#My Reylo fanfics

[senatortedcruz]

Feel like such a raging “not like other girls!!!” Bitch kinda agreeing with this and I’m not mad about the porn but man it’s so sad when you meet a new girl who’s like “I love to read!!” And she’s talking about thinly veiled fanfiction booktok garbage for 12 year olds with clip art covers marketed by listing out their tropes

#Bitch!! I’m dying to discuss my thoughts on Anne Patchett and Haruki Murakami and you want to talk about Reylo fanfics

[pocketsofdaisy]

“I will love you until I am nothing, until I am dust beneath the ground. And wherever you go beyond here, I only ask that the Force lets me go with you.”

⚔️ ✨

finally got around to commissioning another beautiful canonverse artpiece! so here is a scene from the epilogue of my completed fic breaker of chains that the lovely & talented @boomdafunk so graciously crafted—all the tenderness and yearning with the gorgeous backdrop of Naboo is everything a reylo could ask for 🥹

merci du fond du cœur, Alicia 💕

———

content tags - • canonverse • post-tlj • morally grey • supreme leader kylo ren • canon-typical violence • dreams and nightmares • enemies to lovers • belligerent sexual tension • mutual pining • heavy angst with happily ever after • trauma healing • love confessions

#reylo #reylo art #reylo fan art #reylo fanart #reyloart #reylo canonverse #boomdafunk #reylo fic #reylo fanfic #reylofic #pocketsofdaisy art #i am not worthy of this art #ben solo x rey #kylo ren x rey #rey x ben solo #rey x kylo ren #REYLO FOREVER #my otp

[lucylucius]

i'm late but congrats to all reylo writers to 30k fics on ao3!! 🌟

#my art #30k reylo fics on ao3!! #reylo #rey and ben solo #reylo fanart #thank you fanfic writers for your service!! 🫡💌

[fl0-0ra]

Art for Scene from Chapter One of "Resistance and Redemption"

link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54748156

#reylo fan art #reylo fanfic #reylo art #ben x rey #reylo #rey x kylo #kylo ren #fanfiction #my art #digital drawing

[rose-red-ink]

I'm writing Star Wars fic

Hey, did you forget how this is a writblr? That's ok, me too.

I'm writing a Star Wars fanfic that rewrites the sequel trilogy.

All of the main squad has arcs now, Reylo is here (though not the entire fic or it's main purpose) and their dyad is something explored and expanded on, Kylo and Rey have fleshed out arcs, Poe and Finn uh...HAVE arcs now instead of scattered plot points. Snoke is a character instead of a cardboard cutout with evil stapled on his forehead. I rewrote some backstories, it's a fic that starts as a bottle episode and turns into a road trip through space.

Here's the plot summary, I really hope you guys enjoy it because I am having a blast writing it.

When Finn and Poe escape from the First Order ship, Kylo Ren takes off after them. When both ships are damaged, they crash on Jakku, right into the Star Destroyer that Rey is scavenging from. Finn is longing for freedom while unable to escape the thoughts of those he left behind. Poe is determined to be the most annoying hostage possible to his old surrogate brother. Kylo is trying to survive Poe while being plagued with curiosity; who is the woman he keeps hearing at the edges of his mind? And new powers are awakening in Rey, powers that seem to be the source of the visions of a strange man in black, exploring the same wreckage, just out of her reach. Choices will be made, loyalties tested, and bonds forged. Where will they go when they emerge from the wreckage?

(Feel free to send me asks about it here, I am always down to talk about this fic)

#star wars #star wars sequels #reylo #reylo fanfic #my writing #star wars fanfic #rey of jakku #kylo x rey #force mandated bottle episode

[frozenoj]

Published Reylo Fics Master List

Everyone knows reylos stay winning, and I have no doubt we'll be one of the most published fandoms of all time. List originally posted on twitter (and actually stolen from an anti lmao) but ported over considering... all that.

(Note: I'm mostly just C&P'ing right now, if you know an author has a tumblr and they aren't tagged please lmk thanks! And ofc lmk if I've missed any or as new things get published.)

Ali Hazelwood Cinematic Universe

Three novels, three novellas, and she's just getting started.

Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare

When Reggie Johnson answers a job ad, she’s astonished to find that she’s not applying to work at her favorite card game, Spellcraft: The Magicking. Instead, she’s applying to be an actual familiar for an actual witch.

