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“Eiga o hanasemasuka?” Within seconds, Rey knew that everything she had just said was wrong. Perhaps it was the incredulous “Ehh?” from the man in front of her, or the way he slowly turned in his seat to face her. She just knew she was dead wrong and only heaven knew what expletive she had just uttered.

Judging by everything that had happened to her since she had landed in Japan a few hours ago, it seemed like the universe was telling her that her first trip abroad was going to go very poorly.  “Come to Japan with me!” Rose had exclaimed many months ago.

Rey didn’t need much convincing. Japan sounded amazing. All the culture, old and new, all the natural beauty — all the food! Somehow she had managed to scrimp and save enough for plane tickets, hotels, and everything else. It was going to be great, getting to travel with one of her best friends.

And then, only two weeks before the departure date, Rose got mono and had to cancel her trip. However, Rey’s plane tickets were nonrefundable and the change fees were half the cost, so she begrudgingly accepted that she would be going to Japan alone. “Don’t worry, you’ll have fun,” Rose had groaned over the phone. “Send me photos so I can live vicariously through you.” It just wasn’t going to be the same without her friend. Not only because she didn’t know a soul in Japan, but because Rose was actually a somewhat experienced traveler and would be able to help Rey navigate things like the airport or customs, not to mention the trains and getting to their hotel. She had managed to get herself to the airport and onto the plane okay. In customs she got to the front of a hour-long line without filling out the necessary forms, but everyone took pity on her and let her back in after she filled them out. Rey was still mortified by the whole thing. She’d seen people clutching the forms and hadn’t put two and two together. No one taught her that customs forms were a thing. The trains into Tokyo were easy enough too. She just had to follow the signs, get to the right car, the right seat number, and listen for the right stop. It was once she got off at Shinjuku that things all started going haywire. She got off the train. Followed the signs to the exit. There were stairs, but then she remembered passing an elevator and then found another sign for what looked to be an escalator. She stood on the wrong side until some kind person corrected her gently before she got in anyone’s way. The right side of escalators were apparently for anyone rushing up the stairs.

Rey thanked them profusely until they got to the top. They disappeared into the crowd and Rey began to get lost. No one had told her Shinjuku station was massive. No one had told her it was multiple stories. No one had even told her which exit to take. There were several. She had no clue which one was the right one.
There were signs for hotels like the Hyatt Regency and the Hilton and the Washington. None of those were the little hotel Rose had booked. Too expensive. She whipped out the pocket wifi router she had ordered online and had delivered to her house, hoping to connect herself and get Google Maps going so she could be on her way. Fifteen minutes later she switched the thing off, unable to get it to connect.

Rey breathed in deep to calm her nerves a bit. Why had she paid for a piece of crap that didn’t even work? More importantly, how was she going to find her hotel without it?

There had been something in the guidebook about the increasing availability of free public wifi in preparation for the 2020 Olympics. Sure enough, there were several open networks around her. Ten minutes later, she hadn’t been able to connect to any of them. They all crapped out before she could get through the registration process after repeated tries. So much for that. After a few more deep breaths that failed to calm her, Rey looked around once again, finally letting the fear dip into her consciousness. She really, really, really, really had no idea where to go. She had a map, but that didn’t tell her where anything was within the station, so she had no idea how to orient herself. There were so many people, and a lot of signs for things that were no help at all...except one.

Information Desk  Rey’s heart leapt in her chest, and followed the sign through the charge of people streaming against her. The Information Desk would have people who’d help. People who might know where hotel was. They’d be able to tell her the right direction to go in, even if they didn’t speak perfect English, and she’d be set.

She almost walked right past it, not realizing what was what. It was darkened and the security grille was locked in place, making it look like one of the many closed storefronts in the station. She stopped and looked at it in horror.

“No,” she whined, “This isn’t happening. This cannot be happening.” Sure enough, the Information Desk was only open until 9 PM. Her watch showed 9:30 PM. Rey stared at the darkened little space, staring at the neatly organized maps all lined up in a row. “Fuck me,” she whimpered. She tried the wifi networks again. No luck. It was all she could do not to hurl her phone at a wall and cry. She tried asking a few people for help in English. Most of them just shook their heads sadly at her and choked out, “No English. Sorry.” What other options did she have? Right now it was either take her chances outside or keep asking. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the few phrases in Japanese she had tried to learn. “Can you please help me find my hotel” was not one of them, but she could ask... “E-eiga o ha...nase...masuka?” Rey said to a man standing by a coffee shop, stumbling over a few of the unfamiliar syllables.He just looked at her with a funny smile, and said. “Iie!” 
No. That meant no. Fuck.  
 Everyone else she asked had similar reactions. A few people stared at her like she was a total nutter, making Rey’s anxiety over the whole situation spike. Frustrated, she stepped outside for some fresh air. This was exactly why she should have cancelled the trip when Rose did. If it wasn’t for the money, she would have. She didn’t have much to spare, and she couldn’t bear to see money wasted. Of course, Rey had tried in vain to get someone else to tag along, but with only two weeks until she left, no one could manage it on short notice.

Rose would have known what to do in this situation. Rose would have spotted something, found her bearings, and led them to the hotel in no time. Rey was quick on her feet, but not like that. She operated best in environments she spent lots of time in, able to dissect them down to the smallest detail like which coffee shop swept the pavement outside their storefront and which residences kept up with their gardening. In an environment she knew well, Rey would be able to tell you the answer to just about any question you asked. In an environment she wasn’t familiar with yet, she was useless for days. And her brain hadn’t even begun to store what it needed. Probably because she hadn’t slept at all on the plane. But perhaps that was the answer. She needed to start creating her mental map of this new environment. Obviously the next step was to look around. Behind her was the station entrance. Before her was a quiet street, only a few people wandering up and down, dwarfed by the tall buildings. Mostly office buildings, by the look of it, with storefronts at the bottom levels.

She crossed the street. Maybe someone in one of the stores would speak English. It was worth a shot. The first store at the end of the crosswalk was a store with a large calligraphy piece hanging in the window display. She stopped for a moment to take in the swooping black strokes, creating words she would probably never be able to read, but were beautiful nonetheless. It would make a good landmark if she needed it. Rey opened the door and dragged her suitcase over the threshold.

“Irasshaimase!” came a deep and booming voice from somewhere. Rey didn’t see its owner until she walked further in, a tall man with black hair that dusted his shoulders. He was seated away from her, concentrating on something else, and didn’t stir any further.

She approached the counter he sat behind, not wanting to yell across the store like he had. There was another beautiful piece of calligraphy behind the desk.

“Ummm,” she started. “Eiga o...hanasemasuka?” Immediately the man shifted, and Rey suddenly got the feeling she had done something wrong. Shit, had she been saying the wrong thing this entire time? What if she just cussed him out? “Eh?” The man said, beginning to turn her way.  Fuck, her brain so eloquently stated. Fuck. Fuck! Fuck!!!

She was not well-prepared for what came next. “Did you just ask me if I could speak movies?” He was rising to stand now and Rey realized that he was massive. A good six inches taller than her at least — nope, more than that — and wide in that “I’ve got muscles” way. Not that she was petite in any sense, but this man had to be the tallest person she’d ever come across. And then she noticed he was probably not Asian. Certainly from behind he could have fooled her with that dark, silky hair and pale skin, but facing her was a man with fairly European features, a large nose, plush lips, and a deep five o’clock shadow. Dark eyes narrowed behind round glasses. He could be mixed, she supposed, wondering if that explained why he was so attractive. Whomever he was, he was very aware of Rey’s silence. “Did you mean to ask if I spoke English?” Rey blinked away her surprise. “Um...yes.”

“That’s ‘eigo o hanasemasuka,’” he replied, breaking out into a bemused smile. “Ei- goh means English. Ei -gah means movies.” Her face began to heat up, and she groaned.  “I-I think I just asked a bunch of people in the train station if they could speak movies. No wonder they were looking at me funny.” The man broke out into a laugh and quickly stopped himself. Rey almost wished he hadn’t, he had a rather attractive smile. “Sorry, sorry, that’s just really hilarious. How can I help you?” Yes! Help! She needed that! And he spoke perfect English with an American accent. Rey was saved. Finally!  “Oh! I’ve been looking for my hotel, but I have absolutely no idea where it is and there were so many exits in the station! I didn’t know which one to take and my pocket wifi isn’t working, and the public wifi didn’t work, and the Information Desk was closed! I’ve just been at my wit’s end trying to figure out how the hell to get there. There’s no signs for it or anything!” The man raised his eyebrows at the glut of information about Rey’s journey so far, but calmly smiled when she finished and asked for the name of her hotel. “The APA Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower. My friend booked it for us, but she got mono right before the trip, so I’m here alone...”  Perhaps that wasn’t the wisest thing to tell a stranger, Rey realized.

“I know where it is. Let me walk you over there.” He whipped out his phone and began to dial, then began speaking to someone in rapid fire Japanese. Rey waited until he hung up and grabbed a coat from the back of his chair. “You really don’t have to do that. I’m sure I can manage just fine with a map and some directions.”

“Nonsense. Japan is fairly safe, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let a pretty girl like you walk around alone at night in a strange area. And it’s a little far.” 
A pretty girl like you…
 Rey felt her face begin to flush. “B-but what about your shop?” “Nearly closing time anyway, my boss was okay with me locking up early,” the man responded as he fished out his keys. “Let’s get going.” Rey followed him obediently out of the shop and waited while he locked up the door and pulled down the security grille. It would have been a lie to say she hadn’t checked out his ass as he did. “My name is Rey, by the way,” she said, smiling as he turned back toward her. “Ben. Nice to meet you, Rey,” he said, leaning into a little bow. Rey returned it, remembering how it was customary. “Nice to meet you, Ben…” He nodded and gestured toward the sidewalk in front of him. “Shall we?” After a few steps spent in silence, he dared to ask, “So what made you want to come to Japan?” and they began to chat. Well, mostly he listened to her long-winded explanations about Rose, and never having traveled before, and Japan sounding so exciting and different. “What about you? Are you from Japan?” Ben tensed for a moment. “Ah, no. I’m from the U.S. I came here to study calligraphy from a master. That’s who owns the shop.” “Wow... Are any of the pieces in the store yours then?” “My master’s,” he said a little tersely. “I am still an apprentice, so my work would not be displayed in such a prominent place.” “Hmm, that’s too bad.” Somewhere during their conversation, the scenery around them had shifted. Before there were quiet business-like streets, but now they were surrounded by loud neon signs and a glut of people. More than a few who seemed to be drunk. Rey stared at one girl who was rather scantily clad, especially considering the cold weather, in a red tube dress and a santa hat. “Uhh… where are we?” Beside her, Ben sighed. “This is Kabukicho. It’s kind of a party district. Lots of bars… Your hotel is in this area” “Okay…” Her eyes lingering over a sign with a group of busty, dolled-up women on it. “Yeah,” Ben said as he looked at it too, the corners of his mouth flattening into a tight line. “It’s a little seedy here, that’s why I didn’t want you to walk around by yourself at night.” They fell silent for a beat, and then, “It’s still safe though, even here. But there’s lots of drunks and people looking to overcharge the tourists here...” “Ah,” Rey said awkwardly, as she wondered why Rose picked this area. “I’ll keep an eye out then.”   Ben nodded and led her further into the crowded streets. “Getting drunk with coworkers after the office closes is a big thing here.” Rey crinkled her nose at the idea. “So you just spend all your free time in the evening with your coworkers? That sounds awful.”

He huffed a laugh at that then gestured where they should turn next. “The Japanese think it builds loyalty to your team and your company. And releases any pent up stress between coworkers.” “If it works for them, I guess…” Rey replied, deftly avoiding a drunk man who lurched in the direction of her suitcase. “We’re here.” Rey looked up at the building before them, which thankfully had the name of the right hotel on it and wasn’t some dangerous back alley little place. She momentarily felt guilty that she suspected Ben would lead her astray. He had been nothing but kind the entire 20 minutes they had known each other. “Thank you so much,” she breathed and she caught the little smile that flitted across his face as they headed inside. He waited for her as she checked in, holding onto her suitcase, so she didn’t have to drag it across the lobby. “All set?” Ben asked as she returned with her room key. Rey nodded and took hold of her suitcase again. “Thanks again. I don’t know what I would have done without your help.”

“Don’t thank me before you see your room. It’s probably so tiny you won’t have room to turn around.” That made her laugh. It was strange, but Rey very much didn’t want Ben to go now. She barely knew the man, but she knew she’d regret it if this was the last time she saw him. Even if she wasn’t quite sure why, his presence just felt so reassuring. Perhaps it was knowing that she wasn’t entirely alone in this big, new city. Besides, there was no way she’d be able to find that shop again after winding through street after crowded street in Kabukicho. It would take a small miracle.

“Hey,” he said, his voice growing quiet. “What are you up to tomorrow? Are you taking a tour?” Rey blinked and looked up at him. “No, Rose and I were just going to wander on our own, so I didn’t book anything…” Something about that made him smile. Rey tilted her head. “Why do you ask?” “Would you like me to take you around Tokyo tomorrow?” Her eyes grew wide. Had he read her mind somehow? “I…”  You’ll get to see him again! Her jet lagged brain shouted helpfully. “You don’t have work tomorrow? I wouldn’t want to impose on you.” Ben shook his head, causing a few wisps of hair to rearrange themselves on his forehead. “I’m off tomorrow. How about 8 am? We’ll go someplace interesting for breakfast.” A flush raced across her cheeks at the thought of spending the whole day with Ben. “That would be lovely, if you don’t mind.” He reached to call the elevator. “I don’t mind. I wouldn’t have offered if I did.”

The doors dinged, surprising her and making her heart begin to race. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“See you then,” Ben said, waving as the elevator doors closed between them. Rey leaned back against the wall of the elevator, listening to her heart beat wildly until the chime sounded for her floor. How did she get so lucky to find the one shopkeeper, who was not only fluent in English, but hot as hell and willing to lead her around Tokyo?

She tapped the key card to the door and stepped into her room. Ben was right, it was tiny. To anyone else it would have been claustrophobic, but Rey was already used to cramped spaces. She’d make do. Excess space was for people far richer than her. Besides her mind was still swirling with Ben’s faint smiles and deep voice. It didn’t take her very long to fall asleep thinking of him.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Rey was awake at 4:22 am.

She didn’t want to be awake at 4:22 am, but Rose had warned her about jet lag and her brain  showed no signs of dozing off just yet. Maybe the melatonin pills Rose had given her didn’t work as well as she’d expected, but Rey didn’t feel too tired. Just a bit groggy. Maybe sleep would come again if she just lay here in the plushy comfort of her hotel bed with no lights on.

Instead, she checked her emails -too lazy to get up just yet- and sent a few texts to her friends back home to let them know she was okay.
 
Finn responded first.

Had any sushi yet?

Lol no

Remember, in the land of the rising sun, they eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Yeah right

Have fun today!

Somehow between emails, adorable animal videos on Facebook, and Candy Crush Saga, it became 7:00 am and Rey finally dragged herself out of bed to shower.

Oddly, her stomach hadn’t dared to grumble the entire time she was laying in bed. It started about mid-way through her shower. By the time she headed down to the lobby, she was positively starving.
 
Rey caught sight of herself in the mirrored walls of the elevator. She wore her usual messy bun, a light purple sweatshirt dress, and some black leggings. Rose had thrust the dress at her when they were shopping for the trip and gushed about how it looked like something from a Harajuku fashion shop. That had been enough to get Rey to buy it, even though she hadn’t paid more than $20 for a single item of clothing ever before.
 
She’d never really fussed with her appearance either, but Rey found herself doing just that as the elevator moved downwards, desperate to make herself look nice. Last night seemed like some strange dream, being in Tokyo and meeting Ben. If it wasn’t for the unfamiliar surroundings when she woke up, she wouldn’t have realized it was all real. And that’s when she realized she’d probably looked like a mess having just come off the plane. That made her want to look put together today so she could make a better second impression.
 
The chime of the doors opening snapped Rey’s attention to the present. It only took her one moment to locate Ben’s large figure waiting in the lobby. He was dressed in lean, dark jeans that skimmed his long legs, and a grey button down shirt covered by a black shirt jacket.
 
“Hey,” he said, smiling immediately upon noticing her, his face transforming from serious to excited. “How’d you sleep?”
 
Rey couldn’t help but smile shyly back. “Alright. Found myself up really early though. I’m

starving.

”
 
The grin that spread across his face then was entirely too mischievous. “Good. I was planning to take you to Tsukiji Market for breakfast. Unless you want to get a bite before we head there?”
 
Rey’s eyes widened. “That place with the fish auction?”
 
Ben chuckled. “Ah, well the fish auction moved, but yeah there’s still a food market there.”
 
“That sounds amazing! That was definitely on the list of things Rose and I wanted to do!”
 
He motioned his head to the door and turned, sending Rey scurrying after him. “I’ll lead the way then.”
 
With stunning precision, he herded her through the depths of Shinjuku Station. Rey almost thought she recognized some of the places she had been the night before, but then they’d turn and she’d lose her bearings again.
 
“How do you even manage in here?” She asked breathlessly. “This place is a maze.”
 
Ben just shrugged his shoulders and grunted as they walked through a crowd of people. “Been here almost seven years now. You get used to it.”
 
Then he stopped. “Do you have an IC card?”
 
“Sorry? A what?”
 
Without any warning, his hand found its way to her back as Ben pushed her gently towards a wall of the station with what looked like ticket machines. But her focus swung away from those to his sudden touch. It was almost too intimate for someone she had just met the day before, yet it sparked a fire in her belly with its warmth.
 
“An IC card. It’s so you don’t have to buy tickets every time you take public transit. Which will be a lot here.”
 
His other hand dug into his pocket and retrieved his wallet, which he turned to face her. Inside a little gold and salmon-colored card with the letters PASMO faced out through a plastic window. His name was stamped into the card. Ben Solo.

“One of these. Or a Japan Rail Pass since you’re a tourist. Or both. It’ll help you get around a lot of places.”
 
Rey’s brain finally focused on something else other than the hand still resting comfortably on her lower back. “I have a Japan Rail Pass. I used it to get the train from the airport.”
 
He looked down at her and then back at the ticket machines, his lips spreading into a thin line then popping back out to their normal thickness. “Okay, we could use that, but it’d take longer and you’re starving—”
 
Rey’s eyes lingered unwillingly on his lips, and when she drew herself away after a moment too long, she just hoped Ben hadn’t noticed. “Let’s just get one of those cards then.”
 
It was surprisingly simple to do. The machine had English language instructions (thanks to the upcoming Olympic Games, Ben told her), and she had enough cash to put about $50 on the card. That would last her a while, according to him, depending how much she spent at convenience stories (though apparently she could top up her card there too).
 
By the time they reached their subway platform, Ben had patiently explained all the features of her new PASMO card and how she could turn it in at the end of her trip. Rey didn’t even notice the crowds until Ben slowed down and muttered “Crap.”
 
“What’s wrong?”
 
“I forgot it was rush hour,” he replied, grimacing. “The trains are going to be

packed.

Are you okay with that?”
 
Rey looked around as a large number of commuters spilled out off a subway car and shrugged. “I guess? There are a lot of people getting off.”
 
He gave her a pitiful look. “I’m sorry in advance.”
 
They entered the car together, one of Ben’s hands on her back once more and he quickly found a spot against the wall of the subway car to lean against.
 
“Take off your backpack,” he instructed. “It saves space.”
 
Rey had barely begun to swing her bag down when people began pushing into her. Within seconds she found herself being pressed closer and closer to Ben, and he quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she stepped into his legs.
 
“You okay?” He said softly. “I can switch places with you.”
 
Another person jostled her, effectively pushing Rey straight into Ben’s chest. She turned her head away from it and put her hands in between them, her cheeks beginning to burn at their closeness and the realization that there was quite a bit muscle underneath his shirt. Her gaze settled upon a young Japanese man in a suit who was more interested in the game on his phone than the increasingly tight confines of the subway car. If only she had that kind of peace in this situation instead of feeling dizzy at a whiff of Ben’s scent — sweat, parchment, and something slightly metallic. Exactly like the shop he worked in.
 
“I’m fine, I think.”

I’m not fine. You’re way too fucking hot to be real,

went her brain.
 
“Roppongi. Roppongi,” chimed the announcement system.
 
The ride became unbearably long, time seemed like it stretched on and on as she felt every breath Ben took. Everytime Rey thought she’d get a break from being pressed embarrassingly close to him, new passengers would enter the car and push them back together. Each time, he would smile awkwardly at her and whisper that he was sorry. His hand never left her shoulders, but tightened, as if that alone would protect her from the rush hour crush.
 
“I should have picked you up later so you didn’t have to experience the worst of Tokyo.”
 
“It’s okay,” Rey laughed. “If this is the worst Tokyo has to offer, it’s not so bad.”
 
Not too long after that, which still felt like an eternity, he finally shifted and said, “This is our stop.”
 
As soon as the crowds began to clear, Ben grabbed her hand and began to pull her out of the subway car, not letting go until Rey pulled it free.
 
“I need my card,” she explained when he turned back to face her with his eyebrows raised. Rey tried to hide a fresh new blush. “Hold on.”
 
Once they got through the gates, it was a short walk to the market area. Rey was immediately overwhelmed by new sights and smells, only some of which were recognizable. There were things for sale that looked like the should be edible, but almost looked too perfect to be real. Beautiful, shiny red strawberries, little, red octopi on sticks with their legs curled up just so… She hadn’t realized that she was just following Ben around blindly until he stopped by a stand and she nearly walked right into him. A moment later he handed her something block-shaped on a stick.
 
Rey took the yellow block and looked it over. It was topped with a yellowish grated substance that she definitely could not identify.
 
“Tamagoyaki with daikon radish,” Ben explained. “It’s like an egg omelette.”
 
Rey bit into the fluffy eggs and immediately smiled. “It’s sweet!”
 
Ben tried to restrain his own grin and bit into his portion as well. “Glad you like it. Tsukiji’s well known for its tamagoyaki.”
 
Rey nodded as she chewed another mouthful. The more she ate the more she could discern the other flavors coming through, something savoury running below the surface of the sweetness and the tang of the pickled radish. “What else is good here?”
 
“Fish… seafood… Anything really. It’s a food market.”
 
From there, Ben led her down tiny street after tiny street as she sampled more than a few items. Just when Rey thought she’d had her fill, she’d find savory grilled unagi or a sweet, fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean paste that she just had to try. Ben matched her bite for bite, forgoing only the seafood, explaining that he grew up Jewish and unfortunately just found it gross.
 
At some point in the morning she thought to text Finn after she popped a piece of fatty tuna into her mouth.

Okay, I might have had sushi for breakfast just now...

Told you so!

“Texting your boyfriend?” Ben asked before she could type out another reply.
 
Rey fought the urge to blush. “Oh, no boyfriend for me. Finn’s just a friend. Pretty sure he likes my friend Rose who was supposed to come with me. He’s been taking her food almost every single day since she got mono despite the fact that he could get sick too.”
 
“Yeah, that sounds like a crush alright,” Ben said, smirking. “You ready for the next spot?”
 
Rey nodded enthusiastically. “If you don’t take me away from here, I’m going to eat everything in this market.”
 
Ben’s eyes sparkled like he almost wanted to see her do just that, but he turned his body toward a main street instead. “C’mon, we’ve got to leave some food for all the other tourists.”
 
Not knowing what to expect, Rey thought they might be headed toward some financial district until one side of the street fell away into a sort of moat. Across the channel laid an intimidating stone wall topped with brightly colored trees that ranged from bright green to mustardy yellow and a deep, deep crimson.
 
“What’s this?” She asked Ben. “It looks pretty.”
 
“Hamarikyu Gardens— where we’re going next.”
 
Growing up in the bleak Scottish moors and living now in the not-so-leafy region of Southern California, Rey had always found herself fascinated by any place with more than a smattering of trees. Inside the gardens —an old shogun’s former villa per Ben’s explanation — there were trees of every shape and color, it seemed. She lingered under the delicate Japanese maples, breathing in the scent of damp earth and wishing she could preserve the perfect fall foliage somehow.
 
Ben stood there patiently as she marveled over each new branch and color. Every now and then, he even offered to take a few photos of her.
 
“The leaves bring out the color of your eyes,” he said, handing her phone back after Rey stood amongst some golden ginkgo trees with their fan-shaped leaves.
 
“Thanks…” Rey’s cheeks heated up again. At this point he probably thought she just got red in the face at the drop of a hat.
 
They stopped at a little tea house on the pond where Ben ordered traditional matcha tea and beautiful sweets that were shaped like ethereal flowers. The green tea was extremely bitter, but then Ben told her to eat a bit of the red bean treat before she took another sip. Suddenly the taste changed as the sugar coating her tongue mixed with the strong tea, so much better than on its own.
 
He fell silent after that, staring out at the waters, the garden, and the landscape beyond. All around they were surrounded by high-rises and building cranes, an ultra-modern city that still held onto places like this where one could still enjoy natural beauty. Rey snuck little peeks at Ben and wondered if this was one of his favorite places in Tokyo.
 
Afterward they wandered further into the gardens, further from the noise of the city, and an actual crane swooped down from above, perching on a small bridge only a few yards away. Startled, Rey gasped and grabbed ahold of Ben’s arm. She stood marveling at the majestic bird, not really noticing what she had done until he carefully pulled her a little closer to the bridge, his large hand wrapping around hers.
 
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked.
 
She nodded, feeling her cheeks flush again, not daring to take her eyes away from the crane. She hoped he was more focused on the bird than her.

He’s so sweet,

a little voice in the back of her head sighed.

There’s no way he’d be interested,

another one chimed in.

And if he is, he’s probably only interested in one thing.

No,

the other voice countered.

He’s nice.

All it could be is a hook up though… You don’t do well with hook ups.

Trying to distract herself from her own mind, Rey unwrapped her arm from his to take some photos and the bird flew off.
 
“Ah, too bad,” Ben said. He grimaced as he watched it go, though Rey couldn’t guess why.
 
It only took him a moment to recover before he turned to her and smiled. “Would you like to take a cruise?”

Sure enough, there was a dock right on the edge of the gardens and a futuristic boat pulled up about 10 minutes after they arrived. Rey couldn’t help but gawk at the elaborate glass panels and silver lines which made the boat look like a small spaceship gliding along the water.
 
Ben leaned over and whispered to her. “The ship was designed by a famous manga artist, in case you were wondering. Leiji Matsumoto.”
 
“Really? Wow...” Rey’s breath trailed off as she watched a hatch open automatically to let the ship’s crew and passengers out.
 
The boat was busy, but Ben found them seats around a little table in a corner. The other three seats were occupied by a Japanese couple with a toddler, and Rey wound up spending a good deal of the cruise playing peekaboo with her instead of watching the scenery float by.
 
They disembarked at Asakusa, where she immediately noticed a giant golden...something perched atop one of the buildings.
 
“What the heck is that?”
 
Ben blanched at the sight.
 
“That’s the Asahi Beer Hall,” he said, almost grumbling. “The building next to it is supposed to look like a mug of beer.”
 
“Ah,” Rey said, taking in both buildings. “Then why does it look so…?”
 
“It looks like a turd, you can say it.”
 
She looked over at Ben whose face was a mixture of emotions, his jaw working uncomfortably.
 
“It has a lot of unflattering nicknames,” he continued. “Kin no unko — the golden turd — and unko-biru — the poo building.”
 
Immediately Rey slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing too loud. A few snorts slipped through anyway. “No! Really?”
 
“Really,” Ben answered, the beginnings of a smile creeping back onto his face.
 
Once she got over the golden poo — which meant that she took a few pictures and immediately texted them to Rose and Finn, all while giggling to herself — Ben led her down the street to a large gate with a massive paper lantern.
 
“Welcome to the first of many temples and shrines you’ll see in Japan,” he said with a sweeping motion.
 
Rey was transfixed once again, taking in the beautiful red of the gate and the throngs of people taking photos dressed in kimono, before beginning to snap her own. Ben patiently followed her as she peered into almost every little shop along the shopping street leading up to Senso-ji Temple, frequently keeping a hand on her back again just to make sure he didn’t lose her in the throngs of people. Rey flushed each time, but shamelessly leaned into his touch just to feel the heat of his broad palm tight against her back, whether someone had pressed her in that direction or not.
 
The temple itself was just as amazing. Rey studied each deity as Ben tried to give her a decent explanation of what she was seeing.
 
“I’m…not a Buddhist,” he explained once she began to stump him with her questions. “Or a very good tour guide.”
 
Rey stopped staring at a wide-eyed guardian statue and turned towards him with a similar look, brows furrowed. “Don’t say that! You’ve been wonderful!”
 
He wasn’t looking at her, his eyes trained on the carved wood statue in front of them. His jaw began to chew again until Rey pulled on his sleeve and he looked down at her.
 
“I mean it, Ben. You’ve been amazing and I cannot thank you enough.”
 
Her heart burst at the shy, blushing smile he gave her. But it was fleeting as he turned away and headed back down the steps. “C’mon. Next stop.”
 
Next stop turned out to be Tokyo Station where Ben pointed out the Imperial Palace (not open to the public aside from the gardens, to Rey’s disappointment), and the station’s beautiful brick and stone exterior. The European-style station seemed out of place, even surrounded by many modern skyscrapers, and Rey got the sense she could be almost anywhere in the world. Ben patiently described how it was built during a period of modernization and Westernization called the Meiji Era that was hugely influential on Japanese society, but she still felt like it belonged in Disneyland instead of real life.
 
More urgently, her feet were beginning to ache, so Rey asked to sit. Ben immediately shuffled her over to a bench and let her sit for 15 minutes while he continued on about bits of Japanese history he had learned, eventually growing quiet. Rey tried not to stare at him again, but it was shockingly quiet outside the station compared to the inside and the people watching wasn’t as good.
 
“Are you hungry at all?” He finally asked.
 
Rey nearly answered immediately then held herself back. The honest answer was that she could always eat, hungry or not, if the food was there. If she was uncomfortably full, she’d take whatever it was to go and eat it within another hour or two. It had been years since she wasn’t starving on a regular basis, but her stomach had forgotten to tell her brain.
 
The slightly less honest answer was, “I could eat.”
 
That made Ben smile. “Downstairs there’s a whole bunch of restaurants.”
 
“In the station?” Rey asked, her eyes growing wide. No wonder the Japanese had such big stations. Didn’t she see restaurants in Shinjuku Station too? And stores as well. Perhaps there were even apartments there too. A whole life neatly tucked away underground.
 
He nodded. “Yeah. There’s a whole ramen street down there and one of them happens to be a favorite of mine.”
 
“Let’s go then!”
 
Inside, the station returned Rey to what she was quickly learning to recognize as typical Tokyo life. People rushed to and fro with unknown purpose around the station as Ben led her deeper in and the air grew more stale. She doubted she’d ever be able find her way on her own, despite trying to decipher the many signs above their heads. There were just too many to read at a glance and the crowd was much too thick to just stop and read them.
 
Finally Ben took a turn down an unassuming corridor and they were surrounded by tiny eateries, each with a long line out the door.
 
“So there are about 12 different ramen shops here, all famous, but my favorite is that one,” he said, pointing to one with a blue and white flag above the door and a shorter line. “They make vegetarian and vegan ramen, which I prefer to the usual pork-based stuff, but we can go wherever you prefer. That one has shio ramen, that’s salt-based broth. Miso ramen. All sorts of different styles...”
 
Rey looked up at him and found his eyes searching, worried that she wouldn’t like his choice.
 
“I want to go to the one that’s your favorite,” she said, and watched as the corners of his mouth pulled upwards and his eyes softened.
 
They entered the queue for the shop and Ben taught her how to order the vegetarian ramen from the little machine out front, which dispensed meal tickets. When they reached the front of the line, a waitress took their tickets and waited until two seats next to each other opened up to put in their order.
 
The shop was so busy that it took a good 10 minutes before they were seated. Rey looked around at the line of seats, divided by open shelves full of cute little plants, a few decorations, and some ads for ice cream. It looked like something out of a interior decorating magazine aside from the people slurping their bowls of ramen on the other side of her.
 
“I’ve had ramen in the States before,” Rey said as she grabbed a napkin and some chopsticks. “How does it compare to ramen here?”
 
Ben shrugged. “The stuff back home doesn’t have the same flair to it like it does here. These restaurants get fiercely competitive because they have to stand out from the crowd. Back home, everything’s kind of standard because no one knows the difference. Here everything’s fresher.”
 
Rey nodded as she lifted the lid to one of the jars. “Is that garlic?”
 
“Yup. Garlic chips.”
 
“Yum!” The next jar held little plastic hair ties. “What are these for?”
 
“Ah, I need one of those.” Ben reached for one and pulled some of the hair off his face, exposing giant ears that had previously been covered by his long, black locks. “They’re just so you don’t get hair all over your ramen, really.”
 
“Oh, that’s handy!” Rey said noticing how much younger it made him look, and it made her want to tease him. She wondered absentmindedly how he’d respond to that sort of familiarity from a girl he hadn’t known for more than 24 hours.
 
“So, how did you get into Japanese calligraphy?”
 
Ben cocked his eyebrow as he handed her a bib, his mouth settling into a thin line as he thought over his response.
 
“I majored in fine art in college back home. I did abstract art, and it just kind of went from there.” He sighed. “I always had an interest in Western calligraphy, and when I was first exposed to Japanese calligraphy…That was it. I knew I had to come here and learn more.”
 
Rey nodded along. “Did you know Japanese?”
 
“Fuck no, I had to learn it as fast as I could,” he huffed, the frown on his brow giving away the difficulties he had faced. “My master wouldn’t even look at me until I could address him properly, even though he speaks perfect English.”
 
“That sounds rough.”
 
Ben shook his head, eyes closing and giving him an almost serene look. “It was, but even with all the master/apprentice bullshit I have to do, there’s nothing else like it in the world.”
 
She smiled up at him. “I’d love to see some of your work.”
 
His ears turned red as he blushed. “I’ve got some pictures on my phone… doesn’t do them justice, really.”
 
Rey leaned into his shoulder as he pulled out his phone. She knew it was a flirty move, strange for someone like her who was always so bored by the guys she met back home, but she didn’t want to stop herself. If Ben decided to flirt back, or more, maybe she

was

game.
 
He quickly tapped on a picture. “Here, my latest.”
 
“Vegetarian Ramen,” a heavily accented voice said from directly behind them.
 
Rey stiffened and sat straight as the waitress plopped the gigantic bowl in front of her and another in front of Ben.
 
“Later,” he said, pocketing his phone again.
 
The bowls before them were bright orange, steaming hot, and piled with ingredients Rey had never seen in ramen before. There were a few pieces of broccoli, tomatoes, some crispy things with holes throughout them, what looked like potato slices, and some kind of grain covered in what looked like a pesto sauce. She immediately took out her phone and snapped a photo. It was a far cry from the usual stuff with a few pork slices, seaweed and bamboo shoots floating at the top.
 
“Wow.”
 
Beside her, Ben had already muttered “Itadakimasu” and begun to eat. Rey looked at him for a moment and fiddled with her chopsticks to get her hold right.  The noodles, she discovered, were also orange.
 
“This is the weirdest bowl of ramen I’ve ever seen,” she commented.
 
Ben laughed between a bite of egg and watched as she slurped, then let out a little moan of surprise and delight. “How do you like it?”
 
“It’s so good!” The noodles had a tomato-like flavor with a hint of a stronger spice in them.
 
He flashed her a handsome, toothy smile and turned back to his bowl. “Try the lotus chips, they’re really good.”
 
Rey peered back into her own bowl and looked. “The crispy things with holes or the potato-looking slices?”
 
“The crispy thing with holes,” Ben laughed. “They’re fried lotus roots.”
 
They were good. As were the potato slices, which turned out to be a Japanese yam that tasted incredibly creamy. And the broccoli, and the tomatoes, and the buckwheat with pesto sauce. It was definitely one of the best bowls of ramen she’d ever had, even though it was nothing like any thing she’d had before.
 
After she’d finished downing the broth and the remaining cabbage at the bottom, they got up and headed back into the heart of the station.
 
“What now?” Ben asked. “How are your feet doing?”
 
Rey shrugged. “Doing okay. What were you thinking of?”
 
He chewed on his lips for a moment. Pursing them, pushing them together, and pulling them in with his teeth again and again. Rey decided to fiddle with her pocket wifi so she wouldn’t be caught staring.
 
“I can think of a couple more places we could go, one of them’s a lot of walking, but it’s worth it. And if you want to sit and rest a few minutes, there are places. The other one is kind of better for the end of the day because we can just sit for a long time.”
 
Rey looked back up at him and smiled. “Let’s go with the first place then.”
 
Which is how she found herself back on a crowded (though not as crowded) subway train, half hoping that a seat would open up. Ben had almost pinned her against the little area between one of the doors and a row of seats, so she had to avoid staring at his wide chest or the angle at which his muscular arm stretched out over her head.
 
She’d found him to be a quieter companion than she expected for someone who had offered to take her around all day. He happily gave her little tidbits of history and Japanese culture as they went along, answered any questions that sprang up. But in the in between moments when he wasn’t directing her to and fro, he became silent automatically and would not stir without prompting. Somehow Rey knew this was his natural state: perhaps a bit shy, perhaps a bit awkward. At some point though, she couldn’t take any more of the silence.
 
“You were going to show me your calligraphy…”
 
He looked down at her, his eyes wide and filled with an expression she didn’t understand fully just yet. Then his eyes darted up to the other side of the car where the name of the next stations were displayed.
 
“Um, we’ve got two stations before our stop…”
 
Still, Ben fished out his phone and began scrolling through the pictures, before shoving it toward her.
 
“This is just my latest one,” he said as Rey looked over the photo. Long thick strokes bent and pulled across the paper almost painfully. Black on creamy white with what looked like Ben’s toes sticking out at the bottom of the photo.

“It’s not very good,” he added hastily, and without looking she could tell he was extremely nervous.
 
“What does it say?”
 
She felt him still for a moment as he drew in a breath.
 
“Solitude,” he finally answered.
 
Her eyes darted up to his, finding the same wide-eyed and unsure expression he had before, then returned to the phone screen.
 
“I think it’s beautiful.”
 
“Shibuya. Shibuya,” chimed the automated announcer.
 
Ben’s hand slid out to retake his phone, and Rey looked up again to see his cheeks turning crimson. “Th-thank you. I’ll show you more photos later.”
 
She smiled as he slipped his phone in his pocket and readjusted his position to make room for the oncoming passengers. There was something about him that made her heart warm. Perhaps it was his kindness, the way he had been taking care of her, but something deep inside her was undoubtedly intrigued.
 
Before she knew it, the announcement system called out the next station and Ben pulled her towards the doors. This station was mostly open air and they had to climb the stairs up some brown, narrow, European style building to cross the tracks and exit. Another thing that looked like it belonged more at Disneyland.
 
They passed through the exit gates and across a stone bridge where they were hit with a massive wall of trees.
 
Rey blinked. “Another garden?”
 
“Yes and no,” Ben hummed. “This is Meiji Shrine.”
 
She stared at the trees a moment longer and then looked back at Ben. “This is a forest, but I’ll try to believe you.”
 
His face transformed before her, lips pulling back into the largest smile Rey had ever seen before he began to laugh. He swiftly covered up his mouth to stop himself and calmed down.
 
“Yeah, you’re right. It kind of is.”
 
As they walked deeper in, Rey felt the city fall away from them. The greenery was so dense that the roar of millions turned into the calls of birds and the eerie quiet of nature. The tall city buildings were almost immediately blocked out. It wasn’t until they rounded a corner and a large red torii gate came into view that Rey truly believed they were at a shrine.
 
“Oh wow,” she whispered as Ben tugged her to a side building with a crowd of people standing around a fountain. “What’s this?”
 
“Ritual hand washing,” he said as he grabbed two ladles and handed one to her. “Watch me.”
 
He picked up a scoop of water, washed his left hand, then his right, then sipped some water from his left hand before washing it with a fresh ladle. He set it back upon the stone fountain and turned to her, carefully instructing her on each step before leading her into the shrine.
 
They walked toward the main shrine where he taught her how to offer coins and pray to the gods and pointed out the colorful ema prayer plaques filled with wishes from visitors from all over the world.
 
Every so often, Ben would look around while explaining some aspect of the shrine, only to turn his attention back to her immediately. Rey didn’t understand why until he stopped mid-sentence and started to drag her towards a growing crowd.
 
“What’s going on?”
 
“Wedding procession,” he huffed. “Perfect timing.”
 
He pushed her to the front as an older man in a white and purple robe began to walk out before two young women in white and red robes. Then they turned and revealed the groom in a black and grey garment alongside the bride in pure white kimono with a white silk hood over her elaborate hair.
 
“Ben, oh my god, this is amazing,” she said quietly as the procession moved forward.
 
“You should take photos,” he whispered, close to her ear.
 
Rey felt a shiver go down her and settle into her lower back as she pulled out her phone and began snapping away. Everything about the procession was beautiful, from the splashes of color on the officiants’ uniforms to the elegant kimonos of the wedding party. Ben let her follow the procession until they reached a building where the shrine’s visitors weren’t allowed, keeping close behind her. When she whirled around to beam at him, she could see her own excitement reflected back on his face.
 
“Did you enjoy that?” He asked.
 
“Yes! Did you know that would be happening today?”
 
Ben shook his head. “This shrine does about 20 weddings on the weekends. And it just happens to be a Saturday.”
 
Rey smiled. Ben had probably planned it into their day. “Lucky us.”
 
They meandered back through the forest out into the city again. Ben led her through the trendy part of Harajuku, Takeshita-dori, and once again didn’t mind when she slowed down to gawk at the wares in a little shop or take photos. Everything around them was loud, colorful, and a little crazy, which Rey loved. No wonder Rose had pushed her to buy the sweatshirt dress, it would fit right in on one of the fashionable teenagers strolling down the street.
 
“I can’t believe all this is right next to that beautiful shrine and forest,” Rey breathed as they came out the other side next to a bright pink crepe store with probably 50 different plastic crepes in the windows. “This city is wild.”
 
Ben chuckled. “That’s Japan for you. Just look at all the different places we’ve been in one day.”
 
Rey nodded. The sheer number of things they’d done over the course of a few hours washed over her, settling in to remind her of the ache in her feet. Ben didn’t seem tired yet, but she definitely wasn’t used to walking so much. Half her day was usually spent sitting in LA traffic, not hitting its streets for hours on end.
 
As if he read her mind, Ben’s hand pressed against her back and he leaned in close. “Shall we go to the last stop and rest our feet? It’s only one stop. Not far at all.”
 
“Yeah!”
 
By now the rush of people on the subway didn’t surprise her. Rey just leaned closer to where Ben stood and hung onto the handholds. Once again he gently led her toward the right exit, his hand on her shoulder, and into a new part of Tokyo.
 
Walls of blinding neon advertisements caught her eye and made her crane her neck upwards. She stopped at the exit and stared until people started bumping into her in an effort to get past.
 
“Come on, let’s go see the Hachiko statue,” Ben said as he pulled her to the side.
 
It took Rey a moment for the words to register. “Oh! The Hachiko Statue is here?”
 
Ben pointed out the little statue, almost hidden among the shrubs, and let Rey snap as many selfies as she wanted. She buzzed around taking photos of the impressive fluorescent towers as well as the statue, and found Ben sitting patiently on one of the partitions, watching her.
 
“Ready?”
 
He stood when Rey nodded eagerly.
 
“Hold onto my elbow,” he instructed as he proffered his arm to her. “It gets busy here.”
 
She almost didn’t know what he meant until he led her to a crosswalk and saw the masses of people beginning to swarm. Then suddenly they moved in all directions and Ben began to walk in a direction she didn’t think they could cross. She nearly pulled him back to the curb, thinking they’d get run over.
 
“The Shibuya Scramble Crossing,” he explained gently, feeling her hesitation. “It’s okay.”
 
Rey just nodded, in awe at the sudden wall of people before them.
 
Once they reached the other side, Ben led her up a staircase and into a little yellow and white cafe. Luckily there were two chairs open looking out at the crossing, and they were able to order some tea and cookies before relaxing into their seats and watching the crowd.
 
Her hands wrapped around a warm teacup, Rey felt her mind come back into its usual place, having fully absorbed the day.
 
“Today was amazing, Ben…Thank you.”
 
He gave her a shy smile from behind his own tea cup, a stray curl falling onto his forehead. “It was my pleasure.”
 
They sipped in silence until Rey spotted a number of go karts making their way down the street with their drivers in various costumes. “Oh my god, I saw that on Youtube! I can’t believe it’s real!”
 
“Yeah, but you need an international driver’s license for it.”
 
Rey felt a bit disappointed at that, but shrugged it off. She had spent too much money on this trip. She’d have to enjoy herself responsibly. “I don’t have one, but it’d be worth it if I did.”
 
Ben fell silent again, and then, “How long will you be in Japan?”
 
They had successfully avoided the subject all day long, but now that it was a question she had no hope of evading, Rey felt her heart pound. His voice sounded dark and curious, and she snuck a glance at him. His gaze was fixed on the crowd below, thankfully, and Rey could return to inspecting her tea cup as she answered.
 
“Another eight days…”
 
This time he turned to look at her, though her gaze remained fixed elsewhere. “How long will you be in Tokyo then?”
 
Rey took another cookie and turned it over in her hands. “I leave for Kyoto tomorrow for 2 nights, then Hakone for another two nights, then I come back to Tokyo for the rest. Rose and I were going to go to Nagano to see the snow monkeys and things like that.”
 
Ben hummed. “That’s cool…. Maybe we can hang out again when you come back to Tokyo then?”
 
“Sure!” She said a little too eagerly.
 
He just smiled, a little wider and more confident this time, letting his eyes fall behind his hair as his lips dipped down to meet the elegant porcelain cup. “Good. I can take you to the train station tomorrow if you like. So you can catch the bullet train to Kyoto.”
 
“That’d be great…”
  
Later on, when they had parted, Rey could still feel the warmth of Ben’s arms around her back from the hug he had given her in the lobby. He had held her tightly, in just the spot that made her want to gasp with pleasure and press herself against his chest. Instead she’d just let out a squeak and pretended that Ben had squeezed all the air out of her lungs.  As she pulled the blankets around her, the memories of his hands on her back and shoulders that day returned too.
 
Was it too familiar? The way that he kept touching her was almost compulsive, like he didn’t want to stop. Rey tried to reason that she was reading too much into it, that he was just trying to keep them together in the throngs of people that filled the city. But another part of her was sure it was something more.
 
She sighed into a pillow and closed her eyes. It was silly to start falling for Ben, a man who lived halfway across the world from her. Silly or not, she wanted to stop overthinking it and beg him to lay his hands anywhere he liked.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Rey woke to the beeping of her alarm.

Seven am came too soon. Her body hadn’t been ready to wake up and she probably could have slept another three hours based on how sore she was, but she still had to get ready and pack. Ben would meet her downstairs at 8:30 and he mentioned getting breakfast somewhere to avoid the rush hour crowds. That alone spurred her to leave the comfort of her bed. Ben…

Rey bit her lip as she shrugged off her clothes and stepped into the shower. There was something there, something she couldn’t quite be sure of, yet still un-ignorable. She didn't know if it was love or just lust, but she was feeling it, at least.

Shit, what if he has a girlfriend? She should have asked yesterday when he asked about Finn. She breathed in the steam that filled the tiny bathroom. How would she feel if he was dating someone? Jealous? Oh, very, very jealous. But why would Ben spend so much time with her if he was with someone? And the way he was touching her…

Rey sighed as the water hit her head. When was the last time she’d felt this instantly attracted to someone? Flirting was not her forte -- she’d straight up ignored the possibility of dating during college. It was a distraction she couldn’t afford with her meager scholarship funds and shitty on-campus job. But trying to date after college had been terrible. It was so awkward having to pretend to be a more acceptable and put-together version of herself until she felt comfortable enough to relax around her date. If things ever got very far.Usually they didn’t.Then there was the pesky little problem of being in another country entirely. What happened when her trip ended? She’d heard stories of long-distance romances after a whirlwind encounter in another country, but that was a strong commitment to make and it felt like something that happened to other people rather than anyone she actually knew.
You’re overthinking things. You don’t even know if he likes you for sure.
That was true. She was getting ahead of herself. Right now she needed to focus on getting dressed and getting her suitcase closed again. Today she opted for skinny jeans and a baggy, blue-gray long-sleeved shirt that slipped past her shoulder, with a cream-colored tank top underneath. Pulling out her comfy gray memory foam boat shoes, Rey couldn’t help but be a little grateful she wouldn’t be walking around as much today.Re-packing was the challenge. She had very carefully stuffed everything into a tiny suitcase and wasn’t quite sure how all of it was going to fit it all back in. She hadn’t even bought any souvenirs yet. All her money was spent on food yesterday. Not a choice she regretted at all, but then why didn’t her suitcase want to close?Fifteen minutes later, she rolled the damnable thing out to the elevator. Ben wasn’t in the lobby when she arrived, but she was a bit early, so she wheeled over to the front desk and started checking out.“Good morning.” His deep voice entered into her ear just as she handed the clerk her key card. “Sorry I’m late.”

Rey turned and found Ben standing beside her, smiling apologetically as he leaned against the counter. Today his massive form was covered in slim black slacks and a deep crimson blazer. He’d topped it with a black knit scarf that made him look so damn put together, yet effortless at the same time.

“You’re not late?” Rey said, flushing immediately and suddenly feeling sloppily dressed in comparison.

He chuckled. “By Japanese standards, I am.”

Rey shrugged and smiled before the desk clerk handed her a receipt and wished her a pleasant journey. Ben took the handle of her suitcase before she could protest and spun it around to the front desk.

“Can we store her bag while we go out?”Soon after, Rey had a ticket in her hand as they walked out the door. The streets were busy as usual. There didn’t seem to be a time of day when Tokyo wasn’t bustling with people. Most of them in business suits with briefcases going somewhere important. Others in more casual clothes, looking stylish. Rey wondered what they were doing, what their lives were like that they could dress like this on a Monday. Then there were the tourists. Westerners like her. A few looked like obvious anime fans, the others, she wasn’t so sure. Seeing them in their own little packs was almost comforting. Surely she would have gravitated toward some of them if it hadn’t been for Ben.

“So where are we going?”He just smirked as they turned left and began walking. “Denny’s.”Rey stopped. “Denny’s?”“Yup.” Ben kept walking as if this wasn’t a surprise.“As in the American restaurant??”“Yup.”“Why?? ”“You’ll see,” he chimed as they pushed past more commuters outside a station entrance.

And it did turn out that Denny’s in Japan was nothing like the Denny’s back home. For one, it actually looked like they used fresh vegetables. And there were Japanese-style meals right next to Western-style ones on their breakfast menu. Rey scanned it with eyes wide before settling on something with eggs, miso soup, and sausage.

“You have to choose between rice and toast,” Ben pointed out. “And it comes with anything from the drink bar.”The drink bar had all kinds of tea, coffee, sodas and juices. She decided to try melon soda, but quickly decided the tangy, super sweet drink wasn’t for her and returned for a normal, safe cup of tea. Ben just chuckled as he sipped on his own black coffee.“So, I have a friend in Kyoto,” Ben started as they dug into their meals. “He’s studying for his guiding license. I thought maybe you two could meet up and he could show you around the city.”Rey lifted her eyes from her eggs and toast to meet his. He chewed as he waited on her answer, cocking an eyebrow as she scanned his face. “Are you serious?”Ben nodded and swallowed. “I texted him this morning, so I don’t know if he’s free, but I know he’d be happy to get the practice in.”Putting down her toast, Rey felt a knot form in her stomach. Part of her wanted to beg Ben to come instead, but that would be unfair. He had a job. He had a life other than her and he’d already been so giving with his time. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and smiled. “That’s so sweet of you. Thank you.”

