break???
Rey: Honestly not sure what that would do, the man is stubborn as fuck. Now that I know he can get this pissed off, I don’t want him to explode at me next because I tattled to my former guardian.
Rose: Luke has the softest spot for you Rey, I don’t think he’d ever direct this at you! I agree tho you shouldn’t bring Mara into this.
Rey: God this fucking blows.
Rey: I just feel so bad for Ben. He just sits there and takes it until Luke winds down. I would have snapped by now if I were him.
Rey: He looked so sad when I left today.
Finn: Oh really? You stopped in to say bye?
Rose: Finn, drop it.
Rey: Should I check in on him?
Finn: At nine pm? On a Thursday night?
Finn: Yes. You should absolutely check in on Ben Solo.
Finn: Right now.
Rose: Shut it, Finn.
Rose: I think it would be nice to see how he’s doing.
Rose: It’s kind of late though, he might not see it.
Rey: He just emailed me a few minutes ago, I think he’s still up.
Rey: Would it be weird? It would be weird to text him right?
Finn: Yes, it would be weird to text him.
Finn: You should give him a call. He’s up apparently.
Finn: I think he’d really appreciate hearing your friendly voice right now.
Rose: Finn I s2g
Rey: Okay yeah you’re right I should just give him a quick call.
Rey: Just to say he’s doing great and that tomorrow will be better.
Rey: That’s fine right????
Rose: I think it would be a very nice gesture to tell your boss that he’s appreciated.
Finn: Yeah Rey, show him some good appreciation 😏
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Rey pops in her earbuds and pulls up her contacts as she spreads out on her couch. This is just a normal, quick call to your boss to say he’s doing a good job. Totally normal.
She hits the call button under Ben’s name and fidgets her hands as she waits for the call to connect.
One ring. Is it too late to call?
Two rings. Oh god this is weird isn’t it.
Three rings. Fuck this is weird I should not be doing this!
She raises her phone to hit the red end call button when she hears, “hello? Rey?”
Her spine straightens when she hears the depth of his voice through her noise cancelling earbuds. “Hi! Uh, hi Ben!” she manages to stammer out.
“Hi Rey.”
Some silence.
“Can I help you with anything?” he implores, clearly curious about why she’s calling.
“Oh no, I don’t need any help. But thanks, that’s really nice.” Her mind absolutely blanks on her mission objective.
“Okay, that’s good. Is something going on? What’s up?” As always, he sounds so patient speaking to her. She smiles at the thought.
“Nothing’s up, I just wanted to call and say goodnight. Shit, I mean good job. You’re doing a really good job, Ben. You’re a really great boss.”
“You called at nine thirty pm to say goodnight and that I’m a good boss?” Is that a bit of humor she hears hidden in that deep voice? She blesses the headphones gods for their contribution to society in this moment.
“Well, mostly the good boss thing. And the goodnight. You’re just really good at, you know, being a good boss.” She shakes her head at herself, unable to think of any adjective other than good.
She hears Ben hiss out a breath. “Thanks, Rey. I appreciate the feedback.”
Rey beams, nodding her head as she replies, “Yes! You’re so good at your job and you’re good at leading the crew and you should be very proud of the work you’re doing. I’m very proud of you, and you should be too.” She hears nothing but some shallow breathing, so she continues. “I thought it was important to tell you, ya know? That you’re doing so good.” She’s satisfied with her mini ramble, patiently waiting for Ben to respond.
It takes him a moment, his breathing turning ragged.
“Thank you? I don’t really know what to say but-“ he cuts himself off for a moment. “Oh. Rey, where are you? Do you need a ride home?”
She’s genuinely, utterly, so confused. “What? I’m at home.” She looks across the room at the cat tree in the corner, her big ginger cat Baby snoozing on the top level of her custom-made domain.
“You’re not out right now? Did you just get back?” She scrunches her face at his question.
They sit in silence for a moment. The fuck?
“Do you- did you drink some water? Or did you eat anything? Do you need some food delivered to you? I can order some chicken tenders and a milkshake to your place if you need something to eat. You like barbecue sauce, right?”
More silence. Then,
“Ben, do you think I’m drunk?”
“Are you… are you not?”
She stares at the phone in her hands, jaw dropped. This is not the turn of events she was expecting. How embarrassing, calling her boss to say goodnight and tell him that he’s doing well at the job he gets constantly berated for and damn, he thinks she’s intoxicated. Alexa, play This is How I Disappear by MCR.
“I’m not drinking, Ben… Haven’t been drunk in a very long time. I just… yeah. This is not a drunk dial, I promise.” She’s mortified. Absolutely mortified. She’s considering hopping in one of Rebel Fleet’s planes and going MIA Amelia Earhart style.
“I see. Well, um, thank you for your kind words, Rey. And for saying goodnight. I, ah, I really appreciate you taking the time out of your night to say such nice things.” A pause as she has been rendered speechless. “Thank you, Rey,” he says softly, something tender in her name this time.
“You’re a good one, Ben. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight Rey. Sweet dreams, I’ll see you in the morning.” He hangs up, leaving her with a shy smile across her face.
Tonight, Rey drifts to sleep with that same smile on her lips and a deep, kind voice in her head.