We'd Know By Then by Kirsten Bohling

Meeting your soulmate triggers "the glimpse"—walking out of Dorothy's house in Kansas and into the colorful world of Oz. The problem is, Brighton has ALWAYS seen in color.

For Love and Bylines by Merrin Taylor

When Ava Thompson is offered an undercover investigative role, she jumps at the chance. But posing as a high school senior proves to be more than Ava signed up for when she meets brooding English teacher, Nico Adams.

Almost Perfect by Charlie Mitchell

Recovering from a brain tumour, Ben has lost confidence in sex & relationships. So he gets in touch with Rey, a specialised sex worker, to help him get over his fears.

Soul Searching by E. A. Blevins

Finding your soulmate is like winning the lottery. They're rare and precious and lead to riding off into the sunset. They're not supposed to be your high school English teacher or carry baggage that can tear you both apart.

The Hurricane Wars by @theaguanzon

A land ravaged by storms and conquerors… A refuge across the sea that comes at a price… A volatile alliance between two bitter enemies… A growing attraction as dangerous as it is irresistible…

Crossroads by Chaney Banett

Ester lives a simple enough life as a waitress at a truck stop diner, plopped in middle-of-nowhere Minnesota. Her days aren’t boring necessarily. It’s just that they’re one all the same.

She doesn't question life very often. She doesn't question anything at all, actually.

…Until the mysterious regular at booth sixteen starts asking.

Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery by Sharon Ibbotson

Grumpy Cohen orders a coffee when he goes to deliver a present from his mother at the ice creamery. While there he's immediately drawn to River, the Deaf woman who makes the ice cream flavors.

My Roommate is a Vampire by @jeenonamit

Cassie Greenberg's desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. She knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.

Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.

The Rockstar’s Omega by Hannah Haze

Layla won a backstage pass to meet her idol, Ash Canon. What will they do when his scent sends her into heat?

(Does anyone know if Hannah's other works also used to be reylo? LMK!)

The Alpha Nextdoor by Dani Doll

It doesn’t matter how hot the alpha next door is. She’s a beta, and that means it’ll never work between them. Right?

The Exception to the Rule by Christina D. Ambrose

Violet Dawson is spirited, independent, and definitely not your typical Omega. She's determined not to be drawn to the gorgeous Theodore Chamberlin, senior editor and company Alpha asshole.

They are thrust together to plan an event, and all seems to go well until Violet's workspace floods, and they have to share an office.

What will become of them when their close proximity causes Violet to go into heat?

The Most Titillating Tale of Miss Hall & Dr Black by Jenny Michelle

Miss Charlotte Hall, bored & neglected by her Grandfather, has a shameful problem. Desperate, she turns to his physician for help. But she hadn't expected the help to be quite so…manly.

Antique Magic by Kait Disney-Leugers

Brie St. James is in need of a part-time job. She finds it at Spirit Antiques, owned by the handsome and aloof Ezra. But there's more to the shop than meets the eye. Under the layers of patina and dust, a gateway to the magical world and the shop is the crossroads of goods for the magical residents.

To Have & to Hold by Avery Crow

When Clara’s work visa is denied, she figures that’s the end of the road for her. Until her boss offers to marry her.

The idea of going back to cold, gloomy London and the dark past that haunts her is only slightly worse than having to somehow convince her friends and coworkers that her new marriage is authentic, and that there is any sort of love between them.

But Andrew Morrow is full of surprises, and Clara soon finds herself in over her head and pining for a man who is, after all, only doing her a favor.

Kirsten S. Blacketer

Kirsten has a ton of books, like omg a ton! Looks like at least 7 different series/collections? I don't know how many of them were reylo originally (could be all, could be just a few) but check them out.

#reylo fanfic to published books pipeline #the love hypothesis #love on the brain #love theoretically #steminist #under one roof #stuck with you #below zero #go hex yourself #we'd know by then #for love any bylines #almost perfect #soul searching #the hurricane wars #crossroads #Hanukkah at the Great Greenwich Ice Creamery #my roommate is a vampire #the rockstar's omega #the alpha next door #the exception to the rule #The Most Titillating Tale of Miss Hall & Dr Black #antique magic #to have and to hold #kirsten s blacketer #ali hazelwood #book rec list #reylo #long post

[sofondabooks]

Former Olympic ice-skating legend Kylo Ren and the Olympic hopeful he has reluctantly agreed to train, Rey Kenobi.