Ben nodded and raised his coffee mug to his lips, but Rey thought she saw the hint of a smile.  The walk back to her hotel and onto the station was dreadful. She couldn’t think of anything to talk about, and Ben kept absentmindedly checking his phone for a reply from his friend. Plus a cold wind had picked up and made Rey feel dreadful. She had to dig around for a tissue to wipe her nose a few times, and she was sure a few pieces of hair had come loose from her bun. Of course the wind only made Ben’s hair look more appropriately tussled, especially after he ran his hand through it a few times. But overall, it was a miserable way to spend these last few moments with him.They had to take a subway line to Tokyo Station where she could take the bullet train. When they arrived, he walked her to the ticket office and helped as she reserved the ticket for her bullet train, then turned and headed toward the ticket gate. He stopped by the station master’s desk and began speaking in rapidfire Japanese with the uniformed woman there, pointing to Rey a few times. Rey just stood there, unsure of what to do, until the woman took the ID card that Ben handed to her and nodded.

“That was lucky,” Ben said as they entered the shinkansen platform. “I told her you were my visiting cousin and I wanted to see you off.”

Rey gave him a look and he laughed. “Hey, it worked! You should buy some snacks for the train.”Ben had clearly noticed her love of food because she found herself being whisked back and forth to stores that sold all kinds of foods, from bento box meals she could eat on the train, to little convenience stores that sold rice balls, booze, and all sorts of other goodies. Apparently she could even buy food on the train, but some inarizushi caught her eye, so she got that and a fizzy peach soft drink.

Ben showed her how to find her car and how to line up for the train with the other passengers, but instead of joining the line, he held back and Rey stood with him on the open air platform.  Her backpack felt heavier than usual. Everything did.“Probably should have stayed a bit longer in Tokyo,” Rey ventured after they exchanged phone numbers.“But Kyoto’s beautiful,” Ben murmured as he checked his phone again for a text from Mitaka. “You’ll love it there. It’s worth seeing.”Rey was sure it was, but she didn’t want to leave his side yet and she hated goodbyes.“And you’ll be back,” he added.

She nodded, feeling that lump in her throat again.

A sentence formed in her mind, but before Rey got the chance to say it, an announcement came on over the loudspeakers. She didn’t understand much of it, just the words “Shinkansen” and “Kyoto.”

When she looked over at Ben, he nodded his head toward the line of passengers. She rolled her luggage over and watched as the train blew fast into the station. It seemed to stretch on forever. Rey found herself wishing it would just continue on and leave her there with Ben, but eventually it slowed and stopped. Passengers disembarked while the ones in front of her waited patiently for their turn to enter. They slipped into the train with practiced ease, and Rey’s stomach sunk the closer she got to the front.

Finally it was her turn to step aboard. Ben lifted her suitcase up the step with ease and stood just at the entrance to the train. She was nearly his height like this, just a few inches taller thanks to the train.

“Guess this is goodbye for now,” Rey managed to say as she gripped the handle of the suitcase, her knuckles turning white. “I’ll text you when I get back to Tokyo.”

Something dark flashed in Ben’s eyes and suddenly he leaned forward. She felt his hand on her hip before his lips crashed gently into hers. There was a sense of urgency about his kiss, but Rey could tell he still wanted it to be tender and soft, not too rushed. Her body roared at the thrill of his touch and she realized he hadn’t laid a hand on her today. Now she knew why things felt so odd all morning and the tension left her body.

Pulling back momentarily, Ben looked up at her with expectant eyes and Rey breathed his name before he went in for a deeper kiss. This time, he pulled her closer and caught her lower lip between his teeth so gently that she didn’t expect it when he slipped his tongue into her mouth next. A little moan escaped from the back of her throat and Ben’s grip on her hip tightened.

“Anno...Sumimasen?” came a voice from somewhere behind Ben.

He jerked up instantly and turned to see a very flustered station attendant and a number of passengers glaring at them. Rey turned bright red and pushed herself to the wall so they could enter, hating that it blocked Ben from her view.

When they’d all filed through, she stepped forward to see if Ben was still there.  He stepped back towards the train door and Rey sighed with relief to see he was still there.
Somehow, not even realizing it until that very moment, she was afraid that Ben would run off and abandon her right there.

He was pink from his cheeks to his ears and the station attendant was eying him warily. It took all her willpower not to jump off the train and into his arms.
“Rey…” Maybe he would jump on board with her? “I-”The announcement system switched on and Ben gave her a panicked look as he stepped back. “Will you text me when you get to Kyoto? So I know you’re alright?”Her eyes widened and she nodded furiously, begging herself not to start crying. In the next instant the train doors closed between them, and Rey sucked a deep breath into her lungs.

“Ben…”

It was useless, he couldn’t hear her now. She pressed a hand to the glass window, and he looked down at it and smiled. Rey tried to smile too, but the train tugged forward and she stumbled slightly. Then she watched Ben get further and further away from her until all she saw were the buildings surrounding the tracks.

Aside from the initial jerk, however, the ride was actually quite smooth. Rey didn’t find herself being jostled like she would have growing up riding London’s trains. She was able to roll her suitcase into the car and tuck it behind a seat without needing to hold onto anything.The other passengers, or at least the ones who had seen them kissing, followed her every movement until she reached her seat. Ben had specifically gotten her a window seat on the right side of the train so she could see Mt. Fuji if the skies were clear. Rey settled in and that was when it hit her. He likes you back.

Her fingers reached to graze her lips. She could still feel him there, the nip of his teeth and the softness of his thick lips. Her hip was hot with the memory of his hand there. He likes you back.

City began to turn into suburb before her in the window, but Rey couldn’t concentrate on the scenery. A million questions filled her mind. Why didn’t she just jump off the train? What did this mean for him? Did he just want a quick lay? Did he want something more? How the heck was she going to survive the next four days without any of these answers?She was snapped out of her reverie by the ping of a text message. Ben’s number. Another ping quickly followed it. 
Mitaka just got back to me. He’ll meet you at the station.
  Ben sent you a contact

Oh, thanks!  
I hope I wasn’t being too forward earlier.
 Rey gulped. There was no doubt that he meant the kiss, but hadn’t it been obvious that she enjoyed it? Had she kissed him back? Oh god had she kissed him back??? She was so focused on the fact that he was kissing her and how his lips had felt on her and how much she wanted him to keep kissing her. Her brain didn’t have time to form an answer before her phone pinged again.

I really like you, Rey. I was thinking, maybe I could meet you in Hakone?
When would you come to Hakone?  After typing for a moment, Rey took a deep breath and pressed send.
I like you too.
:)

When are you getting there? Rey had to put her phone down and take a deep breath. This was moving so fast that she didn’t know how to keep up. But it had to move fast, didn’t it? She would be in Hakone in two days time and after that she would only be in Japan a few more days…Another ping snapped her out of her thoughts again.

What’s your hotel in Hakone?   Guesthouse Azito. Should be there in the afternoon on Wednesday
If Rey remembered correctly Rose had booked them beds at a funky capsule hotel for the fun of it. And she couldn’t imagine someone of Ben’s height fitting comfortably into a capsule. And it wouldn’t make for the most romantic couple of days together. 
Can you cancel your room? I’ll book something better.
 Rey blinked at his latest message. Cancel? Could she? She searched for the voucher that Rose had sent her via email, and sure enough Booking.com would let her cancel until the end of the day.

Yeah, I can cancel it. Are you sure?

Very sure. Want to see you again already  
I wish you could have come to Kyoto with me

God, that was such a needy thing to say. Rey felt flushed, the heat crawling down her neck and chest to lower places. It was obvious that Ben would book a room for the both of them to share. Probably with only one bed. Rey had to stop that train of thought before it got to be too much. She was in public. I wish I could have too
Rey wondered where she could get condoms in Japan. Dirty thoughts aside, she had to be prepared for that possibility. Or more like that eventuality.
I hope I’m not moving too fast for you With that, Rey could almost see Ben in her mind’s eye, all flushed and nervous like he was on the station platform. God, he was so adorable like that.
You’re not
I feel the same
Her phone now silent, Rey turned back to the landscapes speeding past her window. They’d stopped at one station already, and judging by the increase in buildings, they were about to come up on another. A quick glance to left revealed the seaside just as the announcement system chimed about the next stop being “Shin-Yokohama.”A few people got up from their seats and Rey took the chance to look around the car. It was nicer than American trains by far, though not quite as cozy as the British trains she remembered from her childhood. Instead it seemed quite utilitarian. There was a coat hook, which Rey thought was a nice touch, and a menu for the food cart that had already passed by once. A few people had their bags sitting in front of their feet, as there was plenty of legroom.

It was so very comfortable that once the train pulled out of the station, Rey found herself dozing in her seat, waking only at station announcements. When they hit Nagoya Station, she realized that Kyoto was only a few stops away and she should probably stay awake. She opened her little bento box (an “ekiben”, Ben had called it) and munched on the delicious tofu skin pockets filled with tangy sushi rice.
Ping!
Rey looked down at her phone expecting another text from Ben, but instead it was from an unknown number. She unlocked her phone. 
Hi Rey! This is Mitaka. I’ll be waiting for you at the exit of the Shinkansen platforms. Have a good trip!
 
Hi Mitaka, thanks for letting me know. See you soon!
 Rey stepped off the train half expecting Ben to be there, just like he had been every day of her trip so far. Instead, she was greeted by a rush of people scurrying off to their next destination, and those hurrying to catch the train she’d just exited.Mitaka was waiting for her at the other side of the ticket gate with a printed sign. He was shorter than Ben, though just a tad taller than Rey, with short black hair styled like a Japanese businessman and a nervous smile. He shook Rey’s hand with a polite bow.

“So nice to meet you, Rey. Welcome to Kyoto.”

Rey bowed slightly back. “Nice to meet you too. Thanks for meeting me here. I guess Ben told you about my mishaps in Tokyo.”

“That he did. I guess he was worried about you,” Mitaka chuckled lightly and Rey found herself missing Ben’s deeper laugh. But it was unfair to compare the two men when one had already stolen her heart. “Shall we drop your bags off at your hotel then?” 
After she’d checked in, Mitaka had taken her down Nishiki Market for a light lunch. The single lane pedestrian street was crowded with tourists making their way up and down, and much more colorful than Tsukiji’s market streets. But everywhere your head turned there were interesting snacks like sesame dumplings or fish cakes, or typical Japanese pickled vegetables piled up for sale. Rey never even knew you could make some of them into pickles, but apparently the little Japanese grannies running the stalls had figured it out. They smiled at her graciously as she lingered above the salty barrels, knowing that she wasn’t there to buy their wares, but friendly anyway.

“Ben told me you liked good food,” he had said as Rey paid for some grilled kobe steak on a skewer.

“Guess I have a reputation now,” Rey said, smiling. She did wish he’d left out that little detail, but she didn’t mind spending more money on food than knick knacks.Grabbing her phone to take a picture of her steak to send to Finn and Rose back home, she decided to flip the phone to selfie mode.

“Hey Mitaka, let’s take a picture for Ben,” she said over her shoulder.

In the viewfinder, Mitaka turned and looked toward the camera, flashing a peace sign when he realized what Rey was doing. “Chee-su!”Rey laughed and bit on her steak skewer before pressing the shutter. The photo looked a little goofy with her teeth sticking out, but she sent it anyway as she munched away on the skewer. The meat turned out to be more chewy than tender, but the citrus-y garlic sauce it had been dipped in made it worth it.They continued on chatting away about the food and about Mitaka’s background. Apparently he was part-German, but a quarter Japanese, and he so had come back to his grandparents’ homeland to learn more about it. He’d fallen in love with the country and decided to stay.They hopped onto a bus towards the Gion district, hoping to catch geishas or their apprentice maikos on their way to meet a client. They didn’t have any luck, but Rey marveled at the old wooden houses and cobblestone streets, so unlike anything she saw in Tokyo.With no glass windows facing the streets, she could only make out the soft glow of light from rice paper doors. It gave the streets an eerie feeling as the evening darkened, almost like they were walking through an abandoned town, despite the fact that there were plenty of people and cars around.

Eventually, Mitaka led her back to her hotel after Rey declined dinner. Truly she had gorged herself in the market, and still felt a little full even after all that walking. Not that it would have stopped her from eating, but her aching feet made her call it quits. The soreness had returned to remind her how much she and Ben had walked the day before.

With plans to meet again in the morning, Mitaka left and Rey headed upstairs to rest. Her room was tiny again, but she was starting to get used to that. As long as there was enough space for her to put her luggage down and move around the room, it wasn’t so bad. The bathrooms were tiny, but still useable too. And Rey wasn’t the claustrophobic type after growing up in tiny hovels in London. When it came down to it, the human body could adapt to most any cramped living situation as long as it was a fairly comfortable place to sleep.The bed felt luxurious after another long day and Rey pulled out her phone to text Finn and Rose pictures from her day. Instead she saw a missed text notification from Ben.
You look cute. Hope you and Mitaka had fun
She blushed, even though there was no one there to see her mild embarrassment. Finn and Rose told her she was cute or pretty all the time, and she supposed it wasn’t a lie, but that was what friends were supposed to say. This was different. It sent a wave of heat down to her core and left her sighing.She imagined Ben sinking down onto the bed beside her. Perhaps he would sit for a moment and take her body in before he touched her. Maybe, since he seemed the type to check on her well-being, he’d give her a foot massage to help relieve some of the throbbing in her soles. He’d definitely have to curl his body around hers when he laid down with her. She wondered what it would feel like to have him that close, to have his warmth totally envelop her.A hand reached down to graze at her folds, and Rey found herself already slick. Her fingers slid in easily and brought more moisture out to her clit. She circled a few times and found the bundle of nerves too sensitive for more at the moment, and so returned to pumping her fingers inside her. Closing her eyes, Rey found all the places Ben had touched her. The small of her back, her hand, her hip, her lips. She remembered his scent and the way he’d felt on her as the rush hour crowds pushed them too close together. The way he’d hugged her as they parted yesterday.Her fingers returned to her clit, touching it gently so as not to bring herself too close too quickly. Rey’s mind wandered to how Ben would react when they met up in Hakone. He seemed hungrier than she might have guessed at first glance. Ben might do his best to be a gentleman in public, but she suspected that underneath that ran a dark current that wanted to pull her in and consume her whole. Her heart raced at the thought of him pushing her down onto a bed and fucking her hard and fast, then whispering sweet nothings in her ear as they came down together.It took no time at all for her to come on her fingers as Rey bit down on her pillow to stifle a moan. Normally she languished in bed for a better part of an hour before hitting the right mood and the right feeling when she masturbated, but Ben…

She had barely known him for 48 hours and he’d made her come from halfway across the country. A shiver ran down her spine in anticipation. Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Mitaka picked her up from her hotel just past nine in the morning. Rey gorged herself on rice balls and other convenience store goodies for breakfast, as well as a matcha latte from the Starbucks across the street. She just had to know if Japanese Starbucks did any better with tea than their American counterparts and was pleasantly surprised by the earthy flavors mixed with cream and sugar.

Unfortunately she hadn’t slept well after forgetting to take her melatonin pill the night before. Apparently jet lag was worse than she remembered.

Mitaka proved to be a delightful guide. As they made their way to Fushimi Inari Shrine, the first stop of the day, he spoke about Kyoto’s rich history as the Imperial capital and the rise of the Shogunate in Edo. It was far more than Ben was able to tell her, and she found herself hanging on Mitaka’s every word.

The shrine itself was pretty, with a magnificent red altar and lively fox guardian statues, but it wasn’t until they entered one the long passages of torii gates that Rey understood why it was popular. Something about them felt magical, like the red-orange gates were a pathway to another world. Even with the crowds surrounding them as Mitaka took her picture, she could feel the spiritual energy radiating around her.

Ben floated into her mind for the first time that day. Rey half expected him to be waiting for her around a bend in the gates, a serene smile on his face. Like the gods housed here would summon him for her. She kept climbing up through the shrine until they reached a small lake and stopped for a breather.

“Do you want to do the whole hike?” Mitaka asked, panting slightly. “It’s about two hours up and down the mountain.”

Rey blinked back the fog that had entered her head and realized she was panting from exertion too. “Oh! No, I... Let’s go somewhere else.”

Mitaka led her back down the mountain and to a little train station while he went on about fox deities and the Shinto religion.  She took a moment to turn on her pocket wifi and texted Ben the picture of her at the shrine.

Their next stop happened to be the Imperial Palace. Rey had never seen anything else quite like it. Sure, as a child she had passed Buckingham Palace several times. It was just a regular feature in London, but this palace was in another category altogether, unlike anything she could have imagined.. The imposing thatched roof gate loomed over them as they entered. It wasn’t opulent by any means, but Rey instinctively knew that it was meant to intimidate. As if to drive home the point, the halls were austere, most of the decor being the elaborately painted walls with cedar branches and dragons.

“Most of the real treasures are still with the Imperial Household in Tokyo,” Mitaka told her as they took in two ornate thrones, some of the only pieces of furniture on display.

As astonishing as the palace was, it was the gardens that really took her breath away. They seemed so peaceful and green and perfect that Rey wanted to launch herself over the barriers and stroll leisurely through the little rolling hills and over the pond bridges. She could imagine some ancient empress doing just that, perhaps arm-in-arm with a handsome young man.

Thinking of Ben again, she turned on her pocket wifi to check her messages and found a few texts from him.

You look beautiful
Are you having fun with Mitaka?

Rey bit her lip and smiled to herself as she typed out a reply.

Yes! Kyoto is so beautiful and otherworldly

She snapped a picture of the gardens and sent it to Ben. Looking up, she saw Mitaka patiently waiting for her. He raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Ready for lunch?”

Sitting down for a large bowl of udon was a nice reprieve, as Rey could feel her feet start to ache again. The discomfort had become a steady thrum throughout the morning and she feared there was more pain to come. Thankfully their next stop, Kinkaku-ji temple, was a good 20 minutes away by bus, allowing her another chance to rest.

Mitaka was just telling her of how a young monk burned down the famous Golden Pavilion in 1950 when she felt her phone vibrate in her bag. She must have forgotten to turn the pocket wifi off.

Mitaka’s lectures on the history and legends of Kyoto were so engrossing, she felt guilty for letting her mind slip away to what the message  could be. Had Ben responded? What might he have said? When could she check without being too rude?

She finally satisfied her curiosity when they stepped off the bus and walked across the street to the temple entrance.

Broke one of your plates sorry!

Finn. Another text came through promising to replace the damaged item.

Thanks love!

She sent him some photos just for good measure.

Managed to get a free guided tour around Kyoto, lucky me!

“Rey,” Mitaka called out to her politely.

She wasn’t sure what he was alerting her to until she was surrounded by a large swarm of tourists, Chinese by the looks of it, headed towards the same temple. He put a hand on her back just to keep from getting separated and let the crowd pass.

“Sorry, should have warned you how crowded it can get. It’s a popular spot,” Mitaka said, laughing. His hand slipped away and Rey’s thoughts immediately returned to Ben, whose hand would have found its way lower or drifted up around her shoulders. She missed that sensation.

Something in the more reasonable part of her mind told her to stop and focus on the wonderful day she was having. Her lizard brain wanted nothing but Ben. His touch on her body, his voice in her ear, quiet moments alone in a crowd just to kiss him again. It was almost enough to distract her from the Golden Pavilion that had just come into view. Almost.

“Wow,” she breathed.

The pavilion rose out of the pond like a dazzling mirage surrounded by a halo of autumn leaves with their wild colors.

Mitaka chuckled beside her. “Yeah, that’s usually what people say when they first see it.”

Rey walked toward the edge of the pond opposite the pavilion, pushing between the throngs of other tourists snapping photos to find a free spot. She stared in awe for a long moment at what looked like a solid, brilliant gold building. Of course, Mitaka had mentioned earlier that it was really covered in gold leaf, but the end result was incredible.

She was surprised to notice Mitaka had managed to stay by her side despite everyone jostling for space. “Do you want a photo of yourself?”

“Yes, thanks!” she smiled as she handled her phone to the man once again. She smiled a bit wider as Mitaka raised the lens to get a good angle, but her thoughts ran wild.

Images of Ben attempting to take pictures with her, having to duck down so his height wouldn’t block the temple, his pathetic attempt at a photogenic smile, his real one coming through once she laughed at him.

These thoughts took her all the way through the rest of the idyllic temple gardens, onto another bus, and into the Ryoani-ji Zen Temple. She heard everything Mitaka was telling her. She could even pause long enough to play a little game with him trying to spot all of the 15 stones laid out in the famous Zen garden, one of which was always hidden from view no matter what. But her mind would stray back to Ben every chance it got.

She had already sent him a picture from Kinkaku-ji Temple with her and the Golden Pavilion, but no reply came in until Mitaka had led her far away from Kyoto’s city center to the Arashiyama area. They were walking down a tourist street lined with shops and food stands that she couldn’t help but drool over when she heard the little noise from inside her purse.

Wish I were there. Want to kiss you again so bad.

Rey’s breath hitched as she read the words, her brain immediately imagining him kissing her in all the beautiful places Mitaka had taken her. His lips curling up into a smile as they pulled back to gaze into each other’s eyes. She typed out a reply that normally would have felt  far too bold.

Come to Kyoto when you get off work?

Can’t. Sensei has an event tonight. I have to be there

There wasn’t any way that Rey could avoid being disappointed by that answer, even if it didn’t change anything. They would still see each other tomorrow in Hakone.

Too bad
Tomorrow then?

Definitely tomorrow

Tomorrow seemed ages away now and Rey had to force her concentration back to Mitaka just for the distraction. He wasn’t talking for once, but looking back at her every few steps to make sure she was still following.

“Texting Ben?” he asked when she caught up properly.

“Oh, yeah.”

“I must admit I’m surprised. He’s never been interested in a girl in all the time I’ve known him.”

Rey’s eyebrows raised. “How long have you known each other?”

Mitaka lifted his eyes to the sky as he did the math in his head. “Hmm, about five years now. I’ve been studying here in Kyoto the past two, but I was in Tokyo when I first moved to Japan.”

“Oh wow.”

“Yeah, I thought he was gay at first and so I tried hitting on him.”

“Oh no!” Rey exclaimed, unable to keep from laughing. “That must have been awkward.”

Thankfully Mitaka laughed too. “He was very gracious about it. That’s why we’re still friends.”

They fell silent again as they approached the Arashiyama bamboo groves, the main reason they had come out all this way. Mitaka led her into a little shrine with a moss garden.

“We should buy charms here,” he said after they’d taken in the gardens. “They’re known for their love charms. I had a friend who prayed to become pregnant here and it worked!”

“What would I even wish for?” Rey asked automatically, not thinking about how it might sound

“Well, I usually get the luck in love charm, but you seem to have some already.”

That made her take a mental and literal step back. Was she in love with Ben? This soon? Everything had happened so, so fast. Maybe she was just horny and lonely, and so was Ben.

Mitaka was already pointing out the various charms, his attention focused on the little elaborately embroidered packets. One for pregnancy, one for happy marriage, one for finding a partner. The one for luck in love was a light purple, the characters in Japanese woven in gold thread.

Rey ran a finger over it and let her thoughts linger. Either way she could use luck in love. If not with Ben, then back home when she had satisfied whatever urges were taking over her brain.

“Why not?” she said, picking one up. “Can’t hurt.”

Mitaka smiled and picked one up for himself as well. “You’re right!”

She clutched it as they strolled through the endlessly green bamboo groves, willing it to do something. What that something was she was not quite sure. Ben was stuck in Tokyo for the night, and tomorrow felt distant. Perhaps she should have found a charm to make time go faster.

They made it through all the forest paths and Rey begged for a break. Luckily they had passed many restaurants, so it wasn’t long before Mitaka picked out a favorite and they were seated in a private little room ordering yuzu-flavored cocktails and grilled skewers of meat.

“The one nice thing about having to take your shoes off all the time is that it gives your poor feet some time to breathe,” she declared as she stretched out in their little tatami mat room. Their table was really too big for two people, but underneath the table was a place for her feet to hang down instead of having to fold them under her knees, and the floor was heated. A bamboo curtain shielded them from the rest of the restaurant.

“Being on your feet all day definitely takes some getting used to,” Mitaka sighed. “But even after a year of training, mine still get sore at the end of the day.”

“Mine feel like they haven’t recovered from the other day when Ben took me around Tokyo,” Rey said as she cracked her feet.

“I’ll have to keep that in mind when I start getting real clients.”

Their food came a few minutes later, and Rey gorged herself on dozens of skewers and side dishes. One, an avocado filled with tofu skin with a dash of flavorful soy sauce, wound up being her favorite and she texted a picture to Rose and Finn.

“Texting Ben again?” Mitaka said before biting into a piece of chicken and green onion skewer.

Rey looked up, feeling embarrassed that she’d been caught staring at her phone again. “Nah, friends back home. Ben said he was at an event with his teacher tonight.”

Mitaka smiled and nodded, but it felt like there was something lying beneath the surface of his question. Rey smiled back despite the encroaching sense of nervousness that stayed for the rest of the meal and their journey back to central Kyoto.

She almost thought it was nothing until Mitaka pulled back from a hug goodbye and looked her in the eye. “Be careful with Ben.”

“Why do you say that?”

Mitaka frowned. “The people around him… They’re not a good influence. I worry that they’ll pull him down to their level.”

Rey scanned his face for some kind of clarification. “I don’t understand.”

He sighed and seemed even more troubled. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I doubt that Ben would treat you badly.”

Not knowing what to say to that, Rey shifted on her feet, trying to ease the ache and connect the strange dots between what Mitaka was saying and what she knew of Ben. She didn’t know anything about the people around Ben. Only that he was apprenticed to a calligraphy master. What kind of problems could that cause?

“Don’t worry too much,” he laughed awkwardly. “Just enjoy the rest of your trip and send my best to Ben.”

Rey gave Mitaka another quick hug and folded a few thousand yen into one of his hands. “Thank you so much for today, Mitaka. You were amazing.”

He blushed deeply and thanked her profusely, bowing low as they parted. “My first tip! Thank you, Rey!”

It was hard not to think about Mitaka’s strange warning again as she flopped down on her bed and cracked her feet. And Ben…

They had talked about a lot of different things during the little time they had spent together, and Rey found herself cataloguing each fact she knew about Ben. He was originally from Orange County, not too far from where she lived in LA. He went to art school. His uncle was also an artist. He liked calligraphy. He grew up Jewish, and didn’t eat pork or seafood because it still didn’t appeal much to him. His last name was Solo, like the brand of cups. He did calligraphy and worked in a calligraphy shop. He loved the Hamarikyu Gardens. His favorite ramen place was vegetarian.

It all felt so superficial and it stung for a moment until Rey thought more about him. The way Ben smiled, the way he held her, the way his hair fell across his eyes, his surprising shyness. They had only just met, and the chemistry between them was burning strong, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to dig deeper and learn more about him.

Rey let herself drift off, lost in thought, until her phone pinged.

I’ll take the 11 am train to Odawara Station tomorrow. If you take the 10 am train from Kyoto, you’ll get there just after I do.

She might not have been sure how she felt about Ben’s mysterious depths, but there was no denying the way he made her smile and shiver in anticipation.

I’ll be there

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Condoms.

It was the first thing on Rey’s mind when she woke up in the morning, as her alarm chimed.  
 
After an hour spent getting ready, Rey headed to the Family Mart and tried to surreptitiously scan the aisles for the familiar little boxes as she got some breakfast food. There were an awful lot of allergy masks and tiny mystery bottles with vitamin C, but nothing that looked like a box of condoms.

Feeling dejected, she took her rice balls over to the Starbucks, grabbed a matcha tea latte and pondered her predicament. Would Ben bring his own condoms? Or would he be disappointed if she didn’t have any on hand? Rey definitely did not want to kill the mood when they reunited in Hakone. Especially since she didn’t know if she could resist Ben’s touch.

It was then that she looked up and noticed the storefront she was walking past. She didn’t remember it the day before, but it had a number of displays with what looked like cosmetics and medicine.

Condoms?

An hour later, she rolled out of the hotel and to the nearest subway station, bag packed with her foil-wrapped spoils. It was a small box, only three. Just in case things didn’t work out. Japanese condoms were kind of expensive, and Rey didn’t want to spend all her money on condoms there was so much delicious food to eat.
 
Luckily the Kyoto subways were far less packed during rush hour than Tokyo’s. She had enough room to stand comfortably as she took the train down to Kyoto Station. It felt almost familiar now, the thrum of the trains, the workers engrossed in their phones and newspapers. She felt more confident as she exited at Kyoto Station and headed towards the sign indicating the bullet train. There, she found the office and reserved her ticket to Odawara Station and Ben. 
 
There was still time before her train, so she went shopping in the little stores, just to see what kind of interesting bentos there were. Her stomach growled at the sight of a few of them and Rey decided to whip out her phone.

I’m buying some bento boxes for lunch

Ben’s reply was quick, almost instant.

I figured you might. Have fun!

Rey blushed at that. He must have expected to hear from her. He probably expected her to have some random question or be unable to find something, but she found her way just fine this time.

Can’t wait to see you in a few hours

Clicking off the phone, Rey turned back to the bento boxes, hoping the walls of food would make her think about anything besides the fact that she still had more than two hours before she’d see him again. There were photos of delicious-looking beef, what looked like eel, pork cutlets…

Ping!

She glanced at her phone.

Did you find your platform okay?

Yes mother

Don’t forget your jacket!

Rey smiled as her hand lingered over a pork cutlet bento, enjoying his sense of humor. Excitement was beginning to build inside of her, curling and uncurling in her stomach as she tried to calm herself down and be patient. Grabbing the bento, she headed toward the checkout line and dared herself to be distracted enough to stop thinking about Ben. 
 
It worked until she got onto the train.
 
The ride itself felt like agony. At first she counted the buildings, but even as the train got out of Kyoto and Rey watched the countryside flick past her window, Ben was still in the back of her mind. What would he be like when he first saw her again? What would the next few days together be like? There was so much that could go wrong, and her mind swirled with the worst possibilities.
 
One thought kept rising to the top: Rey knew almost nothing about Ben. While she knew there was plenty of opportunity to bridge that gap in the days to come, it made her beyond nervous that things were moving so fast when they were practically strangers.

She pulled out her phone and quickly searched for his name. The results were almost non-existent. A few pieces of art from a college show that had gotten some press coverage. An old, abandoned Facebook page. Other people with similar names. 
 
Rey bit her lip. Nothing about his time in Japan. Her phone pinged in her bag.

I’ll find your platform and wait for you

Rey bit her lip in anticipation and took out her bento. Food was always one of her best distractors and she hoped it would distract her from Ben for a few minutes, at least.

The train finally pulled into the station. Rey clutched the straps of her backpack as she waited to exit the train. Once she hit the platform, she followed the crowd to the exit, scanning the throngs of people.
 
She spotted Ben as she approached the turnstiles, bobbing above a sea of far shorter heads. His eyes were still searching the crowds, but when they landed on her, his face morphed with excitement. Rey’s stomach fluttered as she passed through the gates and made they made their way through the crowds.

As soon as the last person between them moved away, Ben reached over and slipped an arm around Rey’s hips.

“Hi,” he said, voice low and deep, for her ears only.
 
“Hi,” she whispered back, trying to contain her excitement as his head bent towards hers. 
 
It felt as perfect as the first time, his soft lips meeting hers gently, then again with hunger. Time felt warped as her focus narrowed in on Ben’s touch. Everything seemed slower than normal except for her thudding heart, racing faster than she’d ever thought it could. He pressed her waist into his form and Rey thought she might faint. Anything to keep clinging to him. But this time they were both aware of the eyes all around them, and they pulled back after a few moments. His leather-gloved hand slipped into hers, tethering her before she floated away.
 
“Shall we head over to the ryokan?” Ben asked with a knowing smile on his face. Rey was sure she was staring at him with her mouth open and her eyes as big as the moon, but she honestly didn’t care.
 
“Yes.”
 
Ben tugged her gently and they started walking towards the station exit. Now she had a chance to really look at him. He was dressed in a thick, quilted down coat, black with red stitching, that reached down to his thighs. Underneath was a pair of dark grey trousers, coupled with a white shirt, topped with a scarf in rich crimson plaid. It looked beautiful against his pale skin and matched with his just-kissed lips.
 
They slid into a shuttle moments later, and Ben pulled her closer to him, away from the cold window. They spent the 20 minute ride in relative silence, Rey nestled into his side and watching the scenery pass by. The evergreens lining the mountains peaked out of blankets of snow-covered trees.

“It’s a lot greener here, most of the time,” he murmured into her hair.
 
They arrived, and after leaving their shoes at the door and their passports with the front desk for check in, were escorted up to their rooms by an elegant kimono-clad woman. 
 
Rey marveled at the modern design with scattered details of traditional Japanese architecture, like the gridded, rice paper walls, each pane decorated with a dried leaf. Her neck craned at the high ceilings. This place couldn’t have been cheap. 
 
But the real shock came when they entered their room. On one side laid a large Japanese futon with a slatted headboard, the fluffy white comforter looking like a perfect cloud had formed along the floor. Ahead of that lay a sleek leather couch and a coffee table on the tatami mat floor. Beyond that were many layers of sliding doors and curtains, leading to an outside balcony overlooking the river and the mountain across the way. 
 
“We’re staying here?” Rey breathed as she took her coat off.

Ben stepped over to her, his hand immediately finding the small of her back. “Yup.”
 
“It’s so fancy,” she looked up at him, only to find him smiling down at her. “How much did this cost?”
 
“A friend of mine owed me a favor, so I thought now would be a nice time to take him up on it. Is that okay? Staying together in the same room, I mean. I can ask for another room if you want.” 
 
Rey nodded. “Yes, it’s… It’s okay with me.”
 
“Shitsurei itashimasu.”

When she turned, Rey saw the hostess bow and exit the room, sliding the door shut.

“Finally,” Ben growled.

He gripped her waist and pulled her flush against him. His other hand traveled up to her jaw and tilted her face towards his as he pressed a searing kiss to her lips. Rey melted into it, her hands wrapping themselves around Ben’s neck, her entire body seeking out the planes of his so that she could be that much closer to him. 
 
Ben’s tongue slipped into her mouth quickly, tasting her lips. And just as quickly he pulled back and left her hanging, a shameful little moan coming out of her throat without warning.

“I’ve wanted to do that since the station,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers. Rey felt her chest flush as he stroked her cheek. 
 
“I’ve been wanting to do that since the first day we met,” she said with a laugh.
 
Ben’s lips pulled back into a wide smile before dipping back in to kiss her again. He shifted and tugged her in the direction of the little couch, trying to keep their mouths pressed together as they moved. 
 
He sat and stared at Rey, who stood quietly watching him back, not sure whether to climb into his lap or sit beside him. She felt frozen in place by his dark brown eyes, waiting for him to say something, to tell her what to do, how to proceed. Finally Ben tugged at her wrist, pulling her down to sit next to him. 
 
He gave her one more kiss before releasing her. “I’m moving too fast for you.”
 
Rey’s heart twinged at that. “No, I…” Blood flushed her cheeks. “I guess, a little bit. I’m not used to this sort of thing. I don’t know what to do…”

Ben had pulled back in surprise. “It’s not your first time, is it?”
 
“No! No, it’s not,” Rey insisted. “It’s just that I’m used to dating more before…”
 
Ben smiled and stroked a thumb across her knuckles. “It’s okay. We don’t have to rush. What would you like to do this afternoon?”
 
Rey’s mind blanked. There were things in Hakone that she and Rose had talked about doing. There was a boat ride, some cable cars that might give them a glimpse of Mt. Fuji, museums, hot springs, all sorts of things. She found that she very much didn’t care about any of them right now.
 
“Actually, my feet have been hurting a lot,” she started. “We did a lot of walking in Tokyo, and then yesterday in Kyoto with Mitaka… I’m not used to being on my feet all day like that. I wouldn’t mind just staying in.” 
 
Ben’s eyes scanned her face, then dropped down to her feet. His smile had morphed into something different, something darker, as his gaze crawled up her calves to her thighs and back up her body to meet her eyes. Rey felt a flare of arousal deep within.

“There’s an onsen here. You could go and soak your feet?” Ben asked slowly, another unspoken question hanging in his words.

Are you sure?

“Maybe later…” Rey replied, mesmerized by the way Ben licked his lips.

He was silent for a moment, her words clearly running through his head before speaking.  “Would a foot massage help?”
 
Rey’s core burned at the thought of Ben’s hand on her legs. “Yes… Please.”
 
Immediately he leaned down and took hold of her ankles, carefully bringing them up into his lap as she shifted her weight and leaned back into the couch pillows so Ben could move her around as he liked.

He began to take off her socks, slowly, one by one, stroking the places where the elastic or her shoes had pinched or rubbed her skin wrong. Rey would have never thought that such a mundane act could turn her on, but she could already feel the wetness building up between her thighs. His hand shifted to her right foot and began to knead. Rey flinched involuntarily and groaned at the sudden pressure, making Ben pause.

“Too hard?” His eyes flickered from her feet to her face, a frown forming where it shouldn’t be.

“No,” Rey breathed, a little too quickly to hide how affected she was becoming at these few, simple touches. “Not at all. It feels good.” 
 
The frown smoothed into a more relaxed expression, the corners of his mouth turning up just a bit as Ben resumed his kneading. Rey heard a few cracks and pops before he moved onto another section of her foot and a shudder ran up her leg straight into her core.
 
“Fuck, that feels so good,” she whimpered, twisting her hips to adjust to the slightly ticklish sensations. 
 
Grunting happily as he continued on, Rey could feel the ache of the last three days vanishing quickly. Soon he switched to her other foot and repeated the whole process, leaving Rey to groan with delight the entire time. 
 
“Your calves are probably pretty tense as well,” Ben said, moving a hand up the hem of her pants.
 
Rey never wished she was wearing a skirt before in her life, but there was a first time for everything. His fingers traveled up her leg tickling the sensitive skin on the back until his large hand got caught against the tight fabric. 
 
“I guess that’s why they normally do it over the clothes,” Ben mumbled as he pulled his hand out.
 
He moved to try his technique over her clothes, but Rey found herself grabbing his wrist instead. Their eyes met and she released him, her hand moving down to the waist of her pants. She watched his eyes shift downward as she undid the button and zipper slowly. He looked back up at her for a brief moment, questions in his eyes as she hooked her fingers into the band and began to tug the fabric down. Carefully, she bent her legs towards her, trying not to hit him in the face with an inelegant foot, and rocked her hips upward so the fabric would slip off faster. When she finally succeeded in removing the pants, she tossed them to the floor below and gently rested her legs on Ben’s lap again. 
 
His face transformed with hunger as he took in the bare skin laid before him. A few times he let his eyes travel up and down, drinking in each inch until he reached her simple white cotton panties, already damp.
 
“It feels better without clothes,” she said, shakily. Her breath had become heavy under his gaze and Rey wondered if he’d really continue the massage or drop the ruse entirely. 
 
Ben took hold of an ankle and let his fingers skim along her calf until he reached her knee. Dutifully he began to dig his thumbs into her flesh and work his way down again. “Where else are you sore?”
 
Rey’s eyebrows shot up and her mouth parted slightly. Had he begun to take his masseuse duties a little too seriously? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the image of him touching her flooded her with desire. 
 
“My hips… and my shoulders,” she answered, running a hand over her collarbone to indicate where.

“Of course,” Ben nodded, watching her every movement. After a moment, he switched legs and repeated the process while Rey continued to wriggle beside him. Then he released her and moved her legs down, prompting her to sit up.

“You should lie down on the bed,” he suggested. “It’ll be more comfortable that way.”

Rey stood and walked over to the bed, looking over her shoulder he followed. When she reached the edge, he stopped her with a hand on her back. “Take your shirt and bra off as well.” 
 
A shiver ran down her spine at his tone. An order, not a suggestion this time. When had the little game morph into a power play? Rey had never thought she’d be so turned on by it.

She didn’t let herself think too long on it, knowing what she wanted, and took off her shirt exposing the white bra underneath. Thank goodness she’d packed a pair of underwear that actually matched.
 
“How should I lie down?” Rey asked, turning back to Ben as she undid the hooks of her bra. Of course she knew damn well how she should do it, but she wanted him to see her first. And — if Rey was being completely honest with herself — for him to give her another order.
 
The fabric slipped down her chest and Ben’s lower lip parted. She stood there, letting him drink it all in and enjoying his reaction. He gawked openly for another moment before his expression turned stoic.
 
“On your stomach.”
 
Rey felt her cheeks burn again at his words. Dropping to her knees, she settled into the soft comforter and its warmth reminded her how cold it really was outside the bubble of their room. Her nipples had already turned into stiff peaks and when they rubbed into the fabric, Rey wished it was Ben’s hands running over her body instead. 
 
Ben knelt beside her and traced her spine lightly with his fingers. Unable to see him, Rey closed her eyes and shivered. His touch felt so much more intense like this. She heard him shift behind her and then felt his knees on either side of her hips. Before she could react, one of his large hands pressed itself below her shoulder blades.

Rey’s thighs clenched together as she imagined him holding her down like this, thrusting hard. Maybe he’d reach up and pull her hair while he fucked her from behind. Now

there

was something she’d never thought she’d want before.

Instead, those hands drifted along her back and his fingers curled around the sides of her torso. Ben began to knead the muscles, not too gently, but not hard enough to make her squirm in discomfort. It was so relaxing that Rey began to drift off to sleep under his ministrations.

His hands traveled up and down, working their way through the knots in her shoulders until he was somehow satisfied. Rey was brought back to the present by Ben shifting away from her, moving himself further back.
 
“Where does it hurt?” One of his hands had moved to the top of her hip, and Rey felt a jolt of arousal as his fingers brushed a sensitive spot she hadn’t realized existed.

“Lower, I think.”

The hand drifted down her side until Ben palmed her ass. “Here?”

“Yes, there,” Rey breathed. She wanted to lean her hips back until she pressed against Ben’s hand. She wanted to be needy, to beg for him to ravish her already, but she also worried it would ruin the mood somehow.
 
Ben’s other hand came to the opposite cheek and he pushed his hands into the soft flesh. Rey let a little moan escape. His fingers splayed out and came dangerously to the apex of her thighs. As it was, a few fingers had slipped under the edge of her panties.
 
She failed to stifle another moan as Ben began to grope her more thoroughly, and then gasped when he shifted and his lips came into contact with her shoulder.

“I don’t think that’s where you’re really sore, Rey,” he whispered in her ear as one of his hands left her skin.

“No?”

“No,” he responded cooly. “I think it’s a little lower.”
 
Suddenly his fingers pressed against her crotch, right below her clit. A gasp fell from her lips, harsh from the unexpected touch, morphing into an inelegant groan as those same fingers slid up towards her lips.

“What do you think? Did I get it right?” Ben teased, with just a hint of amusement in his otherwise serious voice.
 
“

Ben…

”
 
“Answer me,” he said a bit more seriously. An order.

“Yes! Right there.”
 
Ben kissed her shoulder. “Good girl. Do you want a deeper massage?”

“Yes,” Rey said immediately, flushing at the eagerness in her voice. 
 
His fingers found their way inside her panties, pushing them to the side as he coated himself with her arousal. They ran across her lips, teasing and soaking the sensitive skin there, as Rey shivered. Gently, he dipped one deeper, easing in each knuckle until he bottomed out.
 
Rey clenched around his finger. It was thicker than she realized. She could imagine maybe two more inside her, pumping away, maybe with his lips on her clit. She moaned again, wriggled her hips, pressed them back against Ben’s hand, but he kept at his slow pace until finally she could take no more.
 
She twisted to look at him, “Ben, I need

more.

”
 
Pausing, he looked her over and slipped his finger out. Rey cried in protest at its absence and frowned at him. His face was still, watching, absorbing all the details of her body below him.

“More what?” 
 
Her brow tightened further as she tried to form the words, but found herself feeling too shy.

“Ben,

please,

” Rey whined, hoping that he’d understand her meaning and hating the fact that she was whining at all. It felt all wrong to be this needy, normally she was the one who played it cool in a relationship.
 
She saw his gaze move from her body to her eyes, where his expression turned to concern. His hand rose to her shoulder, encouraging Rey to turn around and lie on her back. When she did, he gave her a gentle kiss and pulled back, sitting on his knees between her legs.

“Rey, I want to give you every kind of pleasure I know how…” he started as he stared directly into her eyes. “But I need to know what you want and how much you want it. You don’t need to be shy. Do you understand?”
 
Rey opened her mouth to respond, to say she understood, but did she? It felt like something between them was being left unsaid. 
 
With a gulp, she spoke again. “Tell me. Tell me so I can understand.

Please.

”

That made his eyebrows raise, but as he realized her meaning a wicked grin transformed his face. Ben’s hands slid from his knees down to her ankles. He picked them up and began to pull her legs around his waist. 
 
“First…I want you to cum on my fingers.”
 
Rey nodded enthusiastically and yelped as he pulled her towards him.

“Then I’d love to see your mouth on my cock before I taste you myself,” Ben continued as he leaned over her, bringing their hips together and giving Rey the first taste of his size as he rubbed against her. Her lips parted and he thrust slightly, making Rey gasp. He raised an eyebrow and she realized he was waiting for an answer.
 
“Y-yes,” she croaked. “Yes to that.”

Ben grunted in approval and dipped his head down to her breast, breaking eye contact to lick a stripe around one of her nipples, then he flicked it with his tongue, making Rey squirm against him.

“After that,” he said, pausing to kiss her collarbone, “I want to fuck you senseless.” Another pause to nip at the tender skin on her neck. “I want to feel you cum on my cock.” His lips pressed into her jaw, then traced up to her ear. “But first you have to beg for it.”
 
Rey’s breath hitched as he bit into her earlobe and her hands curled around the muscles of his arms. “Beg?”

“Yes, sweetheart. Tell me what you want and I’ll give you everything,” he purred.

She turned her head so he would move and look at her, and for a moment Rey was lost in his dark brown eyes and her thoughts. It wasn’t that she didn’t know what she wanted, but to beg for it? She knew the words to give her consent — had given them already — but this was a step beyond that. 
 
“I want all that,” she said slowly. “Everything you said.”
 
Ben smiled and shifted. A hand appeared between her legs, his thumb stroking a line from her clit of her lips and back over the fabric. “Good.”

“Please, Ben...”
 
His grin widened. “Better.”
 
A flush ran down her cheeks to her chest, as if she didn’t feel too open and exposed already, her body was going to make it obvious. “I want your fingers in me. More than one.”

Ben grunted and shifted her panties aside, “You’re doing so good, sweetheart. How bad do you want these fingers in you?”
 
Something snapped within Rey as the tips of his fingers grazed her. She wanted him so badly, and if he needed her to say it, she’d keep saying it and saying it and saying it until he gave her what she wanted. If that’s what it took.
 
“Ben,” she whined again, pressing her hips towards him. “Please fuck me already! I don’t want to wait any longer!” 
 
It only took him a moment to find her entrance again, and then three fingers plunged as deep as they could go. Rey cried out at the sudden fullness and arched her back, squirming against his rough thrusts.
 
“That was perfect, sweetheart,” Ben breathed into her neck. “You’re doing

so good.