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Rey steps out of her car with purpose, jumping in headfirst to deal with whatever comes her way this day. It’s Friday, confirmed no Luke yelling for tomorrow and Sunday. You can handle this. Eight more hours until you can melt into your couch for the weekend.
She swipes her badge, heading directly to the workshop with her head down. She sets up for the day with a new mantra in her head: mind your business and get shit done. She’s focusing on her morning checklist when she hears a tentative knock on the workshop’s door.
Ben pokes his head into the space, quickly glancing around the machinery until his eyes fall on her. She steels herself, feeling an embarrassment hangover as her mind is flooded with the details of the night before. Still, she can’t help but smile at the man before her.
Ben maneuvers through the room to offer Rey a coffee cup in a cardboard sleeve. “Good morning, Rey. Dirty chai with soy, right?” He asks with… is that hope on his face? She gives him a quick nod as she accepts the cup. “I know your rule of no food in the workshop, but there’s some doughnuts in the conference room.”
Once again, Rey is at a loss for words. Was he always this broad? He has seldom entered the workshop in his time at Rebel Fleet and she silently notes that his stature makes some of the machinery seem tiny. He looks at her expectantly as she realizes she hasn’t uttered a single syllable to him yet.
“Thanks, this is really kind. You’re so nice, Ben,” Rey manages to get out. Ben seems to take a deep breath in at her words. Her brain screams at her to go back to work- what happened to mind your business and get shit done??
“I, uh, I really appreciate your call last night. Sorry about my… assumption. But thank you, really. It meant a lot.” Ben rocks back on his feet a few times, as if stuck between leaving the room or continuing this mess of a conversation.
And Rey just… stares. She looks up at him with her voice stuck in her throat until she comes to her senses a little too hard. “God Ben, I’m sorry if it was inappropriate to call you so late like that but I just couldn’t go to sleep until I checked in on you. You know, sometimes I really have a deep urge to kick your uncle in the shin when he’s giving you shit.” Rey acknowledges that the word vomit is starting and she has no plan in mind for ending it. “You’re doing amazing here and I don’t know, it just makes me feel feral sometimes listening to him go off on you about things you’re doing better than him! You’re doing the best you can and it’s not your fault he can’t see through his stubbornness. He should be praising you for all of your hard work keeping his legacy intact instead of using his retirement to berate you whenever he gets bored.”
Ben’s eyes are trained on her face, focusing deeply on the woman before him. He hasn’t seemed to breathe since the beginning of her rant. So what does Rey do?
Well, she continues.
“Ben, you are intelligent and kind and intentional. I see what you’re working towards and I understand your goals. Your passion is plain to see for all of us working under you. But your uncle is being an asshole and that is not on you, okay?” She takes a deep breath and searches his face. “Okay, Ben?” She clutches her dirty chai close to her heart as she takes a step towards him. Has he blinked since she started going off? “Please tell me that you understand that no matter what he says to you and no matter how he says it, you have been a gift to us here. I- we love having you to lead us. Luke shouting into the ether isn’t going to change that. You’re good, Ben.”
Ben’s eyes begin to shine as he searches her face. He takes a purposeful step toward her, eliminating the majority of the space that separates them. Reaching out, he carefully plucks the cup from her hand and places it on the work bench beside them. “Say it again, Rey,” he whispers only for her ears. “Please. Please tell me that again.”
Her heart aches at the longing in his voice. Has it been so long since someone offered him praise for a job well done? How deeply have the criticisms shaken him?
Rey steadies herself, looking into his eyes and pouring all of the meaning she can into five simple words, “You are so good, Benjamin.”
His hands immediately hover over her waist, his gaze roaming over her face as he asks, “Rey. Please, can I kiss you?”
She should feel shocked. She should feel offended. Her boss asking to kiss her at the beginning of a work day? It should be inappropriate.
But it isn’t. Not even the slightest bit.
It feels real and raw and unguarded as she places her hand on his cheek and nods with a hopeful smile.
Ben crowds her. And not in an uncomfortable manner. His hands settle on the gentle curve of her waist, thumbs forward and fingers cradling her back as she leans into him. It is now obvious to her that the feeling of being welcome around Ben has evolved to so much more.
She feels safe.
The thought nearly makes her cry on the spot.
Ben closes the distance, resting his forehead on hers for a moment as they just breathe in the other’s presence. It’s a calm and fragile thing, this moment of belonging. She traces her thumb on his cheek, her widening smile mirroring his.
So softly, so gently, he presses his lips to hers.
Her whole world changes.
The kiss is sweet and chaste, his lips firmly caressing hers as the hum of the machinery lulls around them.
This kiss, she knows deep in her bones, her gut, her conscience, is the last first kiss she will ever have.
Moments later, as if he’s come to realize that they are, in fact, at their place of employment and that he is her supervisor, he calmly breaks the kiss and gives her waist one last squeeze before taking a decisive step back.
They stare at each other with matching grins and both sets of eyes glossy. He reaches up to push his hair back, fingers threading through his thick tresses.
Ben speaks first.
“Do you have plans tonight?” somehow sounding confident yet sheepish.
Her head bobbles up and down. “Yeah, I’m coming over.”
“To say goodnight?” He barely keeps his laugh back.
“Yes, Ben. I’ll be there to say goodnight,” the giggles pour out her before she throws Ben her most dazzling smile. “And to say good morning.”