Their bond, which she once thought of a hindrance, an unexpected obstacle, has now become something so precious to Rey. All her life, she had nothing but the brittle ache of loneliness. It had settled into the core of her, until she felt at times like the only person in the universe.

But now there is their bond, this miraculous thing that seems to have filled up all the places inside of her that were left aching and empty. She knows, with an intimate sort of clarity, that Ben feels the same.

Neither of them will ever be alone, not ever again.

Ben smiles and Rey responds with one of her own, also soft and hopefully as she shuffles a little closer to him. Her mind can't help but to remember how he held her that night in the Falcon, and she would be lying if she said she hasn't been craving more since the moment they parted ways.

"Will you hold me, Ben?" Asking makes her feel flayed open and vulnerable, and she reaches out to close the minuscule space between their bodies so she can curl her hand around the wide breadth of his shoulder.