”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

This was torture.Not that Rey had ever really known torture, but she imagined it was a bit like this. Endless, overwhelming, so hard to resist. Luckily it was bliss, not pain. Just too much teasing. So much teasing...Ben had made her come with his fingers twice now, eased her through both orgasms and still showed no signs of relenting. She shivered as he blew a cold breath across her wet nipple, his tongue had been circling it, only stopping to suck or bite. His other hand played with its twin, plucking her as she moaned and cried out. There was a very real danger that Rey might lose her mind if this kept up.Her third orgasm came before that happened. Ben was the only thing that keeping her grounded. His lips pressed hot against her neck, her jaw, her lips as he pulled her face towards him. The warmth of his body made her feel stable as it pressed against hers, a contrast to the cool of the room against her naked flesh all covered in goosebumps.“Ben please,” she whined as the pump of his fingers slowed. Thankfully he had removed his thumb from her clit as she’d bucked her hips; she didn’t know if she could keep from screaming if he touched it again.“What is it? Tell me,” he whispered. His voice was soft, clearly pleased with her, but she knew it was a command and not a question she could decline to answer. Rey would have to find the words.“Too much,” was all she could manage.Ben pulled back from her and immediately Rey regretted his absence. He kneeled over her, surveying the damage he’d done. Rey was still too boneless to move, but she could see Ben’s delight in the curl of his lips and the spark in his dark eyes through the black waves of hair. His eyes crinkled, drawing her sight to the little spots and moles that dotted his face. She wanted to reach up and trace them with her fingers, if only she could move again. It occurred to her that she hadn’t ever come that many times at once with any other partner, and Ben hadn’t even stuck his cock in her yet.“You did well,” he stated, a small smile growing across his lips. Rey watched as he brought the fingers that had been inside of her to his mouth and sucked them clean.Well, if that were the case, she deserved some reward for his tireless assault. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down onto her. Ben chuckled as her lips took his, and then melted into the kiss, his arms cradling her as the rest of his body fit itself into hers.This is where Rey thought she could stay forever, warm and close to Ben. The only thing that would make it truly perfect was to feel his skin against hers.She reached for the edge of his shirt and pulled, hoping he would help her the rest of the way, but instead she felt him hesitate.“What’s wrong?” She asked, trying to figure out where she had misstepped.  If he was nervous about his body, Rey had half a mind to tell him that he had no reason to be.Ben sighed in her ear. “I have a tattoo. It’s pretty big.”“Oh? Of what?”“A tiger.”Was that all? Rey wondered why he seemed bothered by it.“Sounds interesting. Can I see?”  Ben sat up and pulled his shirt off, a worried look on his face. Rey wanted to reach out and reassure him, but before she could he turned and she caught sight of it. A tiger covered the span of his back, it’s tail curled over one of his shoulders while it’s head landed around his waist. It walked on swirling clouds of grey ink as if it was climbing down from the heavens. More clouds surrounded its body, which meant that most of Ben’s back was covered in ink.“It’s beautiful,” Rey breathed. She sat up to run a hand over his back. God, every inch of him seem to be covered in muscles.“It not accepted here. Not like in the West,” he said as she traced the outline of the tiger’s body.“So that’s why you were nervous…” Of course he would be, being tattooed like this in a country that shunned that sort of thing.“Yeah.”Rey leaned in and placed a kiss between his shoulder blades. “I like it. It suits you.”He turned back around, smiling now. The muscles on his front gave the ones on his back a run for their money. “Oh?”“Yes, you’re very much like a tiger. Stalking your prey, pretending to be some quiet, unassuming calligrapher before you pounce on her and ruin her in a fancy hotel in Hakone.”With a dark chuckle, Ben grabbed her hands and pinned her down on the bed again. “How can I resist when my prey is so lovely and tender?”Rey laughed as he nipped at her neck, but he smoothed it over with his tongue, sending tingles across her body. Soon Ben’s lips returned to hers and they continued where they had left off before, enjoying the feeling of each other’s mouths and bodies pressed close.Wriggling free of his grasp, Rey slipped a hand down to where she could feel him pressing against her, eager to know just what she was in for. It was girthy, she could tell that much even with the fabric still covering him. But he didn’t let her hand reach all the way down before stopping her.“No teasing me, my little tigress,” he groaned. “If you want it, you’ve got to do more than just play with your food.”“So now I’m a tiger too?” Rey laughed and pulled his bottom lip between her teeth.“When you want to be, it seems.”She growled playfully and kissed him before she tried to rub her hand against him again. Ben gripped it painfully and pulled it out from between them as Rey yelped in surprise. He loosened it when he realized he was hurting her and kissed her wrist instead. “Sorry, I was too rough.”“It’s okay,” the words tumbled out of Rey’s mouth before she knew what she was really saying, nerves getting the better of her again. “Y-you asked me not to tease you.” So obedient, she thought. Where did that come from? It felt odd to be so pliant, so willing. Usually she felt so closed off to the advances of the men around her, but with Ben, it felt so natural to follow his lead. Even a little bit too easy. With him, Rey knew she was safe, taken care of, cherished, even. Pleasing him made her want to misbehave too much. Where the limits between them lay, she didn’t fully know yet. Ben leaned down to kiss her again, chaster this time, keeping a short distance between them. “You hesitated. Do you still want to do this?”By that time, she could see the worry forming in his face. His brown eyes flickered, watching carefully, trying to make sure she was still comfortable with him, with everything he was asking of her. Rey felt herself begin to relax somewhat. Yes, someone as caring as Ben could take control and she would be fine.“Yes, of course,” she rushed to say. “Do you?”It surprised her when he huffed, his cheeks releasing the tension he’d been holding in. “I do.”Rey pulled him back to her again, smoothing over the awkward moment with her lips again.Ben pulled back, confirming with a look that she was still okay. Rey bit her lip and watched as he began to undo the clasp of his belt. She could see his erection pressing against the seam of his pants, marveling as it went on longer than she thought possible. He moved to undo the button and fly of his pants, but was stopped midway by a soft rapping at the door. “Shit,” he said when the rapping happened a second time.Rey’s heart beat wildly in her chest as he sprung up and pulled the futon’s blanket around her.“Stay there,” he commanded as he stalked off towards the bathroom.The rapping continued and he dashed back out wearing a towel around his shoulders with another in his hands. “One moment!”He disappeared behind the wall that separated the bedroom from the entryway and Rey felt relieved that no one would be able to see her from the door. Ben was started speaking quietly with a woman in Japanese, and she couldn’t understand. Instead, she closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the warmth of the blankets. It wasn’t quite like Ben’s heat, but it was comfortable nonetheless. If they spoke too long, Rey imagined she’d sink into a nap.The door clicked closed and Ben’s feet padded back to her. Rey poked her head above the fluffy blanket. “What was that about?”Ben smiled and held up their passports. “Got these back. And they’re coming in to prepare dinner in two hours.”He put the passports on the coffee table and walked back to the bed. Kneeling, he unwrapped Rey from the blanket and drank in her naked form. It made her giggle and she ran a hand from her hip to her breasts and began to knead one. “Miss me?”After taking a deep breath, Ben leaned forward and kissed her, soft and chaste, not seeking anything more. Rey wrapped her arms around his neck, expecting him to deepen it. He never did, to her great confusion.“You should go to the onsen before dinner,” Ben said softly as he pulled away.“What? ”“We don’t have nearly enough time for everything I want to do to you tonight before they come with dinner,” he continued as he ran his hand over her hip. “Besides, you deserve a little punishment for earlier, and I don’t do spanking the first time.”Rey blinked, utterly distracted by his hand on her, but also processing what he had just said. “Spanking?”His eyes darted up to hers. “Maybe next time you misbehave, if you’re okay with that sort of thing.”Whether or not she had ever been okay with that sort of thing was now out the window. She wanted to know what it felt like to have Ben spank her, and at the same time, she felt ashamed at her sudden arousal. Should she be concerned about why she was so interested in doing such things with Ben?“Okay,” she replied.A small smirk formed on his lips, taunting her. “So you’ll go to the onsen?”Rey nodded. Gulping down her hesitation to leave Ben’s side, she rose and began to pick up her clothes so she could redress, but he grabbed her wrist.“You don’t have to put clothes on. The ryokan provides yukata you can wear instead.” He stood and led her over to a closet where he pulled out a beautifully patterned robe, white with indigo stripes. Rey reached out to feel the soft fabric, marveling at the simplicity of the irregular lines.“Here, let me,” he said softly as he unfolded the robe and held it open.Rey stepped inside it without question, letting him run a hand down her side before he reached for the sash.He pulled at the collar until there was a loose bit hanging over the sash, then he retied it and straightened the collar. With one last look at her figure, he ran his hands down her arms before leaning in to kiss her forehead.“You look beautiful, now go enjoy the onsen.”Rey bit her lip and threaded her hand into one of his. “You're not going?”“It’s separated by gender, and besides, I can’t go in with my tattoo. They won’t allow it.”“Oh,” she whispered, not trying to hide her disappointment.As if he read her mind, Ben reached over her for the other yukata. He wrapped himself in it and discarded his pants. He offered Rey his hand and she took it. Normally she would hate being babied like this, but she couldn’t help but feel nervous. None of this was going like Rey expected. Not that she was complaining, just now that there was a break in the action, she didn’t know how to act. Was that the punishment? Making her feel like this? It made Rey want to beg him to stay in the room and continue where they left off, but she let him put slippers on her feet and lead her down the hallways. She was determined to not let on any further how much she needed Ben, how much she wanted him -that she’d press him down in the hallway and fuck him right there if it wasn’t for the other people in the ryokan. “Anything I should know about the onsen?” Rey asked. “I’ve never been to one.”Ben made a low noise in his throat. “You get put your clothes into a locker, then wash your body before getting into the baths so you’re clean. There are little stools where you can do that. Other than that… Just don’t dunk your head or your towel in the water, and don’t stay in there too long or you’ll overheat.”She nodded. “Sounds complicated, but I think I got it.”He squeezed her hand as they approached the entrance. “Enjoy it. It should help with any lingering soreness you might have from all that walking.”Rey tried to smile, but she knew whatever ended up on her face was a poor attempt at one. This is ridiculous, her brain told her as she walked through the fabric door flaps of the women’s side. It’s just for a little while. And didn’t you want to go to an onsen with Rose?   Of course, her brain was right, if only her heart was listening. An attendant beyond the curtains handed her an electronic bracelet and pointed to a set of instructions in English. Most of it was a repeat of what Ben had told her, but apparently she could use the bracelet to buy drinks and treatments in the spa. Rey wondered if Ben would be mad if she got herself an expensive massage and spent the whole two hours in the onsen, but she realized she didn’t want to do that at all. She’d much rather be back with Ben sooner rather than later. They’d be here tomorrow night, so she could return and indulge if she wanted.Inside the changing room were Japanese women in various states of undress. That helped Rey concentrate a little more, but she felt naked already. She found a quiet corner with open lockers and tucked her slippers and yukata inside. A few women turned their heads to look at her as she walked to the entrance to the baths, and Rey wondered if it was because she was the only foreigner.She found out the real reason why after she stepped into the next room and sat down at one of the little shower stalls where other women were rinsing and scrubbing their bodies with soap - Ben had left hickeys on her neck. And not only that, but her nipples were abnormally red from where he had teased them.Rey looked down between her legs and wondered if her pussy was in a similar state. Thank goodness for pubic hair, she supposed. Blushing with embarrassment, Rey grabbed some soap and began to wash herself, hoping some of the shame would wash away as she did.It didn’t make her feel much better, but at least she could cover her breasts with the little towel that was provided and slip into the hot water quickly. She could hide the hickeys with the towel once the rest of her was under.Instead she found herself immediately distracted by the opulence of the bathhouse’s interior. Above the largest pool was a glittering golden mural of a phoenix, it’s long colorful feathers curling around its body. The bath itself was mostly black stone tile, but it too shimmered with a golden hue. Looking to the side, a darkened window allowed the bathers a view of the snow-covered landscape outside, and Rey watched a woman walk out to five small barrels and enter one - an outdoor bath.“This hotel is amazing,” she murmured to no one in particular as she padded toward the largest pool. A little plaque told her it was a 40 Centigrade bath, and Rey stepped in without hesitation.The hot water pooled around her ankles, finally bringing warmth to her feet and legs after what felt like an eternity. Rey stepped down further, feeling a slight discomfort when her labia came into contact with the water, but she thought nothing of it and gathered up her towel so it wouldn’t get wet. It wasn’t until she found a spot and crouched down to sit that she felt the sting of the water on her sore nipples.She couldn’t hold back the groan as her skin roared at the stimulation. Her head dipped back until it hit the wall of the bath, and then Rey remembered herself and lifted her neck out of the water. The damn towel was soaked, as was the back of her head.She looked around, hoping no one saw her, and thankfully the other women in the tub were distracted by their own relaxation. Still, a blush crept up her cheeks, both from the warmth of the water and her embarrassment.  It was nice, at least when Rey could find some inner peace. The hot water had seeped into her bones now and she felt herself relax. The gentle sounds of water and idle chatter in a language she didn’t understand allowed her mind to drift.It wasn’t long though before the warmth of the water felt like too much and Rey realized she should get out and let her body cool. She peeked outside as she rose from the bath. One of the tubs outside was free, but the thought of stepping outside completely naked left her shivering. She supposed that made it the perfect option.Surprisingly, it wasn’t all that cold when she stepped outside. She could feel the icy stone against her bare feet, but it didn’t chill her like she thought it would. Rey climbed the steps into the wooden barrel and dipped her legs back into the hot water. It steamed at the surface, the temperature outside far colder than inside.Deliberately, she leaned her elbows on the rim of the barrel, positioning her chest above the water to avoid aggravating the delicate skin on her breasts, but as she relaxed and watched the snowfall, they slipped underwater. The sting was too distracting to let her unwind, especially when it happened a second time and her mind turned towards the feel of Ben’s lips on her body.Rey sighed and exited the pool, making her way back to the dressing room, where she pulled on her robe as quickly as she could. She fiddled with it for a moment, hoping to replicate whatever Ben had done to make it look nice, but she only succeeded in tying it together like any old robe. Outside she found him waiting on a bench, engrossed in his phone. He only looked up when she stood right before him.“You’re out so soon?” He asked, a smile crossing his face as he tucked his phone into a sleeve and stood.“I couldn’t enjoy it,” Rey sighed, her head following as he reached his full height. “You left too many bruises.”His hand slipped into hers. “Then I’ll have to make it up to you.”“Before dinner?”Ben turned back to her as they started down the hall, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “I’ll see what I can do.”Rey smiled and let him lead her, a plan forming in her mind as they twisted through the dimly lit corridors.“You didn’t have to come get me, you know. I would have found my way.”He squeezed her hand, “Who was it who didn’t seem to want to go to the onsen?”“Maybe I shouldn’t have.”Ben fiddled with the key to their room. “Was it not to your liking?”“No, it was very nice.”Ben pushed the door open. “Did I distract you that much?” Rey waited until the door closed behind them to grab the collar of his robe and push him against the wall of the hallway. “You sucked my nipples so raw that I couldn’t relax at all, you ass.”She pulled herself up to him, quickly enough that their lips crashed together, awkward and wet. An arm reached around her waist to steady her, but Ben pulled back. “I’ll be more gentle next time, promise.”“I think it’d be better if you didn’t touch them at all for a few days,” Rey whispered as she bit at his bottom lip. “Let them heal first.”Ben tilted her chin up with a finger, his eyebrow cocked with surprise. “You’re letting me stick around for a few days then.”“If you behave.” She pressed her hand against his crotch, rubbing his half hard length. Ben hissed and reached out to stop her.“Please don’t tease.”

“I’m not,” she said, stroking again. “I’m just hunting for my prey.”With that she dropped down on her knees and opened the front of his robe. A wall of black fabric greeted her.

“I thought you didn’t need to wear underwear with these,” she smiled coyly up at him, rubbing his length again.He grunted. “You were just going to get undressed again. For the bath.”Rey cocked an eyebrow at him before hooking her fingers in the waistband. “Nice save.”She pulled down his boxer briefs and uncovered the massive, growing thing she had only been able to feel thus far. Briefly, her breath hitched as she wondered how she’d fit her mouth around it, let alone her cunt. But she only allowed herself a moment before she wrapped her hand around Ben’s length and brought the soft skin to her lips. Giving head was always something Rey found particularly potent. There was a certain joy in it when done right. Sliding her lips around Ben’s cock invited in thoughts about how he’d feel inside her when they finally went further than foreplay, and she felt herself starting to drip. As if responding to those thoughts, Ben groaned above her and brought a hand to her hair, grasping carefully as she worked her way down.Unfortunately it was larger than Rey’s mouth could handle, so she slid herself back up, noting how her jaw creaked from the strain as her tongue swirled around his head. The wetness left behind would help her stroke him, so she let her fingers curl around him again as she sucked.“Rey,” he growled as she tugged.She pulled herself off him with a pop. “Don’t you dare tell me that any woman has been able to make you come with her mouth alone because it’s just not possible. Especially not the first time.”With an unsatisfied grunt he leaned his head back against the wall and curled his fingers tighter in her hair when she squeezed him playfully.“It’s not that,” he said with a groan.Rey paused, the tip of his cock resting on her lips. “It’s not?”A wrist came down to hers, the one that was holding onto his length. “There’s something else I want now, seeing you like this.”“Oh?”He tugged at her. “Stand up.” Rey was learning now to guess what was a command and what was a request. She let Ben pull her up and towards the bed, not bothering to tuck himself away but taking the time to pick up his boxers and throw them into a closet.Letting go of her wrist, he sat himself down on the bed, his cock bobbing above the fabric.“What are you doing?” A smile curled on her lips at the sight.“Take off your clothes and sit down and you’ll find out,” he replied, a coy smile forming on his own face.Her yukata was off in an instant and she sat down next to Ben, pulling at the tie around his hips. “I want to see you too.”“Of course.” He kissed at her neck as he shrugged out of his own robe.“No more hickeys please,” she laughed, grabbing for his cock again and giving it a playful stroke.His lips moved up to trace the shell of her ear, sending a tickle down Rey’s spine. “Sit on my face and I’ll do whatever you want.”  She must have squeaked because a moment later Ben chuckled darkly in her ear and moved her hand away from him again.  “Feeling shy now?”A flush rose up her cheeks and Rey couldn’t help but murmur, “You said you wanted to-”“I think we might be able to do both at the same time.” There was a nibble at her ear before the heat of Ben’s breath left her side entirely.Rey turned to see him laid fully back on the bed, his hand snaking around her hip and tugging her gently. Uncertainty getting the better of her, Rey let him arrange her how he wanted, her legs coming to either side of his neck, and her palms splayed on his chest in an attempt to gain some balance.

Ben’s hands gripped her hips, tugging her downward, making her feel even more off kilter.“Ben,” she started as his palms moved downward towards the apex of her thighs. “I can’t stay balanced like this.”“Then don’t,” he whispered against her skin, the heat of his breath sending shivers through her.He tugged again, forcing Rey to lean her hips back. She gasped when her crotch made contact with his mouth, but Ben held her in place as she instinctively surged upwards.

“Don’t move,” he commanded, the vibrations of his voice going straight to her core.She wasn’t given time to react beyond that. His lips and fingers were on her, parting her, his tongue thrusting out and making contact with her clit quickly. Rey moaned and pressed her head against his stomach. Already, he had circled her sensitive nub and begun to suck. If Ben kept this up, she was going to go crazy.He shifted, moving himself up to tongue at her entrance, and Rey felt something tap her forehead. Momentarily she was too distracted by the sensation of being so-strangely filled to notice, but the tap came again as Ben moved so she looked up. His swollen red cock stared back at her, dripping slightly.Rey gulped.It wasn’t that she was feeling particularly shy, just... wasn’t sure she could focus on giving him something amazing while he was distracting her with his mouth.But his cock looked so delectable.Rey stretched her torso until the tip met her parted lips, then pulled his head into her mouth slowly, wrapping her tongue carefully around to protect it from teeth. Beneath her, Ben jerked slightly before moaning into her skin, causing her to close her eyes and moan right back at the way it tickled her clit.Rough palms slid over her ass, squeezing it while Ben shifted again, slowly this time. Suddenly, more of his length was pressing into her mouth. Rey opened wider, welcoming him as the soft, warm skin slid down her throat.It felt good to be like this, to have her mouth full of him, triggering that same thought of what if it was in you, while being absolutely ravaged by his lips. Ben was licking wide stripes up and down her now, taking a moment to tease her clit before covering every other inch of her with his tongue. So good, Rey wanted to groan.

Did it feel this good for Ben too? God, she hoped it did. It was hard with awkward positioning, she couldn’t quite get into an easy rhythm, but she was trying. Her lips were wrapped tight around him, saliva already dripping down onto her chin, his stomach. She shifted an arm, cautiously putting some weight onto him as she brought a hand to follow her mouth up and down his cock. “Fuck. Rey,” she heard him say before he shifted his attention toward lapping eagerly at her clit. If he kept that up, she was going to cum any second.She pitched herself forward, sadly taking her hips away from his lips so she could take more of him in. She missed the contact, but she wanted Ben to know exactly how she could drive him crazy. Her hand dropped away from his length to cup his balls just as Ben’s lips reached her folds again.This time he was relentless. He sucked her clit so hard that Rey choked around his cock and had to pull herself off him.“Gonna cum,” she murmured at the base of his cock as her legs began turning to jelly right along with the rest of her body. Her hand came up to pump him lazily as her orgasm built to its peak. She pressed her nose into his thigh, breathing in the delicious mixture of Ben’s sweat and musk, as she came undone.Ben paused a moment, stroking her ass gently, before diving back to her clit. Rey jolted, too sensitive to be touched again, but he quickly moved up again with a low chuckle before lavishing his attentions elsewhere. A drop of cum on the inside of her fist brought her focus back to his cock. It was leaking profusely now, and Rey wondered if he was close. She lifted her head, her tongue reaching out to wrap itself around what it could, and licked all the way up to the very tip. The salty liquid cooled on her tongue as she took him in again and sucked.This time it was Ben’s turn to squirm as she tormented him, pushing herself up and down his length until there were tears in her eyes. She pushed past them and twisted her tongue around him as she went further down.Behind her, Ben’s grip on her loosened and he groaned. She felt the brush of his hair tickle her calves as his lips left her aching pussy. He was close, she could tell.Rey pushed farther, gagging a little as she reached her limit.“Fuck!” Ben cried out.Rey felt him swell inside her mouth and pulled back as he came, leaving a stream of cum from the back of her throat to her chin. She dipped back in to catch the rest with her tongue as Ben gripped her thighs. Her pride grew at each little moan and twitch as he finished.Carefully, she shifted her body over him and down onto the futon beside him. Ben stared at her for a moment, blinking in the post-orgasm haze, reaching a hand up to caress her arm. Rey swiped her tongue across her salty lips, causing Ben to focus intently there.He surged up and Rey nearly leaned back to avoid crashing into him, but instead Ben’s forehead rested against herself as his thumb came to swipe at her chin.“You have no idea how sinful you look right now,” he groaned just before licking the wet from his digit.Rey’s breath hitched at the sight of Ben tasting himself so wantonly, and a moment later found those same lips taking her own. They sunk down into the sheets, melting their bodies together, their lips and skin hungry only for more.It was not enough. Not his beautiful, soft lips pressed everywhere he could reach; not the way his arms wrapped around her and engulfed her in his muscles; and definitely not the way his hands pressed her closer and closer until she felt like her breath had left her. There was an ache deep within her that cried for attention.“Ben, I need you,” she whined as he explored a region just above her breast, careful not to dip down to her nipples. “Now, please.”He lifted his head, his eyes soft with affection and lust. “You have to wait, they’ll be here soon with dinner.”Almost, almost, she nearly said “fuck dinner,” but Ben stroked her cheeks until her heartbeat calmed down and Rey was comfortably nuzzled against his chest. The ache hadn’t gone, she could feel it throb within her every time they shifted.“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” he whispered, pulling himself away slowly, starting with his lips. “You’ve been so patient with me tonight, so good.”Rey let herself whimper at the loss and sink into the futon, pouting all the while. Back at home, she would never be so childish, but suddenly being spoiled like a child and lavished with attention until it was embarrassing was all she wanted.“Come on,” he said softly, tugging her hand. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”  Minutes later, her face scrubbed pink, her kimono neatly tied (by Ben), and the bed painstakingly covered to hide any evidence of their activities, Rey watched the attendants set up their dinner at the little coffee table.With the couch pushed back and cushions placed on either side, it only took the addition of dishes to make her curiosity return. There was too much food on the table already, but the attendants kept scurrying out for more.There was a decent sized grilled fish on a bright green leaf, soup, little dishes of vegetables everywhere, coils of noodles, beautiful translucent cuts of sashimi, and a little portable clay grill with the most well-marbled pieces of beef Rey has ever seen. Her eyes widened at the feast.The attendant indicated for them to sit and walked away, Rey assumed for the last time until the table was to be cleared. Folding her legs under her, she looked up at Ben just as the attendant slid open the door, and quietly padded over with a small bottle. The woman delicately poured a clear liquid into a small dish - Rey had assumed it was for rice - by Ben, then moved to pour for her. She left the bottle, then stood and bowed, finally leaving.Scanning the table one more time, Rey looked up at Ben helplessly. “What the hell?”Ben’s eyebrows shot up with surprise before he began to laugh. “It’s kaiseki, Japanese ryokan cuisine. It’s a highlight of staying in a place like this. What’s wrong?”“It’s so fancy, everything here,” she said, her cheeks flushing red instantly. “I can’t believe you used up your favor on me.”He frowned, bringing his fist up to cover his mouth. “Why?”“Because we just met!” Rey exclaimed. “We’d only kissed once before you called in the favor, and I honestly can hardly believe it.”
 It feels too good to be true. 
“Hmmm,” Ben murmured, resting his chin on a fist. “I have a feeling you won’t want to believe me if I said I liked you from the moment you walked into my shop asking if I spoke movies.”Rey gripped her hands in her lap, blushing harder. “...No one ever likes me this much.”
Nothing this wonderful ever happens to me. It just doesn’t.
“Then believe me when I tell you that I don’t have anyone else I’d rather come to a ryokan with, and it would be a shame to let an offer to stay at a place like this go unused.”“I guess that’s true.” Rey looked back up at him. His eyes were soft with an adoration that felt too heavy when she tried to put a name to it.Her mind swirled at that realization. They had barely spent two full days together. Even at the breakneck pace they were moving, Rey didn’t understand how he could be so open, even without saying the words. She tried to parse her own feelings, but they felt like too much to process.

“I did know I would like you the moment you asked me if I could speak movies,” he said, laughter in his eyes. “I knew I wanted to get to know you better, at least.”Rey said weakly. “I felt the same way, after we started talking.”Ben smiled into his fist, trying to hide his delight at her admission. “Then I’m glad I offered to take you around Tokyo.”He picked up his chopsticks and looked over the table. “What do you want to try first?”“Um, I don’t know what half of these dishes are…” They stuffed themselves with Kobe beef, grilled fish, yams, grilled eggplant, and all sorts of other delicacies.  The sake was better than anything else Rey had tasted before, and she said as much to Ben, who looked at her with so much fondness and delight she almost felt shy again.“You like watching me eat too much,” she complained.“I’ve never met someone who eats with so much gusto. It’s refreshing,” he replied, a smile on his face as he picked up a piece of tuna sashimi. “Maybe try eating like a normal person?”She shot him a glare and took the last piece of the salmon, which Ben said he particularly liked.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You’ll pay for that later.”Rey chewed the fish with a smile on her face.Eventually they were too stuffed to continue, but they made room for a small dessert course of sweet red bean soup with mochi. As the attendants took away the remnants of their meal, they flopped into the chairs that sat by the large window and watched the snow fall outside.“God, that was a lot, even for me,” she said, sighing wistfully.Ben just chuckled. “We can take a walk around the ryokan if you’d like.”

“Too cold.” It made her shiver just thinking about it. Being out in the countryside made her wonder why she and Rose chose December to visit Japan, as much as the snow delighted her.

“Then I’ll have to find ways to keep you warm,” he said, voice low.“You’re too much,” Rey whispered, looking towards the woman who was smoothing the comforter on the futon.Ben hummed and laid a hand on her thigh. “I’m looking forward to finding all the ways I can make you cum.”   She found herself flat on her back only ten minutes later, her kimono pushed up to allow Ben between her legs, but she wasn’t feeling it.

Or, more specifically, she was feeling it very much, but he wasn’t giving her exactly what she needed. Rey didn’t need to be fingered or licked or teased anymore, she needed to be fucked.“Ben-” she managed before he did something with his tongue that sent another shiver down her spine and left her momentarily voiceless. “Please-”She could feel him grinning into her cunt, the bastard. Her hands curled in his hair and he moved forward to nuzzle his nose against her clit, again as if he thought he knew what she wanted. So Rey yanked his head up.“Please stop doing that and fuck me already,” she growled. “You’ve been teasing me for hours.” Ben blinked at her a moment, then rose up to kiss her. “I wanted to make you cum again.”“You've done that so many times I’ve lost count.” Rey sighed into his lips. “There’s condoms in my backpack. In the front pocket.”“You came prepared?” Just the hint of a chuckle betrayed by the little huff of breath she felt.

Her eyes rolled even though Ben was kissing her neck now and wouldn’t see. “Don’t pretend like you weren’t planning this. It was obvious.”“Yes, and I admire you for it. Being prepared, that is.”Ben lifted himself above her, smiling, “I’m glad we were on the same page. I brought some too.”Rey tried not to smile back, but really, Ben was too handsome when he smiled and it was too hard to resist. “Make it worth the wait. ”“I’ll do my best.”   Rey felt awkward pinned under Ben as he pushed inside at first. It felt too pedestrian almost, to be underneath, with her legs high up on his shoulders. This man and what she felt for him felt like it deserved something better than the pause it took to find a condom, slip it on, and assume the position of his choice.That feeling of mild satisfaction distracted from the stretch as Ben filled her and how unlike herself Rey felt. She didn’t know what to do with her hands, for one. They just kind of sat on his forearms weakly, hoping to be somewhere else -his hair, perhaps- but it was too far away.But then Ben slid straight into something inside her and Rey’s thoughts were immediately broken.“Ah-!” Her fingers curled around flesh, digging in as the intensity made her body stiffen.All at once, Ben’s body was against hers, his lips found her neck, and his cock hit her in that perfect spot, but harder this time.Rey had never felt anything like it before. Not with any of the men she’d been with before, not during her own attempts to pleasure herself.“Fuck, Rey,” he whispered, his voice caught and rough to her ear. “You feel amazing. So tight.”“Mngph,” was all she could manage, feeling so many new things as he began to move. It was too slow, even if the way he filled her was overwhelming and bringing her back into the moment. It didn’t hit that spot that now she was craving. Ben was being far too careful with her, trying to be gentle, intimate. Perhaps a touch romantic. It was laughable after all the ways he teased and tortured her that afternoon.Rey tried moving her hips in time with his thrusts, which felt good, but also not quite right. His lips found hers and she tried to push him further by biting his lip, kissing him hard, pulling on his hair, but any increase in pace was slow when Rey needed it now and more. “Ha-” She stumbled over her tongue as Ben pressed into that spot again. God, it felt good, but she had to persist. “Harder!”

He stilled, and for a moment Rey panicked, envisioning a line in some invisible sand that she had now crossed. Pulling his torso away from her, Ben straightened and began to take her legs off his shoulders, his face stoic and serious.“Harder?” He asked, sounding almost…offended.

Rey’s gut churned with nerves. “Please…”

Warm hands cradled her hips, Ben’s thumbs circling her sides like he was contemplating something. Rey squeezed her eyes closed, regretting her words already. He was going to stop because he wanted something soft and slow and romantic, and she just wanted to be fucked into the mattress after all that teasing. He was going to hate her and leave her here, disappearing into the chaotic mess of Tokyo, leaving her lost.

“Please,” she whimpered the word holding more weight than she could bear.

“You sure?”

Rey opened her eyes to see Ben smirking at her.  “Am I sure?”He gripped her hips tighter then thrust suddenly, hitting her right where she was hoping for. Her lips opened and some wordless noise came out.“Was that what you were hoping for?” His eyes were positively sparkling with mischief. “Harder?”Rey’s gasp turned into a gape. “You were teasing me?”Ben nodded once, his grin growing ever so slightly to reveal his teeth.“You assho- ngh! ” Ben’s hips had slammed into her again, fucking with Rey’s ability to form words.

“This is what you wanted, right?” He laughed as his hips pistoned in and out, relentless. “Something harder?”Her hands had fallen to the side when Ben had changed position. Now as Rey squirmed and moaned, they found themselves grasping the sheets - the only thing keeping her grounded as he made her tits bounce from the force of his thrusts.

“You have to tell me, Rey,” he continued. “Otherwise I might stop.”“Just- Just shut up and keep fucking me like that!” Rey gasped.Ben just grinned wider. “Good girl.”He lifted her hips, changing the angle and sending another shuddering wave of pleasure through Rey.“Fuck, ” she whimpered as her back arched against the mattress, trying desperately to find relief where there was none, and dangling close to the edge of another orgasm.“Are you close?” Ben grunted, and Rey noticed for the first time the thin sheen of sweat on his brow, despite the cold that kept her nipples pebbled. “I still want to feel you cum on my cock tonight.”Nodding, Rey reached a hand down to her clit and began to gently rub herself. It was still sensitive from before and Ben hissed as her walls fluttered around him in response.One of his hands left her hips and pushed hers out of the way, touching her more roughly. It was too close too soon, and Rey’s hips jerked away instinctively, but Ben’s fingers followed.

This time, he was gentler, coaxing moans out of her one at a time, making her arch her body to meet his thrusts. Ben leaned over her, hot breath teasing her skin as filthy words tumbled out of his mouth.“You take it so well, baby,” he purred. “I can’t wait to see all the ways you can cum for me.”Rey didn’t have any thrilling words for him, she could only respond with rushed “Ben”s and “Fuck”s and incoherent syllables as her vision whited out.“God, you feel so good,” Ben groaned, deep within his throat as he pressed himself in as deep as he could go.He moaned as he reached for her mouth with his lips, and Rey felt her insides tighten as the condom swelled with his cum. Ben didn’t quite flop into her arms like some men did, but suddenly he needed to be closer to her, touching as much of her as he could.Rey welcomed the attention, sliding her hands up Ben’s muscular arms, admiring the feel of them between her fingers, then up to his jaw where her fingers just barely met his silky hair.

“That was what I wanted,” she whispered as Ben finally began to pull away.He looked at her, still utterly dazed by his own orgasm, and blinked a few times before softly smiling and blushing. Leaning down, he placed one more chaste kiss upon her lips and padded away to the bathroom without another word.

For a moment, Rey didn’t know what to make of his silence, but as she replayed everything they did that day, she couldn’t see how Ben didn’t enjoy it. Later on, when they were both clean, redressed in their kimono, and curled up in bed together, he confirmed her thoughts.“Staying in was a good idea.”Rey smiled to herself and let her eyes fall closed feeling sated, content, and most importantly, not alone.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was warm, so wonderfully warm. Rey wasn’t aware of anything else except how cozy she felt. Curling up further, she felt the warmth shift around her and grunt.
Her eyes fluttered open to find Ben blinking away the sleep from his eyes too. With a smile he pulled her closer and leaned into for a kiss. So soft and warm and lovely.  It was a little hard to believe that this was the same man that had fucked her senseless last night, being so affectionate and cuddly, but she liked it.
“Good morning,” he murmured, diverting his lips from her mouth to her nose.
“Morning,” she whispered back, her thumbs coming up to stroke at his jaw where a prickly five o’clock shadow was developing. 
“Sleep well?” 
“Yeah, really well,” Rey murmured as she went in for another kiss.
Ben had her kimono half open before Rey stopped his roaming hands. “If I let you get started, you’re going to keep me here all day long.”
That made him laugh as he pulled away. “Fair enough. I don’t want to keep you from seeing the sights. Hakone is beautiful.”

“You know…” Rey told him as she stood up and headed towards her suitcase, her stomach daring to rumble. “Somehow I’m actually hungry after that huge meal.”

After another veritable feast at breakfast in the downstairs atrium, they bundled up and headed out to the bus stop, hand in hand. Rey leaned into Ben on the bus, soaking in as much of his heat as propriety would allow. 
Ben squeezed her gloved hand and pressed himself a little closer as they passed acres of pine trees dusted ever so slightly with snow. “You must be loving this weather.”
“Mm, not really,” Rey answered. “I like the California sun.”
“Sure. But I, for one, don’t miss fire season,” Ben chuckled.
“Nobody misses fire season,” she said with a snort. “The snow is a nice change of pace, but I like being warm.”
He hummed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, a quiet promise to keep her warm. As the trees parted and revealed a little town beside the lake, Rey’s heart pounded. Perhaps it was too much to hope for anything lasting at the end of her trip, but there was undeniably something more tender happening, and Rey wasn’t sure she could stop it.
The bus dropped them off next to a little stone bench surrounded by a little stone figure wrapped in red cloth and many little stone towers beside it. Rey snapped a picture, then let Ben guide her to the shoreline where the wind blew right through her woolen coat and made her shiver.
“We can go to the shrine or catch the next boat across the lake,” he told her as he pointed to where a red torii gate floated just beyond the shore. “Or we can walk around the town. Whichever you’d like.”

Rey raised her phone to get another photo of the lake, the gate, and the mountains, and snapped away. “The shrine?”
“Whatever you want, my tiger princess.”
She playfully elbowed him for that, and they laughed as they walked along the shore until the road turned toward the shrine and into the forest. If it wasn’t for the gigantic red gate, Rey would have thought they were about to go up a mountain trail.
Instead the autumn-colored trees enveloped them again, much like they did at the Meiji Shrine. In a moment, the lake disappeared, swallowed by infinite stretches of nature.

“There’s something so amazing about these shrines,” she whispered, reverential as they passed through another gate after washing their hands. An imposing stone staircase greeted them around the bend. “All this nature around them. I’ve never seen a church or any other place of worship like this.”
“Probably because it’s a religion that focuses on the spiritual connection between humanity and nature.” Somewhere along the way, Ben’s hand had found its way back into hers. After the cold of the purifying water, Rey appreciated the extra warmth he gave. “There’s a lot of ancestor worship, but also they worship the kami, the gods that inhabit the landscape.”
“That makes a lot of sense,” Rey replied as they climbed. “It feels alive here, like there’s something more in the forests than just trees and greenery. Like a Studio Ghibli film.”
Ben laughed at that. “I’ve heard a lot of tourists think that, but I also think you’re right.”
They dropped coins at the main altar, Ben going first so Rey could remember the right order of bows and claps, before heading back down to the water. By the time they reached the lake’s edge again, Rey felt warm from the humidity in the air. At least for now. She suspected the cold wind would soon steal it away.
“Fuck,” Ben muttered under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” Rey followed his gaze towards the pier where a rather ostentatious ship had docked.
“The ship’s here. We should run for it or else we’ll be stuck waiting around for like an hour.”
“Seriously?”
Ben looked down at her, nodding. “You wanna?”
“Uh- I mean-” Rey tried to weigh the possibilities in her mind. There were a few cute restaurants, but they’d only just eaten. Everything else of interest seemed to be outdoors.
“What’s it going to be?” Ben asked.
“Fuck! Fine! Let’s run!”
She broke out into a sprint before Ben had time to react, but within a matter of seconds he had caught up. A moment more and he pulled ahead of her, his long legs moving him farther and farther away. Rey tried to keep up, but being just a few inches shorter apparently made a difference at this speed. 
Once she reached the pier, Ben handed her a ticket, still huffing and puffing from the effort. 
“Made it,” he said, a dopey grin on his face as he panted.
“Barely,” Rey breathed, feeling the slight ache in her lungs as her body fought for air.
He grabbed her hand again, tugging her gently up the gangplank. Rey looked up, finally getting a good look at the ship. It was painted red with gold flourishes, with three large masts and tied up sails that were clearly for show.
“Are we at Disneyland now?”
Ben laughed as he tugged her toward the opposite direction of the majority of the small crowd. “Japan loves cheesy shit.”
He pulled her past a sign that said “VIP Lounge” and Rey frowned instinctively. “What the?”
The room they entered was even more gaudy than the outside of the ship. Overwrought Baroque couches sat in neat rows, the brocade shimmering in the sunlight. Ben found them a seat on the left side, right next to the windows.
 “This is warmer than being stuck outside,” he explained when Rey shot him a skeptical look. “I thought you’d prefer it.”
There it was again. That feeling like he was taking care of her. Rey wanted to lean into it with all her heart, but something at the back of her head reminded her not to. It was only a vacation fling, after all.
“I hope it wasn’t expensive,” she sighed as she curled her body into his side.
“Not really,” he murmured, as he kissed the top of her head. “Don’t worry about it.”
Rey tilted her head up to narrow her eyes at him. “You’re trying to spoil me.”
“Anything to keep my little tigress happy.”
And so she was both warm and happy, as they relaxed and watched Mt. Fuji’s peak rise from between the hills. The rest of the people in the lounge with them immediately started to chatter excitedly in Japanese, but Rey didn’t want to move.
“What do you think?” Ben finally asked as the boat pulled into the dock.
“It’s beautiful.”
The other passengers had already lept up to disembark, but neither of them had bothered to move just yet.  Rey felt too content to bother just yet.

“The views should be even better from the gondolas. We can see Mt. Fuji and the forests surrounding it from higher up.” 
Slowly she twisted and leaned in to kiss Ben for a brief moment. He smiled immediately as she pulled away and stood. “Then let’s go.”

Rey wasn’t entirely sure how she had gotten herself into her current predicament.
She remembered slowly walking down the pier, and up the stairs to the little center where the gondola station was. Everyone else on the ship seemed to head either into the cafe or one of the little shops, so when she and Ben had gotten in the queue, there was no one else there.
The gondola operators loaded them into a car meant for at least six more people and off they went into the sky. The views of Mt. Fuji were lovely, but Rey only had a few undisturbed minutes to snap photos before Ben had pulled her into his lap.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I wanted to be closer to you,” he said, kissing her cheek. “And no one’s here, so why not?”
Rey allowed it, and that had been her mistake. Chaste kisses turned into his lips on her neck. One hand was currently fiddling with the buttons on her pants while the other rubbed at her crotch through the fabric. It felt good, but all she could think of was the gondola on the other side of the track that was swiftly coming their way. Her heart began to grow louder in her chest as his fingers pushed against her folds through the thick fabric. 
“Ben,” she said, failing to stifle a moan in the process. “Ben, there’s another gondola coming.” 
Rey felt his mouth leave her neck for a moment before he grunted, “Empty,” and then resumed his finger’s descent into her panties. “Do you want me to stop?”

When the gondola passed - definitely empty, thank goodness - she sighed with relief and tried not to squirm against his touch. “Someone could see.”
“Doubtful,” Ben murmured into her ear, sending shivers through her skin as his breath skimmed it. His fingers began to rummage through her folds, searching. Every brush of his skin landed straight in her core. “Every gondola we’ve passed has been empty.”
His fingers finally found her clit and Rey moaned as her head pressed back into his shoulder. Her heart was beginning to pound from nervousness - or was it excitement? It was hard to tell.
“They could see I’m in your lap. That you’re sucking on me like a horny teenager.”
He straightened and moved his hand further down. Rey felt the way his fingers ran slick over her skin before he commented. “Do you want me to stop? Yes or no?”
Immediately she flushed. “I don’t know.”  
“Is this turning you on?” Ben asked. She could hear the unbearable, smug grin in his voice. “The idea you might be seen?”
“Not really,” she said too quickly, her breath sharp. She was enjoying his teasing, but the thought they could get caught nagged at her. “But--”
Immediately his fingers sprang open and plunged into her folds. Two found her entrance a moment later, while his thumb pressed against her clit. Rey squeezed her eyes shut and whimpered with pleasure.

“I have to disagree, sweetheart,” he chuckled, and the vibration of his laugh racing straight to her cunt. “You’re dripping.”
“That’s because you’re touching me,” she gasped. 
“Do you want me to stop?” he purred as his fingers began to churn.
Rey whined out a quiet “No.” The way he was pumping in and out of her was producing wet, sloppy, smacking sounds. Her toes were already curling in her boots, it was so good. Ben’s other hand had found its way up the front of her jacket where he brushed a nipple and Rey jolted, the flesh still sore enough to react instantly, but not so hurt that she didn’t moan his name. With every thrust she was beginning to care less and less who might see, even as each moment of pleasure reminded her that someone might.

Tilting her head up, Rey realized the next gondola was getting close. “Ben… another one.”
He paused and watched it grow nearer, the empty seats becoming more obvious. “Keep an eye out. If you see someone, I’ll stop.”
He pulled out and refocused on her clit, rubbing small insistent circles there and sending her close to the edge again. Her hands found his thighs and she gripped them as Ben’s fingers dipped down, wet themselves, and returned to pinch at the sensitive nub. 
“Fuck!” She gasped, her eyes squeezing shut instantly as her hips bucked against his hands. “So good.”

Ben nibbled on the back of her ear, his voice low and dark. “Open your eyes, baby. We need to be careful.”
Her eyes snapped open to see another gondola approaching, and she scanned the windows for any sign of passengers, but found none. Rey leaned back into Ben’s chest and bit her lip. Just as she wondered how much longer the ride would take, his fingers worked themselves into her cunt again. 
“You’re torturing me,” Rey groaned, tilting her head back to look at him. There was an upside down, satisfied smirk on his face. “You’re a sadist.”
“Not quite,” Ben said as he reached up a hand to tilt her chin towards the window again. “But we are coming up on the midway station. People might join us.”
Sure enough there was a green metal station several thousand meters above them and Rey’s heart began to beat faster and faster. The gondola began to speed up as it approached. She would barely have enough time to right her clothing before anyone could see.

Immediately, she tried to wriggle free, but Ben held her to him and swirled his fingers lazily around her clit. “Are you close, sweetheart? Do you want to cum before we arrive?”
“Ben, please! ”

Immediately his ministrations stopped and his hand flattened itself along the curves of her body. Ben straightened, his lips leaving her bare skin just in time for their gondola to crest into view of the station workers. With his fingers still inside of her, he waved at them and Rey froze as the workers waved back and bowed.
They moved slowly through the station, finding no one in the queue, just another worker bowing at them out of politeness. A pit formed in Rey’s stomach as she worried about if they could see where Ben’s arm met her clothing, pushed it upwards, and disappeared under the fabric.

And then just like that, their gondola left the station. Rey let herself relax.
“Fuck, I need you that tight on my cock next time,” Ben whispered, his voice thick with need as his teeth nibbled her earlobe and his other hand found her clit again.
All Rey could do was moan and press her back against his torso where she could feel his growing erection. Her pussy clenched again imagining it in her like it had been last night, she wanted to be that full again, but asking him to put it in now would be far too dangerous.
“Put another one in,” she said softly, beginning to rock her hips against his fingers. The added friction felt so good, so sinful. Another finger would be almost as satisfying as being filled with his cock.
“Three? Are you sure?”

“Please, ” she whimpered. Her hips lifted higher as another gondola passed. It was empty, but if there were passengers aboard, Rey didn’t care anymore. Let them see how well Ben fucked her.
There was pressure at the entrance to her cunt and Rey gasped happily, pushing back down on his right hand to feel the stretch of him. His left was at her clit, insistent but gentle, allowing Rey to ride up to new heights of pleasure before backing off just to tease her. She no longer bothered checking the passing gondolas.
Ben pulled away from her clit again, rubbing the delicate skin of her folds instead, and Rey groaned. “Please, please, I’m so close.”
“Anything you want, Rey,” he responded, and fuck if his voice wasn’t sending her straight to hell, his fingers were about to.
It only took another couple strokes along with the curl of his fingers inside her to send her off the edge. Rey’s hips bucked as much as Ben’s hands let them as she came, a chorus of swears leaving her and echoing off the glass. At some point she just collapsed in his arms, her body trembling and overwhelmed because he was still fingering her slowly.
When their eyes met again, Rey’s head resting on his chest, he gave her a content smile. “I’m never going to get tired of watching you cum.”
Rey sighed as she melted into his form. “That was- I’ve-”
“Never done anything like that?” Ben ventured as his fingers slipped out of her one last time.
“No, never.” 
Ben brought his hand up to his face and Rey could see how it glistened with her cum in the light. “Did you like it?”
Rey watched as his thick lips parted and his tongue reached out lick at his fingers, and her heart began to flutter at the sight. “Yes.”
He pulled one finger into his mouth and sucked, pulling it out again with a pop. “Good.”
Rey bit her lip as he continued to clean his fingers. The display was so erotic that Rey felt a new need rise in her core. It spiked as he reached down to button up her pants, his hands brushing across her hips.
She tried to ignore it as they arrived in the station and exited the gondola, but immediately Ben’s hand settled on her lower back as they walked through. There were fumaroles spewing plumes of volcanic gas on the barren hills around them, and a few tourists milling about the station.
Ben bought them each a hot yuzu tea as they stepped outside to enjoy the views, but Rey could not let go of the thought of Ben’s hands holding her hips a different way.  The wind outside was cold, but her cheeks were flushed from heat instead. 
“What’s wrong?” Ben asked as they headed back inside.

Rey blinked at the question. “Nothing? Why?”
“You’ve been quiet for a while. You didn’t even snap at me for buying your drink.”
Rey looked down at her drink, still warm in her hands, and bit her lip again. “It’s really nothing.”
Ben’s hand appeared on her lower back again, making her jump as he looked down at her with concern. “Are you not feeling well?”
“No, no, I’m fine. Really.” 
He squeezed her hip. “But something’s wrong.”

“It’s nothing!” Rey insisted, frowning as she tried to concentrate on anything but his touch. “I just-”
She could feel her whole body burn with embarrassment. But if she didn’t ask, then she wouldn’t be able to calm down. “Is the hotel very far?”
Ben raised his eyebrows. “It’d be another hour or so to get back. Are you sure you’re fine?”
Rey shook her head as they stepped toward the queue for the next ropeway. “I am. I just-”
This time, they weren’t alone as they moved through the queue, so she stopped him and leaned in to whisper. “I really want you to fuck me right now, but I guess I’ll have to wait.”
His eyes widened, but the line moved forward and they were boarded onto the gondola with a few others before he found the words to reply.
As soon as they sat down in the cabin, Ben began to fidget. He smoothed his coat, rummaged through a few pockets, and began tapping his foot incessantly as they descended down the mountain.
Rey took his hand and laced their fingers together. “Now I’m wondering if you’re okay.”
Ben gave her a nervous smile. “You’ve gotten me thinking, that’s all.” 
“About what?”

He squeezed her hand. “I’ll tell you when we get off the ropeway.”

“I have a condom on me.”
Rey looked over at Ben as they hiked down a mountain path. The rest of their gondola had headed toward a funicular toward a town. But Ben had grabbed her hand and pulled her down the path, promising a more scenic route.
It was quite pretty. There were beautiful fields of pampas grass wafting in the breeze, a copse of trees here and there. Rey had almost forgotten how horny she was among all of nature’s wonder. In truth, she had resigned herself to waiting until much, much later.
“What are you suggesting?” she asked Ben, shooting him a curious look. 
“That we don’t wait until we’re back at the hotel,” he replied, calmly thudding along the trail as if he hadn’t just suggested they fuck in the woods. 
Rey stopped with a laugh. “I think I’m starting to regret meeting you.”
Ben paused a few steps below her, a confused and almost hurt look on his face. He breathed in, his eyes all trepidation and worry, and her heart broke a little.
“I don’t mean that,” she corrected herself. “It’s just…”
He began to climb the distance between them. “Too much?”
Her mouth opened, and closed. “Maybe.” 
He came up to the step just below her and rested a hand on her hip. “I’m afraid I have unusual tastes.” 
Rey’s hands came up to cradle his face, stroking his jaw. “That part’s been rather exciting.” 
Ben hummed and leaned in to kiss her softly. “But it’s been too overwhelming?”
“A little,” she said, peppering him with little kisses as his arms circled her waist. “You’re very intent on corrupting me.”
One of his hands dropped and squeezed her ass playfully. “I just want to see all the ways I can make you cum, and I have many, many ideas.” 
Rey chuckled as her body pressed closer to him. “Like out here?”
“Like out here,” he grinned.
Biting her lip, Rey thought about it a moment longer. Sure, it might be cold and slightly damp everywhere. Someone could see them, but also she could be enjoying Ben’s cock filling her up.
“Then let’s find a place,” she said before giving him a much deeper kiss.

They wound their way down and around to a little clearing that faced Mt. Fuji. A single cloud was making its way across the peak. As she stepped into the field, Rey was momentarily distracted by the beautiful view and took her phone for a quick photo.

“Fuck, this is so stunning,” Rey commented as she snapped away.
“So are you,” Ben said behind her. “Are you going to send that to your friends? The view from  the place I’m going to fuck you?”

“Yeah, probably.” Rey laughed, turning to Ben, already thinking about texting it to them, knowing it was a place where she’d had sex. The thought gave her a weird little thrill.
He already had his cock in one hand, stroking it slowly to make it harder, and the condom in his other. 
“Fuck, it’s cold,” he told her as she took the condom from him and ripped the foil open.
“You’ll be warmer inside me,” she smiled, beginning to roll it on as Ben tilted her chin up for a kiss. 
“Can’t wait,” Ben said before pulling her lip in with his teeth.

Once she had let him go, Ben backed her up against a tree as they kissed. His fingers found their way around the fastenings of her pants again, tugging them downward.
“Cold,” Rey said into his mouth as her ass was exposed to the icy air. She immediately pulled closer to soak in some of his warmth.
“I know, sweetness,” he murmured back. “I’ll make it better.”
With that,  Ben turned her around and pressed a hand against Rey’s back, encouraging her to bend over. When she had, he ran a hand over each ass cheek, groping them appreciatively, spreading her. 
Then he pushed in and Rey moaned with satisfaction. It had been easy for him to slip in, she was still so very wet from before, and now it was her reward to be so gloriously full.

She rested her head where her arms were pressed against the tree, and opened her eyes to see the view as Ben began to set a relaxed pace as he moved. It was so weirdly calming to watch the clouds make their way across the mountains as Ben’s cock stretched her and hit a wonderful new spot in her that he hadn’t reached the night before; to see the pampas grass sway in the breeze as she gasped softly with each new thrust; to watch the people making their way up the mountain as his right hand found her clit.
Rey gasped a little harder as she realized they were only a few minutes walk from where she and Ben were just barely hidden by the trees.
“Ben,” she whispered as her heart began to pound. “There are people coming up the trail.”
“Shit,” he said under his breath. 
His thrusts stopped as they both looked toward the trail next to them. They were only a few feet away from it behind a few low bushes that did nothing to hide them. 
“Maybe if we kneel down?” Rey offered. They would probably need to stop and redress, but maybe there was some way they could avoid being seen. And if that was possible, Rey didn’t want to stop.
Christ, what am I thinking, she wondered. 
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Ben said, pulling her hips toward his while his knees bent.
Rey followed his movements, pressing her forearms and knees into the grass, damp spots already forming on her clothes. Ben pulled out and thrusted again, but Rey could tell he was still looking around and not concentrating on fucking her.
After a moment, he shifted and Rey felt his breath stir the hair behind her ears. “They’ll still be able to see me if I don’t lean forward. Do you want to stop?”
“No,” Rey groaned. “But if we have to.”
“Maybe if I do this.” He shifted again and his hands laced with hers. His body was flush against hers, pressing it further into the wet earth. Their hips were still held high giving him some leverage, which Ben tested with a few strong thrusts.
“Ohhh, fuck, ” Rey breathed. “That feels so good.” 
Ben chuckled darkly in her ear. “I think we should be safe like this. If we’re quiet.”
“Yeah, I’ll be quiet,” she sighed as he adjusted and found a better angle.

For a few moments, it was easy enough to just bite her lip and keep her mouth closed. She began to hear the distant noises of the other hikers approaching.

“That was fast,” Ben muttered behind her.
“Shhh,” Rey whispered. “Don’t! Just- Just keep fucking me and shut up!”
“Oh, is that what you want?” He said, even softer and lower now. “I think we can arrange that.”

