Chapter Text
Ben sat with his fingers intertwined with yours on his lap as a soft smile fell to his lips as Antheia played a silly trick on his father. Looking to his left, Y/N sat laughing with the babbling Padmé on her lap. His heart started to beat up again before his mahogany eyes were falling to another pair that watched him. His mother gave him a reassuring nod and he responded back with a quick nod and squeezed your hand. Your thumb left soothing circles on the back of his hand as you began to talk to his Uncle Lando.
“Daddy look!”
Antheia was jumping in his lap. He welcomed her with a gentle hand falling on her back to stabilize her. He missed his Little Flower, he missed you, and he missed this warm feeling he got being around the two of you. It had felt so long, Ben had to blink back to tears as he reminded himself that this was his life now.
The night welcomed the small reunion that brought him back home. A yawn slipped through your closed lips as you looked down to see Padmé asleep.
“I think we’re all getting a bit restless, it’s a good time to go.”
Everyone said their good-byes as Leia, Han, and Y/N spoke on the side.
“I can’t believe today.” You admitted and the two began to laugh.
“Definitely a whirlwind of emotions.” Leia agreed.
Han, forever in grandfather mode, pinched the cheeks of the little one sleep in your arms. “Aw, look at that face with those cheeks. She was so confused today.”
“Not as much as you think.” Leia chimed in before cooing over their granddaughter. Stars, they couldn’t believe that this day had come. They absolutely loved Antheia as if she was theirs and they couldn’t wait to do the same with Padmé.
“I wish you guys could’ve spent more time with her when she was an infant,” Y/N told them.
“I do too, but we have all the time in the world now.” A soft hand was pressed to your cheek by Leia.
Ben came up beside you with a toddler who was fighting sleep in his arms.
“Well, I definitely think it’s time to go. I don’t miss those toddler days.” Han joked.
Y/N looked between him and his parents. Was he staying or was he going back? To answer, his large hand once again wrapped around your smaller ones. A soft smile fell to Leia’s pink lips as she watched the tension leave your body.
“We’ll be leaving, we don’t want to impose any longer than we already did. Hope you guys have a good night.”
You and Ben watched the ship fly off before the little family ventured to the bedroom corridors. Antheia was fast asleep in his arms as they came upon the first door. “This is Antheia’s.”
Ben’s eyes roamed the whimsical room with paper flowers and butterflies and the yellow canopy that draped over her bed. He looked out the large plush seated window and saw her bedroom overlooking the garden, this was purely Antheia. You pulled back the covers as he placed Antheia in the bed before tucking her in. His eyes fell to the nightstand to see the picture of Y/N and Antheia’s father, and right beside it was a holopad of him. Well, you, him, and Antheia from the last time you three were all together. A bittersweet feeling consumed him as the remainder of the events that came after that joyous time. Grabbing his hand, Y/N gave him a knowing look before they were putting Padmé to bed.
They stopped at a third door and you turned to face him.
“There are lots of bedrooms, this one is really nice and not too far from us. If you’re not comfortable.”
Soft brown eyes fell upon you as he tried to decipher your mixed emotions. But there was a wave of instant relief when he found out you were just nervous that he needed time to get readjusted to you.
“I’ve spent every night dreaming that I was holding you in my arms and I don’t think I can wait any longer for the real thing.” A rough hand cradled your face that strained to hold back tears. Y/N nodded before leading Ben to the bedroom.
Butterflies began to rise in your stomach.
You two had shared quarters before and a bed, but this time it was different. It was no longer a friend helping a friend, this was the man you were in love with and would be spending the rest of your life with, now that the universe permitted it.
Ben couldn’t believe it either, as his foot crossed the threshold of the bedroom with a neatly made bed. It felt so surreal, as they both made their way to their respective sides as they did many years before. They laid there staring at each other in the dark silence.
You shook your head and smiled. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Me neither, I felt you and Antheia’s life force disappear and I fea―” He couldn’t finish that sentence. “I’m glad I’m home.”
They both smiled at his words.
“How’d you do it?” Your words were barely above a whisper. “How’d you come back?”
Ben replayed that strenuous time and noted you would prefer the long version rather than the brief one. “Later,” You went to object when a big yawn slipped past your lips. Pink lips pressed a kiss on your forehead. “Sleep, we have all the time now.”
In the morning, you stirred from the extreme fatigue that weighed down your bones. Yesterday was so eventful it felt like a dream. A dream that you had many times before with various outcomes, but this was better than you expected. Eyes fluttered to see the man beside you only to be met with an empty space. Slowly, you sat up as your eyes wandered around your bedroom for any sign of him. But to no avail, there weren't any hints to make you believe that any of what you thought occurred. Your chest began to heave as tears began to blur your vision; the sound of your hyperventilating breath echoed in your ears so loud that you could barely make out your name being called.
“Y/N, Y/N,”
Ben’s large hands wrapped around your wrist pulling your hands from the side of your face.
“Y/N, I’m here,” then he read your thoughts. “I just went to look at the girls, I meant to come back before you woke up. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, Kylo, it’s―”
“Ben,” he reminded you with soft brown eyes.
“Ben, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I―”
“You don’t have to apologize, it will take time.” The pad of his thumb gently brushed away your tears.
“No, no, I’m sorry for overreacting; I came to terms that you were gone and yesterday was such a shock that when I woke up and I didn’t see you, I just thought.” The heel of your hands pressed to your eyes. “I couldn’t fall back, I couldn’t fall back.”
Ben listened with a heavy heart as you repeated your words. He hated that he made you feel this way all this time, he hated that you had slipped into a depression struggling to cope with the loss of both him and Antheia’s father.
“Y/N, I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel this way.”
Arms wrapped around your waist and yours around his neck as he pulled you to lay on the bed holding each other. The morning sun washed over them as they basked in the moment. A moment with two that would become three. Little knocks were before the door opened. “Mommy?”
Antheia called out only seeing you first.
“Daddy?”
She said tentatively.
“Yes, Little Flower?” He groaned as he sat up, but it was all worth it to see the wide smile on Antheia’s face before she was jumping in the middle.
“You’re here! You’re still here!” She beamed as she looked upon his face.
“Yes, I am.” Ben smiled.
“Are you going to stay today too?”
He nodded.
“And tomorrow?”
Her hazel eyes were wide as she was ready to ask if he would stay tomorrow, the day after, the day after that, and so on and so on.
“Yes, and the next day and the next day and the next.”
He began to tickle her as her smile grew bigger knowing her Daddy was here to stay for good.
Giggles permeated through the air as Y/N watched the beautiful sight. All you needed was for Padmé to be here and your little family moment would be complete!
His eyes cast over to you. “She’s still sleeping.”
Onyx eyes gave him a knowing look.
“I know, I might not have the force but I know her sleeping schedule.”
A blush covered his face as he looked at you with those same big brown eyes Padmé gave you when she got caught.
Antheia and Ben continued to catch up that he didn’t even see you leave as he was too consumed with giving Antheia his full attention and makers, how’d she grown since the last time he saw her. Ben couldn’t believe this was the same person that he held when she was firstborn. He really missed his Little Flower.
Little coos sang through the air as Y/N sang: “Look who wants to join the fun!”
Antheia turned with a smile exclaiming her sister's name.
“Padmé!”
And the little one wiggled and screeched in excitement. A smile spread across Ben’s cheeks. He could get used to this.