Author's Notes…

I have a prompt book that I've been neglecting like crazy. You know, something to exercise the mind. So I'm going to focus it around Reylo. These will be short stories based off the prompts. I hope you find it interesting enough!

The title I've given these is from a paraphrased line from my favorite movie, Meet Joe Black. I wanted to give that credit where it was due.

"You picked up a hitch hiker."

Rey shot Ben a dirty look. He didn't look too happy himself. Great, that made two of them.

"How in hells did you get stranded on an underdeveloped planet when you're Supreme Leader of the First Order?" Rey snapped. Her hands were on the controls of the Falcon, and she was guiding them safely into space. "And if you try to kill me, I'll kill you first."

Ben snorted, his arms folded. "It's been two years of avoiding one another. If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

"You said that on Crait—"

"Don't start—"

"Would you like me to go leave you back on the planet? Because I can," Rey informed him shortly. He'd been unable to contact anyone to get him—anyone except for Rey. She should have left him there. He was her enemy. If the general knew…

"If it will get me away from you—"

Rey steered the Falcon sharply, making to reenter the planet's stratosphere.

"Fine!" Ben snarled.

"What was your plan from here?" she asked. "You know I'm not going to bring you back to the Order."

"I'd like to see you make me a prisoner."

"I'd like to see you try and escape now that I have you."

Another dirty look was exchanged between them. They'd been fielding one another's calls for quite some time. The Force beckoned, and they both chose to ignore it as much as possible. At times, they had no choice but to keep one another's company. Those moments were few and far between, thankfully.

Rey was afraid he'd hear too much, get wind of where the Resistance base was, of what their plans were. And what was more, deep down where she couldn't admit it, she worried she'd grow attached to him, and that was unacceptable. She'd spared his life two years ago, knowing that the Force wasn't finished with him yet. That didn't mean they needed to be more involved than they already were.

"So how is destroying the past and everything with it going?" Rey asked. "Because it seems to me that you're more determined to conquer the galaxy than anything else."

"I'll conquer the galaxy," he said stiffly. "And then I will destroy everything."

"And you don't see any other path?" Rey asked.

"In two years, has my answer to that question changed?"

Rey pursed her lips and sighed. "I can't bring you back to the Order. You know that. And you can't force me… you know that, too." Which meant he'd really had no way of getting off that planet—he'd been that desperate for a rescue. "What in hells were you doing there, anyway?"

"It's none of your concern," Ben snapped.

"Well, it rather is, seeing as how I've taken you prisoner," Rey replied, just to rile him up.

It worked. Energy practically crackled in the cockpit, and Rey reflexively braced herself for a fight. She didn't think he was stupid enough to attempt to go toe-to-toe with her in the middle of space, but his temper was legendary, and he was highly uncaring of the ramifications.

"How do you know this wasn't my plan all along?" Ben said, his words dripping poison.

All right, that concerned her.

"How do you know I haven't had people in place while you lead us to the Resistance?"

Rey laughed, the concern melting away. "How do you know I'm taking you to the Resistance?"

Her adversary paused. "…Aren't you?"

Not anymore, she thought. "No."

"Then where are we going?"

The answer came to her like a mad dream, enveloping her with its enticement. She wet her lips, thinking it over, and then looked over to him. Her hands let off the controls. They had a moment before she decided their destination.

"How about a vacation?" she asked.

He whipped his head around. "What?"

"A vacation," she said.

"You're insane," he stated flatly.

"Because you aren't," she laughed. He shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to her having a happier disposition. It must have been off-putting for him.

"Don't you want one?" she queried. When he continued to remain silent, she shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't been in his actual presence in so long, not since they'd destroyed Luke's lightsaber. It was intoxicating the longer they were together, which meant danger.

"You're insane," he said again.

"Now you're just repeating yourself."

"A vacation? It's unlikely that I can trust you—"

"And you think I can trust you?"

Ben leaned over abruptly and pressed their lips together. Rey's eyes widened, and she put her hands on his shoulders. Somehow, she was pulling him closer instead of shoving him off, and the affair quickly grew heated in a way she hadn't known she could feel. Her fingers twined in his hair as his circled her hips.

"This is a terrible idea," he said against her ear, and she shivered. "But where do you want to go?"

Rey took a deep, steadying breath. "Do you ever wonder what would happen if we ran away? Sometimes I feel as though nothing would change… The Order and the Resistance would continue to clash, regardless of Force wielders."

"Are you saying you want to?" He drew away enough to see her face.

"What if I was?" she whispered.

He got back into his seat with a roll of his eyes. "You're not. You'll change your mind in a day."

"Maybe I won't!" she huffed.

"So you'll forget everything I've done to you, to your friends and loved ones, to the Resistance? Just like that?" His brown eyes searched hers. What he was looking for, she didn't know.

Her lips pressed together as she blew air into her cheeks. Then she let it free and stretched out in her seat. "I won't forget," she said. "But I need a break. And I know you need one, too. I'm… I'm only saying they'll be able to manage without us if we disappear for a little while."

"Where would we even go?" he scoffed.

She grinned at him, knowing the answer to that, at least. It was waiting for them somewhere, and if they looked hard enough, they'd find it.

"Paradise."