Rey rolled her eyes, strongly considered turning around and shutting him up with a hand clamped on his mouth. Or perhaps her lips. She didn’t get a second to finalize her decision before Ben began pounding her harder than ever, causing her to rock further forward on her knees with each thrust. Nor did she get a second to stop herself from gasping loudly -far too loudly- in shock.
“Ben,” she hissed. “ What the hell? ”

“Don’t mind me, I’ll just be here quietly fucking you like you asked,” Ben replied, slightly out of breath from the effort he was putting into his thrusts. 
“You’re an asshole,” she whimpered, trying to refocus on her pleasure instead of the footsteps and idle chatter of people that only grew louder with each passing second. 
It did feel good to feel him inside of her as all of his weight bore down on her. Really, really fucking good. And if she wasn’t careful, Rey knew she was going to cry out again and they’d get caught. Normally, she’d bite her own hand, but Ben’s covered hers completely. She pushed her face into the crook left between them, but it wasn’t going to do much. 
“Something wrong?” Ben asked, all sweetness in his voice as if he wasn’t purposefully torturing her and testing the limits of her endurance.
Rey whimpered and sank her teeth gently into the skin of his right thumb, hoping it wouldn’t hurt him and stop her throat from making any more loud noises.
“Ah, you need some help.” 
Ben shifted, lifting his left hand off hers and bringing it back. She hadn’t figured out why until a small cloth, fuzzy and towel-like, appeared before her face.

“What?” Rey asked, wondering where the hell he got a hand towel from. The voices were much, much closer now.

“It’s clean, just bite it,” Ben whispered as he pressed it onto her lips.
“Kirei-na!” a woman’s voice said to their immediate right.
Rey breathed in and bit down on the fabric. Ben slowed his thrusts to help them keep quiet, but he was still going so deep that she wanted to moan.
“Fujisan ga hakkiri miemasu,” said a man’s voice, even closer. 
“We’re going to get caught,” Ben said, so quiet that Rey didn’t know if she’d heard him at first. He punctuated it with another hard thrust into her.
One half of her brain wanted to do anything to keep from revealing their location. But hell, when he hit that deep inside her, her mind went blank and her toes curled in her boots. 
Her rapture was broken by the soft sounds of a shutter. A fake one- from a camera phone most likely. Just like she had done before Ben had pushed her up against the tree. If the hikers were so enraptured by the view, they were only a few feet away from spotting where Rey and Ben were tangled together. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Whatever would happen would happen, and it would happen with Ben’s cock buried deep in her, making her feel this good. 
The man said something again and Rey’s eyes flicked open. The hikers had moved further away by quite a few feet and seemed to be walking swiftly in the opposite direction.
She slowly turned to look at Ben, who was breathing heavily, his face scrunched up in concentration. Their eyes met and his face softened.
“You were so good,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her neck. “So fucking tight.”
Rey sighed with relief and spit out the towel. “That was so fucking scary.”

“Mm, but now we can enjoy ourselves.”
Ben shifted and pulled Rey up with him, his hands settling on her hips again. “I wouldn’t get too loud though.”
“Maybe if you stop teasing me,” she grumbled, just as he started pumping his hips much faster. “ Ah! ”
“No more teasing, I promise,” Ben huffed as he increased the pace. “No more interruptions either.” 
A whine echoed in the back of Rey’s throat as she gave in again, just letting herself move with him, feeling the delicious way their skin connected with each slap of her ass against his thighs. True to his word, Ben was pounding her like they were running a race, and in no time his fingers were circling her clit again, desperate to make her cum. 
When she felt like she’d been pulled too tight, the tension in her core broke and sent fire surging through her body. If Rey made a sound, she didn’t hear it. She couldn’t hear or see anything for a moment as her orgasm ripped through her. And when finally she came down, she collapsed into the soft, soothing grass. 
Ben finished not a minute later, groaning and pressing himself into her fully. He froze there a moment, lost in his own intense pleasure, until Rey was conscious enough to wriggle her ass against him.

“Enjoy that, lover boy?” 
“Immensely,” he said as he pulled himself out. 
Rey pulled her pants up, the cold already finding its way to her bare skin. She turned to face him as he tied up the condom and tucked himself back into his own trousers. Then her hands found their way into his hair as she pulled him into a kiss. They lingered in it, taking time now that they had less to worry about. Rey’s world swirled behind her eyes whenever she closed them, and she wished she had the comfort of a bed to sink into right at that moment, so they could kiss each other endlessly. She’d have to suggest it when they got back to the hotel. 
When they could finally bear to be apart for a moment, Ben pulled back and smiled at her. “Shall we?” 
Rey nodded and sprung up on her feet, only to find herself trembling just slightly. Still shaken by the adrenaline rush and her orgasm. Luckily Ben’s hand found hers just after he tucked away the evidence of their tryst into the hand towel, which found its way back to his pocket. 
Within a few minutes, they reached the town and were wandering through the hills past little modern houses, and a few more traditional ones that clearly catered to tourists. Everything was covered in green -little trees, moss covered stone gardens, or just the natural vegetation that grew in the spaces that humans weren’t occupying. They walked past a park with a beautiful fountain and circular design, and past the station where many people were lining up for the next train. 
Just as Rey began to feel her stomach grumble, Ben led them down a stone path and into a little restaurant.

“How did you know?” she asked as they were seated.

He just grinned softly at her, his gaze so loving and knowing. “If you’re half as frozen as I am right now, then all you want to do right now is sit down someplace cozy and eat something warm.” 
He was right. It felt good to wash off the dirt from their little adventure and sip on little bowls of miso soup with the best tofu Rey had ever tasted. Their entrees were just as delicious- steaming rice bowls of fried tofu topped with eggs and onions that had soaked up every last delicious drop of broth. It’s filling and comforting, making Rey so warm inside that she threatened to fall asleep if they didn’t keep moving.
They joined the lines at the train station, Ben keeping her as close as possible. When they weren’t holding hands, Ben’s arm wrapped around her shoulders or her waist. When they boarded the train, he held her against him just to keep her steady. Instead of watching the people or the scenery go by, Rey found herself lost in his eyes, wondering what she did to deserve someone who looking at her with such profound love after not even a week of knowing each other.
His loving gaze should have been too heavy, just like all the other times she tried dating. But somehow she found herself feeling like she’d been wrapped in her favorite blanket, never wanting to leave where she’d curled up. Most guys would have turned on the smarm by now. They would have grabbed at her ass or made lewd comments a little too loudly. Ben was too classy to do that. All he did was keep his hands on her, so she’d know he wanted her there, close to him.
Rey tried to remember a single time when one of the men she’d been seeing had wanted her so openly, but her memory came up empty. There were plenty of nice men among them, but not one of them made her feel quite so needed. Before she was just happy to have company to make her feel marginally less alone. Now she was truly falling, and she wasn’t scared of it any longer.
“Do you like art? Sculptures?”

Rey nodded, making Ben smile again. He tugged her out of the train at the next stop, just at the entrance to the Hakone Open-Air Museum. 
“I didn’t know this place existed,” Rey said, staring at a few of the sculptures positioned around the parking long as Ben approached the ticket counter.

“It’s got some works by famous artists, I’ve heard. Picasso, Rodin.” Ben said as he got his change. 
“Really?” 
“You can see a list of all our sculptures here,” the ticket booth attendant told them both as she proffered a map for them to take and pointed a little building in the top right corner. “The Picassos are in this exhibit hall. Our Rodin is just on the other side of the entrance.”
“Thanks!” Rey chimed as she took the map and handed over a bill for her ticket.
Just inside the museum’s inner courtyard, stood a veritable army of statues. Rey didn’t recognize a single artist, but already she was in awe of their magnificence. 
“Who the fuck shoots a bow and arrow with their dick out like that?” Ben snorted beside her.
Her gaze followed his to the statue in front of them. Sure enough, the naked bronze figure has his legs spread wide, one foot perched high on a rock. The pose looked precarious at best and Rey couldn’t help but giggle at the absurdity of going into battle stark naked. 
“Oh come on, archery is meant to be practiced completely nude. All the important sports are,” she teased. 
“If only that were true, I’d be voting for co-ed wrestling competitions,” he sighed as he tugged her along towards a path, passing by a few more bronze figures.
The one at the front of the path turns out to be the famous Rodin, a portrait of Balzac. It’s a beautiful, striking likeness of a man whose face Rey does not know, but even she could see the artist’s reverence carefully carved into the metal. 
They continued down the path, taking in statue after statue. Abstract, classical, surrealist, and so many other styles that Rey could not identify. Ever the artist, Ben lingered at each one, taking them in carefully, and telling Rey what he knew about sculpture. Or, at a few, mocking them with little mercy.
They spent an hour in the Picasso exhibit alone, where Rey marveled over the artist’s ceramics and paintings. And when her feet began to feel sore from all the wandering, they soaked them in a little open air foot bath in front of even more sculptures.
It was nearly sunset by the time they finished, and a chill was making it far too cold to stay outside. Rey curled up next to Ben on the train, hoping to warm up before they had to brave the night air again.
“We should take a bath,” Ben suggested as soon as they reached their ryokan.

“We?” Rey asked.
Ben licked his lips. “I reserved a private bath tonight. So we can enjoy one together, no need to worry about my tattoo since we’ll be alone.”
Rey squeezed his hand and shot him a seductive look. “You just want to enjoy me all alone and naked.” 
“Hmm, maybe,” he replied with a grin.
A half hour later, Rey was trying not to giggle at the sight of Ben’s large, naked body folded up to sit on a tiny little stool. It seemed so ill-fitted for someone so tall, but he’d sat down with no trouble as if it was a well-practiced motion. She turned the shower nozzle onto his back, wetting it before her other hand came up to gently rub soap onto the skin of his back. He had done the same for her just moments ago, and she was almost surprised that he hadn’t taken advantage of the situation and reached for her breasts. 
Rey was contemplating doing the same, but she also was content to trace her fingers over the lines of his tattoo as the water and soap ran down. 
“All done,” she said before she pressed a kiss to the top of the tiger’s head.
He stood and offered his hand, leading her to the bath when she rose to her feet. It was a little stone bath - just big enough for two or three people - that stood halfway past the walls of the room. Ahead of it lay another set of doors that had been pulled back to reveal a little Japanese style garden. Despite the open-air nature of the bath, Rey didn’t feel cold as they crossed the room and stepped in. 
When Ben settled, Rey moved to lay by his side and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“This is really nice,” she commented. “Much nicer than being the only foreigner in the women’s baths.” 
Ben hummed beside her, his thumb rubbing circles into her shoulder as they watched snow begin to fall outside.

The silence between them felt comfortable, not tense, but Rey couldn’t help but feel antsy. By now he normally would have kissed her, touched her, done something, and she wasn’t sure why he hadn’t. 
After a moment more of anxious waiting, she leaned over and pulled him in for a kiss that started off sweet and entreating. As she drew herself closer, his arm folded over to help bring her into his lap. The kiss deepened, Ben making her sigh with little nibbles on her lip, so Rey reached out to stroke his cock.
Immediately his entire body stiffened and pulled her hand away.
“We can’t,” he said softly. 
“Why not?” Rey laughed nervously. “We just did it on a hiking trail.”
Ben said as he pushed her gently back. “Well for one it’s not very sanitary for the next people who come in to use the bath.” 
Ah, he had a point about that. “And?”
“And,” he said sternly. “And I don’t want to overwhelm you. Because I want this to last.”
Rey raised her eyebrows. “Last?”
Ben nodded, a nervous look in his eyes at the admission. “I know you’re leaving in a few days, but I don’t want this to end just because you’re flying home.”
Her heart fluttered nervously. Despite knowing that he was serious, Rey had no idea how they could make it work from across the ocean. She wanted to, but there was so much she didn’t know about long-term relationships, let alone long-distance ones.
She sat trapped in his worried gaze for too long before realizing that she should just tell him the truth. 
“I’ve never really been in a serious relationship before.”
Ben’s lips parted, surprise coloring his face. “Me neither. Just flings, maybe something that lasted a few months.”

Rey bit her lip. “What if I don’t know how to make it work? We’ll be so far apart, and I-”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I don’t think I could stand to be abandoned again.”
Ben’s hand found hers under the water. “I don’t know who abandoned you the first time, but I don’t ever want to abandon you. I don’t think I ever could. Not when I’m in love with you like this.”
“My parents,” she said softly, the wet drips of water spilling from the tub almost masking her words. “They dropped me off at an orphanage in London and never came back.”
“Rey,” he said urgently, his voice full of pity and sorrow and love and so many other things she couldn’t name. Ben tugged her hand above the water and kissed it. “I’m not saying I have any solutions yet, but I won’t abandon you like your parents did. I can’t just let you go home without letting you know how I feel, without trying to work out something. Is that asking for too much?”
She shook her head. Her thoughts were still swirling, but there was one certainty: Rey didn’t think she could just go home and forget about Ben. She would be longing for him constantly. 
Opening her eyes again, Rey moved closer to Ben, just needing to be close to him. As her cheek pressed into his chest, he moved to wrap both arms around her like it was the most natural thing in the world, and the tears began to fall. 
A little sob came out of her, and Ben squeezed her tighter.

“Don’t cry,” he urged. “I’m right here.”
Rey nodded feebly as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, letting his lips linger there. “I’ll be okay. It’s just…”
Ben looked down at her, a small smile on his face. “Overwhelming?”
Despite the tears, she managed to smile at that. “Yeah.”
“I figured it might be,” he said, pressing his lips to her temple now. 
“I’m in love with you too,” she whispered. “At first I was scared of it, but now it feels real.”
At that Ben squeezed her so tightly, Rey thought she might run out of air. But thankfully as he bent his head to bury his nose in her hair, his grip relaxed. With a deep breath, he released her just enough to look into her eyes. She could see the tears daring to form on his strong, hopeful face as he took her in.
“We’ll make it work,” he said. “I know we will.”

“There’s more we should talk about,” Ben said as they walked back to their room, hand in hand.

“Like what?” Rey asked, quietly holding in a breath. She wasn’t sure she could take another emotional talk today.

“Ah um,” Ben said as they passed a person in the hall. He stayed quiet until they got safely out of range. “Sexual boundaries. Things we’re not comfortable doing, and the things we are. I pushed you too far today, and I just want you to feel safe. I want you to be able to trust me.”

Relief flooded her veins and Rey laughed. “Oh, so you want to know if you can put it in my ass.”
Ben cocked an eyebrow at her, and offended look on his face. “I’m being serious here.”
Somehow that made her laugh even harder. “Doesn’t mean you don’t want to put it in my ass.” 
“Your ass is very attractive, you know. Very fuckable,” he muttered.
“So I was right,” she giggled.

Ben snorted indignantly. “I really am trying to be serious here. There are a lot of things -besides anal play- that I’d love to try with you.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
That’s how they spent their entire dinner talking about all sorts of things that make her mind swirl as she imagined them. It turned out that Ben had dabbled a fair bit into the local BDSM scene as a dominant, but never found any lasting partners. And he had an affinity for Japanese rope play. Rey grew flushed as he described the different ways to tie her up, but she couldn’t deny the curiosity building within her.
There was more, like spanking (Ben was just okay with it, it wasn’t a great turn on for him), orgasm denial (Rey thought it sounded like torture, but Ben enjoyed it), anal (Rey spent a lot of time reminding Ben that she had been joking earlier), and so much more that she hadn’t known existed.
Figging, for example, was something she could have never conjured up herself, nor was she keen to try it. Ben felt the same, much to her relief. After that particularly ridiculous example (A piece of ginger up her holes? Why? And who in the hell named it after figs?), she felt the need to stop the conversation. 
She held up a hand as she said, “Ben, you realize I don’t know what half of these things are, right?”
“Yes, but it’s still important to start talking about them,” he said, sounding more determined than ever. He put down the morsel he had been about to eat. “In fact, we should be writing this down.”
“Ben,” she whined, covering her eyes in frustration. “That’s not my point. I don’t know half of the kinks you’ve brought up in the last five minutes. I need to do research and think about it. Then I can give you a solid answer about the ones I don’t know about yet.”
He took in a breath as if he was about to say something more, but then he stopped for a second as he took in her words. “You’re right.”
Rey smiled at him, “Now those are the kinds of words that every girl wants to hear from their boyfriend.” 
His cheeks turned remarkably crimson at that, and Rey could only grin as his ears turned red. “You’re blushing.”
“No one’s ever called me their boyfriend before,” he murmured.
Rey rose to her knees and leaned over the table. “Boyfriend, could you do me a favor?”
Ben’s eyes flashed with longing as he looked up at her. “What is it?” 
“Kiss me,” she demanded.
He shot up in an instant, leaning over the table with a smile just as he dipped down to meet her lips. “Gladly.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“You take the window seat,” Ben said as he motioned toward their row, and put their luggage on the train’s small storage compartment. Rey smiled at him and sat, tucking her backpack into the space in front of her. He folded himself into the aisle seat and Rey was grateful they got this side of the train. The other side had three seats to a row whereas theirs had only two, so she could duck in to give him a quick kiss without anyone noticing. The soft brush of his lips against hers brought the morning’s activities back to her mind. This time, she hadn’t stopped Ben from kissing her senseless or removing her kimono. And he’d responded by drowning her softly in his touch. No little games or pretenses like he’d done before, just plain and simple lovemaking. The kind that was all-consuming. She’d almost missed the edge of it, the way he teased her, but the way his fingers and lips caressed her, entered her, and made her cry out soothed the ache. By the time his cock slipped inside her, it was like Ben had wrapped himself around her and planned to never let her go again. Rey could still feel him whenever she shifted in her seat. “I don’t want to keep you from your bento boxes,” he joked as they pulled apart, his forehead still pressed against hers. “I know you’re dying to eat them.”Rey laughed softly at him, rolling her eyes for dramatic effect. “Mmm, it’s a short train ride, right? I’d better hurry up and eat them both.” Ben pulled up the plastic bag holding their lunches and unlatched the tray table in front of his seat. He fished out Rey’s two small bento boxes and handed them to her before taking his much larger box out. She couldn’t help but smile. For all his teasing about her eating habits, he tended to match her bite for bite. Breaking her chopsticks, she leaned into his side. “What are you supposed to say before meals again?”“Itadakimasu,” Ben replied.Rey smiled as an idea crossed her mind.“Itadakimasu,” she repeated, lifting herself off the seat ever so slightly to lick a wet stripe along his jaw.Ben turned a bright red and swiftly turned to see if anyone had seen. Rey picked up a piece of beef and brought it to her mouth with a giggle as his gaze returned to her. “Watch yourself, little tigress.”  Hours later, their bags dropped off at Rey’s hotel, they were on another train again - a raised subway line that went into the more suburban areas of the city. High rises faded into lower buildings as Rey shielded the sun from her eyes with Ben’s body.

For once, his focus wasn’t on her as he tapped away at his phone, one hand gripping a strap to keep his balance. Real life was slowly calling him away, reminding her that this trip would soon be over and they’d be thousands of miles apart. It hurt. It made her want to bury herself into his chest and never let go.

If only people weren’t watching.The thought nearly made her laugh aloud as it passed through her mind. What was the point of being shy when he’d fucked her on the side of a mountain maybe 20 feet away from other people? She settled for leaning against his arm and squeezing his hand slightly, a gesture he returned with a slight smile on his lips.“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you,” he whispered.“It’s okay, don’t worry,” Rey laughed nervously. “You’re allowed to look at your cell phone sometimes.”Ben’s head dropped down to her ear, his voice so low and rough it sent chills down her spine. “Well, either way, I plan to be playing plenty of attention to you for the rest of the day.”She looked up to see a smirk on his face just as the station chime rang. “Mitaka. Mitaka.”Her face flushed just as his hand came to her back and Ben led her out the doors.“I’m excited,” he told her as they walked down to the bus station. “I’ve never been to the Ghibli Museum before.”  The outside of the Ghibli Museum was colorful and beautiful and full of greenery. The rounded corners made her think of the design of the films. There were even cute little sculptures tucked away in flower pots, along the path to the entrance. There were also many children, giggling with excitement and glee, while Rey stood in line and tried not to think about how wet she was. Around children.
Fuck.
It was inappropriate. This wasn’t the sort of place to fool around at all, and yet Ben had set her off with just a few words. She tried to concentrate. This was supposed to be one of the highlights of her trip with Rose. They had both been long time fans of Studio Ghibli’s movies. She should be oo-ing and aahing over the giant Totoro in the ticket window, the robot from Laputa perched on the rooftop garden, the sheer amount of whimsy in the air. But his hand on her back was dragging her back to this morning and what they might do that night.Finally an attendant ushered them into the entry hall and she was able to free herself from the little piece of sweet torture that was Ben’s touch. They descended the staircase down into the museum's first floor, allowing her enough focus to smile at the gorgeous stained glass windows depicting various characters.By the time they’d made it down, Rey had almost forgotten entirely. The sunlit room was full of warm woods and dramatic iron staircases. Children giggled with delight from alcoves on the floors above them, and rooms led off to who knew where yet.“Wow,” Ben said as he came up behind her, his hand returning to that spot and bringing her attention back to the wrong place.Trying to resist, Rey darted out to one of the rooms, eager to bring herself back to reality. This was her Japan trip, not a trip just to get fucked senseless. She’d paid good money to come here. To this country, this museum...The light disappeared as she stepped in, the room dark as bright, illuminated figures danced in all sorts of displays. One slowed and Rey realized that a child was turning a crank to make it move. She drifted toward it, mesmerized, and when the boy darted toward the next thing to play with, she took his place. Turning the crank and watching the figures run and run and run, then moving to the next one, then the next. She didn’t notice Ben next to her, doing the same thing, until she came to the large carousel that twirled endlessly with layers of figures moving in concentric circles around and around. His hand found hers in the darkness, and Rey nearly jumped until she realized it was just him. “This is amazing,” she told him.“Yeah, really.”They wandered out of the room and into the museum’s theater where Rey bawled over the short film about a little dog that got lost and separated from its family. Once her tears had dried, they wandered through the exhibits on the second floor, passing the life-sized Cat Bus full of exuberant children. “God, what I wouldn’t give to play on that thing,” Rey murmured as they passed the sign warning adults that they couldn’t enter.“Same,” Ben chuckled and held open a door for her. The small outdoor patio held only a few unusually shaped benches and sculptures as well as a wrought iron spiral staircase covered in vines. They paused at the bottom for a family to make their way down before climbing up and joining the queue in the rooftop garden, waiting to take their photo with the giant robot seemingly decaying amongst the flowers.Ben wrapped an arm around her waist and nearly made Rey tumble right back into the kind of thinking that just should not happen at a quaint, child-oriented Japanese animation museum. Luckily the line was short and fast-moving.After they descended the staircase, Ben grumbling about the cramped quarters the whole time, Rey spent far too much time and money in the museum’s bookshop and then the actual gift shop. There were a billion trinkets, and she wanted all of them.She must have circled the gift shop three or four times trying to decide on several gifts for Finn and Rose and herself before a chime ran, announcing that the museum would be closing soon. She frantically joined the long line at the cashier, trying to suss out whether she needed more gifts and if she had enough room in her suitcase for what she bought.At some point she’d seen Ben turning over something in his hands, but now she couldn’t find him. It wasn’t until she exited the shop that she found him sitting on a bench with an uneaten hot dog.“What’s this?” she said as she plopped down next to him. “A snack for you. I thought you’d be hungry,” Ben replied as he pushed it toward her.Rey rolled her eyes. “Honestly, you act like I’m hungry all the time.”He laughed a little bit at that. “So you’re not even a little bit hungry now?”Rey looked at Ben, then down at the hot dog. “I could eat.”Ben just chuckled as she mumbled her thanks and bit down.  The subway was packed by the time they got to the station, so Rey settled into Ben’s arms as the train clunked its way towards Central Tokyo.“Do you mind if we stopped by my apartment before going back to your hotel?” Ben whispered to her at some point. “It’s just one stop before your hotel.”“I don’t mind,” she told him, shaking her head against his chest.

When they reached the stop, he led her through the crowded station and out onto the streets, which were lined with colorful shops and neon signs that made the dark less lonely. There were many with a Korean flag somewhere on the sign, and Rey wondered if there was a large Korean population here.Turning down a more residential street, Ben increased his pace before they came to a narrow building with balconies all the way up. The tiny elevator took them to the top floor where Ben unlocked one of two doors in the little hallway. He toed off his shoes and hung his coat on the rack beside the door, so Rey followed suit. Ben put on some slippers and stopped her before she stepped onto the threshold.

“I have some more slippers, just give me a moment,” he said before heading towards a closet.“You don’t have to,” Rey said smiling as he deposited them at her feet. “Your feet will be cold,” he said, lifting one of her legs to deposit her foot into the overly large slipper. Rey shivered slightly at the contact. It would have been a lie to say she hadn’t thought of when she could finally kiss him again during the whole train ride back, but Ben just walked off into the depths of his apartment. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll only be a few minutes.”She shuffled down the hallway, gazing at the framed art that lined one side of the walls. Most of it was abstract stuff, a figure drew her focus in one for a moment - a nude woman floating in a sea of color and undulating lines. She stopped to study it a moment, but only wished she could be that woman, drifting away into something blissful. The end of the hallway held the living room and the attached kitchen, and a door that was half ajar that led to the bedroom. There was a small balcony that ran the length of all three rooms. Rey could see Ben moving in the bedroom, distracted by his task. She turned back to the living room, looking for little hints of the man she just barely knew. It was messy. A couch and a little table were pushed back into a corner and were littered with brushes, parchments, and inkpots. The majority of the floor was covered in a giant parchment dominated by two characters in beautiful brushstrokes. “Solitude,” Rey whispered, recognizing it from the picture Ben had showed her days ago. The one where his feet poked out from the bottom of the frame.“I’m sorry it’s such a pigsty,” Ben called out from the bedroom. “Normally it’s a little better than this, but I was working on a new project as you can see.”“It’s okay, don’t worry,” she said, laughing. “I’m just admiring your work.” He emerged with a half-smile and a backpack slung over one shoulder. “It’s hard to believe I even felt that way a few weeks ago.” His eyes grew soft as he gazed down at the paper, and Rey drifted to his side, her fingers twining with his. Ben hummed and pulled her into a soft kiss. It was too easy to sink into it. Rey pressed for more, but found Ben pulling away. “Shall we get back to the hotel?”Rey could only nod and let him lead her to the door.   She watched silently as Ben negotiated for one of the larger double rooms at the hotel instead of the tiny single one she’d booked. Part of her felt guilty, having him pay for a nicer room just because of her, but the rest of her felt elated that he’d be coming back to her bed every night. The elevator ride felt like torture. He was too quiet, too inattentive, had been all day since they’d left the hotel in Hakone. It was no wonder that Rey positively threw herself into his arms as soon as she heard the door latch behind him. “Little tigress,” he chuckled softly against her lips. “You didn’t tell me how hungry you were.” “Ben, please,” Rey groaned. “I need you.” “What brought this on?” His hands ghosted over her arms, making her shiver. She flushed red at that, making Ben laugh softly again. “Don’t worry, you’ll have everything you want. If you do exactly as I say.” Now it was her turn to pull back. Her eyes scanned Ben’s face as his fingers tugged at the zipper of her coat. A smile graced his lips, but his eyes seemed firm, and Rey realized there was no room for her to push back like she normally would.“First, I’ll need you to get undressed and showered before we can begin. Feel free to take your time and freshen up,” he told her as the zipper made its way down and unlatched. She moved to put her suitcase and backpack away, but Ben took them from her. “I’ll take care of these for you. Everything you might need is in the bathroom.”Once there, Rey felt a little bereft. The air was cold as she undressed and turned the shower on, the room not yet warmed by the steam. Would he be joining her in here? It was definitely not a two person shower or even a proper tub for a man Ben’s size. Not even if she sat on his lap. It was just barely larger than the little bathrooms in her previous hotel rooms. She stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over her, shuddering as the heat startled her skin. It did feel quite good after a long day of walking around, just to melt away like this, and so Rey let the soap wash away as much as it could. Just as she turned off the tap and reached for her towel, the bathroom door opened and Ben stepped in. Surprised, Rey gave a little squeak and covered herself instinctively. “Feeling shy?” he asked with a smirk. She dropped her arms and sighed. “I wasn’t expecting you to barge in here.” Ben leaned in, still smiling that same devilish smile, his lips just barely grazing hers. With her in the elevated tub, they were almost the same height.“There’s something I need to do to prepare you.” Rey didn’t mean to gasp, but his smile only grew wider when she did.

“Sit here on the edge of the tub and spread your legs,” Ben ordered. “What are you going to do?” Rey pulled away slightly, backing into the corner of the tub in one step.He reached for her hips and tugged her back towards him. “I’m going to shave you bare.”Ben’s lips crashed into hers as their hips met, and while she wanted to protest and tell him it’d only be uncomfortable, Rey felt so starved for touch that she melted right into him. Her hands fisted in his hair as his tongue entered her mouth, and god, they could just stay like this and she’d be happy.A palm slid down to grip her ass and Ben’s mouth strayed long enough to say, “I want you to feel everything I’m going to do to you tonight.” That was all it took for Rey to hum her approval and let him pick her up and arrange her however he liked. After determining the tub was too small, Ben laid her down on the toilet seat and prepared some lather with a thick brush and soap that came from a little kit he had hidden under his armpit. He spread it all over her cunt, and Rey desperately wished it was his hands, his mouth, his cock, something that could calm the fire within her.“Just fuck me already,” she whined as Ben dipped the brush between the crevice of her thighs, coating her with the foam. “This is just going to be itchy and annoying in a few days.”“No,” he said calmly, another stroke of the brush touching her too lightly just where she needed something harder. “You’ll do as I say, and then you’ll get your reward.”Rey bit her lip, chest heaving as Ben finished soaping her pussy up and then as he carefully ran the razor over her skin again and again. His fingers teased her as the blade scraped her skin, so dangerously close. She tried not to twitch under his touch, scared that it might draw blood and ruin everything.When he was finally done, he pressed a kiss to the smooth expanse above her mound and Rey shivered with delight. She could feel herself dripping from the inside, and with any luck she’d be rewarded soon.“Good girl, you did well,” he whispered in her ear as he helped her up. “Now we can continue, no punishment necessary.” He picked up something from the table and before she knew it, a black cloth covered her eyes, blocking out all the light.“A blindfold?” For a second Rey felt nervous, all her power stripped away with her sight. But a hand smoothed over one of her shoulders as Ben placed a kiss on her neck. “Is it okay? Are you comfortable with this?” His voice was gentle, caring, and Rey realized if she asked, he’d take it off instantly. She wasn’t frightened anymore, and her body shivered in the anticipation of what came next. “Yeah, I’m okay.” Carefully he toweled her off and led her back into the room. Rey could hear the whirr of the heating unit blowing warm air in, making it a comfortable temperature. The front of her knees hit the soft bedding and she reached out to steady herself. “Lay down on your back,” Ben said, a hand trailing down her spine. “I’ll do the rest, don’t worry.” She climbed onto the bed, covered by a towel, and laid back. A hand encircled her wrist and something slipped around it. It was a little rough, but not as rough as a normal rope. Rey frowned from where she lay, wondering if she should be concerned.

“Are you comfortable with me restraining you right now?”Rey nodded. “You wanted to, right? That’s your kink.”“It’s not just about what I want,” Ben said, his voice low and husky, his hands still on her one wrist. “You have to want it too.” If only she could look him in the eye to show him her determination. Not that she couldn’t, but that meant using her free hand to take off the blindfold and that would break whatever Ben was trying to create here.“I want to try it,” she said firmly, with another nod just for emphasis. “But more importantly, I want you to hurry up and fuck me.”“So impatient,” Ben chuckled. He kissed her open palm as he tightened the rope there. “You’ll tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”

“Yes,” she said hurriedly as he yanked at the rope, forcing her arm above her head. “I’ll use the safe word. Or red, yellow, green, like you said.”“Good girl,” he murmured as the bed dipped under his weight and he took her other hand and wrapped the rope around it. “I have scissors here in case you need me to get you out fast. I want you to know that you’re safe.” Rey wished she could reach for him, cup his face, and bring him down for a kiss. Instead she tapped his leg with her own and hoped it could convey the same thing. “Ben, I trust you.” He kissed her cheek, then pulled her other arm up - just to the point of stretching - before he moved down and started on her feet. By the time he had finished, Rey was spread as far as she could go. It felt delicious in a way, she felt so exposed and so ready for whatever Ben would do to her.“What now?” she asked as she heard Ben rustling around somewhere to her left. “Patience,” he said. “It’s a surprise.”When she heard him step forward, she half expected the bed to creak with the addition of his body, but instead he kept walking and she heard the bathroom door click closed. All was quiet for a moment and she could feel how her nipples had tightened, how her skin felt like gooseflesh. She heard the tap rumble to life behind the bed frame.“Are you seriously using the bathroom right now while I’m tied up here?” She called out, trying not to be too annoyed at her state of abandonment. She’d been so good so far and nothing had come of it.“This is part of the surprise,” he called back. She rolled her eyes, but realized it was a pointless gesture when she was blindfolded and he was in the other room. The door clicked open again and Rey squirmed against the restraints. “Are you uncomfortable or just being impatient again?” Rey huffed and stilled, leading Ben to chuckle. The bed dipped somewhere around her hip and she drew in a breath. Finally! Finally… But no hand came to touch her and spread fire across her body. Nothing came. She adjusted her hips, hoping to bump against him just to try and figure out what was going on, but he wasn’t close enough.  “Ben,” she whined. “Please don’t keep me waiting any longer.”“As you wish,” he said, his voice low.Something cold and wet and long and smooth like hair hit her stomach and immediately dragged itself upwards towards her breasts, causing Rey to shiver and squeak.

“Whatisthat?”  “Nothing that will hurt you,” Ben responded, totally unconcerned by her panic. The wet thing made its way to the middle of her chest and lifted away from her skin. Rey felt herself relax as she exhaled out, only to tense up again when the thing returned to one of her nipples. “It’s gross, it feels so weird,” she told him.“It’s nothing gross, I promise,” he told her, still calm. “It’s just wet.”It circled the puckered skin there and Rey shivered, arching back as she whimpered and tried to squirm away from it. The movement only caused the thing to bump against her hard nipple, sending an unwanted jolt down her body that shocked her core. Rey wished she knew what the object was because the sensation simultaneously aroused and disgusted her.As if sensing her thoughts, Ben lifted it away and Rey sighed with relief again, only to have the thing reappear right above her pussy.“Fuck,” she moaned as her hips bucked in reaction. No wonder he wanted to shave her, she could feel every fiber on the thing moving across her skin.Ben moved it downward, stopping just short of her clit, then drifting down the side towards her folds, everything felt so exposed in her position. Then Rey heard a huff at her side and the bed creaked again as Ben stood. His footsteps were the only sound in the room other than her slightly ragged breaths and Rey wondered where he’d go next when the mattress shifted just between her legs. She hoped and prayed that meant her aching cunt would get the attention it needed. Instead she felt a drop of water hit the skin just above her clit. It rolled down into the crevices as Rey whined. The wet thing pressed against the same spot of skin, pressing down just slightly, just enough to make her whimper.Ben ran it over her open folds, and Rey silently cursed him for enjoying it. He was probably sitting there, watching with a smirk on his face, as she flailed and gripped the ropes that bound her to the bed. She grunted as he brought the thing up her slit all the way up and over her clit, which really felt too good to believe, yet still so wrong.“Do you want to know what it is?” Ben asked, his low voice startling her as he trailed the wet thing over the skin between the apex of her thighs. “Yes!” Rey gasped. Her voice was hoarse already from misuse. “Come for me and I’ll tell you.”Rey thrashed as the thing made its way over her clit again. “How the hell am I supposed to do that? This is torture!”He chuckled at that and played with the skin around her entrance, putting just enough pressure on to drag the skin of her opening apart before it pulled itself closed again. “I think you’ll find a way.” A small growl escaped her lips as the thing flicked up to her clit again, circling it this time, the pressure increasing and decreasing ever so slightly with each turn of his wrist. Yes, it’d be far easier to come this way, if he kept the thing on her clit. She could probably do it. It wouldn’t be much, but it’d be something. As if he knew, as if he could read her mind somehow, the brush left her and she felt the bed shift again. This time when he resettled on the bed, by her hip again, she could feel his hot breath coming in little puffs on her skin as the thing came back to her nipples.

“Nooooooooo,” Rey whined, not caring how needy and petulant she sounded.“Poor little tigress, you’re so impatient. You’ll never catch your prey that way.”She hated the smugness in his voice, and she wished she could give him a kick to whatever body part she could reach. Unfortunately that was impossible, so she thrashed helplessly and had to settle for the first words that popped into her head.

“Fuck you, how can I come if you don’t fucking touch me?” The thing lifted away from her breasts then, which just made Rey choke in disappointment. “I suppose that’s fair enough.” She let herself thrash pointlessly again, just because she could, just because he hadn’t immediately returned that thing to her clit, to somewhere that could actually make her come. “You’re begging for a punishment, Rey,” Ben warned. “I’ve got it just above your clit now, but if you keep misbehaving-”“No!” Rey cried. “Please, I swear, I just want you to touch me. Not some thing. Please, baby.”Ben hummed and the wet thing returned to the sensitive nub, crawling over it, dipping down into her folds and then coming back up the skin between her thighs before it returned to circle around her clit.

“How’s this? Better?” he asked as her hips shuddered from the sensations.“So much better,” Rey whined as she tried to focus on the sensation, the parts that felt good. “Please don’t stop, please let me come.” He kept teasing her, of course. Ben shifted back between her legs, ran the thing everywhere but her clit for a while, then would focus on the sensitive nub for just a few moments before turning his attention elsewhere. Maybe he would dip down toward her ass, or run long lines up the planes of her stomach, but he always came back to her clit and lingered there a bit longer each time.When she finally did come, it felt so foreign and pained, as if it was being wrenched out of her forcefully. Rey almost didn’t realize it had started until she couldn’t bear the touch of whatever the thing was and her hips twisted and turned until Ben finally pulled it away. His hands ran up her sides as she moaned, making her wish she could have another, better orgasm until suddenly he pulled up the blindfold and her world was flooded with light again.“You did so good, Rey,” he said as he stroked her cheek. She blinked, eyes adjusting to the brightness, wishing she could just sink into his touch and wrap herself around him. “What was it? What was the thing?”Ben smiled and reached down to bring the object into her line of sight. “A calligraphy brush. I dipped it in water.” The sight of it, just the idea of it running up and down her body again gave her the chills. Whether it was from arousal or discomfort, she wasn’t sure.

“How are you feeling?” Ben asked, all softness and affection now that she’d done as he’d asked. “Are you okay? Do you want some water?”“Water would be good,” she said, half expecting him to untie her, so she could get it herself. Instead he sprung off her and padded over to the bathroom. Rey missed the sensation of his touch immediately, but he came back a moment later and propped her up with one strong arm.

“Sip slowly,” Ben instructed. “Don’t go too fast, or you’ll inhale it and start coughing.”“You’ve done this before,” Rey quipped as she took a tiny sip. The water felt like heaven on her throat.

Ben snorted softly at that and rubbed circles into her arm. “A few times, yes.” A few gulps of the water down her throat did wonders for Rey and she pulled her head away from the glass. “I’m okay for now.” He set the glass down on the nightstand and stayed another moment, just holding her still bound form. With a kiss to her neck, Ben laid her back down and stood, removing his shirt as he walked toward the end of the bed.

“Ready for more?”Rey stared at him wide-eyed as he kneeled between her legs. On the one hand her body was screaming for attention. On the other hand, she desperately wished he’d untie her so she could do with him as she wished. At this point, Rey knew she’d probably try to throw Ben onto the bed and ride him until she was satisfied, but all she could do was squirm. “More?”“Yup. Didn’t think you’d be satisfied by just that, right?”Groaning, Rey shook her head. “No, no, you’re right.” “Thought so,” Ben said with a smirk as a single finger entered her with easeIt felt so good. Her cunt clenched happily around its newfound friend and Rey moaned as her eyes moved up to his eyes. “Better?” She nodded and pushed down on his hand as best she could in her position. It wasn’t easy to thrust her hips like this, but she needed the friction so badly. Thankfully, Ben seemed more generous this time around and he pumped the finger in and out at a decent pace. “You’re doing so good, baby,” he told her. “I almost thought you wouldn’t come earlier.”

Rey whined at that, almost wishing he would bring the brush back to her clit. She could still feel the phantom strokes running down her body, only grazing her most sensitive spots, but it wasn’t enough. “More,” she said with a whimper. “Please, add another finger.” Ben held her gaze and pumped harder. “If you do good now, I’ll give you more later.” His finger crooked inside her, brushing against her g-spot before straightening back out again and thrusting harder. Rey’s head fell back and her body arched as she tried to regain control of herself. When she did, he rewarded her by curling his finger each time he thrusted. It took everything in her power not to buck her hips again.

“You’re doing so good, Rey,” Ben purred. “Think you can come like this?”With another whine, Rey shook her head, but already she could feel her core twisting and singing with pleasure. It only took a bit more teasing for her to unravel around his finger, practically screaming his name as he worked her though it.The effort left her panting as Ben slid out of her. He crawled up her body, kissing the underside of her breasts, and then finally reaching her lips. The kiss was messy and desperate and hot. Rey could feel his erection straining against his pants as his body pressed into hers, and she prayed that he’d set her free so she could slip the rest of his clothes off and get his cock into her instead.Rey moaned into his lips and Ben’s hands came up to cradle her face, his thumbs stroking from her jaw to her neck, grazing her windpipe.“Fuck, you’re so beautiful,” he groaned, causing Rey to look up his face. She hadn’t realized her eyes had closed, but the sight of him ruined from just a kiss was wonderful. She shivered under his touch, her body tensing and fluttering from it.“Have I said that before?” He frowned. “Yes,” Rey told him as she pressed herself to him. “More than a few times.”His lips met her neck, sucking at a sensitive spot as she tried to grind into him, desperate to be spoiled and smothered by his touch. “I’ll say it a million more times then.” Rey laughed. “You’re going to tease me again, aren’t you?”Ben paused and lifted himself away, the smug grin returning to his face. “You’ve figured me out.”Her mouth dropped open in disappointment. “Ben, no. ” His eyes skimmed down her body carefully. “I think you’ve got at least two more orgasms in you tonight.”Rey threw her head back into the pillows with a frustrated noise. “Oh my god. Please just fuck me already.”“In due time.”She lifted her head slightly to see what Ben was up to now, just as he kneeled between her legs and his hands found their way to her thighs. Her skin tingled as his fingers skimmed the surface and his breath hit her. There was no way she’d last, Rey knew. Not this time.Sure enough, her core could barely handle the touch of his tongue as it dipped into her entrance, lazily circled her folds, and suckled at her clit. She was too sensitive to handle most of it, jerking and nearly coming each time Ben shifted to a new spot. More than once she realized she had moaned very loudly and bit on her lip to stop it from happening again. But then Ben would do something that had her seeing stars like the way he swirled his tongue just around her most sensitive parts, and Rey really could not stop the animalistic noises she made. It was a wonder she didn’t black out when she finally did come - her whole body felt like it was about to fall apart in his hands. Ben came back up to kiss her again after that, and Rey forgot all about how tired her arms were and how deep her pussy ached until he pulled away. “Ben,” she sighed, watching him palm his cock through his pants.“I know. It’s time,” he told her, and moved to one of her ankles. The skin only felt raw now that the rope had been pulled away. Not painfully so, but enough to make her whimper as Ben gently rubbed the skin. He undid her other ankle, repeating the soothing motions and bending her legs so that they’d be stretched and limber for whatever he had planned next. Rey wondered if he’d undo her wrists now, and if she’d be able to hold him close when he fucked her, but instead Ben stepped over to the counter where their luggage lay and removed the rest of his clothes. It was hard not to stare at his cock as he dug around for a condom. He was so hard that his dick seemed overfull. Just as the thought crossed her mind, a drop of pre-cum fell from the tip and splattered onto the top of his foot. Rey giggled, and Ben shot her a miffed little glare that faded into a smile when she blew him a kiss. Once he’d rolled the condom on, Ben finally climbed up onto the bed between her legs, his palms running up her thighs. The lightness of his touch caused her whole body to shiver, making her dizzy with need.“Please,” Rey whispered. “I want you in me so badly.”“I know,” he murmured, as she writhed beneath his hands, arching her back so her tits thrust out. Ben’s eyes darted down to them immediately, and his hands followed, kneading her breasts and pinching at her nipples. “You’ve been so good tonight.” His hands left her to take hold of his cock and press into her. He slid in easily now, but Rey felt herself clench around him instantly, her body starved for what felt like so long. “ Fuck, ” she whined. “So good.” Ben pulled on her hips as he bottomed out and Rey moaned from the stretch. Her legs found their way around his back, and tried desperately to push him further in.“Does that feel good, sweetheart?” he purred as he bent over and tickled her neck with his soft breaths. “You’re holding me like you don’t want to let me go, but I know you want me to move.”Ben shifted just enough to brush against a spot deep inside that sent her reeling, so she unwrapped her legs and let him push them up to give him more leverage. It wasn’t long before he found a tantalizing rhythm, fast and smooth.“Please, Ben. please” she groaned, pulling against the restraints.“What do you want, darling?” he asked, failing to hold back a moan as she tightened around him. “Do you want me to play with your clit?”A hand drifted downward and Rey flinched at the contact. She was far too sensitive for any more direct stimulation.

“Shit, sorry,” he murmured.

“My arms,” Rey gasped. “They hurt and I want to hold you.”“Shit,” Ben repeated, and lurched toward the nightstand, his hands closing around the scissors and moving to free her hand.With a sigh, she let the first one fall back onto the bed and her whole body tensed for a moment before relaxing and sinking deeper into the bed. Ben freed the other and pulled it toward him, rubbing to help her circulation flow, inspecting it carefully for any lasting bruises. “I’m sorry, Rey,” he murmured into her open palm, pressing delicate kisses there before turning it over.

She brought her other hand to run up his arm, to wrap around him and pull him down to her like she’d been wanting, but found she had no strength there anymore and had to settle for squeezing his forearm. “It’s okay. It was good. I liked it, but now I want you to kiss me.”His large brown eyes searched hers, worry on his face before he dipped down to meet her lips. Rey moaned happily into his lips and tried to twine her arms around his neck, but the limbs felt like molasses, so she settled for caressing his cheeks instead.

“Better?” he asked, utterly breathless when she finally let him come up for air.“Much,” Rey sighed, letting her arms flop to her side. “You can do whatever you like to me now.” Ben chuckled against her jaw as he began to thrust slowly. “Those are dangerous words.”Her eyes fluttered closed, letting herself enjoy the heavy weight of him. “I trust you.”With that, Ben made a contented noise as he picked up the pace and moved to catch her lips again. It wasn’t long before he was thrusting hard and making Rey groan with each snap of his hips. She was dangerously close to coming again -somehow- and she could tell he was growing ever closer to his own release.A ringing startled them both, Rey’s eyes finding his just as his hips slowed in confusion. They both looked toward the nightstand at the offending phone.“What the fuck?” Ben growled as he regained his previous pace.

“Shouldn’t we answer it? What if the hotel needs something from us?” Rey breathed as his hands intertwined with hers.

“Fuck no,” he grumbled. “I just want to enjoy you. I’m not letting anyone interrupt this.” Rey bit her lip as the ringing continued and Ben tried to make up for the distraction by going harder than before. His chest lifted away from hers to allow him the leverage he needed, and as much as she wanted to protest, it felt far too good.He came just after the ringing ceased, and Rey followed as he pressed into her deepest spot one last time. With a grunt, Ben collapsed on top of her, kissing her neck, her jawline, and tickling her with his nose. Rey revelled in the satisfaction of having been so thoroughly fucked, but the moment of serenity was broken by the phone ringing again.Ben grunted again and roused himself, carefully pulling himself out of her. Rey bit her lip as he picked up the receiver.

“Hello?” Slowly Rey stretched her body, now that it was finally free of all the ropes and her lover. She looked over at him as he nodded at the person on the other line. His face suddenly went slack and pale, and she reached an arm out to soothe him.Ben looked at her with concern when he felt her touch. “I’m so sorry. We did not mean to disturb the other guests.” Rey’s eyes went wide as she realized what he meant. Had they been that loud? She had been so caught up in everything that she hadn’t realized they’d made so much noise. Shocked, she pushed herself up and watched as Ben repeated his apologies and hung up.

“Uh, so we had a few complaints,” he said sheepishly.

“Fuck,” she whispered. “Are we in trouble?”“No, they just gave me a stern warning,” Ben said as he shook his head. “But I think tomorrow we should just go to my apartment.”He gave her a sheepish smile, which Rey returned. She pressed her forehead into his and laughed. “Guess so.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep
Rey reached out for her phone, fumbling around the unfamiliar shapes of the hotel nightstand. Once she finally woke up enough to find the damn thing and shut her alarm off, an arm snaked around her midsection and pulled her back into the warm body beside her in bed.“Let’s go back to sleep.” Ben’s warm breath tickled her neck as he molded her to him, and she sighed happily as he kissed at her bare skin and ran his hands down her sides.“This isn’t going back to sleep,” she laughed as those same hands made their way underneath her shirt, unashamedly groping at her breasts. “Besides, I have a train to catch.”He groaned his dissatisfaction as she pulled herself away, hindered by his strong arms half-trying to drag her back into the cocoon of the duvet. “No,” he whined. “Don’t leave me for some stupid fucking monkeys.”Rey stifled a laugh with her hand, not wanting to bother whoever had been so unlucky as to get the room next to theirs any further. “I’ve paid good money to go see those stupid fucking monkeys, not to mention the rest of this country.”Rolling over with another groan, Ben opened his eyes and stared at Rey as she readied what she needed for the day. “You didn’t come to Japan just to fuck me? I’m hurt.”With a snort, Rey stepped back from her suitcase and stared at him. “You wish.”Ben didn’t have any further retorts as she rinsed herself off in the shower and got dressed, letting himself get lost in his phone for a few minutes before dressing. They traded places, so he could use the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth while Rey braided her hair, and in no time at all, they were headed down to the station.“How are you feeling after last night?” He murmured as they waited for their breakfasts at Starbucks. “Any soreness?”Rey shook her head. “Nope. Why do you ask?”Ben bit his lip and smiled, looking a little too pleased at that information. He was quiet for a long moment, his eyes running down her body. “I want to try something more intense tonight when you get back if it’s okay with you.”Raising her eyebrows, Rey stepped a little closer, hoping that no one would understand and catch the gist of their conversation. “More intense than last night? How much more intense?”His gaze darted downward again, slowly dragging back up to her face, lingering on her lips again as the waitress called his name. “I have several ideas.”“Are you going to share any of those ideas with me?” Rey huffed as they grabbed the food and drinks. She took a sip of her tea and stared straight at Ben, daring him to say it aloud. “Maybe,” he said with a smirk. “But I don’t want you to miss your train.”  The train in question was rolling through the suburbs of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area when Rey got the first text from Ben. 
This is in stock at the store a few blocks away.I think I’ll pick it up tonight before you get back
 Rey nearly spit out her drink at the sight of a long corded vibrator on her phone screen. She carefully tilted the screen away from the elderly gentleman sitting next to her, though he did seem far more engrossed in his newspaper.   Oh my god, Ben, I’m on a crowded train Anyone could have seen it I knowJust wanted to share one of my ideas.  Like you asked  The elderly gentleman did look up from his paper long enough to raise an eyebrow at the curses Rey muttered beneath her breath. Whether he understood them or not, she couldn’t tell.   The next text came as she was hiking up the mountain towards the Snow Monkey Park. This deep in the mountains, there was already snow and the path was slick with ice and meltwater, the leafless branches covered in thick white layers. Thankfully there were a few people headed in the same direction and they wordlessly banded together as they hiked, chatting with their friends and helping each other out when someone stumbled or slipped. Regardless of the fact that she had come alone, a few friendly Spaniards chatted her up in English, so she was surrounded when she saw the notification. Immediately flushing, Rey stopped and waited for her hiking companions to get ahead of her before she dared to click open the text. She was greeted by a butt plug so thick she wanted to gasp. 
Another thought

I told you I haven’t done anal before, right?