For Irene…@koderenn’s “Black Ice”, with my thanks & appreciation! 💕 !

Commissioned from the brilliant artist,@bloomsbury.

Read it at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44000820/chapters/110633685

(Check out the motorcycle helmet! 😍)

#reylo #reylo fanfic #kylo ren #reylo fan art #star wars fanfiction #reylo fanfiction #koderenn #my fic recs #Black Ice #bloomsbury #Saliha Caliskan

[serendipity-by-chance]

i’ve come to terms that my favourite fanfic trope is no longer ‘enemies to lovers’ but ‘fix it’ or ‘time travel fix it’ no matter how impractical it is irl. and idec. im mentally ill and i’d rather read the same kind of fic where one character travels back in time and fixes everything which saves the disaster that will happen in the future and somehow the future ends up fine and all bec it heals me.

yes this is mainly about star wars but i’ll throw in some other fandoms here as well

#fic tropes #tropes #star wars #fanfic #enemies to lovers #time travel fix it #anidala #reylo #daemyra #darklina #my mental health depends on these ships #house of the dragon #wangxian

[vintageseawitch]

"omg i didn't know this book was based off a REYLO fanfic waaaah i don't like that 😭😭"

#reylo #kylo ren #pro kylo ren #ben solo #pro ben solo #anti tros #pro the last jedi #fanfic #reylo fanfic #ali hazelwood #the love hypothesis #love on the brain #love theoretically #not a fan of how people dislike kylo & say mean things about him #there are PLENTY of pathetic villains y'all simp over #you just don't like that it's not original star wars #since these folks also talk horribly about the prequels 🙄 #SO EDGY #oh no he massacred so many people #THERE ARE SO MANY VILLAINS THAT DO THIS & YOU LOVE THEM #anyways my precious bby Kylo did nothing wrong 😇🤗 #he's the best guy around #what murdahhh

[ponochino]

What I say: I like the enemies to lovers trope

What people think I mean: two people who hate each other and are trying to kill each other but they're both hot so sometimes they makeout and maybe fall in love

What I really mean: two people who have done terrible things to each other but are trying to change but neither of them believe the other is capable of change so they keep assuming the worst about the other until they are forced to work together and one of them accidently reveals the trauma of their lives and they start seeing each other in a new light and soon they can only trust each other and slowly they're falling in love but they think the other person couldn't possibly love them because of how they hurt them so they keep it inside until it finally comes out OR two people who are enemies but not personally enemies but rather enemies because they are on two separate sides of a conflict and so they are forced to be fighting due to their superiors orders but they both have doubts about whether their side is truly right but they can't let the other person know but they keep running into each other and fighting and they seem nice and fair and not like the monster their superior says they are but can they really be sure? but now they have to work together for some reason and they're falling in love and do they have to overthrow both sides of the conflict now?

#enemies to lovers #enemies to friends to lovers #good omens #reylo #fanfic #archive of our own #writing #reading #books and reading #tropes #there is nothing wrong with the first type of enemies to lovers it just isn't my cup of tea #i'm asexual #can you tell #redemption arc

[midwinterspringwrites]

the touch of your hand (I would be the one to fall)

Rated T | Reylo

Ben joins Rey in the Throne Room.

Written for @lavacastle for the 2024 @reylofanfictionanthology Valentines Exchange

Moodboard by me.

Read on AO3.

#my fic #reylo fanfic #reylo fic #reylo #rffa writers #reylo exchange #kylo ren #rey #rey x kylo ren

[earstwo]

When his family's restaurant is on the brink of financial ruin, Ben Solo reluctantly returns to Chandrila to take over as Chef de Cuisine.

He isn't necessarily surprised to find the crumbling exterior, the stale menu, the sleepy clientele.

He never expected to find Rey, a sous-chef with a chip on her shoulder and talent to spare.

-

🍴NOSTOS, chapter 1

read on ao3

#reylo #reylo fanfiction #reylo fanfic #reylo fic rec #star wars #star wars fanfiction #my stuff #my writing

[ebongawk]

"“I am a Jedi,” she said, her voice soft.  Mournful.  Fingertips combing through every single insecurity he’d felt in his chest since the day their connection exploded into effervescent life.  “I…  I shouldn’t want this.”

