'Rey you can't train cats, Ben said looking down at Rey from the sofa.

Rey looked up at Ben from her position sitting cross legged on the rug.

'That's true of most cats but not Olivia, Olivia is special.'

Rey held out her fists again.

'Come on Olivia, which hand is the treat in?'

Olivia looked at Rey and looked at her hands.

'She doesn't get it,' Ben said.

'Shhhh! Give her a chance.'

Olivia sniffed the air and took a step towards Rey's left hand.

'She did it!'

Rey opened her left hand and revealed the treat. Olivia picked it up with her mouth and crunched it between her teeth.

'You see? I told you she was clever. She's the most intelligent kitty that ever lived!'

'I'll admit that was impressive,' Ben replied.

Rey beamed back at him.

'That only took one week of training, imagine what she will be able to do by the time she is fully grown,' Rey said excitedly.

'How old did the vet estimate she was again?'

'Around two months.'

'And they're sure there isn't anything wrong with her paw?'

'They said her paw is absolutely fine. They think she was just limping for the attention.'

'What?' Ben said incredulously.

'I told you, she's clever. She figured out pretty quickly that if she did that you would just carry her everywhere, and honestly I'm pretty pissed she thought of it first.'

Ben looked at Olivia who blinked back at him.

'Women are sneaky,' Ben muttered.

Olivia blinked at him again.

Rey cocked her head to the side as she looked at Olivia.

'You know I read that when a cat blinks at you it's a sign of affection. I've noticed she blinks at you the most.'

Ben rolled his eyes.

'That sounds like a load of bull.'

'It's not, they've done studies! She just loves her daddy the most,' Rey said.

He wished she would stop referring to her as daddy, it made something stir within him. He couldn't protest without raising questions so he kept quiet.

'And the vet confirmed she's female?' he asked.

'Yup.'

'Did you ask about her appetite?'

'Yeah, they said not to worry.'

'But she never stops eating!'

Rey shrugged.

'They said the time to worry is when she won't eat.'

Ben's face creased into a frown and Rey laughed.

'She's fine, Ben. Stop fretting. It's adorable to see how much you care about her though.'

Rey blinked her eyes twice at Ben and he grinned back at her.

'Ben!'

Ben's eyes sprang open in bed.

'Rey,' he breathed.

He squinted at his bedside clock. It was 1am. The hair stood up on the back of his neck. Something was wrong. He sprang out of bed and ran to find Rey. She wasn't in her bedroom.

'Rey?' he called out as his anxiety heightened.

'I'm in the living room!' she shouted. He relaxed somewhat at the sound of her voice.

Ben found her kneeling next to Olivia.

'Something is really wrong,' she sobbed.

Olivia was struggling to breath. She lay still apart from her tiny chest rising and falling very slowly.

Ben's heart sped up.

'Wait here,' he told Rey.

He rushed back to his bedroom and picked up his phone, he searched for a 24 hour vet and phoned immediately letting them know they were coming in. He pulled on some track bottoms and a t-shirt.

'Rey get dressed, we're taking her to the vet now,' he shouted.

Her heard footsteps as Rey went into her room. They both emerged a few minutes later with matching worried expressions.

Rey wrapped Olivia in a blanket and carried her out to Ben's car. Ben helped belt Rey in so as not to disturb Olivia. He drove as fast as he was able without attracting police attention.

They reached the practice and luckily did not have to wait long to be seen.

Olivia lay on the examination table. She didn't put up a fight. The vet listened to Olivia's chest. Rey slipped her hand into Ben's and he squeezed it tight.

'It's most likely that she's eaten something she shouldn't have,' the vet explained.

'We've been very careful about her diet,' Ben replied.

'Do you have any plants in the house?' The vet asked.

Rey looked distraught.

'I do, I have some sort of lily. It was a present.'

The vet looked concerned.

'Lillies are extremely poisonous to cats.'

Rey's eyes filled with tears and her hand flew to her mouth.

'I had no idea.'

'We'll have to operate immediately; you can leave her here and we'll call you in the morning with an update.'

Rey turned her head into Ben's chest. He stroked her hair.

'What are her chances?' he asked the vet.

'If she makes it through the operation, the odds are good. The problem is she's still very young and she might not be able to handle the stress of being sedated.'

Ben nodded. He looked down at Olivia's little, fragile body, a lump formed in his throat.

The vet looked at him sympathetically.

'Go home and get some rest, we'll know more in the morning.'

Ben guided Rey out to the car. He belted her in gently.

'It's my fault,' she said in a small voice.

'No,' Ben said vehemently.

'I did all those google searches. Why didn't I check which plants were poisonous to cats?'