I’ll be gentle

No.Too big.

I’ll keep looking then
 There had been a slight slickness between her thighs after the first picture he sent, and now Rey felt it again as she rushed to catch up with the rest of the group. Thankfully, the bitter mountain winds had already made their faces red from cold, so no one would notice a bit of extra flush on her cheeks as they rounded a corner and were greeted with a rushing river at the bottom of a ravine.   Rey turned her phone on silent by the time they got to the entrance to the Snow Monkey Park. The last thing she needed was one of her new friends catching a glance at her screen and getting an eyeful of dildos while she took pictures of the macaques. The rest of the hike had been enough of a distraction from Ben’s teasing, the slippery path only getting harder as the incline increased, and she was able to focus on the real highlight of her trip: the monkeys. Rey nearly melted when they came into view of the famous pool. There were dozens and dozens of them sitting in the water and catching the light drift of snow in their fur. Mothers helped their babies hang onto the sides while adults sat wherever they pleased. A few cuddled for warmth outside of the pool as they dried off. She snapped what must have been hundreds of pictures of them, as many as she could without getting too close as per the rules, then she just sat and watched. A little macaque opened its eyes, blinking around sleepily before focusing on Rey. She smiled, feeling that familiar joy of having an adorable baby staring with interest, and she wiggled her fingers at it. The macaque immediately perked up, its eyes darting from her fingers to her face, then back again.“Hi little one,” she cooed, but the monkey immediately buried its face into its mother’s fur.Rey laughed at that, though she wished she could tell the baby that it had nothing to fear from her. She walked to the other side of the pool again to where her Spanish friends stood and watched the monkeys some more.It wasn’t until they started to hike back to town that she remembered her phone.  
I bought something more beginner-friendly
 Rey read the first text with her eyebrows raised, then the second with a timestamp about 20 minutes later. 
You okay?
I’m fine. Was just watching the monkeys and didn’t want to flash anyone with a sex toy Are you going to show me what you bought? She felt the buzz in her pocket a few minutes later. 
NopeIt’s a surprise
Not a big surprise, I hopeOr a weird one Nothing big or terribly weird I promise Rey rolled her eyes and shuffled down the snowy patch, with the rest of her group. They wound up stopping at a little cafe along the way to the station that had massive bowls of chicken ramen - the perfect meal after spending so much time out in the cold.After taking the bus back to Nagano, they decided to visit a famous temple there, Zenko-ji, which purportedly had the oldest statue of Buddha in Japan, though they were disappointed to discover that it was not open to the public. Instead, they strolled the historic streets around the temple, ducking into stores with cute souvenirs or tasty-looking treats.Despite the cold, Rey splurged on a matcha soft-serve ice cream, and then several hot manju buns filled with delicious red bean paste. Just like in Kyoto, she found herself compulsively checking her phone for texts from Ben, but it seemed like he didn’t have any more reason for teasing her. He’s probably just working, she reminded herself when she began to feel disappointed.“Should we go back to Tokyo now?” one of her new friends asked. “There isn’t a lot to do here.”Rey nodded along with the others, but immediately she felt a little strange at the idea of wandering the city without Ben.  I’ve made some friends I think we’re going to head back to Tokyo  Rey bit her lip, hoping he’d reply immediately, but she was interrupted.“How does Akihabara sound, Rey? Have you been yet?”Blinking, she turned to the group, having only heard her name. “Where?”“Akihabara? Have you already been there?” one of the women repeated. “No, I haven’t,” she said, trying her best to smile and gripping the phone tightly, in case it buzzed.It didn’t. It hadn’t, not even by the time they’d made it back to the bullet train station and booked their tickets back to Tokyo.  
I miss you today
 She half-heartedly picked out a snack and drink for the train ride, and rejoined the group on the platform, thankful that they were chattering away in Spanish so she couldn’t even try to join in. That changed as they got on the train and took their seats. One of the women, Lucia, needed a window seat to combat motion sickness, so Rey had agreed to trade. That meant she was stuck between Lucia and her brother Raffi, who was only interested in hearing more about Rey.“So, tell me, is there someone waiting for you back at home?” Rey had just bitten down on a fried lotus root chip  -rather delicious, actually- and chewed awkwardly before answering.“Not quite, I’m visiting my boyfriend in Tokyo.”Lucia whistled, but didn’t turn her head. “Smooth, Raffi. That’s what you get for trying to hit on her.”“Ahahaha,” Raffi laughed awkwardly. “I wasn’t, I promise.” Rey flushed bright red as she picked up another chip. “It’s okay. He’s working today, so he couldn’t join me.”“Ah, if it were me, I’d never let you out of my sight, Rey.”In an instant, Lucia sprung into action, reaching over to Raffi and smacking him hard on the arm. A moment later, she was back in her seat, smiling quickly at Rey. “I’m sorry for my brother, he’s an idiot.”Rey laughed as the others in their group turned around to ask what had happened. Lucia began to curse out her brother in Spanish, and she didn’t need to know the language to understand the vitriol. “Sorry, Rey,” another one of the boys, Daniel, said. “Spanish men are very forward. We’re horrible.”His girlfriend Martina rolled her eyes. “It’s true. They think they’re all such big dicks.”Rey choked at that, inhaling bits of lotus root chips and nearly choking on them. But once she cleared her throat, she joined in the laughter and forgot all about Ben - even if the rest of the train car stared at their group for making so much noise.They switched trains at Tokyo Station, which Rey almost thought she was getting used to, but it once again proved more of a labyrinth than she expected. Thankfully the ride to Akihabara was short, and they stepped out to a bustling, neon shopping metropolis decorated for Christmas. Almost immediately, they were accosted by several maids with Santa hats and costumes, advertising their cafe with flyers. The men were more than happy to flirt with them, but Lucia and Martina made quick work of pulling them away, apologizing to Rey while she laughed at the situation. They wandered the streets until they found one of the anime stores they were looking for, Mandarake. The building was black and imposing, all sleek and minimal, but the second they stepped in, the walls were packed with things and colors. Rey eyed the multitude of posters on the wall as they waited for the elevator. They got off at the top floor and stepped out into a world of glass cases and wild toy figures. Not being all that into anime, Rey couldn’t identify most of them, but she followed the others through the aisles entranced by them. The monster ones were probably the most interesting, though she was fascinated by some of the more lewd ones. She flushed at the images of buxom anime women being fondled by tentacles or cheekily flashing their panties.Not wanting to seem too fixated, she reached for her phone to check and see if Ben had messaged back.  Sorry was in a session with my teacherI miss you tooI wish you didn’t have to wait for me today Can’t wait to show you the surprise  Rey bit her lip, grinning widely, not particularly caring who saw.
Every time I see your texts I’ve been getting wetTell me the second you’re headed homeI want to be there as soon as I can
Tingles of pleasure rose to her flushed cheeks as she thought about Ben’s hands on her. She was out of the sexy toy section now and among a maze of mecha figures, which was a bit of a relief. If she’d seen one more sultry statue, she might have needed to find a bathroom.Up ahead Raffi and Daniel were marveling over a shiny chrome model, so she lingered for a while longer, pretending to be interested in the robots as the blush on her cheeks faded. She followed them down the stairs to the next floor, which held more toys, and a number of car and train models, then down to the next, which was full of DVDs and games. None of it really interested her, and she drifted down the aisles, catching interesting images with her eyes, but not really processing them fully. The fifth floor was moderately more interesting, full of pictures of male models and comics that were obviously more geared to women. Raffi and Daniel headed down to the next floor while Martina and Lucia giggled over some more explicit book covers. They spent entirely too long on that floor for Rey’s liking, but her new friends were eagerly filling their baskets with books and enjoying the shopping so she kept her mouth shut. Martina tried to draw her into their conversation, but Rey was far too distracted by some of the sultry images on the covers.There were certainly more than a few illustrations of women getting felt up by men on the covers, and in one section it’s men in compromising positions with other men. She didn’t know much about it, but she remembered her friends talking about it from time to time. If Rose were here, she’d probably be showing Rey just what to look at. But here and now, it just made her miss Ben more. She checked her phone again.  Off work in an hour I’ll have to go to the store after to pick up your surprises God I wish I could just go now Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the time stamp was nearly 30 minutes earlier. He’d be texting her soon. Really soon.  She squeezed her phone impatiently as the girls paid for all the things they found on that floor, and was disappointed when they moved down to the next floor and started the process all over again, this time with the guys hanging over their shoulders. When would it be appropriate for her to mention that Ben was getting off work soon? Should she tell them now?“Not buying anything, Rey?” Raffi asked, pulling up to her to walk along the aisles. “No,” she smiled, wondering if he was just trying to hit on her again despite mentioning Ben. “I don’t have room in my suitcase.”“Too bad,” he murmured. “Maybe your boyfriend can ship it back to the US?”Rey flushed slightly at the suggestion. “I suppose, but there’s nothing I really want here anyway.”Raffi’s curly hair bobbed as he nodded, and Rey was suddenly struck by a thought. What if she had met Raffi on this trip and not Ben? Would they have hit it off instead? Would she have felt as entranced by him?But as Raffi stopped to look at some manga and she stared, there were no answers to be found. He was nice, despite the pushiness of his advances. He was pretty cute and the way he rolled the R in her name made her want to smile, but her heart was already full of Ben. Rey looked down at her phone surreptitiously, trying to calculate the minutes until Ben would text her. “Something wrong?”Realizing she was frowning, Rey forced her face to relax. “Oh, no. My boyfriend gets off work in a few minutes so I’m waiting for his text.”“You’re leaving us?” Rey nodded and Raffi frowned. He turned and scanned the store for the rest of the group. “Marti, Luci, Dani! Ven Aca!” He yelled, a little too loud, making Rey flinch. No doubt the other people in the store were staring now. “What’s going on?” Lucia asked, her eyebrow raised in suspicion at her brother. “Rey’s going soon,” Raffi told them. “Her boyfriend.”“Already?” Martina sighed. “Tell him to come out with us! We’ll go drinking!”Rey flushed bright red. “Oh, but we have plans already. I can’t.”Martina raised her eyebrow at Rey’s embarrassment, but Lucia wasn’t ready to let go just yet. “What about tomorrow? Are you all alone while he works?”Rey nodded quickly. “He took a few days off to go to Hakone with me, so he can’t get out of it.”Martina’s face broke out into a smile again. “What are you doing tomorrow then? Maybe you can join us? We were going to go to the ramen museum in Yokohama, and a cat cafe!”Rey’s heart fluttered with joy. She hadn’t expected that they’d want to spend another day together. “That sounds amazing. I’d love that.”Raffi flung an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her to him. “Tell your man that if he keeps leaving you alone, I will win you over.”“Raffi! Will you quit being a big dick already!? She doesn’t want you!” Martina squealed as she pulled him away from Rey. Their laughter was probably too loud, but she didn’t care anymore. When they’d caught their breath again, they exchanged numbers and created a group chat so they could text her. They agreed to meet at 9 am the next morning at Tokyo Station.Her phone buzzed as they discussed the best meeting spot, and Rey quickly tapped it open.  On my way back Going to the store so give me 15 minutes
Okay, can’t wait to see you
She looked up to see her friends staring expectantly at her.“He’s off work,” she said, grinning ear-to-ear. “See you tomorrow?”  Outside felt different. The air was exhilarating as she rushed down the staircase on the side of the building. She knew it’d be packed on the subway ride home, and Ben wouldn’t be there to shelter her from the masses, but she didn’t care.It felt like the sea of people was a current pushing her back to him, she only had to follow the flow like in a school of fish. Once on the train, she found a spot to lean against and closed her eyes, feeling the rocking of the Yamanote Line as it carried her away to Ben again. Even with the stops and the rush of people in and out, it was meditative, like waves crashing against the shore.When the announcement finally called out for Shin-Okubo, Rey let the current take her through the station, toward the exit gates, and out toward the streets. It was almost like she didn’t need her phone’s GPS. She knew where Ben was, she knew how to get to him. In no time at all she was in the elevator of his building, shooting up to the top floor. Just moments away from seeing him again.She stepped out into the long hallway just as the other door opened up and two tall figures spilled out into the corridor. A woman, blonde and with deep red lipstick, raised an eyebrow at her, while a red-headed man with pale skin locked the door behind them.Rey stepped to the side, wondering if lots of foreigners lived in the building, but then the man caught sight of her.“What have we here?” He said, blatantly eyeballing Rey’s form as he stepped closer. His gaze left her with goosebumps. She wanted nothing more than to be in another room, away from his stare. “Are you here to see Kylo? Is this the infamous cousin we’ve been hearing about?”Rey opened her mouth, but no words came out at all -her mind hadn’t quite decided whether to rip into the man for being so gross or declare her confusion. Cousin? Had Ben called her his cousin again? “Who the hell are you?” She finally managed, pulling away as the man reached his hand out. The blonde woman, who had been hanging back and observing the situation, broke out into scornful laughter. “Looks like you’ve scared her, Hux.”The man -Hux- glared over his shoulder at his companion, then turned back to Rey, a fake smile plastered onto his face. “My name is Armitage, I’m another one of Snoke’s apprentices, Kylo’s senior.”The woman laughed again. “Right, and I’m the Empress of Japan.”“Fuck you, Phasma,” Hux said, spittle flying from his mouth in agitation. “I began my apprenticeship before he did.”Phasma walked past and towards the elevator, giving Hux a sarcastic hum. Despite the strange conversation, Rey found herself almost admiring the woman.“Let’s go,” she commanded when Hux didn’t follow her.Hux looked at her, then back at Rey, taking a step closer - that eerie grin still turning up the slightest corners of his mouth. “Go ahead. I want to get to know Rey a little bit more. No one’s ever bothered to come visit Kylo before.”Phasma rolled her eyes and jabbed at the elevator button.“Kylo’s cousin, huh? You two don’t look anything alike. What’s your name again? Kylo didn’t say.” Glaring pointedly at the man, Rey turned her head, hoping to find the entrance to a stairwell. There was one right behind Phasma, which made her nervous, but she was pretty sure the other woman wasn’t going to do anything to help Hux. For a split second she wondered what their relationship was.“Where are you from? England? You have an accent.” He asked, taking a step closer to her. Rey shivered at the intrusion of her personal space and darted toward the door. It was only a few steps to the elevator, but Hux’s larger frame was enough to bridge the gap between them. He grabbed her arm just as she crossed Phasma’s path and the elevator doors opened.The ding and Hux’s hand on her startled Rey. She was yanked back just as she saw Ben’s surprised face. “Hey, c’mon! I just wanted to talk!”Her backpack landed with a thud against Hux, and she yelped at the sharp pain in her arm. “ Let go of her. ”Rey looked up just as Ben rushed forward, his features twisted with sudden rage. In a second, he had pulled her up against him and away from Hux, nearly growling at the other man.  “Get the fuck away from her!”Pressing her face into Ben’s chest, she felt Hux’s hand let go and Rey immediately felt a little better. “Calm down, I just wanted to talk and suddenly she ran off,” she heard Hux say, his tone all apologetic, not leering like he had been when he talked to Rey. “If your idea of talking to women is man-handling them, then I can see why you have to hire prostitutes just to get off,” Ben barked. “Fuck you, Kylo.”Rey gulped in a big breath of air as she heard the elevator door ding again and Phasma muttered “Serves you right” under her breath. Tears began to prickle at her eyes, unbidden, and Rey realized she was trembling.A few moments later, Ben pulled back and tilted her head up. “Are you okay?”Her eyes were just barely holding back the tears. “Yes.”He frowned, thumbing her cheeks where the drops still hadn’t spilled. “You don’t look okay.”Closing her eyes, Rey pushed her head back into his chest. Wetness spilled on to the fabric where it met her skin. “He scared me. Reminded me of this creep who used to run the foster home I was in.” Ben ran a hand up and down her back a few times. “He’s gone. Let’s go inside.”Rey let him lead her into his apartment. With a great deal of care, he helped her take off her backpack and jacket, hanging them up in the little foyer. Then he slipped her shoes off and replaced them with slippers before he carried all their bags inside with one hand, holding on to hers with the other. Finally, he deposited the bags and led Rey to the couch.She didn’t protest when he sat first and patted on his lap for her to sit there. All she wanted was to be wrapped up in him, and it was as if he could read her mind in that moment. The second she sat, his arms were around her, pulling her in so they could be closer.“I’m sorry I wasn’t home sooner,” Ben murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “Hux is an asshole.”Rey breathed in deeply, inhaling his scent and letting it calm her. “He said he was a senior apprentice to you. Do you really work with him?”His chest rumbled in a low hum. “I do. He did begin his apprenticeship before me, but he’s never done as well in competition, so our master passed his name onto me instead of him.”“No wonder he hates you,” she said as she fiddled with the wrinkles in his shirt.Ben let out a tired laugh that turned into a sigh before he squeezed her tight and pressed another kiss into her hair. Rey tilted her head up and stole a kiss from his lips.“Are you feeling any better?” He asked, pulling away and nuzzling their noses together.“I’d feel a lot better if you kept kissing me,” she grumbled before moving back in to kiss him again. It didn’t take more than a second for him to respond, shifting his legs and propping her upright, so she didn’t have to crane her neck just to kiss him. His lips on her felt like falling into a perfectly soft bed, and she didn’t deepen the kiss, enjoying the feeling a bit longer. But it wasn’t very long at all until she couldn’t resist nibbling on his lower lip or pressing her hips into his, delighted to find the beginnings of an erection forming. Ben groaned and squeezed her tighter, his tongue pushing its way into her mouth.Rey ran her hands through his hair, using the position to bear down on him again, and Ben took a shuddering breath before pulling away.“You really are feeling better now,” he chuckled. His hands reached lower to palm her ass and Rey shuddered as she nodded, finding herself wet again.“But maybe I should save the surprise for tomorrow night.”Suddenly her memory snapped back into place, as did all the toys he’d shown her before. Rey felt her cheeks flush and a pleasant tingle run down her spine at the thought of whatever the surprise was, leaving her dripping even more. “No,” she said as she ground against him more, eager to show just how much she wanted it. “I want it now.”Ben grinned up at her, giving her ass another squeeze. “You won’t beg me to fuck you right away? Because once I get started tonight, you’ll have to put up with everything I give you.”Rey bit her lip, contemplating what he meant. There would be at least three orgasms involved before he’d indulge her, but he’d proven to her that she could take it, no matter how much her patience was tested.“No,” she murmured. “I’ll be good.”His smile and the delight in his eyes grew even more, and Ben pulled her down into another kiss, fiercer than the one before. Rey could feel his excitement, and she took the opportunity to run her hands up his shirt.“That’s not your job, little tigress,” he chuckled, grabbing her and flipping her around suddenly so she landed on her back on the couch. With his next breath, he kissed her again, their weight pressing them deep into the couch.“I’ll let that slide since we haven’t really gotten started yet, but from now on you have to be good,” he told her as he straightened.Rey nodded, not sure of what she could say yet that would be considered “good.” Ben smiled down at her and ran his hands over her hips before bringing them to the waistband of her jeans. Without any pause, he undid the button and began to pull the fabric down, careful to take her panties along as he pulled them down her legs. Her socks went too, landing on the floor beside the couch. She opened her legs slightly, wondering if he’d begin now, but Ben only tutted at her and shook his head. Blushing, she let him bring her up into a sitting position, where he removed her sweater, undershirt, and bra without any hesitation either. He laid her carefully back on the couch and stilled for a moment.Rey watched him, wondering just what was expected of her, what he intended to do. There had been no indications of anything so far, but his smile seemed to indicate he was pleased. “Don’t move,” he commanded as he moved off the couch. She watched as he backed away and then headed towards the things he’d deposited by the kitchen, picking up a black plastic bag. It seemed heavy -full of what, she didn’t know yet. Ben smiled at her, swinging the bag just a bit as he walked by and headed into his bedroom, and Rey could feel the anticipation coiling in her stomach. Water rumbled from his bathroom -just the sink- and the only other sounds were the crinkling and cracking of plastic. Just thinking about whatever could be in the bag left Rey squirming, pressing her thighs together just to create some sort of movement and friction between her legs. She thought about touching herself. Would he be pleased if her first orgasm came easy? Would he be pleased to see her so wet and willing? Don’t move, his voice repeated in her head.Rey whimpered softly and clenched her thighs again, thinking about how he wanted her pleasure all to himself. She found herself hoping he’d be rougher than usual, that he’d ruin her completely. Closing her eyes, she tried to just listen and wait, rubbing her thighs together with each sound she heard, trying to make herself behave, trying to focus things like the chill in the room. It got harder and harder with every moment that passed until, finally, Ben turned off the sink.It was quiet for a few moments longer. Whatever Ben was doing, she couldn’t hear it from the couch. She opened her eyes just as his footsteps started up, and she tried to be as still as possible even though her cunt was beginning to throb from her poor attempts at relief. When he came into the doorway, Rey saw that his hands were full of things, large coils of rope stacked on top of each other, and on top of that lay several items folded in a towel. Rey wished she could crane her neck to see better, but didn’t dare to. “Looks like you’ve been very good,” Ben told her as he kneeled and set the objects down on his coffee table. “You tried not to move, didn’t you?”“Yes,” Rey croaked weakly, surprised by how timid and eager her own voice sounded. “Look at you, being so good, so easily.” Ben reached out a hand, caressing her cheek gently. His eye contact never fell away from hers. “You want that surprise so badly, don’t you?”Rey nodded, pressing her face into his palm, desperate for more of his touch. Ben only chuckled softly at that. He removed his hand and then began to push the coffee table to the side, creating a sort of L shape with it and the couch. “Sit up and kneel on the floor.”Rey took a deep breath, and pushed herself up, feeling slightly dizzy from keeping still so long. She dropped down to her knees from the couch, then bent at the waist and steadied herself with her hands.“Not like that,” Ben murmured. He reached down and pulled at her waist.“Sorry,” Rey mumbled back, straightening herself and finding a somewhat comfortable position on her knees. “Nothing to apologize for, sweetheart.”Her heart began to flutter nervously as Ben began to push her into a slightly different position, her legs wider than before. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but she felt exposed. Her thighs were still wet where she’d rubbed them together, and she felt so wet that she could easily imagine her juices dripping down to the floor.Fingers brushed the skin between her legs and Rey shivered at the contact. “Hmm, perhaps you weren’t as good as I thought,” Ben whispered in her ear. “You didn’t touch yourself while I was gone?” Rey shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I swear.”Ben hummed and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Good.”He reached for a skein of rope, a hand never quite leaving the bare skin of her back, just rolling barely away and back again like waves on the sand. He began to unravel it, then checked it carefully. The chords fell through his fingers as he adjusted it. Rey found herself so mesmerized by the sight that she almost didn’t notice when he spoke again.“Raise your arms, sweetheart,” Ben repeated, pushing one arm up with gentle fingers. Rey gulped and complied quickly, raising them over her head. Ben kissed the back of her shoulder and corrected her, bringing them to more of a 90-degree angle.“I want you to tell me if anything is too tight or uncomfortable,” he reminded her, even though they’d discussed this back in Hakone. Rey liked that he did that, it made her feel safe. “This isn’t about hurting you.”“Of course,” she murmured as he brought the doubled-up rope over the top of her breasts. The action caused her to gasp and sway slightly, so he moved his body closer to steady her when his hands could not.Once he had adjusted the rope to his satisfaction, she felt him loop the end in and bring it around again. There were so many little adjustments to be made. The moment after he’d wrapped the rope, he was always fixing it, getting the tension just right. She gasped again when the rope came around again, below her breasts this time. There was a certain rhythm to it, Rey realized. Wrap, loop, adjust, then repeat. Her body had already begun to feel it, and pressing against Ben, pulling away from him, pressing once more. It seemed he had found his own rhythm too, not just with the ropes, but with sweet words in her ears and kisses on her skin that made her feel more and more sensitive. He pulled a rope over her shoulder, running it between her breasts and looping it under the straps he’d already tied. Each brush of his fingers made her shiver and drip, her nipples already puckered and hard, even though they’d never been purposefully touched.The way the ropes felt around her breasts was incredible too, like rough hands encasing her. And she enjoyed the tug as Ben moved to the back to adjust the ropes more. Finally, his hands guided her arms downwards but didn’t leave her wrists. “How does that feel?”Rey bit her lip. “I like it. It’s more comfortable than I would have thought.”“Good,” he said, bringing her hands behind her back. “There’s more I want to do.”Rey breathed in as Ben reached for another rope, once again carefully inspecting it and folding it into two parts. Within a minute or two, he had a knot tied to her right wrist and was adjusting it. She could only feel what he was doing, the rope brushing against the skin of her arms and back as he created another loop on her other wrist. Every time he tugged hard, her shoulders would pull back and the harness around her chest stimulated the skin there. Ben must have seen her shiver a few times because the next time it happened, he pressed another soft kiss to her shoulder before continuing. He repeated in a few times before tugging at the knots on the back of her harness, causing Rey to whimper as he pulled the rope through. “Still comfortable?” he whispered in her ear, voice low and dark.“Yes,” she moaned, shivering again when his teeth pulled at her ear. He hummed his approval before returning to the ropes, pulling and tightening more until finally the movement stopped and only his hands slid over her skin.“You’ve been so good, Rey. I think it’s time you were rewarded a little.”If there were any words alone that could have made her come, Rey thought it might have been those. Moaning softly, she swayed into his touch and Ben began to pull her hips back until she was leaning against his lap. He sat against the couch and encouraged her to bring her legs out from under her with a light touch at her ankle. When she did, Ben pulled her even closer and the hand that wasn’t wrapped around her waist went straight to her pussy. “Still wet, I see,” he cooed as his fingers ran along her folds.His fingertips caught on her clit and Rey jolted, her body tensing. “Ahhhh!”Ben chuckled at that, but moved his hand lower, dipping in slightly as she relaxed again. “You’re going to be so much fun to play with tonight.”“God, you’re such a tease,” Rey groaned, leaning her head back against his shoulder, getting a peek at his face. He looked pleased, though his smile was soft and not a smirk like she’d expected. “Is that a complaint?” he said, his fingers beginning to pump inside her. Rey bit her lip. “No.”“Good,” he responded, removing his digits from inside her and trailing them up to her clit.She jolted, her back arching instantly and causing the ropes to strain against the flesh around her breasts. Rey wriggled against the restraints, but all it did was stimulate her more. He was relentless with his hands this time, one circling and gliding over her clit with abandon; the other coming up to grope and pinch at her nipples.“ Fuckkk- Ben,” Rey moaned as he dipped back into her, pushing his fingers as deep as they could go. Her body was burning now, despite the cool air around her.“You like that, sweetheart?” Ben chuckled. “Tell me.”“Yes,” Rey said as she jerked her hips, trying to get him deeper, trying to catch the place where he’d send her over the edge. “Tell me what you want.”“I want-” There was a moment when she wanted to demand he fuck her again. Thankfully she caught herself before saying more. “I want to come, please let me come.” “I think that can be arranged.”Ben’s fingers pulled out slightly and Rey groaned from the loss, but before she could truly complain, he added another finger and thrust all three into her.The stretch was delicious, hinting at the ways he’d fill her later. Her body seized as he pumped her relentlessly, his palm grinding hard against her clit and bringing the friction she needed. The ropes clenching around her body, preventing her from moving away from Ben’s torture and bringing her over the edge. By the time Rey could see straight again, she was slumped forward and whimpering softly as Ben pulled his hand away slowly. He detached himself carefully, lying her down on the soft carpet gently and coming around to face her. “How do you feel?”Still panting, Rey took a deep breath in and tried to calm her body. “So good. Fuck, Ben.”Ben grinned at that. “Are you ready for more?”A helpless little noise came from Rey’s throat, but she’d known from the start that there would be more than this. The answer was already on her tongue. “Yes.”Ben traced her cheek with his fingers then leaned down to kiss her softly. He lingered there before pulling back.“Have I finally tamed the tigress?” He asked, a smile making her lips curl. Rey raised an eyebrow. “You’re the one who wanted me like this tonight.”“You’re right.”He chuckled and leaned back for another skein of rope, then flipped open the towel. She couldn’t see what was inside yet, but Rey’s heart began to pound at the myriad of things it could possibly be. Her eyes grew wide as Ben pulled out the Hitachi wand he’d shown her earlier. “Is that the surprise?”Ben’s attention quickly shifted from the objects to her as he closed up the towel again. “No. This is just the second course.”“Oh wow, this restaurant is so fancy.”He laughed loudly at that, trying to stop himself, but failing multiple times. When he finally did, Ben caged her with his arms, stopping dangerously close to her mouth. “You might deserve a punishment for that mouth of yours, tigress.”Rey licked her lips, considering her reply. “Does this mean no surprise?”He grinned. “No, but I might punish you a bit first.”With that, he kissed her hard, then helped her into a kneeling position again. This time, he began looping the rope around the Hitachi wand first before wrapping the rope around her hips and placing the head right above her clit. Rey breathed in, trying not to whimper, but she knew how strong those vibrators were. She’d never used one herself, but she’d tried one on her arm at a sex store before. It had made her giggle nervously, but she’d been too scared to buy it and it was expensive. As she got lost in her thoughts, Ben had finished tying the wand and it bumped gently against her cunt as he readjusted the positioning. His hands pulled the ropes between her legs and she gasped as they rubbed against her while he began to tie more knots against her backside. Rey closed her eyes and tried to focus on something else while he came back around and tightened the tension even more. She only opened her eyes again when Ben pulled back and found him staring at her with pride. He got to his feet and grabbed the wand’s power cord, bringing it to an outlet on the wall nearby. Rey’s heart beat faster as he returned to face her, still standing, and unbuttoned his shirt. “Are you nervous?” Ben asked as a hand reached down to tilt her chin up.Rey gulped, the muscles in her throat growing thick. “A little.”“Don’t be. All I want to do is give you pleasure,” he said, bending down to kiss her chastely. His lips left hers right as he switched on the Hitachi wand and Rey’s body was hit with intense vibrations. She gasped, her clit already seizing at the sudden contact.“Oh fuck,” she cried as Ben stepped away.Rey tried desperately to contort her body into a position where the vibrator wasn’t quite so intense, but there didn’t seem to be one. The ropes only pulled at her skin and the head of the wand rolled to the side, but didn’t let up its assault on her cunt. Whimpering, she tried leaning back on her knees, against the couch, but when the end of the wand hit the floor, the vibrations shook her body in a new, unsettling way. All she could do was lean back against the couch for some comfort, the soft upholstery providing only an ounce of respite while the rest of her overflowed. Her hips bucked as an orgasm crashed through her, and Rey cried out. Her body slumped forward only to brush against the fabric of Ben’s pants. She looked up to see him palming his cock through the thick wool as he stared down at her in awe. “God, Rey,” he breathed as his hands took another stroke down his length. Rey could only groan in response. She wanted to lean on him for comfort and stability, but he was just out of reach. The Hitachi wand continued its onslaught no matter what she did. She was beginning to lose the ability to think clearly. There was only the vibrations and the way her body throbbed along with them.The clink of metal brought back her focus, and Rey looked up again. Wordlessly, Ben had undone his belt, slipping it through the loops, and discarding it to the floor. His pants and boxers were next to go as he kicked them away. There was a bead of precum sitting delicately on his head, and suddenly Rey felt parched. She wanted nothing more than to lick it away, then gulp down all he had. Ben’s hand came down to touch his bare cock, fingers collecting the liquid and bringing it down to make his cock shine with wetness.A low whine escaped her throat, unknowingly.Above her, Ben licked his lips as their eyes met. “You want this, sweetheart? You want my cock in your mouth?”“Yes.” Rey whimpered as her body trembled.A careful step forward and his cock was at her lips, so soft and silky despite the dark red skin. Rey could feel the wetness at his tip, so she darted out her tongue and lapped it up, running her tongue along the tiny slit there and down his glans. “Fuck,” Ben hissed above her. His hand let go of his cock and came to rest in her head as her tongue kept exploring. Rey could feel his thumb stroking her ear, encouraging her as she kissed the underside of his head. She glanced up to see his face, his eyes already soft with need as he watched her. It thrilled her to make him like this, even if she couldn’t tease him with her hands. Careful not to break eye contact, Rey came back up to the tip and sucked his head in. He jerked involuntarily at the sudden change and his hand fisted in her hair, his fingers tugging her further down.Rey grinned and brought herself back up his length, almost letting go of his cock completely, but not quite. Then she slid back down, a little farther this time, feeling pleased as Ben groaned again.She sat up a little straighter, her knees coming together to give her more leverage, and the Hitachi wand reminded her of its presence. Like this, her whole body could feel its hum, and Rey couldn’t help but moan.Ben’s cock hit the back of her throat; a movement from him, she had been too momentarily lost to remember what her mouth was doing. Her throat seized for a brief moment, but Rey was able to swallow it down as he pulled away.She looked up to him, half expecting an apology, but Ben’s eyes had grown hard. “Don’t move, just keep your mouth open for me.”There wasn’t even time to nod at him before he’d thrust his hips and Rey was almost gagging on his cock again. She inhaled, willing herself not to choke on his length already, and pressed further. Ben’s grip held her there as he made shallow little thrusts and she kept her lips tight around him.“Fuck, I can feel the vibrations on my cock,” he told her as he began to thrust harder.Rey groaned and closed her eyes. She was only capable of keeping her mouth open and feeling everything that was happening to her. The intensity of all was beginning to make her dizzy, the pleasure building between her legs beginning to override her senses and bring tears to her eyes. It was all she could do to not bite down as another orgasm swept through her. The way her moans sounded around his cock was beyond obscene.“That’s a good girl,” Ben groaned from above her. Another hand moved to her head, caressing her while the other forced her mouth up and down his length. Drool began to run down her chin as her tears spilled freely. Just as Rey thought she might need a moment to catch her breath, Ben thrust hard and her nose was buried in his skin and pubic hair.It was only a moment, but her nostrils were full of the scent of his sweat and cum, and Rey realized that she loved it. She loved being overwhelmed like this, being used as a vessel to create and give pleasure. It was tense and almost stressful at times, but when she let go, there was a high like no other.Just as quickly as pushed himself down her throat, Ben pulled away and out of her mouth. When Rey opened her eyes, she saw just how much she’d wrecked him. He was panting, little beads of sweat rolling down his brow as he hunched over her. Those dark brown eyes wild and desperate for more. “Rey,” was all he said then, as he rushed down for a frantic kiss, not caring about the spit that had formed or anything else.Just before she closed her eyes and sunk into his lips, she saw his hand frantically working his cock. She was unsurprised when, a few hurried, sloppy kisses later, he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers.“Can I come on your tits?” he asked quickly, panting into her mouth.Rey breathed in, not exactly sure if she’d really heard him correctly. She nearly laughed at his question. “What?”“I want to come on your pretty little tits,” Ben shot back. “I want to suck my cum off your nipples.”Rey blushed at that, letting the image linger in her mind a moment before she replied. “Do it.”Ben groaned wildly, pushing himself away from her and standing, hovering over her while he stroked himself to completion. Rey pushed her chest out as best she could, watching him hiss and groan as he came in thick spurts. The warm cum made her skin tingle as it made contact and dripped down her breasts. It was so incredibly pornographic, and yet nothing about it made her feel degraded or dirty - only pleasure.Rey bit her lip as Ben dropped down to his knees and wrapped an arm around her waist. Without any hesitation, he engulfed one of her breasts in his mouth and circled his tongue around it. She groaned as he pulled away to focus on her nipple, rolling it roughly between his teeth and biting down gently. When he was satisfied, he licked up any stray drops he’d missed and did the same with her other breast.This time though, he teased her nipple more, flicking it with his tongue and letting it drag down her skin. She heard a click and suddenly the vibrator’s speed increased. It was almost too much. Her hips tried to jerk away, she was way too sensitive. But there was no escaping it; Ben was now holding the wand in place and pressing it harder into her ruined cunt.“Come for me one more time, sweetheart,” Ben demanded as he kissed his way up her neck. “One more time.”“Ben,” she whined. She was incredibly close already, but the vibrator alone wouldn’t send her over the edge. As if he knew, Ben’s hand left the wand and came up to cup a breast. He started off softly but soon began to pinch and pull at her already sensitive nipples, and Rey tumbled down quickly from there. It was intense and quick, so much so that she only came to again when she heard the vibrator click off. Moaning with relief, Rey sagged into the couch cushions behind her.“Let’s get those ropes off of you,” Ben said, leaving a kiss at the top of her head. Her eyes could barely follow as his fingers swiftly undid the knots at her waist. By the time he shifted and began to untie the knots at her wrists and back, she had closed her eyes and begun to doze.Though she could still hear Ben behind her, she dreamed of turning into jelly and slipping out of the remaining ropes and sliding around him - content just to be touching him. It was only when something wet pressed against her lips that she woke up again. “Drink just a little sip, I don’t want you experiencing sub drop.”Rey opened her lips and let the water spill in, relieving a sore throat she didn’t even know she had. “What’s that?”“It’s when submissive partners get lethargic or depressed after an intense scene,” Ben replied as he urged her to take another sip. “You did wonderfully.” She just groaned and kept sipping each time he pressed the glass to her lips. Soon he was feeding her chocolate and massaging her carefully, and Rey felt herself perk up again. He carried her to his bedroom and let her curl up for a nap in his arms.When she woke up it felt like the dead of night, but the clock on Ben’s nightstand said it was only 8:45 pm. He began to stir just as she was blinking sleepily at the clock.“You hungry?” He asked with a yawn. Rey yawned back and they laughed. “You know, for once I’m not very hungry.”“No?” Ben’s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into him. She just smiled as she pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “I’d rather see exactly what you want to put in my ass.”His eyebrows raised high on his face and he leaned away slightly, causing Rey to laugh again.“Something wrong, tiger?” She giggled, pinching his side playfully. Ben quickly shook his head. “No, I- I just don’t think I’ve ever met a woman who’s so...eager.”Rey laughed again and leaned down for another kiss. “Is that a complaint?”“Absolutely not.”He pulled away and got out of the bed, not caring about his nakedness as he padded into the living room. When he returned, he was carrying the folded towel in his arms and Rey sat up on the bed, eager to see what it held.It felt like a little ceremony, like she was a princess being bestowed a gift - though she almost laughed, knowing something of what was inside and just how it would be used. Still, her heart fluttered as Ben unwrapped the towel.She was expecting one butt plug. Instead, there was a variety ranging from moderately slim to almost monstrous in a lovely plum color. Several were the bulbous type that she’d grown used to seeing, but others were longer with little globes of varying sizes connected together by the silicone. Her cheeks flushed immediately.“Um, this is a lot,” Rey said, trying to contain her nervousness. “Are you going to fuck me with all of these tonight?”Ben laughed and knelt beside her on the bed, his hand running down her back and sending tingles down her spine. “No, this is too much for one night. I want you to pick one for now. The rest are for playing with yourself when you go home.”Her fingers gripped the comforter of his bed. “I don’t have room in my suitcase for all of this, Ben.” “I’ll give you a bag,” he murmured, kissing her shoulder, then at a sensitive spot at her neck. Rey shivered noticeably. “Just pick whatever one you feel most comfortable with right now. Start slowly, and we’ll work our way up to the bigger ones.”She gulped, nodding despite her new nervousness. It would probably be easiest to start with the smallest one - not much thicker than a pen with a little bump towards the bottom before its base flared out. But that wasn’t the one she was drawn to. There was one - the smallest of its kind- with the round globes that called out to her. Her hand hovered over it, then over to the far less thick one next to it, and back again.“Are you sure you can take something that big?”Ben’s low voice next to her ear startled her. She shifted, leaning more into his touch.“It looks like it feels really good,” she gulped again, her heart was pounding now. “I-I want to try it.”“Hmm,” he rumbled, then leaned over to the one next to it. “How about if we try this one tonight, and the one you want tomorrow night? I’m a little worried about hurting you. It is your first time.”Disappointment curled in her stomach, and she didn’t know what to say. Ben must have sensed it because he leaned in to kiss her softly. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll make you feel so good. Tomorrow you’ll be ready.”They kissed, lazy and slow and hot until the tension left Rey’s body. Ben laid her out on her stomach atop a pillow for some support before he went into the bathroom to retrieve lube and condoms. He used a little syringe with no needle to push a generous amount of lube into her ass, causing Rey to squirm as the cool liquid pushed inside her, then applied some to the plug itself.“Ready?” He asked, stroking her hip reassuringly before pulling her cheeks apart.“Yes.”The plug made itself known on the tight skin of her asshole and Rey inhaled sharply..“Just relax as best you can. Remember to breathe,” Ben instructed calmly. “Don’t try to clench.”She breathed out and took a smaller breath this time as the pressing against her hole increased. Suddenly the pressure turned to sharpness, and she yelped. But just as quickly the slight pain stopped and the plug was just there, inside of her.Ben’s free hand was quick to soothe, rubbing circles with his thumb on her shoulder. “How are you doing?” “I-I’m not sure,” Rey gasped. “It hurt for a second, but now it doesn’t really hurt?” “That’s pretty normal. Especially when you’re taking something so big your first time.” He said as he pressed a kiss to her hip.The plug slid out, just slightly, but she could feel everything. It was like someone had turned on her most sensitive nerves to the maximum setting. “Oh, fuck.”“How’s that?” Ben said, pushing the plug in a little deeper.Her body jolted, but Rey felt herself getting wet, rapidly. The ease in which her body was responding to this shocked her, and she buried her face into the pillow as she moaned and squirmed.From behind her, Ben chuckled as he pulled the plug out again. “Enjoying it, huh? Your ass looks like it wants to suck this plug into the hilt.”Rey tried to clench her thighs, desperate for some friction to distract from her ass, but Ben’s hand was in the way. He pushed the plug further in, the base making contact with the curve of her ass and holding it there.“You’re right, though,” Ben whispered against her skin. “The other one you chose would be a lot more fun to play with.”All Rey could do was whimper as he tormented her with the plug, twisting and thrusting it inside of her until he was satisfied. When his hands stilled, she thought he’d remove the plug, but he left it inside her as he shifted. Just what he was up to wasn’t clear until she heard the familiar crinkle of plastic.She raised her head just as he opened the condom wrapper, her eyes wide. He looked at her amused. “Did you think I’d leave you hanging? I know you’ve been waiting for my cock all night.”Her pussy clenched involuntarily, making her shiver at the weight of the plug in her ass. “Will it fit? With the plug in there?”Ben just grinned. “Don’t worry, I’m going to fill you up so good.”His fingers pushed into her, giving Rey just a hint of what was to come. Her pussy clenched around them as he pumped slowly, desperate to be filled. He pressed upward and Rey could feel where the plug rubbed against her walls. Her body reacted automatically: hips pushing back against him, a whine on her lips.“You’re going to feel that even more every time my cock thrusts into you,” he whispered to her. His voice was a threat or a promise, she couldn’t tell which.“Ben, please, ” Rey moaned. She was so wet now, so worked up, that every second she wasn’t getting fucked was beginning to feel like torture. She needed to be filled more, touched more. She needed to come so badly.Flipping over on the bed, she had half a mind to grab Ben and pull him on top of her. But instead, he flopped back against the headboard and patted his lap, an evil little grin on his face.“Come sit here, sweetheart.”“God, you’re terrible,” Rey muttered as she crawled up to him and straddled his legs. Ben smiled up at her, holding her waist as she grabbed his cock and tried to line herself up. “You say that, but -fuck, you’re tight. ”“Ahhh, Ben.” She shuddered as she pushed her hips down his length. She could feel the head of his cock pushing against the plug in her ass. The plug moved ever so slightly, but she could feel all of it.Rey grasped onto his shoulders for support as he bottomed out inside her, but Ben leaned back, sending her tumbling forward with a little yelp.“I’ve got you,” Ben murmured, his hands gripping her ass and beginning to thrust up. She wanted to protest and demand control, but Ben found his rhythm quickly and Rey’s head began to swim as her body caught fire again. Maybe it was the way each thrust jostled the butt plug; or the way his hands spread her ass cheeks wide, forcing her to clench down; or how his mouth had already found her tits. Rey was practically howling with pleasure, each moan punctuated with a squeal as his cock hit home.But all the stimulation wasn’t enough for her to come, even with Ben fucking her with abandon. He stopped for a moment, lifting her off him -to which Rey could only respond with a wailed “noooo”- before he flipped her over onto her stomach and entered her once more.Before she knew it, his breath was at her ear and his hand wrapped around her throat. It was gentle, just enough to pull her head back, but not enough to choke her. “I’m so close to coming, baby. I want you to come with me,” he growled. Rey could only nod and moan, but her hand obediently slipped between her legs and grazed at her swollen clit. Her whole body tensed at the contact, and she almost came right then and there, but pulled her fingers away just in time to take herself off the edge.Carefully, she let her fingers return and soak in the slick that dripped from her, rubbing just above where she needed to be touched until the rhythm of Ben’s thrusts broke and she knew he was seconds away from coming.Her eyes fluttered closed as her fingers drifted back to her clit. Her orgasm came quickly, her body clenching down hard as Ben groaned above her and the world went dark.  Something heavy landed near her and Rey’s eyes flew open. Blinking back sleepiness, the first thing that registered was the softness of the bed she was in and how tired she felt. Still, somehow, it felt like she’d just woken up from a long nap.Or at least it did until Ben’s lips met the back of her neck. “Fuck, that was amazing, Rey. You doing alright?” Rey shifted slightly, just enough to see if her body still functioned properly. “I’m okay.”Her voice was beyond hoarse and she could feel the plug shift in her ass. Ben kissed her again, then stilled, his flesh pressed against her flesh while he caught his breath. Rey closed her eyes again and only opened them when he shifted his weight and got off the bed. She watched him walk into his bathroom to dispose of the condom, then return to the bed, all without moving an inch of her body that didn’t need to move.“Let’s get that plug out,” Ben said with a smile as he sat down and kissed her cheek.Rey only barely moved her legs to allow him to reach the plug easier. It didn’t hurt when he slid it out with a great deal of care, but she hissed nonetheless.“You sure you’re doing okay?”She looked up at Ben as he wrapped the plug in a paper towel. There was a look of concern and bemusement on his face. “Everything feels different. Weird. Was I dreaming?"The smile on his face grew. “I think you were in subspace.”Rey rolled onto her back. “What’s that?”Ben sighed, looking her up and down. “Mostly, it means I did my job right. It means you were in a euphoric state. That’s the best place you can be.”He leaned in to kiss her soft and slow, careful not to let her come into contact with the paper towel. And when he finally pulled away, the smile was still there.“I’m going to clean up, then I’ll get you some water and something to eat while I draw a bath for us. It’ll help you recover from everything we did tonight.”Rey’s heart began to beat a little faster as she felt all the warmth Ben’s love held. She returned his smile with a shy one of her own. “Okay.”But what she really wanted to say was: I love you too.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

For once Rey woke up to her alarm feeling fully rested, only slightly groggy - a sign of a night of deep, deep sleep. All around her was Ben, his arms, his smell, his things, and Rey closed her eyes for a moment longer as she imagined herself a part of his domain. Some deep, primal part of her felt very pleased at that notion.“Tomorrow,” Ben murmured sleepily, his lips pressing against her neck. “Tomorrow?” Rey said as she turned slightly, feeling a slight soreness in her abs as she did. “Mmm,” Ben said against her skin, his mouth parting to graze his teeth against her flesh, but not enough to leave a mark. “Tomorrow I’m not letting you out of bed until the very last second.”Rey gasped as his hand moved downward and wrapped around her cunt. The damage of last night was still there, she ached at the way he gripped her, but just the one touch made her aware of how wet she already was. “I have to get ready,” Rey groaned as his fingers slipped into her and covered themselves with slickness.“Five minutes,” he whispered into her ear, pushing his fingers into her as deep as they would go. “Ten tops. I’ll make you come.”Rey whimpered as the movement of his hand rubbed against her clit. There was no doubt in her mind now that he would unravel her quickly. His other arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her in place, and Rey buried her nose into his arm.“Good girl,” he whispered again, pressing his nose into her hair.It felt like there was nothing in the world besides Ben and the softness of the pillows. It took no time at all for her to come.   The buzz of commuters around them was overwhelming as usual and some part of her was happy Ben had volunteered to take her to Tokyo Station to meet her friends. Of course she could have done it on her own, but- “Rey!”Martina waved frantically from the other side of the walkway, and Rey’s nervousness flared. Ben wanted to meet her new friends, and he’d laughed when she told him that she’d told them they’d been dating for longer than a few days. Even though he agreed to play along, it still felt like a bad idea. Everyone’s eyebrows had raised with interest as they saw Ben trailing behind her. Her cheeks flushed red. “Morning. This is Ben, my boyfriend.” Rey caught Lucia’s smirk first, then Raffi trying to school his face into passive disinterest. Martina and Daniel introduced themselves first, all smiles. Ben smiled back and shook their hands and said how happy he was that Rey had made some nice friends while he was busy working.“When do you get off work?” Lucia asked. “We’d like to have a goodbye dinner with Rey if you two don’t have any plans?”Ben looked at Rey, scanning her face for an idea of whether to say yes or no, but she could only shrug at him, feeling a bit helpless.“My schedule can be a bit unpredictable, but I should be free around 7 pm?”“What great news!” Lucia smiled and turned back to Raffi, who smiled weakly in return. “There’s a shabu shabu place we want to try, if that’s okay with you!” “Sounds good.”After exchanging numbers and sharing the address of the restaurant, Ben encouraged them to get down to the train platform and gave her a kiss on the cheek before departing. “Wow, Rey, you lucky girl,” Lucia giggled once they were a safe distance away.“He’s handsome,” Daniel agreed, patting Raffi on the back a little too hard. “Poor Raffi.”Raffi pushed Daniel away and mumbled something unintelligible while the girls laughed. But when they got down to the platform, Rey took his arm and squeezed it reassuringly, and his mood seemed to improve. The morning trains were packed as usual, but once again, Rey found herself not caring as long as she had company. They changed lines once, then landed at Ryogoku Station. “I wonder what that is,” Daniel commented as they passed a large, important looking building with a slanted roof that almost looked like a massive temple.“That is the sumo hall,” Martina said, looking up from her phone where she had a map up with their destination. “They hold the big tournaments there.”The group joked about sumo wrestling as they walked along the quiet streets towards the Hokusai Museum. Rey was unfamiliar with the name, but Lucia assured her that Hokusai was the artist behind “most of the Japanese art you’d recognize instantly,” so Rey took her word for it. It wasn’t until they turned into a large park that they even noticed the stunning steel building with sharp angled lines that cut into the structure, creating little triangles of open space. “Wow,” Rey whispered. “I didn’t even know this place existed.” Lucia grinned widely. “This is amazing! To see this famous artist, who can believe it?”They entered the lobby, a surprisingly bright space considering the shape of the building. A brilliant banner of a wave crashing in a tumultuous sea hung by the ticket counter, and suddenly the pieces clicked together in Rey’s mind. The image was beyond famous, it practically screamed Japan, but she had never known the artist’s name. The way she’d grown up, there hadn’t been much time for art. It was something for other people - people who had the time and luxury of not constantly worrying about their next meal came from. But here she was, able to afford some luxuries finally. Like this trip, like Ben. Her thoughts flew back to him as they waited in line to buy tickets. He probably knew all about Hokusai and could tell her so much more about the art than she’d learn from the little placards, or even one of those museum headsets with extra information.Her suspicions were confirmed when they arrived at the exhibits. The art was gorgeous, and she was drawn in by the detailed line work, the colors, the expressions on various faces. But after a while Rey couldn’t help but wonder what Ben would tell her if he was guiding her through the museum like he did in Hakone, with his hand on her lower back.