“But you do,” he responded, pushing down the hitch of question at the end of his sentence.  Portraying a confidence she saw right through, the heart of his need a fragile, fickle thing.

“But I do,” she agreed."

the eternity of connection by makeshiftcandy chapter 1/1 | rated E | 9k

read on ao3

#reylo #rey #ben solo #kylo ren #rey and ben solo #jedi rey #senator ben solo #light angst #rated e #mind the tags #my fic #reylo fanfic #force bond

[beatrixacs]

ATONEMENT (rated E)

Chapter 3/?: Organa Engineering Company, Chandrila

Chapter summary: Rey explores the premises of the Organa Engineering Company on Chandrila in order to find a clue about Ben Solo and meets someone who is willing to help her.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48659782/chapters/130768234

FF.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14257068/3/Atonement

Canon Divergence AU based on a Syberia video game.

Rey, a lawyer from Plutt & Associates with a seat on Jakku, travels to Chandrila on behalf of her client, Snoke Industries, to conclude the sale of Organa Engineering Company owned by the legendary Leia Skywalker Organa Solo.

However, not only does she learn of Leia’s unfortunate death the night before once she arrives, but she also uncovers her long-kept secret. Her son and the sole heir of Leia’s property, Ben Solo, who supposedly died 11 years ago, turns out to be alive – but missing.

If Rey wants to conclude the deal, she must find him and embark on a life-changing journey across the Galaxy. During that, she might discover a thing or two about herself - including her own Force-sensitivity.

#reylo #reylo fanfiction #reylo fanfic #reylo fic #rey #kylo ren #ben solo #rey x kylo ren #rey x ben solo #rey x kylo #rey x ben #star wars #ao3 #my stuff #atonement #atonement fanfiction #atonement fanfic #atonement fic #syberia #syberia au

[adelfie]

hello you wrote a fanfic where Tims teacher was failing him on purpose to send him into a spiral of self doubt where in a moment of 'i can fix this' (This being his grade) he followed his teacher into his car and nearly got killed, and I find myself LOVING the mystery behind the teacher and like how he almost sucseeded and stuff and I think it would be interesting if I could read a full 50 chapter book of that so I was wondering if I could borrow the idea of a fanfic of my own?

Hello anon! So glad you enjoyed OCLAL! :) Fun fact, the idea of a murder mystery with a teacher going after students was totally inspired by the anime Erased (sorry for spoilers! still a fantastic watch tho imo). Super sweet of you to ask for permission on this idea, even if that element of it is not from my noggin originally but STILL! I'm a big believer in, as a writer, being inspired by other works in order to craft a story of your own that you personally find fun (so long as it's not direct stealing, of course), especially in fanfiction where there's not any money involved. If you do write something, feel free to share it with me bc, obviously, I love the idea too! Have fun!

TL;DR: thank you and yeah, go for it! happy writing!

#anon ask #my writing #erased spoilers #erased anime #of crime lords and literature #i love how writers are constantly inspired to write stories based off other media they loved #the lunar chronicles is based off sailor moon #the love hypothesis is basically reylo fanfic #point pleasant is supernatural fanfic #carry on is harry potter/draco malfoy fanfic #i bet the list goes on and on

[luminoustico]

his smile hides a lie, v

the man in the iron mask (1998) AU: chapter one | chapter two| chapter three || chapter four [[story also available on AO3]]

CHAPTER FIVE: i hope what's left will last all summer

Summary: Benjamin adjusts to life outside his mask. Rey is introduced to a new dynamic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Supper was a silent affair. Scrapes of cutlery against porcelain filled the air, each one feeling like whispers of a forbidden conversation.

For Rey, time passed with the vision of what she had seen upstairs. However much she tried to push it away, she kept seeing him. His eyes, which carried the weight of years of wondering and questioning, endured by one man who – judging by eye – could not be more than thirty. And if that were true, then that would mean he had been locked away when he was fifteen.

A child of Jakku had cried for her parents, while in a prison tower, another child had cried for his freedom.