Ben reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a comforting kiss against her skin.

'They don't even know for sure it was the lily, Rey. They're just guessing. You know how greedy she is. It could have been anything.'

Rey nodded but looked unconvinced.

Ben started up the engine.

'Anyway, don't worry. I know she's going to be fine.'

'I hope you're right.'

'I know I'm right.'

When they got home, Ben tucked Rey into bed. He stroked her hair and reached down to kiss her forehead.

'She's going to be fine,' he whispered in the dark.

Rey reached for his hand.

'I hope you're right.'

'Ben?'

Ben cracked an eye open and saw Rey standing before his bed.

'Yeah?' he said sleepily.

'Can I sleep with you?'

Ben's eyes flew open. What had she just asked him?

'What?' he croaked.

'Can I sleep in your bed?'

It was then Ben noticed her eyes. She'd been crying again.

Without a second thought, Ben pulled back the covers and Rey got in. Ben covered her back up, and thanked the gods he had left his boxers on as he had gotten into bed that evening.

'She's going to be fine, Rey, she's strong.'

Rey turned to face Ben.

'But what if she's not? What if she doesn't make it?'

Ben propped himself up on his elbow so he could look down at Rey. He stroked her face gently. Even now, with her eyes red and puffy and her cheeks covered with tears, he couldn't help but think she remained the most beautiful woman he had even seen.

'She'll make it.'

'How do you know?'

'I just know,' he murmured.

He wiped at her tears and the look in her eyes changed from sad to… something else. His eyes swept over her chest as it rose and fell rhythmically. He sensed the shift, this was new territory for them, dangerous territory.

'Ben?' her words were a faint whisper.

'Yeah?'

'Sometimes when people are sad, they find, um, they find sex comforting.'

Ben froze. Was she actually suggesting?

His question was answered when she reached up and pressed her lips against his.

Ben was so confused, she was so soft and warm and she smelt so good, but it was wrong wasn't it? Wasn't he taking advantage? It didn't feel right. He didn't want it to be like this when they finally...

'Rey, I can't do this,' he said, pulling away.

Rey looked horrified; she covered her face with her hands.

'Oh God, I'm so sorry.'

She jumped out of the bed. Ben sat up.

'Rey, please let me explain.'

'You don't need to, it's fine, we're fine. I just...need to go now.'

Rey left the room.

Ben slammed his head back against the pillow.

'Fuck,' he said out loud.

His dick throbbing angrily in his pants, but he was sure he had done the right thing. Hopefully in the morning Rey would see it that way too.

The next morning, Rey rang the vet and after a short anxious wait, they told her that Olivia had survived the operation.

When she hung up the phone, she ran to Ben with tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and he did the same, breathing her in, grateful that she didn't seem to be holding any ill will towards him from the night before.

They went to pick up Olivia. She was groggy from the sedation but she seemed happy to see them. She purred loudly when Rey gently wrapped her up in a blanket and carried her out to the car.

Once they were home and Olivia was settled, Rey planted the lily in the communal garden.

When she had washed up and made them both some tea, she approached Ben about what had happened.

'I want to say I'm sorry, it was wrong what I did… tried to do... last night. I put you in a difficult position.'

Ben looked down at Rey. The girl he had found on that bench, the girl who he knew better than anyone. Half of his time was spent with Rey and the other half of his time was spent thinking about her. This was more than just a friendship. He was sure of that now and he was sure that he wanted more, but he wasn't sure what Rey wanted. Was she looked for more than just a free meal and some sympathy sex from him?

'You don't need to apologise, I was wrong. I should have explained. It wasn't that I didn't want to, I just didn't want to take advantage of you.'

Rey looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

'So, you did want to?'

Ben came towards her and placed a hand on her cheek.

'Very much,' he said in a low voice.

Rey let out a shaky breath. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

'Well I'm not sad now, so you wouldn't be taking advantage of me,' she murmured.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' Ben asked.

'Yes,'

Ben took a deep breath to prepare for what he needed to say next.

'If we do this Rey, it won't be a one night stand. I want more than that.'

Rey smiled up at him.

'So do I.'

Moments later, he couldn't believe he was naked and in bed with Rey. Rey, his roommate, Rey his best friend, Rey the girl he was only just starting to realise he had been in love with for a very long time.

She was perfect, utterly perfect. Her breasts, her ass, her thighs, the crook of her neck, the way her lips fell open slightly as she sighed, the way her hair fell over her face as she straddled him.

He kissed every inch of her skin, memorising every freckle, every mole.