No doubt they’d linger by the more erotic prints like the woman being pleasured by two octopuses, or one of the many amorous couples, and he’d whisper filthy things in her ear. Rey rubbed her thighs together and tried not to think about how much she missed him already, or imagine what he would do if he realized she was getting wet in the middle of the museum.

But without Ben, she wound up making up her own stories pieced together by the information provided and what she could see. There were so many illustrations, beautiful landscapes as well as drawings of local life in old Japan, that Rey could see why Hokusai had his own museum. He was an utterly prolific artist, ready to draw anything and everything he saw.After exiting the exhibit, she found the others already in the gift shop, buying souvenirs. There were many lovely items -silk scarves and fancy renditions of the famous wave- that attracted her eye, but the prices were astronomical, so she settled on a little set of coasters for her apartment and some cute notebooks for Rose and Finn.After everyone made their purchases, they headed back to the station and took the local line a few stops before switching lines and heading up to Asakusa. “Sorry to drag you all over the place today. We are doing our wish list,” Raffi said as they walked to the cat cafe. “Martina loves cats. Lucia loves Hokusai. Daniel and I love food, so we chose the ramen museum and shabu shabu for tonight.”Rey laughed. “It’s okay! I don’t think I would have known about these places if I hadn’t met all of you.” Raffi flashed her a grin. “What? Hasn’t Ben been showing you around?”“Of course he has, but he has to work too,” Rey said with a sigh. “But I don’t mind being on my own so much. That’s how I met you, isn’t it?”He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Martina’s excited shout.“I found it! I found it!” Raffi raised his eyebrows then smiled helplessly. “Let’s go. Martina says it is the best cat cafe in the world.”“The best cat cafe in the world?” Rey smiled.“According to some website,” he shrugged. “There is one which only talks about cat cafes.”At the eighth floor, they entered Cat Cafe MONTA and paid for one hour and some drinks. There was only one other couple there, so there were more cats than humans, much to Martina’s delight. Rey suspected that had more to do with the fact that she’d seen several other cat cafes in the area.She wandered around the cafe, looking at the individual cats that weren’t occupied or sleeping, and tentatively gave them a few pets, but she was more than happy to just relax in one of the large bean bag chairs while the others played with the cats. Not only were her feet still aching from all the walking she’d done on the trip already, but other parts of her were feeling sore from what Ben had put her through last night. Besides, she had never been used to having dogs or cats or any other kind of pet around, and she didn’t know what a cat would even like. After taking a long sip of coffee, Rey lowered her mug and found a large, long-haired cat staring at her. As she set down the cup, it suddenly jumped up and into her lap. The action startled her, but as the gray and white cat circled in her lap, she realized it was just looking for a comfortable spot and she did her best to relax.The cat settled down and began to knead one of her thighs as Rey gently rested a hand in its fluffy, thick fur. It was incredibly soft, softer than Ben’s hair even, and Rey stroked the cat carefully, hoping not to disturb it. A moment later, she felt a rumbling and her heart soared as she realized it was purring.“Dios mio! A Norwegian Forest Cat!” Martina cooed as she sank down onto the floor beside Rey a few minutes later. “You are lucky.” “To be honest, I’m a little scared. I don’t want to upset it,” Rey replied. “But it seems comfortable.” “No, it likes you because you are relaxed. Cats don’t always like to play like dogs.”Rey shook her head. “I don’t know much about dogs either. I’ve never had a pet.”Martina frowned. “Never? How sad.” Rey shrugged. “I’ve always had to take care of myself, so feeding an extra mouth wasn’t an option.”Martina looked down at the cat and then back at Rey. “Well, you are a natural if you ask me. I must beg a cat to give me attention.”They fell silent for a moment, Martina’s hand coming up to pet the cat gently before leaving to play with the others. Rey smiled down at her cat, noticing flecks of brown in its fur that she hadn’t noticed before. Part of her wished she could adopt this particular cat, take it home, and have it sit in her lap every time she sat on the couch for a Netflix binge.It would be comforting to have a pet like that in her life, she decided, one that would always want to cuddle with her. She found it far more relaxing than she’d ever imagined. Part of her wondered whether she’d feel the same way once she got back home, now that she had Ben in her life. But he would be here in Japan, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have a pet to keep her company until they could see each other again.She sipped her coffee and spent the rest of the hour enjoying the cat’s company as she watched the others play more enthusiastically. When it was time to go, Rey felt terrible coercing the cat to leave her lap, but it did so diligently with a gentle mew. It watched her until Rey and the others entered the elevator, and she felt as if she had been ripped away from a lovely dream. She’d definitely be thinking about adopting a cat when she got home. Hopefully her lease allowed for it.Once again, they navigated the complicated train system back to Tokyo Station, and hopped on to a train to Yokohama. It was a longer ride, and Rey spent most of it staring out the window, still so blissed out from the cat cafe that she could almost fall asleep. The others seemed to be quieter too. Lucia was looking out the window, while Daniel and Raffi were engaged in quiet conversation across the aisle. Martina sat next to Rey, scrolling through her photos of the cats and occasionally showing Rey a cute one. An hour later, they were in Yokohama and Rey could smell the crisp sea air already. It only grew stronger as they walked toward the Ramen Museum. The cold air whipped around them, and Rey shivered as she took in the cruise ships and the little seaside amusement park they passed -not very busy on a cold winter weekday. She knew they were getting close once she saw a large group of kids -high schoolers, maybe- lined up outside of a building. They rounded the corner and Rey saw a sign that made her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. A conveyor belt of sorts whirred through the window display just above the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM sign, little red balls and styrofoam cups bumbling along cheerfully. The sight of them sent her mind straight back to the horrible days of her childhood; her empty stomach; her foster father beating her; stealing pennies one by one just to be able to afford one unsatisfying cup of disgusting, salty noodles with tiny bits of shriveled peas. She could almost taste the salty seasoning that came with those little cups as if she’d just had a bite, and bile rose up her throat. “This is the Ramen Museum?” she asked quietly.“One of them! We’re going to see both of them today,” Raffi said far too cheerfully and loudly. Rey couldn’t help but flinch at his enthusiasm.Gulping back her distaste and fighting a growing desire to run back to her hotel, Rey looked over the museum.  It’s just a museum, she tried to convince herself. It can’t hurt you. Still, her mind couldn’t help but conjure up the time she was so hungry she bought and ate five cups, only to vomit them up later after her foster father had beaten her. After that no one one fed her for three days, and she remembered wishing she could have eaten the regurgitated noodles off the floor just to have something in her stomach again.Rey shook her head violently and tried to center herself again. This wasn’t England, and her friends just wanted to have a good time on their vacation. She didn’t want to ruin it for them, so she followed them inside and paid for a ticket. The lobby was sterile and almost too plain, but she swore she could smell the faint scent of the spices and chemicals in the seasoning packets wafting through the air as they walked up the flight of stairs to the first exhibit.Unlike the Hokusai museum, she found herself unable to look at anything for too long. She closed her eyes during the video about the company founder’s story, and the wall of CupNoodles only brought back more bad memories, so she kept her head down and followed the others.After what seemed like an eternity, they headed up to the next floor and looked around the different ramen-making facilities. When Raffi and Daniel decided to make their own cups of instant ramen, Rey ducked into the bathroom to avoid explaining why she didn’t want to do the activity.As she sat down on one of the toilets with her phone in her hand, she noticed a missed text from Ben.
On my lunch break. How’s your day been so far?
Tears spilled down her face and she wished he was there to hold her and make all the awfulness fade away. Wiping away what she could with her fingers, Rey started to write a reply.
Terrible…
No, that wasn’t quite right. The Hokusai Museum and the cat cafe had been wonderful. Rey deleted the text quickly and sent another. This morning was wonderful, but now I don’t feel great
We’re at a place that’s bringing up some bad memories for me.
Wish I was with you instead Rey sighed and grabbed a little piece of toilet paper to dab at her eyes. Hopefully her face wasn’t too red from crying.  What’s wrong?
Are you okay?
Should I come down there and get you? Rey was stunned at how quickly he responded. How willing he was to drop everything. It made her feel better, knowing that he’d come if she was really in trouble or just feeling terrible. I’ll be fine, it’s really nothing
We’re at the CupNoodles museum and I…
When I was growing up, that was all I had to eat,
and now that I’m older, I hate them
Just the smell brings back bad memories You don’t want to leave?
You don’t have to stay with them all day. No, you’ve got work and they really wanted to come here
I don’t want to spoil it for them
They didn’t know it would make me feel this way She watched the little indicator that told her Ben was typing for a moment, already lulled into a calmer state knowing he was that devoted, that caring.

Okay, but don’t hesitate if you need to leave
And I’ll make up some excuse if you need me there Rey bit her lip, her resolve to stick to her friends’ plan wavering slightly in the face of Ben’s promise.
I will
Not wanting to worry the others, Rey finished up in the bathroom and exited just as they came out with their customized CupNoodles, all wrapped and sealed for travel.

“You missed it, Rey!” Martina exclaimed. “Do you want to make your own noodles? We can wait for you!” Smiling, she shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t really like CupNoodles that much.” Martina looked a little crestfallen, but Raffi patted her back as he leaned in. “But you like ramen, right?”Rey nodded quickly. “Good, then let’s go to the next ramen museum! Their food hall is better than here, according to the internet.” Within minutes they were on another train and Rey could feel herself relaxing again. A hot, delicious bowl of ramen would probably do her a world of good. She quickly texted Ben that they’d left the museum and she was feeling better, then let the scenery out the train’s window erase all of her tension. Once they got off at the station, it was only a short walk to the Ramen Museum. They skimmed the exhibit, bypassing everything about instant ramen before they got to the dining hall. Rey marveled at the recreation of an old Japanese neighborhood at dusk, complete with old movie posters, little alleyways, and even a sweets shop. “Everyone should order something different, that way we can try as many kinds of ramen as we can!” Raffi declared as they got to the dining area. “There are six shops, so I’ll order an extra bowl.”They circled the shops once, Martina ordering a bowl of chicken broth-based ramen, Lucia ordering a vegetarian ramen, and the boys ordering two bowls each. Rey ordered a bowl of salt ramen that looked appetizing with a beautiful soft-boiled egg.They took turns passing around the bowls and slurping down the chewy noodles and rich broths -Daniel even ducked back over to a shop for an order of gyoza- until they were too full to keep eating.Sated and happy again, Rey didn’t protest when Martina suggested they go back to their hotel in Nihombashi for a quick siesta. The trip from the Ramen Museum to Tokyo station wound up being quite short thanks to the bullet train, and she was curled up on the couch in Lucia and Raffi’s room within an hour. “I think we still have the jet lag,” Lucia groaned as she stretched out on her bed. “Just a little bit.”“And we are used to siesta at home,” Raffi added with a yawn from his.“I don’t mind,” Rey said, yawning in return. “It’s nice to be able to rest.”But as she fell asleep on the couch, she wished the hours would slip away so by the time she woke up it would be time to meet Ben at the restaurant. Part of her felt guilty for hoping time would fast forward so she could see him instead of enjoying the few remaining hours she had with her new friends, but it had been such a long day. A nap will do me good, she thought as she drifted off. Ben would probably have more in store for her when they got back to the hotel. They woke up an hour later, a little groggy, and were soon joined by Daniel and Martina to figure out where to go next. “How about the Kabuki theater?”

“Boring! And you can only see it from the outside!”“I want to walk around Harajuku again,” Martina mumbled. “We could try on clothes.”Both Raffi and Daniel groaned at that, making Martina pout in response.“Another museum?” Lucia suggested.

“No!” The other three said quickly. Lucia hummed indignantly, then looked at Rey. “Why don’t we let Rey choose something then?”Blinking, Rey opened her mouth as everyone turned to look at her. “Oh, um, I’m fine with whatever, really. I didn’t have any plans except to spend time with Ben, so I’m very flexible. I’ve seen so much already…”Lucia’s eyebrows fell and her smile grew. “Yes, but you came along to everything we did today with no complaints. You should choose something.”“Here,” Daniel said as he tossed a guidebook into her lap. “Use this to help you pick something.”Rey picked it up and opened it, giggling as she read a few sentences. “This is in Spanish.”Daniel’s mouth dropped open and he dramatically threw himself over Raffi’s bed as everyone laughed. “Fuck! I’m such an idiot!”Eventually they decided on a visit to Tokyo Tower in the Hamamatsucho area, and wandering around Harajuku before dinner if Ben was still at work. Luckily, the nearby metro station took them right to a park next to the tower and it was a quick walk to the bright red and white building. They got distracted by shops stuffed with cheap trinkets on the first level for a while, then took the elevator up to the main deck. The views were spectacular on a clear day like this, and Rey spent a great deal of time at the first section of window taking in all she could see. The city was mostly buildings and skyscrapers until a certain point where the suburbs began, but she could still see plenty of green spaces and the curved roofs of traditional buildings here and there. Once she was finally able to pull herself away from the glass, she noticed the little Shinto shrine lining the opposite walls. She stopped for a moment to offer a coin to the shrine and wished for a wonderful last day with Ben, though part of her also wished for time to move just a little faster -just for now- so she could see Ben soon.Another set of elevators took them to another deck where the ground below and the buildings looked even smaller. There were indicators on the wall where one could see Mt. Fuji on an exceptionally clear day, but unfortunately the mountains in the distance were hazy.By the time they left, the sky had grown dark and they were distracted by the gift shops at the bottom of the tower for a while. Rey sent Ben a text asking if he would be ready to meet them soon.
I’m stuck at work for another hour at least.
Don’t wait for me, just enjoy the meal and I’ll meet you later
“Ben says he’s running late,” she told the group. Daniel shrugged. “I can wait. We ate a lot this afternoon, so I am not very hungry yet. What about you guys?”Everyone nodded in agreement, so they headed to Harajuku to wander around.“How many trains have we been on today? Twenty?” Rey asked jokingly as they hopped on to the Yamanote Line and joined the crowded queues. “Too many,” Lucia said with a laugh. Harajuku was less busy at night than when Ben had brought her there during the day. Some of the main streets were still packed with shoppers, but others were almost deserted. While Martina kept pulling them into various shops to gush over clothes, Rey and Lucia found more pleasure in people watching, while Daniel and Raffi found any surface they could sit on and played with their phones.“I want to sit down somewhere,” Daniel declared a good hour later. “Let’s go to the restaurant and wait for Ben.” Thankfully, the place was nearby in the fancier Omotesando neighborhood, which made Martina happy as she gushed at the fancy facades of the luxury brand stores along the main boulevard. The restaurant was not as upscale, though Rey’s eyes still bugged out a little at the prices on the menu. Luckily, it seemed each shabu shabu course came with a plethora of meat, vegetables, noodles, and sauces, plus a little dessert to finish off the meal, so she would be getting a lot of food.  It’s your last night, just enjoy it, she told herself. You can afford a little splurging. By the time their individual hot pots had started to bubble and they’d added in some of the veggies that took longer to cook, Ben had texted to say he was on his way. It wasn’t too far from Shinjuku to Omotesando and Rey felt the rise of anticipation after so many hours apart.But the group was more than ready to dig into the heaping plates of meat, so more thoughts of Ben were replaced with thoughts of beef instead. She dunked her first bite into the sesame sauce and moaned at how good it was, her cheeks flushing once she realized how loud she had been. Everyone else was staring at her in amusement.“Like it?” Raffi asked as he used his chopsticks to shovel a piece into his mouth.“So good,” Rey answered, a little embarrassed. “The sesame sauce is amazing.”She grabbed her large mug of chilled plum wine and took a sip, marveling at the light, sweet taste of it. Before she knew it, she’d downed the whole glass and ordered another. The waitress had just set down the new glass when Ben’s voice came from behind her. “Didn’t think this was going to be a drinking party.” “Ben!” Martina cried excitedly from her seat. “You made it!”Rey looked up to see him standing above her, and his hands made their way to her shoulders. “Ben! How was your day?”“Miserable without you,” he said with a slight smile, squeezing her as he bent down for a kiss. She expected something chaste and quick, so when his mouth pressed harder, Rey squeaked with surprise before leaning into it. Part of her wondered if it was appropriate, but mostly she was just happy to have him near again, touching her. Maybe it was the wine.He took the chair next to hers and smiled at the others. “And what about all of you? Did you have a good time in Yokohama?”Rey sipped on her wine as Ben easily stepped into their conversation, fitting in with the others like they were already close friends. They peppered him with questions about living in Japan, and he answered with ease. When the conversation turned to their relationship, he talked as if they’d been dating for years. Rey was almost jealous at how much attention he was paying them, but his hand found her thigh and she felt herself growing wetter and wetter until his food finally came.“Martina,” he said, swishing around some vegetables in the flavorful broth. “How did you and Daniel meet?”Rey ordered her third glass of wine by the time Martina finished retelling how they’d bumbled through college together, not realizing they liked each other until their senior year. By then, they were finishing their meals and the conversation had grown quieter the fuller their bellies became.“You’re a little drunk,” Ben whispered teasingly in her ear as they stood and donned their coats. “Am not,” Rey half-giggled back. “All that food absorbed it.” They walked back to the station together, and Rey gave her friends long hugs goodbye before they headed off to the opposite platform. Martina was in tears over their parting, delaying their departure even more.They waved goodbye one last time from across the rails before their train came and whisked them across Tokyo, and Rey found herself sighing with relief. “That went kind of long, didn’t it?” Rey nodded as Ben’s hand wrapped around her waist, and she leaned on him just a little bit. Just enough to take in his scent and his warmth, and relax.  They didn’t quite make it to the room without falling into each other’s arms, the empty elevator at the hotel proved too tempting. Rey reluctantly peeled herself away from his lips when Ben looked up and grunted that they’d arrived at their floor. “Patience,” he murmured when she tried to pull him down for a kiss in the hallway. “Almost there.”Rey giggled and clung to him as he opened the door to the hotel room, still feeling giddy and tipsy. Her final tally had come to four plum wines, though she’d noticed the others drinking just as hard. Even Ben had knocked back a few beers.“You’ve gotta be quiet tonight,” Ben reminded her. “Someone could complain again.” “I don’t care, I just want you to fuck me already,” she giggled again. He swept her up into his arms as the door closed behind them, his hands grabbing her ass roughly and pulling her up. “You always want me to fuck you right away,” he growled in her ear as her arms and legs automatically wrapped around him. “Naughty girl.” Rey pressed herself against his body as tightly as she could as he walked over to the bed. She squeaked when he tilted her back and gently let her fall onto the mattress, but was silenced a moment later with a burning kiss that pressed her deep into the bedding.With their coats already discarded by the door, Ben made quick work of the rest of her clothing. He pressed kisses to her skin as he traveled back up to her mouth, quick to quiet any more moans.“You’ve got to be quiet, Rey,” Ben said, pulling up and trying to look stern. In reality he looked just as needy and flushed as she felt. “If you can’t be quiet, I’m going to have to punish you.”A whine escaped her throat before she thought better of it, and she stopped as Ben’s grin widened. He stepped away from her and Rey wanted to whine again, but now she knew that for every little noise she made, the punishment would only grow more intense. “Good thing I had an idea and bought you something new on my lunch break,” he said, turning to the desk and reaching for a plastic bag she hadn’t noticed before. Beside it were two small duffels. One she knew contained the things she’d brought over to Ben’s the previous night, along with all the toys and ropes he’d purchased, and the other held his own things. He’d dropped everything off on his lunch break, as they’d planned. He grabbed the one that held her things and Rey gulped in anticipation.“Ben,” she whispered softly as he passed her on his way to the bathroom, but he didn’t turn to look at her or give her any reassurances. Thankfully, she wasn’t left waiting in anticipation for too long and his preparations only took a few minutes. She didn’t move from the bed, just in case he wanted her still like before, even though he had given no such command. Just like before, he came out with a towel in his hands, the things he’d need carefully laid out on the soft white cloth.“Stand up,” he told her as he placed the towel on the bed. She rose quickly, barely sneaking a glance at the contents of the towel, and Ben smiled down at her. “Since you’ve been such a naughty girl tonight, we’ll have to use this.” He held up something and Rey was greeted with the sight of a black leather ball gag with black leather straps and little silvery studs to hold it all together. “As long as you’re okay with it, of course.” Rey looked back up at Ben’s expectant face and nodded slowly. A shiver of desire curled up her spine as she thought about just what he might do to her. With it he could a lot more without having to worry about her being overly loud.“First, we’re going to make sure you can get this off once it’s on,” Ben said as he lifted it up to face level. “Open up.” Rey opened her mouth and he gently placed the gag inside her teeth before instructing her to bite down. Then he stepped behind her to fasten the straps. “Comfortable?” Ben stepped forward and looked her over as she nodded. “Good. Take it off yourself.” Rey watched him grab a length of rope as she brought her hands up to undo the clasp of her gag. It was simple enough, but if he was tying her up, then what was the point of the whole exercise?She didn’t dwell on it too much longer because Ben dropped to his knees and began to tie a length of rope around her waist. In no time, he’d created a knot at her belly button and started to carefully create loops around her legs.

Once done, he pressed a kiss to her outer thigh and slipped behind her to pull the rope and tie it from behind. Then he came to her front again and began to tie what felt like an endless number of knots between her legs. At first she thought he was just securing the knots on her leg loops, but quickly it became clear that he was doing something over her pussy. She couldn’t tell what just yet, but the thought of it made her drip.

“What are you doing?” Rey asked softly, still worried about making any noise and upsetting the balance of their scene.“Another part of your punishment,” he said calmly. “With this rope in place, we can’t use your pretty, little cunt. It’ll be harder for you to come.”Rey gasped slightly, wanting to whine in protest, but holding herself back. She squeezed Ben’s shoulder and he looked up at her with a grin.“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll still make you come plenty. You’ll just have to work for it.” He got back to work at the ties and Rey felt herself growing wetter just wondering what he was going to do to her. Her mind wandered past possibilities as she watched him make more and more knots.When he was finished, Ben placed a kiss on the skin right by her hip bone, making her jolt to attention in her own skin. There was mischief in his eyes when he looked up at her, standing up slowly and running his hands down her arms.

“Comfortable?”“Yes,” she whispered, and Ben leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips, savoring her as if he were sipping fine wine or a well-aged whisky. Rey could have stayed there forever, naked and pressed to him, but her arousal piqued as his hand brushed the sensitive spots on her back.When he pulled away, he turned her to the mirror where she could see all the knots he’d made to cover her cunt. There was no way he’d be able to touch her clit directly, and Rey gulped at the thought of what he might do instead. “Look how pretty you are,” he said softly, kissing her neck as he ran his hands over her hips and thighs. “You’re going to be so beautiful when I finally let you come.” Whimpering, Rey pressed her back against him, feeling how hard he was already just before he took her shoulders and turned away for a moment. He came back with the ball gag and placed it between her teeth again while she watched it all in the mirror.“Since you won’t be able to use a safe word with this in, I need you to give me a safe action instead. Especially if you don’t think you can get it off in time to tell me.”Nodding her understanding, Rey watched his reflection carefully. “Three fingers in the air sound good?”She raised her fingers to show her understanding and Ben smiled softly. “Good girl. Now get on the bed with your ass in the air.”As she climbed onto the soft duvet and pulled a pillow under her, Rey looked over at the mirror again. Her cheeks were flushed red and her hair was already disheveled, but she wanted to see just how he was going to debauch her further.

Behind her, she could see him readying the little injector with lube. Rey wanted to bite her lip, but when she tried to move her mouth, she was reminded of the gag. She closed her eyes for a moment just as Ben spread her cheeks. Ready for the cool touch of metal, she was surprised to feel a warm, sticky finger circle her tight little hole instead, pushing in gently and making her moan against the gag. The sound was muffled, but it was still loud enough for him to hear.“You like that, don’t you, sweetheart?”Rey moaned again to let him know how much she liked it, but instead of pushing in deeper or adding another finger, he pulled out. She cried out in protest, but when Rey opened her eyes, she saw he was just about to fill her with lube.The cold liquid made her shiver, but it was replaced a moment later with a soothing hand on her ass and the familiar press of silicone.“I’m going to start you slow, then if you do good, I’ll fill you up more and more,” he told her as the plug began to slide inside of her.Rey squirmed against the pillow and felt her clit brush up against one of the knots ever so gently. She was hit with the realization that he’d placed knots in his ties specifically to tease her, and that just made her wetter as the plug slid easily into her ass. She moved again, testing the knots, but it only made her feel the plug more while her clit didn’t get the friction it deserved. Whining, she looked over at Ben in the mirror, unsure of whether she could touch herself.

“You need more than that to come, don’t you?” Looking over her shoulder, Rey caught Ben’s direct gaze and nodded quickly, hoping he’d pick up on her eagerness. The faster she came, the better off she’d be, even if he made her come a dozen times before he untied her and let her sit on his cock. He smiled and stood again, reaching for something in the towel that she couldn’t quite see. She heard a noise that sounded like plastic fumbling against something hard, and twisted to see what he was doing.Her gut curled with delight when she saw the Hitachi wand in his hands. If he put that between her legs, that would make her come so much faster. She could ride it while he played with her ass.Ben sat beside her and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. “You know how I said I don’t particularly like spanking as a punishment?”Eyes wide, Rey nodded slowly.

“This isn’t part of your punishment. I just want to know how many it’s going to take to make you come.” Rey whimpered as he pulled her over his knees and placed the Hitachi wand between his thigh and about where her clit was. She could feel it through the ropes before he even switched it on, and she wriggled to see if she could get a better angle.

“Stay still, sweetheart,” Ben murmured as he caressed her ass. “Otherwise I won’t turn it on.”

She nodded, and gripped the sheets in anticipation. His hand left her and Rey sucked in a breath.His palm landed hard on her ass, and her entire body shifted and clenched from the impact, pushing her cunt against the knots and making her feel the butt plug in a whole new way. She choked out a sob as her body relaxed and the sting began to spread through her skin. The sound was muffled by the gag, as were her little whimpers as Ben began to smooth his hand over her ass.

“Too much?”It took her a moment to reply, her head weighing the pain against the undeniable gush of wetness between her thighs. She could feel the dampness growing on the ropes that were flush with her pussy. “Good,” Ben said as she shook her head. “Let’s see how you do with the wand.” She heard a click and suddenly her body was wracked with vibrations. Her stomach curled at the over stimulation and Rey knew she’d come quickly like this. His hand left her ass again -she’d almost forgotten about the pain- and came down on her other cheek. Rey nearly screamed, but the gag prevented her from doing anything louder than a very muffled yelp. Her ass felt like it was on fire, but there was no denying how good it felt. The sensation made her want to chase her orgasm now while it lasted, and she nearly did. But as her hips canted of their own accord, Ben’s hand moved to her waist.

“It’s too much for you, isn’t it? You can’t keep still.” Rey shook her head quickly, praying he wouldn’t take away the wand. She was so close. Couldn’t he see how close she was?Ben gave her a smile, and Rey wasn’t sure what she was in for next until the next slap hit her backside. She tried desperately to keep still as her body jerked from the force of it. She was panting now from the desperation of trying to contain herself. The skin of her cheeks burned from being smacked twice now. She was getting so close. Almost-Another smack landed on the opposite cheek, and once again her body clenched from the pain and the effort of trying to control herself, trying to be good. Her head was beginning to spin as she desperately tried to concentrate on what he wanted her to do.

Don’t move, come, don’t move, she repeated to herself as his hand caressed and soothed her ass as gently as it could. If she could just move her hips against the Hitachi wand. Just a few strokes would do it, she just needed to get the wand to hit the right spot.Her body jerked forward again as his hand came down on the opposite cheek, hitting just barely between her thighs. The impact nudged her hips forward and just where she wanted to be. It barely took a second for the rumbling of the wand to make her vision white out and tip her over the edge. For a moment, she had no awareness of what her body was doing. All she knew -her entire existence- was the delicious blend of pleasure and pain spreading through her, making her body sing. Each sensation echoed throughout her, bouncing against the confines of her skin, like waves rippling through water.When she came to her senses again, she was still in Ben’s lap, her back arching as her hips pulled away from the Hitachi wand, a moan wrapping itself around the ball gag. She collapsed, her face pressed into one of his thighs and the wand buzzing against her stomach, a bit of drool seeping out past her lips.“Only five, I’m impressed,” Ben’s voice said, cutting through the haze of her orgasm.She turned to face him, slowly lifting her eyes to meet his as his thumb came to wipe the drool away. “You did so well,” he said, a bit lower. “Time for a reward.” First he turned off the Hitachi wand and moved it away, careful not to move her too much. Then his fingers came around her head to take off the gag, letting it fall to the wayside as she sighed with relief and moved her jaw around carefully. “How are you feeling?”Rey ran her tongue over her lips, realizing that they’d become a bit dry with the ball gag in place. For a moment she didn’t think she could speak, and almost didn’t want to. As if words might crack open everything her body was still feeling and let it escape into the air. But as his hands came to stroke her face, Rey felt herself relax into his touch.“Kiss me,” she demanded, not caring if he punished her for not answering his question.Thankfully Ben only grinned and moved to cradle her before leaning down and kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his tongue slipped into her mouth. After a moment, he pulled her up and helped her settle into a seated position on his lap. Her hands dropped down his chest, eager to feel him beneath her fingers, but only finding the fabric of his shirt. She kissed him hungrily as she worked open each button and moved her hips across his thigh. He moaned delightfully as she brushed up against his cock, locking his arm around her waist to keep her grinding right up against him. “Trying to be naughty, Rey?” Ben chuckled as she started to roll the shirt down his shoulders.

“Want you,” Rey replied, cutting him off with another kiss as he began to thrust his hips up to meet hers. It was the only way she could muffle her moan without the gag on. He still wanted her to be quiet, after all. She would try to be good. “I know you want me, sweetheart,” he said when she finally let him pull away. “But you haven’t come nearly enough yet.” Rey groaned in protest, chasing another taste of his lips. “Make me come fast so I can have you in me?” “That all depends on you, sweetheart,” he said between kisses. “How good you are.”“I’ll be good,” she said quickly. “Just tell me what to do.” Ben just chuckled, running a hand down her backside and biting his lip when Rey shivered at the contact. She waited for instructions, but instead he slipped her fingers between her cheeks and began to pull on the plug in her ass. Rey gasped as the plug moved downwards and stretched her asshole open. It felt more sensitive than before, now that she’d been thoroughly spanked, and she had to bury her face in Ben’s neck just to keep from crying out as he pulled it out ever so slowly.

“Good girl,” he whispered when it was finally out, smoothing her hair down with a comforting hand. “You definitely deserve a reward.”

“Oh?” She could hear rustling next to them, and Rey wondered what else he’d do to tease her. Looking over, she saw Ben extract the plug that she’d chosen yesterday- No. It wasn’t the exact same one, it was the larger one. Rey’s breath caught in her lungs as he brought it over. It wasn’t quite as big as his cock, but it was getting much closer.“I think you’re ready for a challenge,” Ben whispered. Rey felt her stomach flip and her skin tingle in excitement. There were five bulges of various shapes and sizes, the last one being the roundest. She wondered how each one would feel compared to the smooth plugs they had used so far. Would she feel each curve? Each bump? And it was so long. Probably longer than Ben. Just the thought of that drove her wild with need.“Rey,” Ben whispered temptingly in her ear. “Are you ready for me to fill you up this much?”

“Yes,” she said with a low whine. “Please.” He kissed her cheek sweetly and shifted them, depositing Rey on her back on the bed to grab more lube. He poured a generous daub onto the plug and let it drip down for a moment before turning back to her. “Spread your legs,” Ben commanded.Rey did as she was told as Ben unbuckled his pants and let them slide to the floor. He kneeled on the bed between her legs, bringing one of her knees up to her face to expose her even more. Rey did the same with her other leg and held it there. “Good girl,” he murmured as he leaned down to insert the plug. At this angle, she could feel the ties over her cunt had slipped forward and revealed just a hint of her pussy to him. Ben was so close that he could move his head and put his tongue in, the thought of which made Rey shudder with need. She knew she could just slip a few fingers under the displaced rope and make herself come, but that would come with a punishment and she didn’t want to delay her own satisfaction any longer.“Ben,” she whimpered as the first bulb began to enter her. The stretch was delicious, a lot easier than she’d expected - until it began to widen and Rey had to cover her mouth with her free hand to keep from crying out. “So good, you’re doing great,” Ben whispered. He was so close to her that his breath tickled the exposed, sensitive skin of her pussy and made her squirm.The next bulb was much easier to take, it only stretched her a little, even though she felt every dip and sway in the silicone. She gasped at the intrusion of the third bulb, much wider than the previous one. By the time her ass had enveloped the fourth, her eyes were beginning to water  -not from pain but from how good it felt to be filled like this.She stifled a sob with the back of her hand as the last bulb began to press at her entrance. It was proving slightly more difficult, her body clenching around the plug tightly as if trying to derive the release it needed from that alone. But it wasn’t enough. “Please,” she whined, as softly as she could bear. “I need you. I need you so much.”Ben placed a kiss against the back of her thigh, still sensitive from where he spanked her. “What do you need, sweetheart?”The thickest part of the bulb pressed against her asshole, sending Rey’s mind swirling.

“You-” She breathed as it began to slide through, making her ass clench harder. “You!” Ben pushed the plug all the way in, the swift movement sending shivers down her whole body, her back arching against her will. If her hand wasn’t already covering her mouth, she might have screamed.“You really love having your ass played with, don’t you?”

Once again, his breath tickled her skin and Rey closed her eyes in desperation. It wasn’t enough to come. She needed more. She needed to be consumed by him, overwhelmed. But she nodded as he pressed kisses on the inside of her thighs, knowing he’d want an answer. Rey nearly jumped when she felt his hand trail down her thigh and closer to where she needed him.

“Tell me what you need,” Ben growled. He’d moved his face closer to her pussy, she could tell. “Otherwise I can’t give it to you.”With a moan, Rey’s hands flew to her cunt and tugged at the ropes there. “Need you to take this off. Please. ”“You want to come?”  God, he was so close to where she needed him. If only he would open his mouth and stick out his tongue-“Yes!” she cried.  “Please, Ben! Please! ” She felt him move and her eyes flew open. A pair of safety scissors appeared in his hands and a few snips later, she was free of the ropes. Ben looked down, smiling and stroking her thigh just where it met the inside of her hips and lingering there. So close, but not enough.“Touch yourself,” he finally said, his hand beginning to trail lower already, past where she’d hoped he’d go. “Make yourself come while I fuck your pretty little ass.” Her eyes widened as she realized he wasn’t going to touch her, wasn’t going to put his mouth on her, wasn’t going fuck her yet. But her disappointment ended as soon as he placed a hand on one of her ass cheeks and began to pull. A gasp swallowed the moan that escaped her mouth and her fingers flew to her clit. She was beyond wet, every part she touched was thoroughly covered in her own slick, easing her desperate fingers’ path as she pushed a few inside. Her head swirled as Ben slowly pulled the plug in and out, in and out, as she frantically worked her neglected pussy. She wasn’t coming as fast as she wanted, as if she was dangling off a precipice and couldn’t quite let go completely. But she wanted to fall. She was begging to.Without warning, Ben thrust the plug in harder, and Rey finally felt herself tumble down with a shout. Her whole body shivered and seized, and oh, it was so good to come again. So good that she forgot about the little rule until she opened her eyes again and saw Ben’s eyebrows raised in amusement.“Perhaps it’s time we put the gag back in.” Rey shook her head, feeling a bit like a petulant child. “I don’t want to.”“Oh, I think you’re going to need it,” he whispered, coming up to kiss her fiercely. “I want to fuck your pretty little ass next.”Gasping, she looked into Ben’s eyes and saw the question written plainly on his face. He pressed their foreheads together, gentle and cautious because he knew he needed to be for this. “Only if you’re comfortable with it,” he said with a tenderness that made her heart flip. Deep down he was so needy for her, so desperate to make her happy, and that thought was what made her nod her head.“Be gentle,” she said as she kissed him back. He surged forward, groaning with need. “I will. I’ll make you feel so good, sweetheart. So, so good.”In no time at all, she was on her hands and knees, gagged again and moaning, while he slowly extracted the plug from her ass, bulb by bulb. By the time he stripped his clothes off and rolled on a condom, her heart was pounding her in her chest.It felt so good with the plugs, but part of her was still scared that real anal sex would be too much. Even so, her curiosity was overriding the part of her brain that was telling her to take the gag off and tell Ben to stop.Rey looked back in the mirror just as he began to reapply the lube with a concentration and a reverence on his face that she’d never really seen before. Her body shuddered as he dipped his fingers into her and her mind stopped rioting. He was right about one thing, she was enjoying having her ass played with. Way more than she’d ever thought possible just a few days ago.His hand came to her hip, stroking gentle circles as he began to press into her ass. By now she was almost used to the slight stretch, the tiny bit of pain that came as he crossed the threshold before her body adjusted. Then, it was only pleasure as he slowly pushed in further.They groaned in unison, and Rey felt his hips begin to brush up against the raw skin of her ass. She tried to press back, but his hands kept her in place.“Slowly,” he whispered, his chest folding across the length of her back. “This can’t be rushed.” Rey whined through the gag, but didn’t press any further. All she could do was grip the sheets and feel him bearing down into her. His hands came around to her front as he kissed at her shoulder, groping at her neglected breasts.  She shuddered as he began to pull at her nipples, the sensation running down her front and straight to her core.A hand roamed down to her clit as he began to thrust slowly. “Fuck, you’re so tight,” Ben groaned as his fingers circled the sensitive nub. Part of her wished that she could tell him just how amazing it felt, but if she did, she’d be unable to stop herself from moaning. She’d probably lose control completely. Even now, it was only hanging on by a thread.Ben’s thick fingers found their way lower, slipping inside her easily, and Rey groaned at the delicious feeling of her poor, empty pussy finally being filled with something substantial. She could grind against his palm and chase her own pleasure as he pulled in and out at a tortuous pace, grunting little obscenities in her ear.“Come for me, baby.”“So good, so tight.”“God, you moan so pretty.”She could feel the sweat dripping from his chest and brow as his pace increased slowly, pushing the limits of his control. Ben dipped between her clit and her cunt until finally she came again, collapsing into the bed sheets while he held her hips up.“Fuck! Rey-” he groaned, and she knew he was just on the edge of his own orgasm. Her eyes flitted to the mirror and saw the ecstasy on his face just as a silent moan hit him, and then the telltale push against her inner walls. For a moment he seemed stuck over her, unwilling to move, but then he pushed forward one last time and leaned against her back.“God-” he choked. Rey thought he had more to say, but words had left him. After another moment of stillness, he began to kiss her neck tenderly, removing the gag as he went. Rey watched as he lifted himself up and slowly pulled out, making both of them groan. Rey flipped onto her back as Ben headed into the bathroom, content to relax a moment while he washed up. He returned with more kisses for her lips and a warm smile when they pulled apart.“That was amazing,” she whispered as she stroked his cheek. “Better than I ever thought.” “You’re amazing,” he said, turning his head to kiss her fingers. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.” Rey laughed at that and they got lost between each other’s lips for another long moment. Then Ben settled onto the bed and gave her some water to sip as they cuddled. “What about round two?” She said with a sly smile.Ben’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Round two?”Rey nodded, a flush coloring her cheeks. “There are a few other places you could stick your cock in.”With a sharp laugh, Ben pulled her tighter. “Give me some time to recover, and my cock’s all yours.” She smiled and sipped her water, content to lay in his arms for now.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After a brief nap, Rey uncurled herself from Ben and stretched her body, her fingers and toes reaching and bending as her spine sorted itself out. She felt deliciously tired and yet fully awake at the same time. The only thing missing from her world -besides Ben’s cock inside her- was a nice cup of hot tea. There was a little teapot in the room, but the little tea bags were all caffeinated teas. It was too late for that if she wanted any sort of decent night’s sleep. Turning back to Ben, she noticed he had been watching her contentedly, still sleepy from his own orgasm. Rey smiled and kneeled onto the bed by his side. “I’m going to go to the vending machine to see if they have that hot yuzu and honey tea.” He took her wrist, his thumb running across the length of it as he smiled. “I’ll go with you.” Rey laughed and leaned down to kiss him. “No need. It’s just down the hall.”Ben made a face like he wanted to go anyway just because, but let go of her wrist so she could get dressed. She kissed him once more before grabbing her wallet and key card and heading out the door. The vending machine was right by the elevator banks in a little room that faced the city lights below. At night the lights were off and it made the world outside seem almost like another galaxy. Rey smiled as she entered, noticing a man sitting on one of the couches and looking out at the world as if he too enjoyed the view. For a moment she lingered to watch as well, then turned to the machine and got out the right coins. Just when she’d picked up her tea from the dispenser, a voice came out from the darkness.“Pardon me, miss. Would you mind getting me one as well?”

Rey turned and saw the old man looking back at her with a smile, some coins in his hand. There was something wrong with his face, but in the darkness it was hard to place it. Perhaps he was just very old. “Of course,” she said, stepping over to take the money. A shiver passed down her spine as she did, but Rey attributed it to the strange feel of his wrinkled fingers. The man had been holding a cane in his other hand, so clearly he was just getting up there in years. Coming back from the machine, she came around the couch to hand him the tea, noticing he was wearing an elegant kimono in a deep brown color that was covered by a thick silk overcoat of an almost golden color. From this side, Rey could see the deep, sunken scar in the middle of his forehead as well as the way his skin stretched around the missing bones of his cheek and jaw. She swallowed down her discomfort and smiled as she handed him the change and the warm little bottle of tea.“Thank you, my dear,” he told her with a grotesque smile. “Would you care to join me while we enjoy our beverages?” It felt incredibly rude to say no to this old man, who obviously had trouble moving around on his own, so Rey sat by his side, suddenly understanding every school mate she ever had who complained about their scary old grandparents.Still, she twisted off the cap of her drink and took a gulp. Thankfully the old man seemed to be able to open his drink himself and she watched him as he sipped it slowly.

“Your English is very good,” she said after a long moment of silence. “Yes, I was an interpreter during the war.” Rey’s eyebrows raised as she wondered which war he meant and how old he must have been, if it was the war she was thinking of. Clearly his injuries had been because of it.The man smiled as he watched her confusion. “What’s your name, my child?”“R-Rey.”

The man’s smile grew and so did the creepy feeling in Rey’s gut. “Ah, a lovely name. Tell me, do you know a man named Ben Solo?”Rey’s heart seized immediately and she sprang up from the couch. It was until she saw Hux entering the room and heading straight towards her that she realized the danger she’d instinctively sensed was very real indeed.

“You do, don’t you,” the man said, still seated on the couch, as calm as before. “I’m his master, Snoke. A pleasure to finally meet you.” Rey backed away, not eager to be manhandled by Hux again, but found herself pressed against the cold glass of the window. Snoke’s eyes followed her. “I wonder what two cousins have been doing, holed up in a small hotel room with only one bed for several hours.” She opened her mouth to protest, only to find no words would come. Her heart was pounding faster than she’d ever felt before, and all she could think to do was run. If she could make it past Hux.“Any insight you can give us, Rey?” the old man continued. “Perhaps you were playing some board games?”An answer didn’t come quickly. There was no reason for Ben to tell anyone (except maybe that one person in the train station) that they were cousins. Why would he even tell his master that?“I don’t understand,” she started to say, just as two more figures appeared in the doorway. Her heart sped up even before she looked up to see them.

“No matter, child. I already know what you and my wayward apprentice have been up to these past few days. But before you go back to your room, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter.” Snoke’s hand raised and he beckoned the two figures forward. Rey recognized the woman in the back, the blonde with deep red lipstick that reminded her of fresh blood. The smaller, elegant-looking, black-haired woman in Phasma’s grasp had a look of pure rage on her face.“Father, what sort of idiocy are you trying now?” she seethed. Snoke ignored the comment and smiled at Rey. “Rey, this is Bazine, Ben’s fiancée. Bazine, this is Rey, your fiancé’s new little plaything.” Rey’s heart dropped at his words, but she noticed Bazine rolling her eyes dramatically before she turned to Rey with a polite smile. “Nice to meet you, Rey. Don’t worry about all this. Father keeps insisting that I am to marry Ben, but I’m not interested in him. Or in men. At all.”Frowning, Rey took a step to the side, away from Hux who had been inching closer to her.“I see…” she said slowly, still trying to pull the pieces together out of thin air. Snoke was upset that she had come into the picture, that Ben had betrayed him, that his daughter wasn’t willing to marry a man. Her gut curled with anger at the man for being so close-minded, so old fashioned, but her hackles were still raised. She felt pinned to the spot, waiting for Snoke to lash out again like a snake trying to catch cornered prey. But she wasn’t going to stand there and take it.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Bazine,” she managed. “I’m glad to hear I’m not actually stealing anyone’s boyfriend.”  Snoke’s smile had morphed into an unhappy scowl, making Rey’s skin crawl even more. “Bazine will marry Ben, and that is final. I won’t let an interloper like you interfere with my plans.”Rey balked for a moment, horrified that a parent would do such a thing to their own child. “That’s fucked up. You don’t own Ben or your daughter. They aren’t dolls for you to play house with.” Snoke’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed Rey before speaking again. “My apprentice has always known that his role comes with certain requirements, and that taking the name of Ren and becoming the eventual master after my death demands even more responsibility. This is his fate, one he chose for himself.”

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. “It’s a job, not a fucking monarchy! Ben still has the right to choose who he wants to be with, and so does your daughter!”He glared at her for a moment, then his twisted maw curled into a smile and Snoke threw his head back and laughed. When his laughter subsided, he focused his gaze back on Rey. “How little you know. This is not the West, girl. Things are different here in Japan. It is not uncommon here to arrange a marriage for the child of a great house.”Bazine scoffed at that, but quieted when Snoke looked over at her with an icy glare. He turned back to Rey, with a sly grin. “There is another matter you should know about. His betrothal isn’t the only thing my apprentice hasn’t been entirely honest with you about.” Rey’s stomach sank. Of course she didn’t know everything about Ben yet, and the revelation about Bazine was unsettling, but some small part of her brain had been counting on this mess being nothing but a bunch of dramatics. That Snoke was just a crazy old man bent on marrying off his unwilling daughter. Then she could just run back to the room, and everything could turn back to normal. She didn’t know if her heart could carry any more secrets and still make it back to Ben in one piece.“What the fuck is going on here?” Ben’s voice boomed from the doorway. Rey looked up to see him frowning in concern at her. He stalked forward, reaching out to rip Bazine away from Phasma, who curled her lips and growled at him.“Thanks,” Bazine huffed, brushing her sleeve off as Ben continued past her, his gaze fixed on Snoke.“I was just about to tell your pretty little mistress here about your duties as my apprentice,” Snoke said calmly. “And of course, I introduced her to your bride-to-be, so she understands whose home she is wrecking.”Ben scowled and pushed past Hux, immediately wrapping an arm around Rey. “Listen, old man, I’ve told you a million times that I won’t marry Bazine, and so has she. How many more times will it take to get it through your thick skull that your daughter isn’t interested in men?”Rey felt comforted by Ben’s presence, but her mind was swirling and she was beginning to feel nauseous. She just wanted to leave already and head back to the comfort of their room.“Yes, your little whore came to the same conclusion as well,” Snoke said calmly. “So I figured it would be best to tell her about your… other duties.” Ben’s grip on her shoulder tightened and Rey looked up at him to see his jaw clench. “Ben?” she asked softly. He didn’t look down at her.“Don’t you think it’s strange he never let you see him working? Wouldn’t you have liked to see him creating a beautiful piece of calligraphy? What a special experience for a tourist to be invited into a private studio to see a traditional art form being practiced. Would be something to write home about.”“Sensei,” Ben growled. “Your handsome beau here is not only an accomplished calligrapher, but a supremely talented counterfeiter,” Snoke said with a chuckle. “Tell me, girl. Have you heard of the yakuza? The Japanese mafia?”“Counterfeiting?” Rey asked as she watched Ben swallow hard. “Is it true?”“Oh, yes,” Snoke answered. “Allow me to show you what he was working on before he left for your dinner engagement.” The old man raised a hand up expectantly, and within a moment, Phasma had produced a crisp folder from a briefcase. Snoke opened the folder and turned it around so that Rey could see the form written in Japanese.

Rey frowned, clutching Ben’s shirt tighter in her fist. “I can’t read that. What is it supposed to prove to me?” “This is a bank transfer form that allows for the transfer of six hundred million yen from a global corporation to our client, for services rendered,” Snoke said, his lips curling into a grin. “The form itself is real, but Ben copied the hand writing, and the personal stamp of the bank president.”

“So?” Rey spat.

“Ah yes, you might not know what a personal seal is,” Snoke continued, ignoring Rey’s question. “We use it here as a sort of signature, a mostly foolproof way to prove identity. Obviously we’ve found a way to recreate them with a great deal of success.”

“That still proves nothing,” she growled, irritated now. Rey looked up at Ben hoping to find some sort of reassurance or anger on his face. Now she was convinced this was all some stupid game his boss was playing. Payback for rejecting his wishes. Only there was nothing but fear etched into his eyes. Fear that made her stomach curl into a tight knot and filled her mind with worry and her throat with bile.She didn’t notice Hux stepping forward until Ben began to pull her away from him.

“Relax, Solo,” he laughed as his pale fingers unlocked his phone. “I’m not going to grab your girl again.”A moment later, Hux shoved the screen in her face as a video played. Ben was hunched over a desk, several pieces of paper surrounding the one he was working on. One looked like the red stamp on the form Snoke had shown her, only much larger. Another looked like a signature. Yet another looked like neat rows of handwriting. It didn’t look anything like calligraphy.The Ben in the video turned his head towards the camera.

“You’re fucking with my concentration, asshat,” he growled. “Why the fuck are you even filming?”Behind the camera, Hux snickered quietly. “Client wanted proof.”Ben groaned and turned back to his work. “Ridiculous.” The camera lingered over his shoulder, growing closer as Ben’s hand copied the neat lines of handwriting, each stroke placed perfectly. Then it stopped. “Rey,” the real Ben beside her said, his voice weak with desperation. “It’s not like he says-”“Oh, but it is,” Snoke growled. “He knew that in joining my house, he would be participating in organized crime. One might even say he did so with great enthusiasm.”

Rey felt her head swirl again. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. Even if she couldn’t understand the sheet of paper, the video was far more damning. But organized crime? Her Ben? It didn’t make sense. It didn’t seem right at all. “Did you enjoy your time in Hakone, Rey?”Snoke’s voice shocked her out of her head, and she looked up at him. “Ben received a stay at that ryokan as payment for his services. He helped a high-ranking yakuza create an impenetrable alibi. The man avoided a lot of jail time and has been showering Ben with gifts ever since.”“What?” she said, her voice barely loud enough for anyone to hear. “And you’ve seen his tattoo, correct? You must have with all the fooling around you’ve been doing together. That, my dear, was done by a master artist. It’s not the sort of thing just anyone gets. It’s very painful, the technique they use, the yakuza only get it done to prove their courage and loyalty. Once you have one, you can no longer be a part of polite Japanese society again.”Her mouth opened in shock, and she would have fallen to the ground if it weren’t for Ben’s arm tightening around her. All she could think about was Ben sitting outside the baths, waiting for her. How he’d shied away from showing her the tattoo in the first place. His careful explanation of the taboo. He hadn’t mentioned anything about the yakuza.

“Rey, it’s not like he says,” Ben repeated quickly as their eyes met, panic overtaking his features. “He was the one who forced me to do it. I would have never-”She didn’t hear the rest of his words as the white noise in her head overtook everything else. Ben was a counterfeiter. A criminal. He worked with the yakuza. The beautiful tiger tattoo that covered his back was proof of that. It all made sense now, as much as she hated how the pieces were starting to come together. Why he told his master they were cousins. Why he never showed her anything about his calligraphy, except for the one photo when she’d pressed him for it. Even that time Mitaka had warned her about Ben being around strange people. She hadn’t seen it. She couldn’t have seen it, but the clues were building up around her all the same. He wasn’t who he said he was. Rey had known too many men who lied to her. And she’d made a promise to herself long ago to never give them a second chance to hurt her again.There was only one thing left to do now.She pulled herself away from Ben’s grasp, only to have Hux grab at her. Rey screamed as his fingers wrapped around her sweatshirt and pulled her roughly, only to have Ben slam into him a moment later.