On the other side of the table, Han was in his usual mood, slowly running his forefinger across the top of his goblet. His shoulders were slumped. His eyes were downcast. He didn’t seem plagued by thoughts as such but by memories. Perhaps he was playing out the other great adventures he’d undertaken with his former comrades—and how it had all resulted in a prisoner whimpering before a lit hearth.

Maz broke the silence.

“Well, he’s not the King. So who is he?”

Solemn as a priest, Luke stood, his chair scraping against the floor. He placed the key with which he’d bestowed freedom on the table. It glinted and glowed before the flames roaring in the grate.

“His name is Benjamin. When he was born, he was taken to live in the region of Ahch-To. It was as far as the old King could get him from the palace without involving other countries in his secret. The first fifteen years of his life were peaceful. He was cared for by a blind scholar and a mute governess. He was educated and raised as a gentleman. But he had guards at every door, and no friends his age. No-one could know of his existence.”

“I see it, kiddo. I see it well and true.” Lando leaned back in his chair, running his forefinger across his bottom lip. He looked sad, yet his eyes twinkled with astonishment. “You want to swap one for the other.”

Rey glanced at Maz; she was saying nothing, but her opinion on the matter was clear.

Han shook his head. “You always had too much ambition, Luke.”

Rey swallowed, but her throat still felt dry. She took another gulp of wine.

“You said he was raised as a gentleman. How did he end up in the mask?” Rose asked.

Luke sighed and ran his left hand through his hair. “It was Kylo’s first command after his ascension,” he growled.

“His own brother…” Lando’s astonishment faded, leaving only sadness and a growing fury. “Tell me what needs to be done, Luke. We’ll do it,” he said, glancing at his son. Finn affirmed his father’s promise with a nod. He took Rose’s hand, interlinking his fingers with hers. She nodded too as he kissed her hair.

Luke swallowed. He pushed aside any surprise, any relief, and carried nothing but grim determination. “My plan will take time,” he said, in a firm tone. “You all have to be prepared to wait.”

Rey felt her lips twitch with a sardonic smile.

“I’m good at waiting,” she declared.

Luke nodded once. He turned to his old friend. “Han?”

“I think… No.” Han furrowed his brow, shoving his hand through his silvery hair. (He and Luke were so similar, in so many ways.) His fingers trembled as he tried to drink from his goblet. “Everything’s fine.”

Without another word, he stood and left the room.

“He’ll be fine,” Maz said, with an easy air that didn’t take. Rey’s eyes focused on the empty chair and the door, left swinging in Han’s wake. All of them had promised revolution… and yet it still felt like a fantasy.

That was why, when dawn came the next morning, Rey wasn’t surprised when she found Han’s horse missing and met Luke in the yard, reading from a scrap of paper. He passed it over to Rey with no words. The hand was spiky, the ink blotted. Written in a hurry.

“I’m sorry, kid.” Luke recited the note in a soft voice. “But may the Gods be with you. One for all…”

Rey looked out over the horizon. The dawn sky was slashes of oranges and pinks, casting a glow over the distant paddocks and hay fields. She crossed her arms, hugging herself.

Bile climbed in her throat. “He’s a coward.”

A furious look came across Luke’s wrinkled features. When he spoke, it was like she was a child, being scolded by the father she’d never known. “Han is the bravest man I’ve ever known. Of all of us, I think he is the only one who knew true courage.”

Rey scoffed. “And what’s that?”

The weight of the world was in his answer. “One day, I hope to find out.”

=======================================

Breakfast was an equally morose affair as supper. The empty spot at the table had been filled by Ben, who—for all his height and broadness in the shoulder—was remarkably adept at shrinking into the corner, wordlessly bringing meagre amounts of his supper to his mouth, and quietly chewing. Luke would glance at him at intermittent moments and give him nods or smiles of encouragement. It was the first time that Rey had seen the great old Musketeer look truly sorry for anyone.

As soon as supper was finished, Rose and Finn made their excuses and took a walk around the grounds. Lando too, made his excuses, claiming a need to speak to a man about a dog. Maz was the last to leave but she made certain to smile at Ben before she left and wish him a good day.

Rey pushed her chair out to depart, but as soon as her chair scraped against the stone flag floor, Ben spoke.

“Stay, please.” It was an order said like a plea. Turning in Han’s chair, he tilted his head up at Rey. His dark eyes were soft, lit by the morning, and his hair, cut and washed by a barber, was dark and thick, falling just above his brow. He reached out with his long fingers towards her, but, at the last, pulled away.

