#24DaysOfReylo
12. Sleigh 🛷
Rey checks her phone once more, even though she doesn’t know what she expects to change.
Still no signal bars. Not one.
She shivers and tries to rub her arms to warm up some. She would jump up and down, only she’s sprained her ankle.
1/
12. Sleigh 🛷
Rey checks her phone once more, even though she doesn’t know what she expects to change.
Still no signal bars. Not one.
She shivers and tries to rub her arms to warm up some. She would jump up and down, only she’s sprained her ankle.
1/
Because of course, when she decides to go on her own to check her team’s seismic sensors, she gets caught in a snowstorm. And then she sprains her ankle while trying to find shelter in a cave.
Rey is just lucky like that.
She sighs, her breath a puff of mist.
2/
Rey is just lucky like that.
She sighs, her breath a puff of mist.
2/
Her car is parked literally miles from here. It’s always a trek through the national park to get to the sensor site. And with the snow that has been falling for several hours now, it will be impossible to reach her.
She’s going to die.
She regrets everything.
3/
She’s going to die.
She regrets everything.
3/
Her argument with Ben Solo because he thought her proposal needed more data. Her pity party when Finn had told her he was going to spend Christmas with his boyfriend, Poe.
Most of all, her stupid, stupid decision to come out here and get another set of data logs to work on.
4/
Most of all, her stupid, stupid decision to come out here and get another set of data logs to work on.
4/
She thinks of Ben Solo’s stupid face. His stupid, patrician nose and his stupid brown eyes. His stupid, kissable lips. His stupid, STUPID gorgeous black mane.
The way he always antagonises her. Makes her work harder than anyone else.
She has such a huge crush on him.
5/
The way he always antagonises her. Makes her work harder than anyone else.
She has such a huge crush on him.
5/
And yet, ironically, she is going to freeze trying to prove him wrong.
Her teeth start to chatter and her stomach gurgles. She opens her last energy bar, incredibly sad that her last meal is going to be this chocolate and peanut butter crumbly mess.
And then she hears it.
6/
Her teeth start to chatter and her stomach gurgles. She opens her last energy bar, incredibly sad that her last meal is going to be this chocolate and peanut butter crumbly mess.
And then she hears it.
6/
It’s a faint sound, almost like bells. Which is ridiculous. Maybe the cold is really getting to her.
It gets louder and louder.
She manages to get up with a hiss of pain and hobbles to the cave’s entrance, gritting her teeth to endure the sharp stabs from her ankle.
7/
It gets louder and louder.
She manages to get up with a hiss of pain and hobbles to the cave’s entrance, gritting her teeth to endure the sharp stabs from her ankle.
7/
When she looks out, she can’t believe what she sees. Advancing towards her, is a sleigh.
A dog sleigh.
There are about eight dogs pulling it, all different breeds, and a huge figure riding it.
She lets out a broken sob. And then she starts screaming for help.
8/
A dog sleigh.
There are about eight dogs pulling it, all different breeds, and a huge figure riding it.
She lets out a broken sob. And then she starts screaming for help.
8/
The sleigh reaches the cave and she crumples onto the snow, unable to stand. The dogs come and lick her face as she cries, unable to believe her good fortune.
The man on the sled removes his snow goggles and suddenly Ben Solo is glaring at her.
She hiccups, hugging a dog.
9/
The man on the sled removes his snow goggles and suddenly Ben Solo is glaring at her.
She hiccups, hugging a dog.
9/
“Of all the asinine things to do- I could kill you,” he says. He then sees her tears and in a flash he’s kneeling beside her.
“Are you hurt? What happened?” He asks, and now that the anger is gone Rey realises he looks terrified.
“My ankle,” she starts, and then she stops.
10/
“Are you hurt? What happened?” He asks, and now that the anger is gone Rey realises he looks terrified.
“My ankle,” she starts, and then she stops.
10/
Because Ben Solo is carrying her, bridal style, to the sleigh. He sits next to her and covers her in blankets, before checking on the dogs.
And Rey, mind reeling, just blinks.
“I’ll get you home. I’d rather shout at you once I know you’re safe. You scared me, Niima.”
11/
And Rey, mind reeling, just blinks.
“I’ll get you home. I’d rather shout at you once I know you’re safe. You scared me, Niima.”
11/
“But- how...?” Rey can’t understand how this is real. Ben sighs.
“Finn got worried and then we heard about the storm. They wouldn’t put together a rescue team until you’d been missing for a day, so I got creative. My dad uses this to make money out of gullible tourists.”
12/
“Finn got worried and then we heard about the storm. They wouldn’t put together a rescue team until you’d been missing for a day, so I got creative. My dad uses this to make money out of gullible tourists.”
12/
“Why did YOU come?” She asks.
Ben gets on the sleigh and reaches for the reins. He looks at her, blushing, and he hesitates, chewing on his lip.
“Because it was my fault. You’re brilliant and I’m pushy, and I couldn’t bear the idea of anything happening to you.”
13/
Ben gets on the sleigh and reaches for the reins. He looks at her, blushing, and he hesitates, chewing on his lip.
“Because it was my fault. You’re brilliant and I’m pushy, and I couldn’t bear the idea of anything happening to you.”
13/
“You couldn’t?” Her eyes are wide as she stares at him.
“No, I couldn’t, Rey. You mean so much to me, even if I’m really bad at showing it, and technically I’m your advisor and this is all kinds of wrong, but…” he reaches out and holds her face in his hands, “I love you.”
14/
“No, I couldn’t, Rey. You mean so much to me, even if I’m really bad at showing it, and technically I’m your advisor and this is all kinds of wrong, but…” he reaches out and holds her face in his hands, “I love you.”
14/
She gasps. Then she holds onto his hands.
“I’m going to finish this stupid PhD next month as planned and then, Doctor Solo, you’re taking me on a proper date. Because,” she sniffles, “you drive me crazy, but I feel it, too.”
The sleigh flies over the snow.
15/
“I’m going to finish this stupid PhD next month as planned and then, Doctor Solo, you’re taking me on a proper date. Because,” she sniffles, “you drive me crazy, but I feel it, too.”
The sleigh flies over the snow.
15/
Finn, Poe, Rose and Kaydel are waiting at her car with several trucks and a man who can only be Ben’s father. The sleigh and the dogs are packed into the trucks and Ben drives her to the hospital.
He stays by her side until they say they want to keep her overnight.
16/
He stays by her side until they say they want to keep her overnight.
16/
He squeezes her hand.
“I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“You better. One month, Solo, and you’re mine.”
His smile is blinding. “I can’t wait, sweetheart.”
17/17
“I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“You better. One month, Solo, and you’re mine.”
His smile is blinding. “I can’t wait, sweetheart.”
17/17
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