“LET HER GO!”Snoke tutted from his seat on the couch, calm as ever despite the chaos. “You’re causing a scene. Let the girl do as she wishes.” Hux’s fingers loosened and Rey bolted down the hallway, catching a glimpse of Bazine’s mournful face as she left. Once she got to the door, she tried it desperately before remembering the key card. Her shaky fingers fumbled and dropped it on the ground, and by then he was already there.

“Rey-”There was no way she dared to look up. She didn’t know what she’d see there, what emotions were on his face, and she didn’t trust herself. Or him.He had lied to her. He had never told her the truth about himself. Just like the others. The little beep sounded and told her that she’d succeeded in opening the hotel door. Gripping the handle she opened the door just enough to slide inside and slam it behind her before Ben could even slip a foot in. She immediately flipped the lock on the door and sank to the ground.“Rey!” she heard him yell before the telltale beep happened again and she scrambled to stand and latch the bolt, backing away from it as Ben began to pound on the door.

“Rey! Please let me in!” Her chest was still heaving from everything that just happened, and nausea flooded her senses. Her heart felt like it was in her ears the way it was pounding. Tears began to stream down her face as she looked around the room and saw the remnants of their lovemaking and his things.For a moment Rey sat down on the bed and tried to steady herself. Her whole world felt like it had been flipped on its head. Just minutes ago they had been so happy together, so in sync, so in love. She had trusted him with her whole heart and her whole body, given herself over willingly because their connection was so strong. And now… she realized she was a fool for letting it happen.This hurt worse than all the times she was abandoned. She’d grown used to being left behind, so much so that she thought it that was the worst feeling in the world. Ben had just proven her wrong because whatever this was, it hurt far more than being unwanted.Her hand curled around his phone, wishing she had the strength to crush it. When she couldn’t she flung it against the carpeted floor where it landed with an unsatisfying thud. Her frustration building, Rey covered her hands with her face, desperate for some kind of release from her pain.“Rey!” Ben cried out between each pound on the door, startling her from her thoughts. “Please let me talk to you! Let me explain!” She looked up, tears drying on their own accord. Suddenly there was no question what she wanted, at least in that very moment, and the only thing in her way was Ben himself.In a whirlwind of anger, she grabbed the phone off the floor, the toys off the bed, and everything else of his that she could find. She shoved everything she could into his bag, and the rest into the bag of sex toys that she was meant to take home. All of it had to go. She scoured the bathroom, under the bed, between the sheets, looking for every last physical trace of him. When she had searched every corner, she grabbed the bags and headed to the door. The knocking had grown quieter, just a soft thud now and then along with a strangled groan of “Rey.” Rey breathed in deeply, filling her lungs with too much air and making her throat sting. It hurt, but so did everything else. She pressed a hand to the door and breathed out. “Get away from the door,” she growled.There was silence from behind the wood, and then. “What?”“Get away from the door,” Rey repeated, her voice growing angrier. She pressed her eye to the peephole and watched as Ben slowly pushed himself away from the door. There were tears streaming down his face, and that made part of her want to relent, to listen, but she tamped it down. It was his fault, and his fault alone. When his back hit the opposite wall, she slowly slid the bolt out of the latch, careful to watch him for any sudden movements. When he made none, she switched the lock on the door and put a hand on it. Ben was completely still. As quickly as she could, she turned the handle and opened it, placing herself in the narrow space so that there was no way he could squeeze in without pushing her. But he didn’t move.Rey watched him with narrowed eyes for just a moment as his mouth dropped open and a quiet “Rey, please” escaped his lips. Then she threw the bags at his feet and watched him flinch. “Leave,” she said with all the coldness she could muster, and then she slammed the door shut, locking it once more. Bolt in place. Her legs gave out on her then and she crumbled to the floor. Tears were beginning to well up again in her eyes, and her chest felt so tight that breathing was painful. Behind her there were two footsteps. She felt them more than heard them, the soft vibration running through the ground below her. There was a noise. Whether it was a word or a sob she could not tell, but the only thing that was important was the fall of more footsteps after what seemed like an eternity, growing softer and softer as they took Ben away.He was gone now and her world had grown quiet once more, now that she was alone again. That thought brought her some comfort, and enough energy to pull herself into the bed where she curled up under the covers with a pillow. As she breathed in and salty tears trickled down her cheeks uncontrollably, she realized the sheets were filled with his scent. A painful reminder that once again, she had been tricked into depending on someone else, that there was something better out there for her than what she’d had to make do with in the past. She desperately wanted it to be with him, and the knowledge that he thought nothing of lying to her and using her was almost too much to bear. Somehow, Rey managed to cry herself to sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Rey woke up feeling sore and groggy. It was definitely too early, judging by the lack of light peeking out from the curtains, but of course she couldn’t fall back asleep.

She did try, burying herself under the covers and closing her eyes in some vain effort to escape from the realities of being awake again. But despite all her efforts, she just wound up crying into her pillow until it was soaked through and she was mad at herself for crying so much.After that, she laid in bed feeling sorry for herself and scrolling through her phone between bouts of tears, letting the hours lapse slowly until finally she figured she should get ready and finish packing. It was a long train ride back to the airport and the hotel checkout was at noon.A shower helped somewhat, or at least it rid her of any clinging scents and made her feel a little more refreshed. Packing was slightly more complicated than before with all the little gifts she acquired, but she managed. It felt good putting everything away, like she might be able to just leave it all behind once she zipped up her suitcase and walked out the door. Maybe by the time she got on the plane, all her feelings about Ben would be behind her. Maybe by the time she landed in LA, everything would be alright again.Which made it even more fucking infuriating when she found the little dufflebag left outside the door just as she was leaving the room.A quick peek into its contents and Rey realized Ben had left the sex toys behind. Just the sex toys. WHY, she didn’t know, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to leave it there for someone else to find. Cursing, she rammed it all into her suitcase somehow, and finally headed downstairs to check out.She tried to pretend like the staff weren’t giving her strange looks. Thank goodness it was a short process. Ben had paid for the room in full. Least he could fucking do, she thought as she gave the receptionist her best fake smile.Out on the streets, she felt positively exposed. Like any minute now, Ben or Hux or Snoke -or maybe even worse than that- might appear to torment her again. But no one popped out of the woodwork as she bought herself a little bento to eat on the train to the airport, or as she waited for the train.Once she boarded, she felt a little calmer, as if now she could begin to leave it all behind. Since there wasn’t any scenery to watch, she opened up her bento and tried to dig into the rich pork and rice meal. But everything she put in her mouth tasted like nothing, and her eyes began to fill with tears as she took a big bite, so she closed the lid and put her chopsticks away. Her hunger and sorrow turned to nausea and she had to close her eyes.When she opened them, there were lush trees just outside the window as the train zoomed past. The greenery felt soothing in a strange way, and Rey realized that despite the events of last night, she was going to miss Japan terribly. The country itself had been so wonderful, so beautiful, and she didn’t want Ben to taint all her memories of this trip.

She hadn’t really mentioned him to anyone back home yet, unsure of where the relationship would be going. Maybe, just maybe, she could pretend like none of the bad things had ever happened, that she and Ben had never met. She could tell everyone that she had a wonderful trip.By the time the train had reached the terminus, Rey had made up her mind. Ben didn’t need to be anything more than a secret fling that was pleasant while it lasted until it wasn’t pleasant anymore. And maybe one day she could confess it over several drinks with friends and the story could end with a “but he was a jerk, so we didn’t keep in touch.” She’d be greeted with a round of “ugh, men are terrible.” Maybe she’d have someone else in her life by then.Deep in her thoughts, she located her check-in counter and, beside it, Ben.“Rey,” he groaned as he lurched into her field of view, his desperate, tired eyes searching hers.She gasped and quickly looked away, but not before she saw the dark bags under his eyes and the dark bruise at the edge of his mouth. Somehow she hadn’t expected him to show up all the way out here. It was more than an hour’s train ride from Shinjuku. Her heart began to pound and her mouth went dry. It was supposed to be over now, but here he was.“Please, can we talk about this before you go.” Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the check-in counter she needed and tried to plot a course to it that took her around Ben. There was no real escape in the open concourse before the security checkpoint. The only thing that separated people were vinyl rope barriers than anyone could easily duck under or move.She could run to one of the bathrooms, but eventually she’d have to check in or risk missing her flight. And if Ben had come all the way out here to talk to her, chances are he’d wait for her until she reappeared. Thankfully she was sure he wouldn’t try to hurt her or grab at her, so she steeled herself and walked around him as if he were merely an object in her way. Rey did not miss the way his face fell as she did.“Rey!”He must have been in shock for a few moments because she had nearly made it into the ropes before he caught up to her. Thankfully the line was empty and she had a straight shot to an open counter, but Rey could feel the eyes of the airport staff and several passengers on her already. Her heart began to pound in her ears again.“Rey, I swear, all I want to do is apologize and talk.”Rey kept her eyes on the woman behind the counter as she placed her passport there. The agent was looking back and forth between the two of them, trying to decipher the situation and how to proceed.“I’d like to check in for my flight,” Rey said with all the calm she could muster, and the agent’s eyes snapped back to hers.

“What’s your destination?” she asked, putting on her best customer service smile.

“L-Los Angeles.”

An awkward silence grew as the agent took her passport to scan it in, but it was quickly filled by Ben. “Please Rey, I don’t want you to leave like this. It’s not like Snoke said at all, he forced me-”“Do you have any dangerous items in your checked luggage or your carry-on bags?” The agent cut in, pointing to a sign on the counter. “Any lithium batteries?”“No,” Rey told her. “Rey,” Ben groaned, running a hand through his hair and beginning to pace back and forth. “Please don’t ignore me.” “Has anyone packed your bags for you or given you anything to carry onto this flight?”

“No,” Rey responded, keeping her eyes on the agent in front of her, the way her fingers glided over her keyboard with ease. It didn’t escape her notice how the agent’s eyes carefully looked up at Ben in trepidation. She silently prayed that she would hurry up and so Rey could go through security and get away from Ben.“Fine, if you won’t listen to me, then I’ll just tell you-”

“Have you been in control of your baggage this entire time?” the agent interjected, trying desperately to speak over Ben, who was getting louder and louder.“All I wanted was to study calligraphy, and no other house would accept me because I was a foreigner. No one told me who Snoke did business with!  No one told me until I had already joined! I had no choice!”

Rey wanted to scream about how much she didn’t care about how he’d misled her, how he pretended like he cared about her, and would have kept on misleading her if Snoke hadn’t said anything. But she focused on keeping the tears from spilling out.“Goddammit, Rey! Just fucking look at me! Please!” Ben’s fist landed on the counter violently, making Rey flinch and the desk agent and several other people around them gasp. Her control was beginning to slip and she took a deep ragged breath as her heart rang in her ears.

Suddenly there was a flurry of motion from behind the counters, and two men climbed out and surrounded her.

“Miss Niima, you’ve been given a complimentary upgrade to business class for being such a loyal customer. Please allow me to escort you to the business class lounge.”Rey’s mouth flapped open and she wanted to protest as the agent came around the counter. She wasn’t a loyal customer at all. Why was she getting upgraded? Why couldn’t this whole thing just be over and done with so she could go through security?One of the other agents took her suitcase and began to roll it, while the woman bowed and gestured for Rey to follow. “This way please.”Rey stepped away from the counter, praying that the agents would get her away from all this.

“Rey!” Ben shouted as soon as she was a few feet away.She turned to see him reaching for her as male agents in suits surrounded him. Some of them looked like they were undercover police. Their eyes locked for a brief moment as Ben struggled against them, and then she turned away quickly.The woman was looking at her expectantly, gesturing again with a slight bow for Rey to follow. She took a wobbly step forward and let the tears finally run down her face.  Instead of a business class lounge, Rey found herself in what looked like a small police station within the concourse. She was led into a small meeting room with her luggage, and the agent sat down next to her at the table as two security officers sat opposite her.

“Miss Niima, I apologize for the inconvenience, but these officers have a few more questions for you before you go through security,” the agent smiled. Rey finally noticed the name tag that read “Keiko” and nodded. “Miss… Niima,” one of the officers began. “Who is the man who followed you to the check-in counter?”Rey opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a harsh noise that immediately made her cough. One of the men jumped up and quickly came back with an offering of water. She gulped it down quickly and tried again.

“We were… seeing each other, but we had a fight last night and broke up,” she managed to spit out.

“He isn’t trying to traffic you or get you to carry anything in your bags for him?” Rey shook her head. “No, nothing like that. It was just a personal matter, I swear.” She watched as the men wrote down their notes and took another sip of cool water. Her throat already felt dry again, like it was closing in on her, like she was about to cry again. She wiped her eyes as the tears fell and Keiko offered her a little packet of tissues.

“Thank you,” Rey whispered hoarsely. Part of her wondered what these strangers thought of her after the scene Ben caused and the utter mess she was now, but the security officers just finished their notes and waited until she seemed ready to speak again.“Does this man live with you?” Rey’s throat caught. “No, he lives here in Japan.”That prompted more scribbling from the detectives and her heart dropped. “Where?”

“N-near Shinjuku.”Rey closed her eyes as the detectives hummed and resumed their notetaking. Silently she cursed Ben for making such a scene and causing her this much trouble. If she missed her flight, her boss might fire her when she got back home.“One more thing, Miss Niima. Would you like to press charges for harassment?”For a long moment, Rey couldn’t answer the question. Her brain ran through simulations of what could happen next, none of them ended happily and her chest felt tight at the thought of Ben’s connection to the yakuza being exposed. What if they chased after her for retribution? All she wanted to do was get on her plane and leave.

“You arrested him?” The security officers gave each other a serious look before the older one turned back to her. “He is being detained until we finish questioning you both. This is an airport, and as you could tell from our questions, we were concerned about some kind of illegal activity occurring. Even if that is not the case, we do not want to release him if he is a danger to others.” Rey nodded her understanding. “I don’t want to press charges.”Maybe she should have said something in Bens’ defense, told them that he wasn’t a danger to others, but part of her was scared she’d let something else slip. All she could do is watch the officers and wait for their next question.“That is all, Miss Niima,” they told her as they stood. “Please have a pleasant and safe journey home.” Keiko smiled and led her out of the office, where another agent was waiting for them with Rey’s tickets and luggage tags. She was walked over to another check-in counter, a luxurious space obviously meant for VIP passengers, where her checked bag was loaded onto the conveyor belt. She accompanied Rey through the security and customs checks as well, offering brief explanations to the officers there in Japanese that made Rey flush with embarrassment. By now probably half the airport staff knew about what happened. She just wanted to hide somewhere. If only she could teleport home and curl up in her own bed and cry.Instead, Keiko let her to a business class lounge and showed her all its features. There was a buffet, showers, chairs you could lie down on, and comfortable stations for laptops.

“Would you like me to get you anything? Something to eat or to drink?”Rey nodded, and Keiko left for the buffet. It was only then that Rey realized she had broken out into a sweat that made her feel sticky and grimey. Looking around the fancy leather chairs full of business people in suits, and those dressed more casually, but with an air of sophistication, she felt out of place. She was a mess, as if she’d already been on a plane for hours. Her mind wandered to the shower rooms, but she already felt bad enough being let into this fancy lounge for causing a scene. It wouldn’t be right to make more work for someone.“Here you are, Miss Niima,” Keiko said, gracefully depositing a little plate of bread, cheese, and fruit before her, along with a bottle of water. “Please relax until it’s time to board your flight. I’ll return to help you board.”

“Thank you,” Rey said hoarsely, unable to properly express her gratitude. Her mouth was too dry, her throat felt like it couldn’t move. Her whole body felt ready to revolt against her. Keiko just smiled and bowed before she exited. Rey watched her go and turned to the food. She nearly inhaled the water, desperate to ease her parched throat. The fruit went down easily enough too, slippery and wet and soothing. She didn’t even try to touch the cheese. She closed her eyes and curled up on the oversized chair. It was too loud to sleep properly - too many announcements, quiet conversations, and people shuffling around the lounge. But maybe if she didn’t move, time would slip by a little faster or she would feel a little better.Untold minutes passed like that until a hand touched her shoulder and Rey nearly screamed. Instead she gasped loudly and opened her eyes to see Keiko standing above her.“Apologies for waking you, Miss Niima. It is time to board your flight.”Keiko led her through the concourse past several little shops and restaurants that would have been alluring if Rey had been in a better mood. The journey was a lot longer than expected, making Rey ache for the comfort of the chair in the lounge, but finally they reached the gate.

There, Keiko presented her passport and ticket to the agent there, and the two of them led Rey down the jetway and onto the plane. She tried not to stare in envy at the fancy, comfortable-looking seats, but was quickly stopped by Keiko.

“Here is your seat, Miss Niima.” Rey blinked. They weren’t in economy yet, and the seat Keiko was pointing to was massive.“This is my seat?”Keiko nodded and smiled.

“But I had an economy seat…” Rey said, losing her train of thought as she looked over the little alcove. A screen had been pulled so that the person seated next to her could not see into her space.

“We decided to upgrade you considering the circumstances,” Keiko said politely. “I hope you have a pleasant flight, Miss Niima.”Rey’s mouth hung open for a moment, then she remembered to be polite.

“Thank you,” she murmured as hot tears began to fall down her cheeks. She stowed her bag and climbed into the seat, still crying. She cried as the flight attendant handed her a glass of champagne, which she downed quickly. She cried as the rest of the plane boarded, and as the crew did the safety briefing.By the time the plane had reached altitude, her tears had run dry and she was bone tired. She reclined her seat as far as it would go, but just as she was about to curl up and sleep on the rather spacious seat, the flight attendant offered to make it a lay flat bed.Rey got out and watched the man spread out sheets and a pillow with weary eyes until he allowed her to clamber back in. “Would you like me to wake you for meal service?” he said just as she clicked her seatbelt closed.“No. Thank you.”Once she was settled, Rey fell into a strange half-sleep. The noise and movements of the plane filtered into strange, anxious dreams where she felt trapped by something larger than her. A few times something jostled her awake momentarily, but a moment later she would slip back into unconsciousness.Finally she woke up to a pain in her stomach. As she began to sit up, she realized that the champagne from earlier had been a mistake. Her stomach pinged and cramped with discomfort, making her reach for the call button.

Thankfully the flight attendant was more than happy to return her seat to normal and bring her a meal. Her eyes bugged out as he returned with a tablecloth and actual cutlery, then began to serve her food on actual plates. This time she was able to eat slowly, but surely.  It was midday by the time Rey landed, and the bright sun pierced her eyes when she stepped outside to wait for Finn. Despite having slept for most of the flight, she still felt weary and ready to close her eyes again.She was relieved when Finn pulled up in his beat up white sedan and jumped out to help her with the suitcases.“Heeeey,” he said, wrapping her in a tight hug. “You look like you had a rough flight.”

“Yeah,” she said hoarsely, wrapping her arms around Finn. His hug was just what she needed. Love from someone steadfast and true. Someone who would never hurt her like Ben had. She melted into the embrace until Finn pulled back.“C’mon, let’s get you home.”Her suitcase stowed away in the trunk, Rey melted into Finn’s front seat. It felt good to sit and not have to do anything but breathe.“So how was your trip?”Rey’s heart dropped at the question. Of course he’d ask. Of course everyone would ask. Trips were exciting, and everyone always wanted to gush over their experiences, their photos, and get jealous that someone had been lucky enough to go someplace so cool. She’d have to come up with a good answer.“Good, good,” she mumbled, hoping she sounded casual enough. Even if she wanted to mention Ben, her brain was barely functioning. She was beginning to daydream about her own bed, lying in wait for her just a short drive away.“That’s it? Just good?” Finn asked incredulously.Rey laughed at that. “I’ll tell you more when I don’t feel like death, I promise.”  
TWO MONTHS LATER
Rey was busy. Work always had plenty of tasks to take on, so she’d sit at her desk and work until it was late enough that her gym wouldn’t be so crowded. Then she’d exercise until her playlist ended or her muscles grew too sore. By that time, she was usually starving, so the rest of her evening was spent making herself an elaborate dinner and plopping in front of her couch for a binge watch. After that, it would be time to sleep and start again.She spent at least a few hours each weekend with Rose and Finn, though now that they were dating and Rose had recovered from mono, that time tended to be shorter. Rey understood. Couples needed their alone time after all, and they kept their PDA to a minimum. Her other friends weren’t quite as reliable, but she usually could convince one or two to get lunch or take a hike with her. And that was only if she couldn’t line up a date or two for the weekend.Online dating was always something Rey had avoided before, but now just seemed like a good time to drive into it. She needed to move on, after all. No sense lingering over a week-long fling, it would be better to just find someone one new, to write over what happened between her and Ben, to make her forget it all.She knew it wasn’t going to be that easy finding what she wanted from an app, so she didn’t mind when several of her first tries didn’t work out. It was necessary. She had to learn the ropes, figure out what she wanted, and how to get it in a culture that tended to encourage hookups. And anyway, good things came to those who waited. So she’d wait.The only problem was that it was so horribly unsatisfying. Her life was dull and repetitive. Even a first or second date with someone new and interesting felt like routine. All she had to do was say the same things, laugh at the same jokes, smile the same smile, and then pretend not to be disappointed when there was no spark. Worst of all, she instinctively compared them to Ben and sent herself down spirals of self-pity.The only moments that brought her any joy were the ones spent with her friends, but she couldn’t lean on them to ease all of her loneliness. She’d been too ashamed to even tell them about Ben, she wasn’t even sure they’d understand her if she did. To them, she’d had a perfectly fun trip to Japan.So she kept trying to fill her time with other people, with distractions. Somehow. But sometimes, even when she was successful, her dreams would be filled with Ben chasing her through some crowded place while she ran and cried for help. Those dreams left her shaken and even more determined to replace him somehow.

She just had to keep trying. So she did. Except some days, if it had been a particularly bad day at work or she had an extremely disappointing date, she would break out the sex toys he’d bought her, and make herself come again and again until all she could do was think about him and cry.All she could do was use her frustration to motivate her more. There had to be someone else for her. There had to be a way to push through all this and finally get over Ben Solo. It just took time, patience, hard work. Rey could make it through. She had practice.And that was why it surprised her when suddenly Ben Solo’s face appeared on her news feed and her heart fluttered with excitement.
American Whistleblower Arrested in Japanese Counterfeiting Ring
Rey stared at the headline in shock before her eyes darted up to the photo of Ben in handcuffs being led away by several policemen. For a moment she squinted and wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but no. His face may have been caught in a grimace and he might have looked exhausted, but that was Ben.“What the fuck,” she whispered to no one in particular, even though Kaydel could probably hear her from the otherside of the cubicle wall.
American-born calligrapher, Kylo Ren, also known as Benjamin Solo, was arrested today along with several other members of the calligraphy school where he apprenticed for many years. The arrests came after Kylo Ren came to police with allegations that the head of the calligraphy school, calligraphy master Snoke Ren, used his apprentices to provide counterfeited documents to the Japanese organized crime groups, or yakuza.

Snoke Ren was also arrested along with another apprentice, Armitage Hux, and an accomplice, Gwen Phasma, both UK citizens. Soon after several members of well-known yakuza families were also arrested. Japanese police have not released any further information about the case except to say that there will be a thorough investigation of the Ren School of Calligraphy.

Solo is the son of California Congresswoman, Leia Organa, and her husband Han Solo, who passed away in 2012. 
“What the fuck,” Rey repeated to herself, just a little louder. She froze at the sound of her own words, suddenly more conscious of if she was heard.After several tense seconds, maybe minutes, no one came or popped their head over her cubicle walls, and so she re-opened the tab and kept reading. Most of the rest of the article focused on explaining the yakuza, as well as Japan’s strict legal system and how they could imprison foreign citizens. When she googled Ben’s name, several more articles came up. None of them offered her any more insight into Ben’s situation except to say that the Japanese criminal justice system was quite severe.Desperate, she kept scrolling until she hit a few articles in Japanese. They all used the same photos of him, and every single article was rendered absolutely unreadable by Google Translate.Rey sat back at her desk and tried not to scream in frustration. She needed more information, the curiosity itching beneath her skin even though she didn’t want it there. What had happened to him? What made him come forward like that when he’d tried so desperately to keep it hidden from her? Why did she care so much now when all she’d been trying to do was forget him for the past two months?Anger brewed in her gut along with intense curiosity. She tried a new search, but the results wound up being the same. Every new article had no more new information, they just worded the same facts in different ways. A few even managed to find information about his past life as an artist. Before she knew it, work was over.
Why?
Rey’s head filled with questions on her evening commute. They followed her throughout her evening workout, as she made her dinner, and drowned out the sound of her latest binge watch. She found herself refreshing the page every few minutes, but the result was the same: nothing new. Nothing at all. Just more stories in Japanese.Then finally, half way through an episode of Star Trek, she had a moment of clarity.Mitaka spoke Japanese. He would know more.She reached for her phone and scrolled for his contact. She’d blocked his messages in the days after he’d reached out to her, asking how her trip home was. She’d barely remembered it in the haze of despair and jet lag.
Mitaka
Rey?
I hope you are alright.

I contacted Ben because I was concerned. He told me you broke up. I’m so sorry.
Rey bit her lip as she read the text messages. It really was unfair of her to block him. He’d tried to warn her, though thinking back now, she didn’t think Mitaka really knew what was happening. He’d just sensed the danger somehow. Rey
Sorry I never answered your texts
I was upset about what happened
Have you seen the news about Ben?
I’m going nuts over here trying to figure out what happened. She waited for a reply all evening, holding onto her phone like she might miss a notification entirely if she wasn’t careful, until finally she was too tired to resist the call to sleep.  The next morning she woke up and for a few moments of delightful grogginess that nearly called her back to her dreams, she had forgotten all about Ben Solo. Those were the moments she had delighted in, the moments she missed the most when the memory of him creeped back into her mind like they did now as she curled against her pillow and wished it was a real person.
Mitaka.
Her eyes snapped open and she bent over to reach for her phone, sleep no longer clouding her mind. Sure enough there were text messages waiting for her.Mitaka
Sorry Rey, I was in a class. I’ve heard about Ben and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.
I knew something was strange about his calligraphy school, but
I had no idea it was anything like this. People are very angry here because the school used to be very
prestigious, though it declined after Master Ren took over
after the end of World War II. They are saying that is the reason
why he must have turned to counterfeiting. But the police are doing
a full investigation and arresting several yakuza members and
other important business figures. Everyone is shocked and I’ve
heard some really strange rumors going around like the USA is
spying on Japan. There is a lot of hate towards foreigners too.
It’s crazy. Nothing really makes sense.

Rey read the messages several times, trying to process the information. Then she checked to see if there were any new articles in English, but there had been none posted since the previous night.Rey
I found out about his teacher and the yakuza
on my last night in Tokyo. That’s why we
broke up, I was upset that Ben had lied to me.
What do you think will happen to Ben? There was no answer for several hours, which according to Google wasn’t surprising as it was late at night in Japan. She headed to work just like any other day and kept a tab open just in case any new articles popped up about Ben. There were none, but she set up alerts just in case, and in the late afternoon she finally got a reply from Mitaka.Mitaka
He is in the police prison and will remain there until he is prosecuted.
It is good that he confessed to the police and turned over what he knew
instead of the police finding out and arresting him. They believe you are
guilty until proven innocent here, but showing remorse is good. He may
receive a lighter sentence because he turned himself in, that’s what
everyone is saying. Some want a harsher punishment though That sent her down on a frantic google search of what Japanese prison was like, where she was met with gruesome accounts of the strict rules and the beatings that were given to anyone who broke them. Part of her knew, as she texted back and forth with Mitaka, that Ben deserved to go to prison for his crimes. But there was also a part of her that couldn’t stop worrying for him, especially after she learned about Japan’s high conviction rate and the fact that extradition to the US was unlikely. Mitaka for his part tried to reassure her between his classes. Ben would know the rules of Japanese society better than most after living there so long, and his fluency meant less trouble with obeying commands.  He also kept her up-to-date on the commentary coming from the Japanese news and the message forums Mitaka perused. They were harsh, some even calling for the death penalty. A quick google search reassured her that while capital punishment was still in practice in Japan, only murders were executed.It was a week until more news came, and somehow the headlines were just as shocking as the first.
Calligraphy Master’s Daughter Reveals Sordid Details of His Crimes, Former Apprentice Corroborates Her Story

Calligraphy Master Found Dead After New Crimes Revealed by Daughter, Former Apprentice
Rey’s mouth hung open and she clicked open both new articles.
Bazine Netal-Ren came forward today with new allegations about her father, calligraphy master, Snoke Ren.

In a letter released on social media, she shed further light into her father’s criminal activities to the Japanese criminal organizations called yakuza, and revealed that the elder Ren is, in fact, a former American soldier who infiltrated the prestigious calligraphy school after a case of mistaken identity during World War II.
Snoke Ren, whose real name is Edward Snoke, was drafted as a Japanese translator during World War II and stationed in Papua New Guinea. There he was severely injured by an explosive shell in a battle with the Japanese. Bazine Netal-Ren says that her father then woke up to find himself in a Japanese field hospital where they had mistaken him for a Japanese soldier. His knowledge of the language and his severe injuries allowed him to pass as one of their soldiers.

After he recovered, Snoke was sent back to Japan and welcomed by the Ren family, who thought he was their son, Ichiro Ren. Bazine Netal-Ren claims that her father quickly realized he could steal from the family and faked bouts of amnesia to gain their sympathy. Once his elderly parents passed away, Snoke inherited the school and all the family’s wealth, securing his position despite the deception. He took on the name Snoke Ren at that point, and has been teaching calligraphy ever since.
Kylo Ren, Snoke’s former apprentice and heir-apparent who was recently arrested after blowing the whistle on Snoke’s criminal activities, indicated through his lawyer that Bazine Netal-Ren’s story was true. A Tokyo Metropolitan Area police spokesman has stated that detectives will look into these claims as part of their investigation.
Rey blinked back her shock at the story. It seemed too incredible to be real. Part of her wished she could text Ben, ask him if it was true and what else he knew, but then she remembered he was in prison and there was no way she could get in touch with him. Her heart sank at that thought. She desperately wanted to hear his side of the story now. Was that what he had been trying to tell her in the airport that day? Tears stung at her eyes as she began to regret not letting him say what he wanted to say for the first time since that night. She’d just felt so hurt, so lied to…Rey dried her tears and clicked to the next article.  Disgraced calligraphy master Snoke Ren was found dead in his private cell in the Tokyo Detention House. Police say his body was found after police questioned him about the allegations put forth by his daughter that he was a former American soldier who posed as scion of a venerated calligraphy school after being heavily injured and mistaken for a Japanese soldier during World War II.

The cause of death was suicide.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

THREE MONTHS LATER
“Waiting on a call?”Rey blinked as she took in the time on her phone. Only 7:30, which meant she still had plenty of time until the start of Ben’s press conference. She felt herself flush with embarrassment as she looked up at the man across from her.“N-no, sorry,” she said quickly. “There’s something later tonight that I can’t miss.” Poe smiled at her, relaxed, his curls bobbing as he chuckled. “Guess that means I can’t convince you to come home with me tonight.”Rey stiffened immediately. He was a nice man. She could tell because when they were messaging he treated her like a person, not just a pretty woman to shag and bag, but now…“Um, I believe I mentioned on my profile that I’m demisexual and I’m not interested in hookups,” she said quietly. To his credit, the look on Poe’s face was one of immediate regret. She could tell he realized he’d fucked up. “Oh fuck, you did. I’m so sorry. I completely forgot that,” he said. “Wow, I really put my foot in it. I’m such an asshole. I’m so sorry. I swear I didn’t just ask you out thinking that would happen.”Relieved, Rey finally smiled back at him, even though it was a pity smile. “It’s okay.” “No, it really isn’t. That’s an important boundary for you,” he continued. “And I just stepped right over it trying to make a bit of a joke.”At least he was trying. Maybe this date wouldn’t be a total disaster after all. “It happens,” she replied. “And at least you know that you made a mistake.”   By the time Finn and Rose came over, she was exhausted and already in her pyjamas, though she hadn’t bothered to wipe off her makeup yet.“Ohhh, you look pretty,” Rose said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Did your date go well?” Finn asked, coming in for a hug. “He’s not awful,” Rey said. “Might do a second date.”“But you’re not feeling sparks yet.” Finn said.“Right.”“I still can’t believe you’re trying to date with all this Ben stuff going on,” Rose said as she plopped down on the couch. “Your heart is set on him, babe.” Rey bit her lip. It was such a touchy subject and she knew her friend meant well, but she’d been telling herself that keeping up with Ben’s trial was more about curiosity. Suddenly her fling had become famous overnight, who wouldn’t be morbidly curious about it?And why wouldn’t she keep dating? Despite the fact that she’d realized she was demisexual a few months ago, things had ended with Ben and now he was possibly facing several years in prison. Even if she wanted to get back together with him, the circumstances were literally impossible. Besides, it was just a fling. They’d known each other 10 whole days.“Oh please, like you haven’t stalked an ex before,” Rey quipped.Her phone pinged with a text from Mitaka, stating that he was ready to start streaming Ben’s pre-sentencing press conference, saving her from a more in depth discussion with Rose about how she was denying her feelings and she should just admit that she still wanted Ben. Whenever that happened, she almost wished she hadn’t told Finn and Rose. Almost. But the truth was that she’d only turned into a nervous wreck by herself with only Mitaka to talk to at certain hours when they were both awake and not busy. And she hadn’t hidden her stress as well as she’d thought anyway. They had grilled her until she told them everything, then demanded to be there for her, for every live stream and group chat with Mitaka.

It was much better than crying alone, late at night, with almost no one to turn to. But comments like that still set her on edge and made her think what if. For example, what if she had heard Ben out that last night in Tokyo? Or at the airport? Would they still be together now? Would he be in jail still?Those were dangerous thoughts that usually led to her crying herself to sleep.“They’re about to start,” she said quickly, plopping down on the couch and opening up her laptop. A few clicks and they were connected to the voice chat that Mitaka had set up.“Hey, we’re here,” Rey called out. “How’s it going?”The crackly sound of Mitaka’s nervous chuckle came through the speakers. “I’m doing good. How about you guys?”“We’re good,” Finn said. “Anything we should know about this press conference before watching?”“Well, these things are usually just for show. One final act of displaying how remorseful you are before sentencing. Sometimes it convinces the judges to be a little more lenient,” Mitaka said. “But there are a few protesters in the room, so things could get ugly.”“Protesters?” Rose asked. “Wow, that’s crazy.”“Yeah, well, Ben’s a foreigner,” Mitaka sighed. “If there’s anything that makes the crazies come out in Japan, it’s foreigners. Here, let me bring the stream up.”Mitaka started the stream and Rey clicked it open. So far it was only an empty room with a table and chairs up front, and the chatter of people speaking rapid fire Japanese in the background. Rose found Rey’s hand and entwined their fingers together, stroking her arm with her other hand.“It should start in five minutes or so,” Mitaka told them.“I’ll get us something to drink,” Finn replied, springing up from the couch. “And some popcorn.”Rey noticed a counter at the top of the screen, ticking down the seconds until the press conference started. A hint of nausea overcame her as her stomach began to twist with nervousness, and she gripped Rose’s hand harder. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” her friend cooed, petting her arm again. “Remember, Mitaka said they won’t give him the death sentence or anything like that.”“They won’t,” Mitaka chimed in. “That’s only for mass murderers, that sort of thing. At worst, he might get 10-15 years if his lawyers haven’t struck some kind of deal for the information he gave the police. And that information brought down a lot of important people, so they probably have.”Rey nodded, choking on her own words as she began to speak. “I-I know. Um... I just wonder sometimes if it isn’t my fault that he’s going to prison.” “Oh sweetie, no,” Rose cooed as Rey’s tears began to spill over. “There is no way that any of this is your fault.”Breathing in shakily, Rey tried to control her tears. “I know, but it could be because of me. Because of what happened right before I left.”“Maybe, but we don’t know that,” Rose said as she handed over some tissues. “It’s not like he turned around the next day and turned himself into police.”Finn came in with water and popcorn for all of them, handing Rey a cool glass to sip on. The water helped a little bit, grounding her and stopping her tears for just a moment.Suddenly the chatter behind the computer screen quieted completely and they turned to watch.“It’s starting,” Rey gasped.Several stern-looking lawyers walked into the room, followed by Ben, dressed in a suit but handcuffed and flanked by two officers. Finally two older women followed behind him, one Western and one Japanese.“That’s his mother,” Mitaka said quickly. “The congresswoman.”“Man, kind of upsetting that she stepped down,” Finn said as the officers uncuffed Ben. “We could use her in Congress right about now.”“Shhh!” Rey hissed. Ben and the others bowed to the audience and sat in the chairs. The cameras zoomed in on him as one of the lawyers handed him a piece of paper. He looked thinner, gaunt, but she wasn’t sure if it was just the harsh lighting or a result of stress and prison time.One thing was certain, however, his hair had grown significantly longer since the last time she’d seen a picture of him. It was carefully slicked back and tucked into a little bun at the base of his neck.The camera panned back to the lawyers, one of whom cleared his throat and began to speak.“He’s saying thank you to everyone who came to the press conference,” Mitaka said a few moments later. “They are hoping for the best outcome for this case, considering what Mr. Solo -Ben- has been able to provide the investigations team, however Mr. Solo is still aware that his crimes are quite severe…”Rey’s breath hitched as she listened to Mitaka’s translation. It was nothing, just boring legal talk, and yet everything at the same time. Maybe it was the fact that she could see Ben again, but she hung on every word. Moving, breathing, not just a picture, not just an article. His mother took his hand at one point, and she thought she saw Ben squeeze it.“Mr. Solo and his mother, Leia Organa-Solo, would both like to offer statements to the people of Japan,” Mitaka said. “Oh wow, they’re both speaking.”“Is that good?” Rey heard Finn ask. Her mind was focused on the fact that Ben was standing up and finally looking toward the camera. His eyes seemed so sad...“Yeah, as long as she plays the part of a regretful mother who is upset he’s gone down this path.”Ben’s lips parted and Rey felt her throat go dry. He mashed them back together again, puffing out his cheeks, just like she remembered. Beside him, his mother touched his back, rubbing it reassuringly and whispering something to him.And then, with a hard swallow that made his adam’s apple quiver, he began to speak, and she couldn’t understand a word. Fresh tears began to rush down her cheeks as she strained to listen and find a familiar word, something that could comfort her. Of course he’d speak in Japanese, the audience was Japanese. He wasn’t speaking to her. He didn’t even know she was watching.“I would like to apologize to the Japanese people for what I have done,” Mitaka said, careful and slow as he translated. “I came to this country to follow my passion for calligraphy, and I worked hard to achieve it. However, in order to do so, I had to sell my hands to the wrong people-” “Damn that’s poetic,” Finn interjected. “While I was unhappy doing so, I would have continued, scared to disobey my master, until I met someone who changed my life,” Mitaka continued. “When she found out about my misdeeds, she left me -oh shit, he’s talking about you.”Rose and Finn gasped beside her, but there was no air in her lungs that Rey could make any sort of sound with. She could barely hear Ben’s unsteady voice over the pounding of her own heart. On her screen, she saw Ben pause to wipe at the tears in his eyes before he continued. For a long moment there was only silence as he tried to regain his composure. Leia continued to stroke his back, leaning into his arm for comfort.“It was this person that made me realize that my life had to change, and that my selfish dream wasn’t worth the hurt that it caused her, or anyone else.”“Wow,” Finn said softly. “He’s still going,” Mitaka said quickly. “I know there is nothing I could ever say today or ever that will atone for my crimes. The only thing I can do now is accept the punishment handed to me by the court and commit the rest of my life to being a better person. However, I would still like to say now that I am truly and deeply sorry to everyone that I have hurt with my selfishness.”Rey watched in shock as he came around the large table and kneeled, bowing until his head reached the floor as the audience jeered at him. Over the din, Rey could make out some words that sounded like they were in his voice.

“What is he saying?”Mitaka hummed. “He’s just apologizing over and over again.”Ben stayed like that for several minutes, surrounded by an angry unseen crowd and flashing cameras until one of the prison guards pulled him up and directed him back toward his seat so the press conference could continue. Once again, his eyes and cheeks were red from the tears and he wiped them carefully with a handkerchief until his mother stood up to speak.“Good afternoon,” her gravely voice began. Beside her, the translator offered the greeting in Japanese. “It is never any mother’s dream to see her son go to jail, is it?”The Japanese translator finished and the crowd that had been yelling at Ben just moments before chuckled at her words.“I never expected to be before you like this today. The son I raised is a good man deep down, and I fully believe that he was led down the wrong path by evil people who offered him his dream come true.”Once again, she waited for the translator to finish speaking before beginning again. “I fully support all that Ben has done to repent for his crimes, and I would like to apologize to the people of Japan for not keeping a closer eye on him.”Leia’s smile twisted slightly at the words, but nonetheless she bowed deeply as the translator continued. Ben joined her, bowing as much as he could from his seated position. When she straightened herself, her hand made its way to his shoulder and squeezed it.She sat down and the lawyers stood to say a few final words about Ben’s sentencing before everyone at the table stood and bowed again. Rey could only watch helplessly as the guards placed Ben in handcuffs again and led him away. Everyone else followed shortly after, and she was left in stunned silence. “Wow,” Rose finally said. “He really said that you’re the reason that he came forward at all. That’s- wow.”Rey blinked as her brain and her heart tried to process it all at once. She still felt bereft at only this too-short glimpse of Ben with no real way to talk to him, to tell him that she’d been watching, that she’d heard what he’d said. And part of her hadn’t quite caught up to why she felt the need to do that.“Damn, Japanese twitter is exploding. They want to know who he was talking about, and whether they’re involved in the case,” Mitaka told them. “Some reporters are saying they’re going to ask the lawyers at the courthouse after sentencing.”“Oh my god that’s crazy. What if they find Rey?” Finn said, pulling Rey into a protective hug. Rey closed her eyes and tried to quiet the war going on inside her brain.“I don’t know. It’s a good thing neither you or Ben use social media much,” Mitaka sighed. “They’d have to dig pretty deep.”“Thank goodness for that,” Rose said, taking a long sip of her water. “I’ll never complain that you don’t have an insta ever again, Rey.”Finn and Rose stayed for another hour, but the proceedings were happening in the middle of the night, so there was no way any of them (other than Mitaka, of course) would be awake for it.“I’ll send a message in the group chat once it’s done!” Mitaka said cheerily before Rey signed off and closed her laptop.“You sure you’re going to be okay, Rey Rey?” Rose asked. “I could stay the night.” Rey nodded and sniffled. The tears were dry now, but she felt utterly raw. “I’ll be okay. It doesn’t change anything, it was just emotional seeing him and not just a picture of him.”“If you say so…”Both of them wrapped her up in big hugs, the kind she liked, and said their goodbyes. When the door closed and Rey was left in the quiet of her apartment, she realized her heart still yearned for Ben.It was such a heavy feeling, tears pouring down uncontrollably, completely unstoppable as she got ready for bed. She felt trapped, caught in a cage she’d thought she’d escaped, only to find out it was larger than she’d guessed.

Worst of all, there was no way forward. She couldn’t just call up Ben, talk until they either worked it all out or decided it was too late to start again. She didn’t even know how she could write to him. Mitaka had said something about the prison system only allowing letters in Japanese, and something about having to get such an emotional letter translated made her shy away from that idea.Her head swirled with thoughts until she heard her phone ping in the darkness. As she turned, she noticed the clock at her bedside showed it was nearly three in the morning. Hours had passed with her lost in thought, and she’d forgotten to put her phone on do not disturb.She picked up the phone, knowing the text was from Mitaka. He was the only one who’d message her in the middle of the night.Mitaka
Ben was found guilty, no surprise there
They’ve sentenced him to three years, including time served
but the judge says they will review his conduct at the one year mark
And see if they would prefer to extradite him to the USOh also you’re trending on twitter #mysterygirl
500k tweets  
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
Rey woke up to the sound of Beebee’s chirp as she landed on the bed. Groaning, she opened her eyes as the cat began to rub her little body up against Rey with a singular purpose: food.Looking at the clock, it was a full 15 minutes before her alarm was supposed to go off.“Beebee, I love you, but can’t I sleep in ever?” Rey said with a sigh.She already knew the answer though, and that was her little orange tabby would just bonk her little head against Rey’s chin and rub on her aggressively until Rey got up to feed her. A couple of chin scritches later and Rey found the will to get up and brave the morning, grabbing her phone so she could turn off her alarm when it started. Beebee followed her to the kitchen, chirping and darting between her feet.Rey mashed up the can of wet food and placed it on the floor next to Beebee’s automatic kibble feeder, then scooped up her water bowl to refresh its contents. Her alarm started just as she placed the bowl down.With a sigh, Rey reached to turn it off and took her first real look at her phone screen that morning.There was a message from Mitaka. The first in weeks thanks to his finals.Mitaka
Ben’s being extradited to the U.S.
They’ve banned him from returning to Japan ever again.“Shit,” Rey said under her breath.  
TWO MONTHS LATER
“I got a fucking promotion,” Finn’s gleeful voice proclaimed over the phone. “We’re fucking partying tonight, okay?”Rey gasped and moved to grip the phone with her hand instead of just cradling it between her shoulder and her cheek. “Oh my god, I thought you were just asking for a raise?”She could almost see the brilliant grin on Finn’s face. “When I told them I wanted a raise or I’d be handing in my two weeks notice, they bumped me up to senior developer with the pay raise to boot. Guess they knew all along what they’d be missing out on if they let me walk.”

“That’s amazing! That’s so amazing! Congratulations, you deserve it.”“I know!” Finn exclaimed. “So? Meet us at the bar at seven?”  They were several rounds of drinks in when Rey heard the first ping on her phone. She ignored it. It was probably someone on one of the dating apps looking for someone to ease the loneliness on a Friday night. Too bad for them. She had her friends, and booze, and a very large plate of really delicious nachos in front of her, and Finn was finally getting the recognition he deserved at work, and all was okay with the world for just a moment.But the pings kept coming. First just a few every few minutes, but as time went on the pings kept vibrating from within her bag.“Girl,” Rose laughed, her cheeks flushed from all the alcohol. “Did you go viral or something?”Rey’s hand was already reaching for her phone. “You know I don’t use social media. It probably has to do with Ben.”Sure enough, it was. It looked like a million messages (mostly twitter reacting to the news) about a 60 Minutes interview with Ben on Sunday.“ 60 Minutes? That old show’s still on the air?” Finn said, switching to the other side of their booth so both he and Rose could look over Rey’s shoulders. Rey frowned. “Apparently? I didn’t know it existed.”“Yeah, I had to watch it for some class in college. It’s on Sunday nights.”Sighing, she silenced her phone and tucked it back in her purse. “Fuck him! Tonight’s about you, Finn!” “Yeah!” Rose said excitedly, sloshing a bit of her drink onto the table.Finn just laughed. “Okay, but I’m gonna be at your house Sunday with a bowl of popcorn.”“Deal!”  “We first met with Ben inside the Federal Correction Institution in Lompoc where he was held for a month after being extradited from Japan to the U.S.,” Anderson Cooper informed the viewers in a voice over. “While the lawyers working in Japan and the U.S. were able to convince the prosecution to reduce Ben’s prison sentence thanks to his cooperation with authorities and good behavior, the judge there still handed down a lengthy list of requirements in order to allow his return to the U.S. -including time at a federal prison and strict parole requirements.” The camera cut from an outside shot of the prison to Ben sitting in a chair with a nervous smile on, still dressed in prison uniform.

“How do you feel about getting out?” “Pretty good, actually,” Ben said. “I haven’t been home since I first moved to Japan, so it’s been… eight years now.” The screen cut back to footage from Japanese TV report while the voice over went into detail about his life there, his crimes, his trial. Rey just stuffed handful after handful of popcorn into her mouth. There was very little that she didn’t already know. The camera cut back to Anderson Cooper and Ben. “One thing you mentioned before you were sentenced is that there was a woman you were involved with, who inspired you to come forward. Who is she? Can you tell us anything about her?”Ben’s face had turned serious as he listened to the questions. “Just that she didn’t have anything to do with any of the things I did. She found out about the counterfeiting ring and left Japan.”“So she’s not Japanese,” Anderson countered. Ben grimaced like he was in pain. “She would be very mad at me if I told you anything more about her.”“I take it things didn’t end well then.”Ben’s eyes grew soft and misty for a moment before he refocused. “No. They didn’t.”“He’s fucking right about that,” Rey interjected before stuffing another handful of popcorn into her mouth. It didn’t stop her eyes from watering.The scene cut to a new place. A room filled with canvases. A lingering shot of Ben mixing paints. “Since his release from prison in the U.S., just a week after our first interview with him, Ben has thrown himself into re-establishing his art career.”“Do you miss calligraphy?” “Not really,” Ben said, looking at his canvas. “I can’t go back to that world, even if I keep practicing and producing work for competitions. I can’t even go back to Japan.” “Do you miss Japan?” “Yes.” The scene cuts to Leia, sitting in a chair next to Ben, a wry smile on her face.

“The country was shocked when you decided to resign mid-term in order to support Ben during his trial. Why did you do it?”Leia laughed. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? He’s my only kid.”“Yes, but was it worth the cost of your career?” Leia gave out another hearty laugh, slapping Ben’s knee. “Absolutely. He needed someone to stand by him. Everyone needs that someone when times get tough. Matter of fact, I wish I had known sooner. I would have dropped everything to get him out seven years ago before things got this bad.”“Did you know about it then?”

“No. We didn’t speak to each other until he told me he was about to go to the police,” Leia said.“Did you encourage him to do it?” Leia sighed. “No, not at first. I was scared for him. Like any mother would be. But I knew it was the right thing to do, so eventually I did.” Leia’s hand slipped into Ben’s and they smiled at each other. For the first time in over a year now, Ben actually looked happy.  It was pretty easy to track down Leia’s address, once Rey figured out how to do it. All it really took was a little bit of a google search on how to do it and a trip to the county’s public records office, and she had the address in her hand. It took her another week to write the actual letter. She spent hours scribbling down everything she’d felt, everything she’d wished had gone differently, only to have the letter turn sour in her head. So she’d scrap it and try again the next day, only to repeat the process again.

By the time Monday came around again, she wanted to give up. But giving up made her heart sick with grief, so she decided to keep it short and pinned all her hopes on that.
Dear Ben,

I’ve missed you.

Let’s talk.

Rey
  
SIX MONTHS LATER
Rey had sent several more letters, even hand-delivered one just to make sure the post office hadn’t lost all the previous ones. There was never any reply.So slowly she gave up.She had to. There was nothing left to do if Ben didn’t want to give her the time of day. It was pretty easy, in a weird way. All she had to do was stop the alerts on his name (not that they’d gone off for about two months anyway) and stop talking about him with Finn and Rose. She also threw herself back into the dating scene for a hot minute until she realized she was a little too raw from the past year of her life spent waiting for him. It made sense to her, why he didn’t respond. She’d told him not to, and he was probably hanging onto that still out of guilt. That had been the whole point of wanting to talk to him, but whatever. She had her work, her friends, her cat, life was going to be just fine without Ben Solo. She just had to wait for her heart to catch up. It was a stubborn thing, but it knew how to make it through just about anything. But it did not know what to do with the package that arrived on her doorstep all those months and letters and heartaches later. She also didn’t know what to do with the fact that it contained all the letters she had sent to Ben, completely unopened, as well as a letter from Ben’s mother.
Dearest Rey,

I’m sorry to be the one writing to you instead of my idiot son. I just found your letters in his room, and recognized the name. Ben’s told me a lot about you since all of this all started, so I feel like we know each other even if we don’t.