Rey took shallow breaths. She could hear her heart beating in her ears.

Ben bowed his head and looked at Luke.

“I have something to confess to you, sir,” he murmured. He continued and his eyes flicked back to Rey. Their gazes locked, and she missed a breath. “I would request a friend to hear me too.”

Rey stood there for a moment, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. At last, she pulled herself together. “I am that.”

Luke’s eyes darted between them, his eyebrows knitted together, as Rey returned to her seat. She avoided his scrutiny—paranoid old man, there was nothing to scrutinise—and focused on the painting above the fireplace. It was a nondescript portrait of an ancestor, whose eyes gleamed with usual pride over his estate, and soon her attention fell back to Ben and Luke.

Ben swallowed, the lump in his throat bobbing with the force of it. “It is my fault that Han left last night. I couldn’t sleep, and I decided to explore the house. I found the library – he was in there, reading by candlelight. We got to talking. I can’t remember much of what we spoke of. Only that he asked if I ever thought of my parents. He asked if I thought of my mother.”

Ben closed his eyes. His shoulders sank with a silent sigh. Rey swallowed, glancing down at her hands and then Ben’s. His left was tucked against his waist—as if he were trying to hug himself. His right hand was hanging limply by his side. He needed strength—would need strength—if he were to be the key that Luke needed him to be. Rey glanced towards the old Musketeer. He was still leaning back in his chair, listening and yet not at all; he was too busy factoring this new information into his grand plan.

Within a moment, Rey was white-hot with anger towards the old man, and in defiance to his plans—his scheming, his plotting—she reached forwards and grasped Ben’s right hand, tightly interlinking their fingers despite their difference in size.

Almost immediately she realised what she’d done. She stammered out an apology, trying to pull her hand away. Ben, however, did not let her go. Instead, he retook her hand and placed it on his knee.

“Thank you,” he whispered as the sun passed over the room. Rey blinked, taken aback. There was a growing lightness in Ben’s eyes, which danced in the sunlight. She swallowed a smile and bowed her head.

“You’re welcome,” she mumbled.

Luke gave a hard cough. “Let’s get back to the story.”

“There isn’t much left.” Ben seemed perturbed to have been alerted to Luke’s presence. “I never had parents to remember.”

Luke drummed his fingers on the edge of the table. “Did you tell that to Han?”

“I think so.”

“Hm.” Luke gave a nod. “You have parents now.”

“I know I’m the brother of the King. You want to swap us. Make me King instead.”

Rey studied Ben. He looked to her, as he straightened his spine and looked Luke in the eyes, less like the boy lost without a mask, but a man.

“Are you willing? It will mean training. For this to work,” Luke leaned forward, suddenly eager, “you will need to be not just a gentleman – you will need to be a King. You must possess arrogance, conceit. You must believe that this position was given to you by the gods.”

Ben was silent for a long moment. He tilted his head at Luke. “How old am I?”

Luke’s cheek twitched. He pressed his lips together into a thin line as if trying to hold back some uncouth curse. “Nine and twenty.”

Ben shook his head. “You misunderstand me. How old is my brother?”

A laugh tripped out under Rey’s tongue. She quickly covered it with a cough, but Luke still side-eyed her, his mouth downturned into a glare, until he registered Ben’s question. He chuckled, but more at his own delayed understanding.

“Your brother was born fifteen minutes after you.”

“A year for every minute,” Ben remarked dryly. His meaning was clear. Below the table, her hand warm on his knee, Rey gave the rightful King’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

===========================================

The next day, Ben’s training began in earnest. Over the next month, the morning at Naboo began to resemble what Rey assumed a finishing school to be. Under Luke’s watchful eye, Ben learned the etiquette of being a king; military strategy, how to walk, how to eat, even how to speak. During those hours, Rey had been left to fend for herself. She found herself often in the library, surrounded by tomes she had never read.

The library itself was a small to medium-sized room, with heavy oak shelves lining the left, right and far oak-panelled walls. A stone fireplace stood in the centre of the right wall, but the iron grate was unlit. The stone flag floors were covered with the usual rushes, swallowing the footsteps of anyone browsing the shelves. Red velvet cushions made seats out of the window sills. A circular pillow, stuffed to the edges, provided readers with additional comfort. Two larger seats, high-backed and wooden, were positioned in the room’s right corner. An ornate table was situated between them, but it wore its age with marks and scratches.