He devoured her lips with a feverish need. So many times, he had gazed at those lips, wanting to suck them, lick them, bite them. That night he made good on all those desires.

She rewarded him with breathy moans and throaty sighs and he collected them all within his heart.

Her hands caressed him gently at first, then firmer, nails digging into his skin as she pulled him closer. Now it was his turn to moan for her.

'How did I not see?' she whispered, looking deeply into his eyes.

'See what?' he asked.

'You,' she replied.

He grabbed a condom hastily, slipping it on with such eager, clumsy fingers that you would think it was his first time. The time apart from her was excruciating.

He joined their lips as he joined their bodies, thrusting into her just as his tongue plunged into her mouth.

She begged him not to stop. She begged him to take her harder. She whimpered in his arms as he sucked her nipples roughly into his mouth.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. He surrounded her, caged her in. She was so small he worried he might hurt her but she took everything he gave her and pleaded for more.

When he came, he knew that there would never be another for him. Rey was his moon and stars. His one and only. He had just been too blind to see it before. Allowing himself to fall into an easy friendship without realising they had been stuck in date mode for the past year without progressing. It felt right, it felt natural that they become this. This is what fate intended them to be.

They lay wrapped together for some time until he withdrew and cleaned himself up. Returning to the bed he crawled between her legs and eased her thighs apart.

His mouth found her sensitive spot and she arched for him, grabbing at his hair and moaning his name, making his pride roar as he hastened his pace, dipping his tongue inside of her before running it up to her clit and swirling circles around the delicate bud.

'So good,' she whispered into the darkness as he kissed her thighs and replaced his tongue with two fingers. He moved in and out of her slickness gently at first then quickly as her whimpers spurred him forward.

'I need you,' she whispered, so he returned to her side, briefly breaking the contact between them before swiftly returning his fingers deep within her. She pressed her lips roughly to his, gripped his shoulders and he felt her tense around him. She was close. So close.

'Come for me, Rey,' he begged her, he needed it as much as she did. He had imagined this moment so many times as he had lay in bed taking himself in his hand. Wishing it was her hand instead. Always berating himself afterwards, telling himself it would never happen.

Yet here she was breaking apart beside him, it felt like a dream, a hazy perfect dream and if it was, he never wanted to wake up.

She called his name again as she came and he could barely breathe watching her. The moment it was over he wanted to do it all over again.

Rey giggled at his request and kissed him gently. She told him there would be many nights like this, that they had all the time in the world.

So instead they talked, they talked for hours. They talked about how stupid they had been for not noticing before how they felt about one another. They both laughed when Rey suggested someone had sent them Olivia to hurry them along, make them see what they were missing.

They slept wrapped up in each other's arms.

Ben woke early, despite the lack of sleep. He couldn't wait to see her to touch her. But something had pinned down his hair and he found he couldn't lift his head off the pillow.

'Rey?'

'Mmm?' she lifted her head off his chest to look at him, an adorable mess of curls and soft skin. She started to laugh.

'You must be feeling better little lady?' she said, addressing Ben's hair.

A loud Meow alerted Ben to Olivia's presence. She was ready for her breakfast having been made to wait far too long for her human slaves to wake up and realise she was hungry.

'I hope this isn't becoming a habit?' Ben told the ginger fluff ball.

Rey giggled and removed Olivia from Ben's hair.

'I'll go get her some food,' she said slipping on Ben's T-shirt.

Ben watched her go with a sigh on his lips. Why the fuck did she wear other clothes when she looked so incredible just like that?

She carried Olivia through to the kitchen.

When she returned, she had brought fruit and toast and coffee on a tray.

Ben's eyes widened.

'You made food?'

'Don't get used to it,' she said with a smirk.

Olivia padded back into the room licked her lips and jumped up on the bed, she settled between them and rev'd up her internal engine.

Rey's face crumbled slightly.

'What's wrong?' Ben asked, turning her face towards him.

'Is this what it feels like?' she asked in a soft voice.

'Is this what it feels like to be part of a family?'

Ben smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

'Yeah baby, I think it is.'

He held out a piece of toast towards her and Rey took a big bite. Eyeing him hungrily as she did so.

'Maybe Olivia could use a friend?' she suggested.

Ben sipped his coffee.

'Don't you think she's enough trouble?'

'Nah, the more, the merrier.'

Ben shook his head light-heartedly.

'Okay, baby. But only because I love you so darn much.'

He glanced at her sideways to see how she was taking his revelation.

Ben saw the tears in her eyes that she tried to hide. She leaned over and kissed him then murmured in his ear the words that made his heart sore.

'I love you Ben Solo, my roomie, my best friend, my soulmate.'