Unfortunately he’s being an obstinate jerk about reading or replying to your letters. Some guilt complex about how you two left things.

But it seems to me like you wouldn’t be writing to him if you didn’t want any contact, so I’d like to help you change that.

Please come to the Ren Gallery before Ben’s art show starts on Saturday, September 18th at 6:00 p.m. Ben will be there, and so will I. I’d love to meet you and I’m sure the two of us can convince him to open up a bit.

All the best,

Leia Organa-Solo
  Rey sat across her kitchen table from her friends, arms crossed as they scanned the letter.

Rose looked up first. “She-”

“Holy shit,” Finn interjected.

“You’re going right?” Rose started again. “She invited you.”Another wave of nausea hit Rey. She knew it was just anxiety, but she still felt ready to vomit at any time.

“I’m scared,” Rey said, doing nothing to contain how weak and nervous she was. “Oh Rey,” Rose said.A second later she was enveloped in her friends’ arms and the nausea began to subside as tears came unbidden. “You don’t have to go,” Finn said softly. “You can let it go if you need to.”“Yeah, don’t listen to me if it doesn’t make sense to keep chasing after him,” Rose whispered in her other ear. Rey let all the tears leave her before she replied. “I think I need to. I think I can let go if he tells me why he’s been ignoring me.”Finn pulled back from their hug. “Do you want us to go with you?”  
SEPTEMBER 18TH
LA was shitty as ever. Of course they’d had to park three blocks away and pay a ridiculous sum just to reach the gallery just because there were a couple of clubs in the vicinity. It made her glad to live in the ‘burbs, as boring as it was sometimes. And it made her miss Tokyo -of all fucking places to miss tonight- with it’s super-efficient subway system.“I hate downtown,” Finn mumbled as they crossed the sidewalk. “Me too,” Rose replied.“Who charges $30 for parking?” Rey grumbledFinn stopped at the other end of the crosswalk and eyed Rey. Rose had helped her pick out a flowy dress that stopped just above her knees with an artsy print, but she felt too nervous to feel confident in it. “If he can’t see what he’s been missing all this time, he’s a damn fool,” Finn said curtly. “And I say that as a man, not just as your friend.”Rey blushed and tried to smile, but they stepped into view of the gallery and all of Rey’s breath left her. In the window was a massive white tiger done just like the one on Ben’s back, but bloody and bruised, and tied with red ropes like the ones he’d used on her. The background was the same color as his skin. “Jesus. That’s really something,” Rose said.Rey gulped at the sight of it. Her friends didn’t realize what it was, the connection to Ben’s self. But she did, and she had so many questions about what it meant that her head was already swimming with possibilities. There was no line at the door, just a tough looking man in a black suit with a scowl on his face. Rey began to wonder if they were under-dressed.“Um, we’re here for the show,” she said, trying her best not to sound nervous. “Mrs. Organa-Solo invited us.”The guard gave them a disapproving look “You’re early. Show doesn’t start until 7:00 P.M.”Rey gulped and nodded. “Yes, she told us to come early. Is there any way you can check with her?”With a sigh, the man turned around and grabbed a clipboard off of a tall stool. “Name?”“Rey Niima.”The man’s eyes ran down the list. “Not on here. Can’t let you in, sorry.”Rey frowned in confusion. “But Mrs. Organa-Solo invited me.” “Uh huh, that’s what the last five people said too,” he grumbled, putting the list back behind him. “But it’s an invitation-only event because of all the groupies that want to hang around that tall prick that was in the news.”“Can you check again?” Rose asked, a sweet, entreating tone in her voice. “We aren’t groupies. It’s really very important to us that Rey keeps her appointment with Mrs. Organa-Solo.” The bouncer glared at Rose for a moment, then turned back to his clipboard. “The name again?”“Rey Niima,” Rose repeated. “Me and Finn are just here for moral support.” “What is it, a job interview or something?” the man chuckled. “Rey Miima, Miima. Not seeing it.”“Niima, with an N,” Rey sighed. “Niima with an N isn’t on here either,” The man said. “Sorry, kids.”Her heart sinking, Rey reached for her purse, where she’d stashed Leia’s letter along with her unopened ones. “I can prove it. I have a letter from h-”“Look, I get it, you’re desperate to get in, but this cockamamie story isn’t helping your case, kiddo.”

Rey looked up, hand clasped around the letter, as the bouncer’s hand landed on her shoulder. He was going to gently push her away. Fear that she wouldn’t get to see Leia or Ben gripped her heart.“It’s not! I really do have a letter from-”“George, who’s this?”Without looking up to see the woman at the door, Rey recognized that voice. All warm and gravely and confident, there was no one else it could be.“Just another set of kids wanting to sneak their way in, ma’am.” George said, gesturing abruptly at them. “Well, I’m not sure about the other two, but it looks like this is the 6-o’clock I told you about.”Rey lifted her head and finally met Leia’s warm brown eyes as the older woman looked carefully over the edge of her glasses. “Rey?”She nodded quickly, feeling too overcome to speak. Her heart began to race inside her chest, both with relief and nervousness. She was meeting Ben’s mother, and after that, she’d probably see Ben. Finally, after all this time.“Let her in,” Leia smiled. “She’s expected.”“Yes, ma’am.” “M-my friends…” Rey said, feeling shy beneath the woman’s gaze. “I hope it’s alright if they came. Just for backup.”Leia turned to take in Rose and Finn behind her, and she heard the two hustle to stand straight and look presentable in front of the former Congresswoman. “You brought them along for moral support? Smart girl.”“Ma’am?” George asked.

“Let them in too.”George stepped aside and they shuffled past. She could feel Leia’s eyes on her as she entered the gallery. The older woman was the picture of elegance in a swooping bun and a pantsuit under a caped jacket.“I’m Leia,” she said, proffering a hand to Rose, then Finn. “Ben’s mother. I’m sure Rey told you about Ben, right?”Both of them nodded, seeming a bit star struck.“Your names?”Their eyes bugged out for a moment before they regained their composure.

“I’m Rose Tico.”

“Finn Johnson, nice to meet you, ma’am.”Leia smiled that warm sparkly smile at the two of them and then turned to Rey, taking her hand between her two hands and holding them with an affection that made Rey’s heart swell.

“Finally Rey, after all this time.”Rey’s breath caught as she inhaled. She couldn’t help but wonder when Ben told his mother about her or why she seemed to look at her with such fondness. Was that a good thing? A bad thing? Was she going to help Ben graciously let her down?“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Or-”“Leia, please. I don’t like using my last name now that I’m not a congresswoman anymore,” Leia said with a wink. “Leia,” Rey repeated. Her hand felt so warm encased in Leia’s. “It’s nice to meet you.”Leia let go of her hand, and turned toward the gallery. “Can I show you Ben’s artwork while we talk? He’s been painting religiously since we’ve got back. Normally artists don’t have enough work to put on a show this fast, but I think it’s the only thing keeping him from being totally depressed. And of course there were plenty of galleries who wanted the attention of having a famous artist-turned-criminal showing his work with them. That’s why there’s so much security, by the way.”“Oh,” was all Rey could think of to say. They were approaching a large portrait of a nude woman, her back facing the viewer and surrounded by swirls of color, and Rey could swear that two of the moles on the woman’s back looked just like the ones on her back…“It’s a portrait of you,” Leia said softly. “From memory, of course. He didn’t have anyone pose for him.” She froze then, her eyes beginning to scan the canvas. There was nothing scandalous about it. Her lower body was covered by what looked like bed sheets, her naked upper body turned away, but she could easily see the intimacy in it. The soft curls of blue and purple that surrounded her curves, protected her from the angry deep red of the background.“Wow,” Rose whispered behind her. “There are several more paintings with you in it,” Leia said. “Not your face, of course. He didn’t want to drag you into the media circus he was in.”Rey took one last look at the painting, her mind swimming with questions again, not sure if she was really seeing what looked like longing in the way she was painted.“Show me,” she told Leia. “I want to see all his paintings.”A hand glided against her lower back and Rey gasped, but when she turned to look, it was only Leia’s hand leading her to the next painting. She stepped over and was greeted with a more explosive painting, much like the one in the window, where a man was tied by his wrists with more rope and covered with red and black splatter. Across the whole canvas was a word in Japanese that she couldn’t read, but thankfully Leia had the answer:

“It says ‘Slave.’”The next one was of two white tigers curled up in front of a convenience store on a neon-soaked street in Japan. She didn’t need Leia to tell her that one of the tigers was meant to be her.There were several more paintings with tigers, others had Japanese calligraphy imposed over the subjects, many with ropes binding the subjects like Ben had tied them up himself. They were all striking, drawing Rey in for one reason or another. Perhaps because they felt so familiar, like she knew exactly what Ben was feeling as he painted. Anguish, sadness, longing -it was all right there on the canvas, as if he had been feeling the same way she had all these months.But if that were the case, if Rey wasn’t just projecting her own feelings onto these paintings, then it still didn’t explain why he never answered her letters. Tears began to drip down from her eyes as Leia rubbed her back gently and found her a tissue.

“You still love him?” Leia asked, staring off at a painting of a dark-haired man lovingly kissing a woman’s hand. “Yes,” Rey sniffled into her tissue.

Leia let out a heavy sigh. “I tried to get him to contact you the second he was out of prison. Hell, even a few times when he was still in prison. But when I do, he shuts up and doesn’t talk to me at all for days.” Rey blew her nose and tried to compose herself again. “Where is he?”

“Last I saw him, he was in the back rooms trying to sleep. He’s been a nervous wreck about the show,” Leia said nodding in the direction of a hallway. “Should probably wake him up soon.”

“Can I-” Rey turned her head to look down the hall, only to see Ben step through one of the doors and into the hall at that very moment.“Be my guest,” Leia said right as he looked up and saw her. “Someone has to knock some sense into him again.”Ben’s mouth dropped open as recognition crossed his face.

“Oh wow, he’s really tall,” Rose said, unhelpfully from somewhere behind her.“Rey,” he breathed, and she felt her knees grow weak.Finally, after all this time, he was right there in front of her -his hair all long, but looking healthier than the last time she’d seen a picture of him- and her stupid body wouldn’t dare move or let her say anything.Ben, however… Ben began to slowly back away, heading backwards into the hallway until he turned around and began to run.“Ben!” Leia roared. “What the fuck are you doing?”

It was then that Rey found her strength again. Her face twisted into a frown and her legs finally pushed her forward, running fast and gaining on him. He turned a corner, and she followed, mentally applauding herself for thinking to wear some nice boots to ward off the evening chill.

He barreled through a door and Rey increased her speed, not knowing what would await her outside. All she knew is that she had to catch up to him, had to talk to him. If she didn’t…When she made it past the door, she saw Ben fumbling with the keys to an old truck. Some beat up vintage thing that she’d probably recognize on sight if she wasn’t panicking about the fact that he might drive away and then she’d lose him. She rounded the front of the truck just as he managed to open the door and grabbed the handle to the passenger side. If it was still locked, she decided she’d haul herself into the truck bed and hang on for dear life. But the door pulled open and she scrambled inside, Ben watching her as she climbed onto the bench seat, panting from exertion. He was panting too and his right hand was only just inches from putting the key in the ignition. “Don’t-” she started, still out of breath. “Don’t let me keep you if you need to be somewhere. We can talk on the drive over.”His hand tightened around the keys and his lips pressed together before he threw the keys at the dashboard and leaned back on the seat.

“Fuck.”Rey watched him bring his hands up to his eyes and cover them with a groan, and then he didn’t move for a long while except for his chest still heaving from all the running and adrenaline.

Without anything else to do, she turned around and closed the door behind her, startling Ben as she slammed it. He really stared at her then, analyzing her every move as she made herself comfortable in his car, fear and confusion and other emotions flashing in his eyes. Rey stared back. Not in confusion or fear, but with determination. She was going to walk out of this car with something she wanted. It was just a matter of what he was willing to give. “Well, if you’re not going anywhere, then let’s just talk.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“I thought not talking was what you wanted,” Ben said with a sigh, turning away from Rey to look back toward the gallery. There was nothing to be seen other than the brick wall and the various doors and the rest of the cars parked there, but the tension was so thick in the truck that she didn’t blame him for looking away.“Maybe if you read my letters, you’d have known that I’ve been wanting to talk ever since you got released,” Rey said calmly, but not without a hint of frustration in her voice.He didn’t react to that.“Wanted to talk before that, really,” Rey whispered, mostly to herself.Ben looked at her then, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. “It was pretty clear back when you had me detained at the airport that you weren’t interested in talking. I was just trying to respect that.”Rey rankled at the accusation, a grimace spreading across her face. “That wasn’t me. That was the airport staff. And you fucking scared me showing up there!”Ben opened his mouth for a moment, ready to shoot back, but closed it. “Y-you’re right. Sorry.”Tears pressed at the corner of her eyes as she watched him look down, slightly embarrassed at himself. “Apology accepted. That one, at least.” Ben huffed and rubbed out some imaginary stain in his black jeans, his thumb circling the same spot over and over again.“I wished I could’ve talked to you after you first turned yourself in, for what it’s worth. And especially after that press conference, but Mitaka told me about how I’d have to get everything translated so the guards could read them, and… Well, considering you never even fucking read the letters I sent to you here, maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t.”“Mitaka?” Ben asked, lifting his head up with a questioning glance.Rey nodded. “Mitaka translated everything for us.”Suddenly Ben burst out laughing. “That fucking bastard! He wrote to me and visited me in prison and never fucking mentioned it.”“That was deliberate, actually,” Rey murmured. “I wasn’t sure exactly how to feel about everything sometimes, so he just helped me follow what was happening with you.” He gave out one last guffaw and the silence grew between them again. She almost thought she could feel the thick tension in the air with every breath she drew into her lungs.She tried not to read anything into it. She knew that this whole thing was going to be an awkward mess, but she wanted him to say something already. Her body was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice again. But at least it didn’t seem like Ben was going to run away again.“I suppose my mother had something to do with you being here,” Ben finally grumbled.“She’s the one who mailed the letters back to me and invited me here.”“Of course.”It grew quiet again as Ben kept his gaze trained on the view outside and Rey looked down to her hands. She was gripping the fabric of her dress and coat, knuckles white, so she released them and tried to relax just a little. “What…” she started, then with a large breath she gulped back her nerves. “What did you want to tell me? In Japan, I mean. When you chased me back to the room. And at the airport.”Ben glanced at her then, his face full of fear and doubt.“The truth about what Snoke was saying, mostly.”Rey gulped again. “And that was?”His hands came up to rub at his temples. “That Snoke led me on. I spent a year and a half just trying to learn Japanese as fast as I could, cleaning his calligraphy school for free, just to be allowed in as an apprentice. And when he finally allowed me in, he took my passport away and made me copy random things over and over and over again. Not calligraphy. Just like random pieces of things. Forms. He pretended like it was an exercise to improve my calligraphy, but it was actually how he got me started on forgeries.”A realization dawned over Rey as he kept speaking. He’d been tricked, persuaded, brainwashed even, into thinking it was okay. Snoke would enter his work into a calligraphy competition if he did a few more forgeries. If Ben did a favor for this client, Snoke would give him a gift of some sort. New apartments, entry into competitions, the chance to become his heir. And every time Ben tried to push away from the criminal side of Snoke’s operations, he’d only be pulled in further.“I didn’t see my passport for like two years,” Ben said with a shaky sigh. “And by then it was just whatever. I didn’t care anymore. I had started to gain some recognition thanks to my actual calligraphy work and Snoke was starting to put me into even more competitions. I didn’t want to mess that up, so I kept doing it.”“Oh,” Rey said.On the one hand she was relieved to finally hear the truth of it, that Ben wasn’t really a bad person, that he’d only gotten caught up in a bad situation with horrible people. But that wasn’t the whole of it. There were still so many pieces missing.“But you still didn’t tell me,” she sighed, hoping he’d rise to the bait. Ben looked over at her. She could tell, when their eyes met, that he was telling the truth. “I was scared. I didn’t really know what to do when you showed up.”The air stung going down her nostrils as Rey tried to steady herself. “Would you have told me, eventually?” He was silent for a moment, chewing on his cheeks as his mind worked. “I thought maybe somehow I could have fixed it after you went home. So that way you wouldn’t have to know.”“Oh,” Rey replied, her heart twisting in her chest. It didn’t make her feel better, knowing that he would have just kept something so big from her. She looked down at her hands and wondered if she was wrong for holding onto her feelings for him for all these years.“I’m sorry, Rey,” Ben murmured. “I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have dragged you into my mess. I shouldn’t have gone after you at all.” He choked and Rey saw that Ben was beginning to cry. “You didn’t deserve to be hurt like that, but I fucked up, I really fucked up. I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”Rey watched Ben battle his tears for a moment. It wasn’t everything, but it was more closure, more of what she needed.“Why didn’t you open my letters?”Just saying the words hurt, and Rey knew the answer was going to hurt even more. But she had to ask. Ben didn’t look at her, but she saw one of his hands clench. “I already told you. I wanted to respect your wishes.”The tears were already boiling up inside of her, threatening to come out, not just because it hurt, but because it made her so fucking angry to hear him say it. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe the only way to understand my wishes was to open the letters?”Ben’s mouth opened, but again he stopped himself and gritted his teeth. “I’m sorry, but it was the only way I could make it up to you.” “Ha!” Rey said, acid dripping from her tongue. “Great job. That really worked well, don’t you think? All that time I spent waiting for a response, worrying that you didn’t get the letters, realizing that - no - you just didn’t want to talk to me. Really made me think you were making it up to me.”She leaned in closer to Ben and growled as the tears spilled down her cheeks. “I even fucking drove up to that fancy house you live in just to make sure at least one got delivered.”“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have gone to all that trouble,” Ben said calmly. Rey didn’t miss the way he trembled as he held in his own tears and how both his hands were clenched tight now, restraining some part of him. She wanted to know what he would do if she poked it hard enough. “If I hadn’t gone to all that trouble, I wouldn’t even get this one chance to change things.” Ben finally looked at her again, but as he scanned her angry, tear-streaked face, he seemed to finally realize what she really wanted. “Rey,” he said softly, concern growing on his face. “You can’t be serious. I’ve hurt you so much.”A laugh escaped from her, loud and harsh. “And? All the logic in the world hasn’t helped at all. I’m still in love with you.”His eyes pleaded with her to stop, to put him out of his misery. “You deserve better than me. So much better than me.”“You think I haven’t tried to find someone better?” she laughed again, wiping at her tears. “My heart doesn’t want to cooperate.” Ben dropped his face into his hands and groaned. “It can’t be me, Rey. It just can’t.”“So you don’t love me anymore? Is that why there’s all those paintings of me -of us- in that gallery?  The tigers were a nice touch, by the way.” “That’s not the point,” he said, coming up to glare at her angrily. “I just-”Rey just laughed again and grabbed his collar, pulling him in dangerously close to her. “Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t love me.”Ben tried to steel himself. His eyes grew harsh and cold. “That doesn’t matter. I don’t deserve you.”“What about what I deserve? What I want?”“What?”Rey pulled him even closer, their foreheads and noses touching for a brief moment, but not quite close enough for their lips to meet. “I want you, Ben. And I think I deserve what I want after two whole fucking years of waiting for you.”His breath hitched as Rey let him go again and he sank back into the seat. Rey wiped the remaining tears from her eyes in silent defiance, her eyes trained on him as he watched her in shock. She smoothed the front of her dress and sat back before speaking again. “One more time,” she said calmly. “Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t want me too.”His mouth fell open again, and Rey could see he was at a loss for words. A mix of emotions fluttered across his eyes as he searched, and then finally he dropped his head down and composed himself. When he raised it again, she could see the practiced coldness in his eyes and the vulnerability that was hiding behind it.“That’s not the point, Rey.”“I don’t care what the point is. I’m not giving up unless you can make me believe you don’t want me,” she said, launching herself forward and closing the distance between them. Ben frowned, but didn’t try to speak until she climbed into his lap. Her finger pressed into his lips before he could even make a sound.“I don’t want your explanations anymore, Ben. I want you.” “Bu-” he tried, but she shushed him again.“You’ve kept me waiting for too long, and now you’re going to make it up to me.” His mouth was open and eager once her lips crashed into his. Part of her wanted to laugh because she knew he’d been calling her bluff the entire time, but his final defense was the flimsiest one of all. So she kissed him with all her might until she needed to come up for air.“Fuck,” Ben said, looking just as dizzy as she felt below her.“Tell me,” she groaned, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. “Do you still want me?”Ben nodded and pressed his forehead to hers. “More than anything.”Rey let her heart sing for a moment before pulling away and looking him in the eyes, still dead serious. “No more of this ‘I don’t deserve you’ bullshit, got it?”“No,” he said, gulping down a breath before looking down. “I’m just worried. If I ever hurt you again-”She pulled his face back up to look at her. “Later, we will talk about all of it like adults. And we won’t keep any more secrets from each other, okay?”Ben managed a little smile despite the way she was squishing his face. “Okay.”“Good,” Rey said, finally allowing herself to smile again, just before she dipped back down to kiss him once more.His hands came up to hold her, one cupping the back of her head, the other at the small of her back. Rey gasped at the familiar touch, and in that moment she wanted to cry at how relieved she was to feel it once again. But Ben’s kisses were just as needy as she felt, and they pulled her back into him in another instant.They stopped for a breath of air, only to find themselves hungry for more. His hands began to roam as Rey began to grind her hips against his. She could feel him growing rock hard beneath her, and she silently thanked herself for slipping a condom into her purse just in case. It had seemed like a long shot at the beginning of the evening, but now...Ben’s hand grabbed at her ass and Rey groaned as she felt herself dripping through the thin fabric of her panties. She’d missed this just as much as she’d missed him. Nothing and no one made her wet this easily. He was like a drug -maybe catnip- and now that she’d finally gotten another taste, she felt giddy and loose and driven only by desire.“I need you, Ben,” she moaned the next time they parted. He moved to kiss her neck and Rey took the chance to bury her fingers in his soft, soft hair. “I’ve been waiting so long.” His hand drifted down to her thigh and he pulled back as he reached her core. His knuckles pressed against the wet fabric, and he smiled as he looked back up at her.“Gotta warm you up some,” he murmured as his fingers slipped past the edge of her panties and began to brush against the delicate hair and skin. “Make sure you can take it all.” Rey could only shudder and whimper as he began to run his fingers through her folds, looking for her entrance. It’d been so long, she’d nearly forgotten how good it felt to be touched by someone else, by Ben. By the time he’d pressed a single, thick finger inside her, she was pressed against him like glue and moaning into the skin of his neck. His thumb had found her clit and he was circling it gently, for now, teasing her. “Don’t torture me. Please, ” she groaned, pulling herself up to look him in the eyes.Ben smirked at that. “Still a demanding brat, huh?”Rey rolled her eyes. “Fuck you. After everything you’ve put me through, I’ll be as demanding as I fucking want.”He pressed his lips to hers again, just a soft touch. “Let me make you come just once then, and then I’ll give you everything you’ve been waiting so patiently for.”His finger slid out of her only to be replaced with three, and Rey gasped at the way he suddenly filled her. “Better?” Ben asked as he began to stroke her clit harder too. Biting her lip to keep her moan in, Rey nodded and rocked her hips against his fingers.“I’ll make it all better for you, sweetheart. I promise,” he said, kissing his way back to her lips. “Ben,” she moaned, fisting her hands in his shirt and trying to keep her tears in. She didn’t want to cry, she just wanted to enjoy this, to enjoy the fact that he was back in her arms.He cut her off with another kiss, keeping her locked onto him as his hand thrusted in and out of her. His thumb on her clit was rough, but he tried to keep a rhythm going. It didn’t matter. Every single touch made her shiver and brought her closer to the edge. Just a little more and she’d be lost in ecstasy. His hand tangled in her hair, pulling it back and exposing her neck to him just as his fingers curled inside of her. The tension was delicious with the heat of his mouth on her skin, and the next time he thrust with his fingers, Rey felt something deep within her finally snap.Her whole body trembled with pleasure, electricity shooting down all her limbs and filling her with light and energy. It was so much better than any orgasm she’d given herself over the past few years, even with the toys he’d bought her, and yet she tried to squirm out of his grasp, too overwhelmed to be touched anymore. But Ben held her close, slowing his movements and letting her hair go so he could kiss her softly. Rey let him for a moment, then sunk down into the crook of his neck as she came down from the high.They stayed like that, curled up together, Ben removing his fingers from inside her as he rubbed her back with his other hand. Rey closed her eyes and breathed in. He smelled a little differently than she remembered, the harsh chemicals of oil paints clinging to him instead of the smell of paper and ink. But underneath that was a scent she remembered of cedar and sweat, fainter, yet still there to comfort her.A sudden metallic rapping sound broke them both out of their silence, making them jump. Rey’s back hit the edge of the steering wheel and she groaned in pain.“Fuck!” Ben swore, his head turning to the side to see who had disturbed their peace.“Sorry to interrupt, kids,” Leia’s voice came from otherside of the driver’s side window. “I know you two have a lot of catching up to do, but unfortunately Ben still has parole conditions and I don’t want my son to go back to jail for public indecency of all things.”Rey’s mouth fell open as she pulled her dress down and crawled off Ben. He wiped his hand on his black jeans and grimaced, then opened the door before hopping out. “Shit, Mom. Were you watching us?”Looking up in horror, she saw Leia shake her head. “I only popped my head out the door a few times. I didn’t want to impose on you two, especially when I knew you had important things to discuss. But it is time to open your show, young man. You’re already late.”“ Shit, ” Ben growled before looking back up at Rey. As their eyes met, she suddenly felt like Ben would be lost forever if she let him out of her sight. It was just paranoia, she knew, but not something she was willing to mess with.She slowly slid towards the door and lowered herself down onto the ground. Her legs weren’t quite back to normal after her orgasm, and she leaned against the truck for support before Ben grabbed her hand.Leia scanned them for a moment before sighing. “I’m glad I thought to bring you a change of clothes. You got five minutes to make yourselves presentable. Let’s go.”“Sorry,” Ben mumbled, looking more like a chastised 15-year-old with his pale skin turning bright red than an accomplished artist. Leia turned back to the gallery and Ben squeezed Rey’s hand before they followed.“Sorry,” he whispered softly to her. “I forgot about the show.”“So did I,” Rey whispered back, trying to stop herself from giggling.Once they were back inside, Rose and Finn were waiting to pounce.“Oh my god, it worked!” Rose said, pulling Rey into a tight hug immediately. “You look like a mess though.”Rey felt herself flush even more as Rose inspected the damage their fighting and petting had done to her makeup and outfit. “Um, yeah, there was... a lot of crying.”Finn, on the other hand, was all over Ben. “She finally made you come to your senses, huh?”Ben looked like a deer in headlights. Rey could even see one of his ears turning red from where it poked out of his hair.“Okay, we don’t have a lot of time,” Leia said, clapping at them and then opening a door. “Ben, come with me. Rey, here’s the bathroom. You can use it to freshen up.”Rey’s heart began to beat fast as Rose pulled her into the bathroom, promising to help her, but tearing her hand away from Ben’s. She looked back to see Ben who seemed just as torn about being separated, until the door between them closed, and it was just her and Rose.“Wow, Rey, he’s even hotter and taller in person. No wonder you hopped on that dick straight away.”She hadn’t known it was impossible to be even more embarrassed than she already was, after being caught by Ben’s mother. A former congresswomen. Whom she’d only just met. But somehow Rose had done it.“W-we-we didn’t,” she stammered. “He just-”Rose’s eyebrows raised in mirth. “Makes his lady come before he does? Good man.” Rey squeaked and buried her face in her hands, unable to take anymore teasing after the absolute rollercoaster of emotions she’d been through in the last hour. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Rose murmured, gently pulling her hands away. “But we’ve got less than five minutes now, so we better hurry.” She let her friend dab her face with a wet paper towel then work her magic with whatever was in their purses. Somehow, despite being red-faced and streaked with mascara, Rose managed to make Rey look fresh and relatively dewy again. Aside from the blush that hadn’t quite gone down yet.She was just putting the final touches on Rey’s hair, now pulled back into a messy bun when Leia knocked on the door and stepped in.“Sweetie, he won’t go out there without you, are you just about ready?”“Almost done, ma’am,” Rose said quickly. She pinned a stray piece behind her ear. “Rose, you’re amazing,” Rey breathed. “We’ve gotta do another dress up night sometime.”Rose grinned ear-to-ear. “We can make it a double date, now that you’ve got your man back.”Leia smiled at Rey as she got up. “I’m so glad you two worked it out. I think I might have murdered my own son if he kept being such a stubborn ass. But we do have a bit of a problem.”“A problem?” Rey asked, her breath hitching as she tried to mentally prepare herself for the worst. The problem was she didn’t know what the worst could possibly be.“This ‘mystery girl’ thing. There’s a ton of press here, including the Japanese press, and there won’t be any avoiding it if you two go on stage hand-in-hand like he wants to,” Leia sighed. “Ben wanted to spare you from public scrutiny before, but now-”They turned the corner and Ben came into view, standing just by a black curtain that must have been erected for privacy after she’d chased after him. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him again, and he must have felt the same because she saw his eyes grow misty as they stared at each other. “So, what do you want to do, Rey?” Leia asked. “I’ve told Ben it’s a stupid idea. He should spare you, at least for now. Then you can decide how you want to come forward and what you want to share with the public.” Rey didn’t answer, if only because she had already tucked herself into Ben’s chest as his arms wrapped around her.“Are you okay?” he asked, whispering quietly into her hair.“I was afraid you’d run away again,” Rey said softly. “No,” Ben said, squeezing her even tighter. “I promise I won’t do that again.”Rey nodded and looked up at him, trying her best to push back the tears of relief that were starting to prickle out of her eyes. “I should let you open your show.”Ben smiled nervously and let her step out of his arms so she could exit with Rose and Finn. The three of them found a place to stand towards the back of the gallery, a little too far from the stage than she would have liked. Her whole being already missed Ben, longed for him desperately, even though she knew he was just on the other side of the curtain. Being so far felt like torture. The curious stares of some of the audience just made her even more jittery.“He seems alright,” Finn said quietly, looking around to make sure no one but Rey and Rose heard him. “But, I swear to god, if I get a whiff of him mistreating you.”Rose smacked his arm lightly. “You will let them work it out like two adults, mister.”Rey shook her head. “He won’t.”Finn gave her a long, critical look, and all she could do was try to put on her best smile. It was harder than she liked, she was still crawling in her own skin, desperate to be touching Ben. It would probably take her days to feel calm again.“He’s coming out,” Rose whispered loudly. Just as Rey turned to look, the chatter in the room switched to applause and several cameras began to flash. She saw Ben cover his eyes as he walked toward the little stage, towering over most people, even from this far away. “Please, turn off your flash,” came Leia’s voice through a microphone. “Thank you.” Ben joined her on stage, looking visibly nervous, his fist clenching. Rey grabbed Finn’s arm just to anchor herself. She wasn’t sure why just the sight of him made it worse. It wasn’t like she wanted to expose herself to the media so soon, when everything was so raw and tender and still slightly uncertain.“You okay?” Finn asked quietly.“Fine,” Rey told him as Ben looked around the room, ignoring the corner where she was. He smiled nervously at the crowd and then finally took the mic from Leia. “Evening, everyone. Thanks for coming out here to see what I’ve created in the past few months since I got home.” Ben licked his lips. “Um… a lot of this has been inspired by my time in Japan and the events of the past two years. I-”His eyes had landed on Rey and for a moment there were only the two of them in the room. Her heart tightened as she saw his longing, his desperation to be by her side instead of on that stage. She wanted it too.The connection was broken when Leia came up beside him to rub his back, making Ben visibly flinch. He took a deep breath and turned back to the crowd. “It’s been a strange time for me and…” Rey squeezed Finn’s hand tightly.“Ow. What’s up with you?” he hissed.“I should be with him.”Rose came to her other side and grabbed her other hand. “Rey, you don’t want to throw yourself into that. C’mon. He’ll be fine.” “Shit,” Ben said from the stage. His voice sounded wet, and when Rey looked back up, she saw he was wiping tears from his eyes. “Um…”A moment of clarity, or perhaps insanity hit her; they shouldn’t be here. They shouldn’t be apart. Not yet. Not this soon. And if they didn’t want to be under the spotlight yet, then they needed to leave. As these thoughts settled in her mind, she knew there was only one real solution, crazy as it was.Rey ripped her hands away from her friends, and dashed across the edge of the room toward the stage. There were too many people in the way, but she finally pushed through the last line of them and darted up the stage steps. Ben watched her with horror in his eyes, but there was also relief behind the fear, and she knew she was doing the right thing.“Let’s go,” she said, grabbing his hand. “Let’s get out of here.”Rey bit her lip as Ben turned to Leia. For a brief moment she looked between them, then sighed. “I should have known this would happen. Go.”Ben kissed his mother’s cheek before handing her the mic.“Sorry,” he said addressing the crowd, and then, finally he urged her forward.They probably didn’t need to run through the back doors of the gallery and out to Ben’s truck like someone was chasing them. But the speed and the air rushing past her was like a balm to her nerves, their hands clasped together only soothing the itch of longing even more.Ben unlocked the truck with unsteady hands, fumbling with the keys a few times, then prompted her to get in first. She slid over the leather bench to the passenger side as Ben clambered in behind her, but he pulled her back toward him and kissed her hard. “Fuck,” he whispered as they pulled apart. “We really did that.”“Yeah,” Rey said with a laugh. He dipped in for another kiss, this one longer and slower, more relaxed.“Maybe we should go before we have a repeat of earlier,” Rey said, her voice low with need as their foreheads pressed together.“Yeah,” Ben agreed, giving her one last soft, little peck before he pulled himself away completely and turned his attention towards starting the car. “Where do you live?”“Costa Mesa,” Rey breathed. “Are you sure you want to drive all the way down there?”Ben smiled at her as he turned the key in the ignition and put the truck into drive. “I just want to go someplace where we can be alone for as long as we want.”Rey felt her stomach tingle with delight, instead of the nervousness it had entertained most of the evening. “Okay.”  The drive down to her place was mostly quiet aside from the flurry of texts she’d gotten from Finn, Rose, and even Leia, wanting to know if they were okay. Finn and Rose were going to drop off Ben’s extra clothes when they drove home, and Ben had already sold quite a large number of paintings. The press was unhappy, according to Leia, and she’d promised them all interviews with Ben - and Rey, if she allowed it. Ben only laughed as she read the texts from him. “That’s up to you. I can’t really avoid them that much. Not at the moment.” “Why not?” Rey asked.“Need to make money,” Ben answered. “All the media interest helps sell paintings, helps me gain clout. But once things calm down a bit, there won’t be so many of those unless something big happens like another show.”“So it’s not too bad,” she said.“It’s tiring,” he responded before sneaking a glance at her. “I’ll be happy to have more time for the things I want to be spending time on.”Rey felt herself flush at that, and the quiet returned. The only words between them for the rest of the trip down were her instructions on how to get to her apartment.Her nervousness returned when they parked and made their way to her front door.  It felt strange again, almost unreal, to be with him in a place that was so familiar to her. She looked over her shoulder as she unlocked the door, just to make sure Ben hadn’t disappeared while she wasn’t looking. He hadn’t, of course, so he gave her a quizzical look.“Um, watch out for my cat. Sometimes she likes to try to slip outside.’Ben’s smile grew. “You have a cat?”Rey nodded and turned the handle. “Got her about a year ago.”Sure enough, when Rey opened the door, Beebee was waiting for them. But thankfully she stepped back at the sight of Ben, somewhat wary of the new person.Once the door was closed, Rey kneeled down and picked her up. “This is Beebee.”Beebee meowed at Ben, making him smile more before he reached out a cautious hand and let the cat assess him. “She’s cute.”Rey felt a little calmer as Beebee reached out to nuzzle her face against Ben’s hand. “She likes you.”“I’m glad,” he said, letting Beebee do as she pleased before scratching under her chin.After a moment more, Beebee wriggled out of Rey’s arms and landed on the floor with a chirp. As Rey straightened up, she realized the quiet between them had grown again, and with it came the butterflies in her stomach.“We should talk some more,” Ben said, his voice low and soft, obviously hesitant.Rey bit her lip and smoothed the fabric of her dress even though it wasn’t wrinkled. She couldn’t quite look him in the eye yet, still afraid it might not be real. “Yes, probably.”He took her hand then, his fingers slipping gently between hers. “I don’t really want to.”Blinking, Rey finally looked up at him. He was frowning, and she didn’t quite know if he was upset or what he would be upset about. Her heart sped up as Ben stepped into her space, making her take a step back and hitting the edge of the couch. His other hand came up to the curve of her back to pull her towards him, but instead of a kiss, he pressed his face to the side of her head. “Right now, I’d rather bend you over that couch and make you cum until you’re begging for my cock.” The butterflies in her stomach turned into flutterings of a different kind as his words sunk in. She licked her lips. “I thought you said you wouldn’t tease me.”Ben hummed into her ear. “All I could think about on the drive down was all the ways I could make you come again.” “You’re terrible,” Rey whispered, turning her head to meet his.His hand slid down to palm her ass, and tightened around her cheek, pulling her hips closer to his. “Let me taste you.” She breathed in, feeling every inch of their bodies pressed together as she did. It was tempting to slip back into their old habits, even now she was growing wet, but something deep inside her told her no. Not this time.“I think we can arrange that.” Her free hand came up to his chest, lingering at the top of his shirt where the fabric opened up to his skin. “If you behave.”Ben pulled back and stared at her with a quizzical look, but Rey just smiled coyly before leading him by the hand to her bedroom. She let him go to close the door and make sure Beebee wouldn’t bother them, then she turned back to him, her back pressed against the door.“Lay on the bed,” she said, her eyes drifting downward to the obvious bulge in his pants.His eyebrows raised, but he laid back as she asked with no questions, nudging off his shoes before getting comfortable. She stared at him for a long moment, nerves returning once again to eat at her confidence. Still, it was simple enough to slip off her panties then her dress and bra, and it only spurred her own to see the way he was staring at her. “Fuck, sweetheart,” Ben said, his hand coming up to palm his cock. “You don’t know how much I missed you.”“I know you did,” Rey replied as she approached the bed and began to climb over him. “I missed you too.” “I thought about you every day, every night.” His voice grew hoarse as she lined their bodies up, hers hovering over his. She could tell how badly he wanted her to sink her hips down on his cock and tease him. But that would give him the opening he needed, and she wasn’t ready for it   just yet. “Every time I-”“Shhhh,” she said, pressing a finger to his lips for the second time that night. “You don’t have to say anything else. Not until I tell you to.”Rey pushed her knees up further, first up to his chest, and then she had to get her legs over his shoulders. Ben’s eyes widened, and she saw him bite his lip to keep from speaking. That made her smile, knowing he was listening to her commands, knowing that she was in control this time.Her knees sunk into place by his head and she lowered her hips down carefully. His eyes flitted down to her cunt as it neared his mouth and Rey could feel his breath tickling her skin.“I think you know what I want, sweetheart,” she told him, trying not to let her voice crack, to show any sort of weakness. Ben’s dark eyes flicked back up to hers, and he nodded before wrapping his arms around her thighs and bridging the gap between them. His tongue came out and found its way between her hair and her lips, finding its way to her clit even faster than she thought was possible. For a moment, even though she could feel his tongue doing all sorts of wonderful things to her, her mind wandered to his paintings. Not the tigers or the ropes, but the ones of her -naked or clothed- always faceless, but always with some prominent detail that she recognized from her own body. A specific set of freckles. The strange, little scar on her upper arm that she didn’t remember getting, but had always been there. With all the time that had passed, he still remembered her body like it was yesterday.“Fuck,” she whispered, making Ben’s eyes dart up to discern her expression. Such a simple little act, making sure she was okay, and yet it felt like something so much larger and stronger.Her heart swelled with affection, and all she could think of was all the times he’d been so loving and caring before. Always taking care of her, always ready to bring her pleasure and happiness before his own. And with that, Rey realized she felt truly safe in his arms again.“You’re doing so good, baby. Make me come, and I’m all yours.” With that, he returned to his ministrations with even more vigor. Rey’s hand came down to grip his hair as she moved her hips in time with his tongue. Her thoughts began to melt away as he sucked gently on her clit for a moment before moving back to her folds, her entrance, everywhere his tongue could reach. One hand slipped from her thigh and made its way underneath, and she moaned when his fingers entered her again. His tongue was more insistent now, more demanding, and Rey clutched at his hair harder as she stumbled over the edge.Ben let her go at the first wriggle on her hips, and watched as she shuddered above him with only his fingers buried inside her to help her ride it through.Rey flopped to the side, feeling too spent to trust her knees to support her any longer. Ben turned to face her, raising himself up above her, a questioning look on his face.“Was I good, Rey?”Her breath caught as his hand came to her hip and trailed to the inside of her thighs, spreading her wide open so he could kneel there. He didn’t touch her again like she thought he would, but instead began to unbutton his shirt. “Have I been good enough for you?”She watched him finish with his shirt, pulling it off and tossing to the side. For a moment she got lost in the loveliness of his pale skin and freckles and muscles. She had forgotten just how handsome he was, like something molded from marble, not flesh. His hands moved to his belt before she remembered to answer.“Yes. You were so good.”He slipped the leather out of the buckle and leaned over her. “Is it my turn now?”Her body shivered with excitement and curiosity, so ready for whatever he wanted to do to her. “Yes.” He was just as ready, pressing her down into the blankets with a searing kiss, his chest flush against hers as he finally undid his belt between their bodies. Rey whined as he pulled away, looking just as breathless as she felt.“Condoms?”Her head turned toward her dresser, but before she could even move to reach for them, he leaned over and pulled the drawer open. In another minute he was back between her thighs, his clothes gone and condom on, pressing into her slowly and carefully.Rey wrapped her arms around his neck as he began to thrust, pulling him onto her as much as  possible, relishing how his cock filled her up to the brim. Now that she felt sure of her feelings again, she wanted to be surrounded and consumed by him. Every kiss he could give her could only stoke the fire.“That feel good, sweetheart?” Ben moaned into her mouth as he began to roll his hips, trying to get deeper and deeper. She could only whimper in response and pull him closer.“Mm, wanna make you feel better than that,” he murmured, beginning to pull away and out. Rey whined and grabbed his wrist to try and bring him back down to her, but his hands were already removing her legs from his shoulders and twisting her around. Without missing a beat, he had her on her knees, his hand fisting in her hair and pulling her back as he slid into her.This time he fucked into her hard and fast, snapping into her like the crack of a whip. Rey gulped down a cry as the tension made her body more sensitive to the cool air as she moved with Ben’s thrusts. It moved down her with each one, starting at her pebbled nipples and rolling down the line of her stomach until it reached her core. The breeze tickled at her clit, teasing her as if Ben had planned it from the start. Already Rey wanted to beg him to touch her, to cover her and protect her from the wind, but there was no sound in her throat except the ones he pushed out of her.It was rough and primal, just the urge to fuck, to dominate and be dominated, and it was exactly what she needed tonight. There were no apologies that needed to be passed between them in this moment, and there would never be any. Not for liking this brutal sort of pleasure, even if there was so much more that still needed to be said. Maybe tomorrow, in the light of morning, he would fuck her softly and they would cry in each other’s arms as they unfurled all the twisted things that had torn them apart and brought them again. But tonight was about their joy at being reunited, their undeniable attraction, the pleasure found only within each other, and they could just slide back into their old ways.“Fuck, you’re taking it so well, sweetheart,” Ben cooed from behind her. He released her hair and slowed his thrusts. Rey whimpered at the loss, as if his grip had been all that held her together.“What are you doing?” she breathed as he slid out of her, then turned her over and onto her back again. It did feel good to lie down again. She could feel herself relaxing just a little bit.“I was just thinking,” Ben said with a sly little smile on his lips as he reentered her and began to pump in and out, slower this time. “I haven’t really paid any attention to your pretty little tits.”His hands moved up her sides as he began to thrust deep and hard, making her whole body bounce from the force of it.“Ben,” Rey groaned. She wanted to complain, but now it felt like her tits were dying for attention and his large hands were so very, very close to swallowing them whole. “I read something once a long time ago,” Ben said as a hand hovered over one of her breasts, just barely close enough to let her nipple graze against his palm as his thrusts moved her up and down. “That women can have an orgasm by just stimulating their nipples.”Rey whined as his hand lowered itself onto her breast and she arched her back to press against him, her eyes darting from her breasts to his eyes. There had to be a catch, some part of her knew in the back of her mind. But did she care when he was fucking her so good after all this time?“You want it don’t you, sweetheart?” Ben cooed as his fingers tightened around the squishy flesh as his hips kept moving at their rough pace. “You want to know if I can make you come like that.” Rey nodded eagerly, her walls crumbling too fast. Perhaps it was foolish to give away so much trust so soon after they’d made up, but it fell into place so quickly. Just like they had fallen together the minute they’d met.He dove into her chest, his large hands cupping what his mouth couldn’t cover. For a moment all was bliss as he licked and pinched her touch-starved nipples. Rey cried out as he circled her areola with his tongue, sending shivers throughout her body. But as she squirmed in his grasp, she realized that he had gone completely still aside from playing with her breasts. His cock was just sitting in her, filling, but not satisfying either of them.“What are you doing?” she groaned as he pulled at both her nipples.Ben grinned, letting her know he was, as she suspected, teasing her. “What does it look like?” Her hand reached down and curled around his hair, but she didn’t pull on it yet. “ Just- keep moving.” To emphasize her point, she tried to roll her hips against his, but Ben only pressed against her harder.“Uh-uh-uh,” he said, finally releasing the little mound of wet and raw skin. “No fucking until you come on my cock. Just like I said.” “Bastard,” she said, sounding whinier than she liked and clenching around him in an effort to make him cave. “I promise I’ll make you come one way or another,” he said, pressing a kiss to her neck. “And then I’ll fuck you real good again.”With that he resumed his torture, making her nipples nearly raw with little licks and pinches and gropes, ever so often shifting his hips so she’d know just what he was keeping from her. Then he’d abandon them to lick and kiss the soft swells of her breasts instead. Rey felt her focus slip, she was very close as it was, her body begging for satisfaction. But if she tried to grind her hips into his, Ben would merely use his weight to stop her and kept playing with tits. There was nothing she could really do except lay back and take it.As she relaxed and ran her hair through Ben’s hair over and over, Rey had to admit that it felt good. Better than she would have thought, considering he was being exceedingly gentle now. A soft sort of electricity began to shoot through her body at every tender bite and pull, and before she knew it, her arms were wrapped around his head as waves of pleasure crashed over her whole body.“Good girl,” Ben whispered as she shuddered beneath him. “You’re clenching my cock so tight.”Rey gasped as he began to pump slowly. The orgasm was still coursing through her, and the sudden switch in stimulation made her body light up with pleasure even more than before. And when Ben lifted his head to kiss her as he increased his pace, all she could feel was utter bliss. She didn’t even notice he was coming until he broke the kiss to moan loudly and bury his face in her shoulder. She wasn’t sure how she’d missed it because he was holding her so tight, there barely seemed to be any room for air inside her. All she could feel was love and softness and pleasure and Ben. They laid there for who knows how long before Ben finally removed himself from the bed. She thought he’d only gone to deal with the condom and wash his hands, and part of her knew that meant she’d have to get up soon too, but when he returned he pressed a bit of fruit to her lips.“Eat,” he said softly. “Just a little bit.” Rey’s lips closed around the section of orange, biting down into the juicy insides and letting the tartness and the sweetness run across her tongue. Ben smiled and popped a piece in his mouth too, feeding her more when she finished with the first one.When she finally felt like she had the will to move again, Ben quietly suggested a shower together.At first they didn’t need to say much of anything, but as the hot water worked its magic on their skin, it began to feel safer.“I’m sorry if I drive you crazy,” Ben mumbled as he passed the soap over her shoulders for what was probably the fourth or fifth time. Rey didn’t mind though, she still felt like putty that just barely held its shape.Still, she huffed out a laugh at that. “You know, as much as I complain, I do like it when you make me come.” Ben’s hand trailed down her back, and he stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her loosely. “I don’t mean that. I meant… with everything. Not just that.”Rey hummed for a moment as she contemplated his words, pressing her back against his chest. “I knew what your letters said,” he said. “I was just scared to be hurt again. That you’d lock me out again if you didn’t like the truth. So I didn’t open them, that way neither of us could hurt each other any more than that.”There was a small waver in Ben’s voice. It made Rey want to turn around, but something told that he’d freeze the second she faced him. So she stayed in his arms and closed her eyes. “I was just scared you were just as awful as everyone who’d ever hurt me before.” His breath hitched. “I don’t want to be that kind of person.”“You aren’t. You turned yourself in. You became the better person even though it meant prison.”His arms squeezed her tighter, and Rey stroked his hand with hers as she rested her head on his arm.  “But I’m sorry I hurt you like that.”Ben sighed, pressing his head against her wet hair. “No. Don’t apologize. You were right to do it, even if it hurt.”Rey tilted her head back so she could look at him. “It might happen again, me shutting down like that. Even if I promised you now that I wouldn’t, I can’t always control it."“Then I don’t need a promise like that.” Looking up at him, Rey could see the tears beginning to leak out of his eyes, the part of them that desperately wanted to wash that all away for her, even if he couldn’t. It made her want to smile. “And I don’t need you to promise that you’ll never hurt me again. Because you could, and if you do or if I do, then we need to remember how much it hurt to be apart all this time.”Rey reached up to wipe away some of the tears and Ben seemed to relax under touch. “I can do that.”Rey smiled back. “I can too.”Later, when they were curled up together under the covers and drifting off to sleep, Rey reminded herself to give Leia a big hug next time they met.  Beebee’s familiar chirp sounded somewhere in Rey’s mind, bringing her someplace close to awakeness, but not quite close enough. Usually her cat would jump up on the bed and curl up near her, waiting for Rey to wake up properly unless she was really hungry. So Rey’s unconscious mind waited for the warm familiar lump to press against her body like it always did.Except it didn’t.The fog of sleep parted further and there was an unfamiliar noise, one that Rey was used to hearing after she woke up fully, so she let the fog part further. Ben was there, completely focused on Beebee, who happened to be curled up by his chest, purring like a motor.  He seemed entranced by the softness of her fur, content to pet Beebee until she wouldn’t let him anymore.For a moment Rey wasn’t sure where she was or how much time had passed, but as her eyes adjusted her surroundings became more and more familiar.She tried to shift ever-so-slightly, hoping neither of them would notice, but of course they were both looking at her when she opened her eyes once more.“Hey,” Ben said, his voice still scratchy from sleep.“Hey,” she said back, smiling easily.Ben looked down at her cat who just purred louder under his gaze. “Neither of us wanted to wake you.” Her hand reached out to pet Beebee as well, just as she leaned in to kiss him softly.When they broke apart, Rey scooted the rest of her body closer, but not so close that Beebee would scare and move away. All she wanted to do was enjoy the happy, sleepy look in Ben’s eyes as they lay there and the perfect warmth that their three bodies made.“It still feels strange,” she murmured.Ben hummed. “I know what you mean.”They stayed like that a while more, kissing, enjoying the way that Beebee nuzzled against them in an effort to get more pets, but finally her phone pinged, signaling that it was time to wake up properly and start the day.Rey watched Ben as he sat up and stretched for a moment, joints cracking slightly as he did. Then he turned back to her with that same lazy smile.“Would you like breakfast, Mrs. Solo?”She sat up then, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips before nuzzling his nose with hers. Her heart was so full of love, even a whole year after their wedding. “I’d love some, Mr. Solo.”