“I was a distraction?” Ben tried not to sound smug but it was kind of difficult. He knew what Rey’s thoughts must have been at the time. They hadn’t been romantically-inspired. But it was still a stroke on his ego to know that she’d had trouble focusing during her training because of him. He nosed his way to her ear, nibbling on the outer shell before leaning in to whisper-“I didn’t know I was on your mind so much.”
Hope. He had gone so long without it. To have so much of it now felt like he was just waiting for it to be taken away again. Rey seemed to always be brimming to the top with it. He felt comfort in knowing that even she had her dark moments as well.
He started to run his fingers up and down her arm, nails grazing over her skin. “You did become stronger, you know. Than the dark side. Even after I tried to turn you. And I tried very hard.” Ben knew the confession wouldn’t make much of a difference now. Rey wouldn’t have memories of that but he thought it would amuse her in some way, or at least help to keep that hope afloat that even when she’d had the chance to end his life, she hadn’t.