At first, Rey used the sumptuously domestic room simply as a place to think, curled up on the window seats with the hot sun on her cheeks.

However, the books contained more power than she’d first thought. She had never quite thought herself to be a book lover; her first love had been—would always be, so she assumed—fencing. But those leather-bound books would catch the light and just like a man’s dark eyes, they became something she couldn’t just dismiss out of hand.

Her first go at choosing a tome hadn’t been successful. A dry textbook on fencing. She thought it could’ve given her some tips; an extra advantage when she was next practising with Finn, perhaps. She put together enough, though, after thumbing through its thick pages, to realise in the end that she knew almost all the tricks—plus a few the author hadn’t yet discovered. That’s my advantage, she thought proudly as she put the text back on its shelf and pulled out another. I learned from a Musketeer.

Her second choice had been an adventure, filled with heroes, betrayal, and revenge. She sat in one of the high-backed chairs and she pored over the words, trying to commit their shape to memory and losing herself in the cities and islands depicted on the page. It became as if she’d stepped onto the ink itself and was now descending into the luscious dark, head spinning as the words quickly enveloped her in their new world.

“I didn’t take you for a reader.”

Rey jumped to her feet, the adventure falling out of her hands and onto the floor with a decisive thump.

“I’m not.”

“You’re lying.”

Rey stepped in front of the open book, covering it with her skirt. Ben’s expression did not change, but his disbelief filled the silence. Rey huffed. “I am not.”

Ben straightened himself up and placed his hands behind his back. Looking down his nose, he arched an imperial brow.

“Tell me what you were doing,” he said, every syllable velvet smooth, “and tell me now.”

Her heart constricted, her head seized in an instant with the memory of green and the King’s fingers wrapped around the ribbon of a diamond. Until Ben broke the illusion with a lopsided grin, and his eyes sparkled once again. Rey relaxed. She revealed the book with one gentle pull of her skirt. Ben leaned down and picked it up, the large tome fitting easily into his hand.

“I mostly come in here to think.”

Ben nodded and thumbed through the chosen tome.

“You’re teaching yourself to read?” he asked, without judgment.

For a beat, Rey searched for a reason, a lie, but finally, she had to settle on the truth. “I…” she glanced helplessly at the books, their power at all inexplicable. “I felt like it.”

“Do you need help? I could help.” Then, as if trying to correct a mistake only he’d seen, Ben hurriedly blurted out: “I want to help you.”

Rey blinked. “You want to help me?”

“It would give me an excuse to read,” Ben replied, avoiding her eyes and his answer by perusing the book again. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and far away. “I know now my brother hid my face, but he didn’t hide my mind. I held onto that, on the nights when I knew for certain that I was destined to die there, among the screams and the blood. I told myself, that whoever put me in the mask… my thoughts weren’t beholden to them. They never would be.”

He looked to her for a reaction. Rey could say nothing at first. Her astonishment stilled her mouth. This horrendous thing done to him, for so long—and yet. He was still so defiant.

A man like that could defy the stars. Could defy the gods.

“My offer still stands,” Ben coaxed, leaning into her. She could practically taste his voice; it was like sweet honey.

She began to speak, sketching out the start of a polite refusal. She liked to master things on her own. A stutter entered her speech. He was drinking her in. In what felt now to be another life, those same eyes had burned and demanded to take.

These eyes didn’t roar like a fire out of control. Ben’s gaze was calm and steady—despite everything he had been through—and unhurried. It was the gaze of a leader, willing to hear. Was this what it was to look into the eyes of a rightful king? Rey’s head swam. She opened and closed her mouth, then shook her head, trying to shake off her silence.

“It’s very kind of you monsieur,” she managed at last, though the words came out in a rush. The corners of Ben’s mouth tipped up with an amused smile, and he handed her back the book.

“It was just an offer.”

“I want to take it!” she burst out, making his already retreating frame stop. He turned on his heel and cocked his head. Rey oscillated left and right, fixed to her spot. She dropped her gaze, worrying her bottom lip. “If you can find the time, sir.”

“Ben. Never ‘sir’.” Then, with a softness she somehow knew in her heart was just for her, he murmured a soft, “Please.”

“Thank you. Ben.”

He tipped his head in thanks and left the room.

=========================================

Rose fell onto her back, stared up at the worn beams of the barn, and cursed. Her husband entered her line of sight. Wearing a lopsided grin, he tilted his head at her.

“Best of three?”

“You copied my move,” she huffed. Finn’s shoulders shook with a stifled laugh. Rose nudged his leg with the tip of her boot. “Don’t deny it.”

Her husband gave a theatrical bow. “I admit it, madame.”

Madame. She liked that form of address more every time she heard it. She especially liked it when her husband said it. Reaching up, Rose grasped his shirt in her fist. He moved with her, letting himself fall into the hay beside her. He scooped bits of straw out of her fringe as she rolled on top of him, embracing him and dropping kisses on his cheek, temple, and forehead.

Their peace was interrupted by a bellow. No—not a bellow, but a screech.

“Bastard!” Rose jumped to her feet, Finn following suit, just as the barn door swung open. Rey thundered in, sword drawn, and her eyes darting wildly. She grabbed Finn’s sword and threw it to her friend. She settled into a duelling stance. When Finn remained where he stood, she growled.

“Fight me. I need to fight something.”

Finn’s look was stony. “I am not your villain.”

“If I don’t fight someone, I swear to the Gods that I’ll kill him! The leader of our grand revolution.” Rey spat on the ground. Rose looked again at her friend. Her hand was trembling, and her sword shook, but her eyes were black with fury.

It was no idle threat.

Finn was his father’s son. He knew how to size up an opponent. It was for Rey’s sake that he engaged. A mess of forward thrusts, parries and blocks followed. Rey spun and spat curses to Luke’s name but left herself open one too many times; Finn easily disarmed her, and her sword swung from her hand, landing with a clatter on the stone flag floor.

Before she could grab it, Finn stepped forward and tucked the tip of his sword just underneath Rey’s chin. Rey’s following look could cut glass—but so could Finn’s. The silence echoed across the barn, filling the air until you could feel the stillness in the very rafters.

“He’s making me go back.” Rey’s voice was thick. She swallowed, her throat bobbing with the force of it. Her gimlet eyes glistened with unshed tears. “To Chandrila.”

Finn swiftly disengaged. Rey stepped forward, but her legs were wobbly—Rose swooped forward, and caught her weight. Rey’s heavy, hard sobs were hot on her cheek as she guided her outside and sat her at the base of a tree. The orchard surrounded them, blossoming with nearly ripe cherries, wrapped in white linen which was stained red from where the birds had pecked at the sweet fruits.

Rey pulled her knees to her chest and hugged herself, her head hung low as the last of her sobs faded away.

“I won’t do it,” she declared, dragging the back of her hand against her cheeks and chin. It was as if she was embarrassed that she’d cried. Her declaration, her mini rebellion, faded into the breeze that passed through the trees. The pink-white blossom leaves fell around them, landing on the forest-green grass, in their laps and in their hair.

“But I have to,” she said, soft now; soft and small. Rose drew her close.

“Tell me.”

“There’s a ball in three weeks. Luke wants someone on the inside, to get all of us – all of you—” Rey amended, a bitter snarl entering her monotone recital of Luke’s grand scheme, “into the palace. He said that only Kylo’s mistresses get to roam the castle as freely as the king. If he was to send a spy in as a guard or a courtier, they’d be asked questions. The revolution would be over before it began.”

Rose cuddled her friend close and gently pushed her hair out of her eyes.

“Is it the only way?” she murmured. She felt the prickle of growing tears in her eyes as Rey fell silent.

In the long quiet, Rey idly scooped blossom petals into her palms and let them fall from her hands, watching them dance briefly in the breeze before they fell to the ground. The three of them stared out at the horizon, and the manor drenched in sunlight. Finn dropped to his knees, and cuddled his wife and his friend tight, encapsulating them in his natural warmth.

The sun reflected in Rey’s watery eyes. With a sigh, she at last admitted what they all knew: “It is.”

#reylo #reylo fanfic #reylo au #rey x kylo #rey x ben #star wars #eleanorwrites #hi hello i cannot stick to a schedule for the life of me #i have made my peace with this #so i won't promise a firm date for the next chapter #but i can promise that it isn't abandoned