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Ben collapse onto the couch, utterly exhausted. Rey had left for a girls’ day with Rose and Jess, so he was in charge of Kiwi on his own. The young Ewok was a handful, usually requiring both Ben and Rey to bathe and put him to bed. Ben shivered as a cool draft blew across his still-soaked shirt.
After resting his eyes for a moment he heard a knock at the front door. Groaning, he pushed himself off the couch and trudged to the door, pulling it open to reveal his uncle.
“Uncle Luke? What are you-“
Without preamble, Luke thrust a small bundle into Ben’s arms. “Remember how you said you’d make it up to me for ruining my Jedi Order?”
Ben’s eyebrows shot up. “Y-Yeah…?”
“I’ve been trying to get rid of that pest for months. Consider your debt repaid.” Luke huffed, turned around, and walked away from the house, leaving Ben sputtering.
“Debt repaid? Wait!” Ben ran after Luke as he climbed into his ship. “What do you mean my debt is repaid? What is this?” he asked, holding up the bundle.
“It’s your problem now. Have fun.” Luke closed the cockpit and powered up the ship, flying away from Ben.
Ben gaped at his uncle’s ship shrinking in the distance. His attention was brought back to the bundle when it began squirming and making noises. Realization dawned on Ben, and he unraveled the cloth, revealing a small porg.
Ben could almost feel his jaw coming unhinged in his surprise. The little bird squirmed in Ben’s arms and reached up to lick his chin. He flinched at the feeling of the porg’s barbed tongue. He shook his head to clear it and looked back at the direction Luke flew off in. Cursing his uncle, he carried the avian pest into the house.
He flopped back down on the couch and set the porg on his knee. He and the feathery creature engaged in a staring contest until it curled up on Ben’s lap and seemed to fall asleep.
“What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing?” he said to no one in particular. “Force, what would Rey say if she saw this?”
While Ben was mid-sentence, the front door opened and Rey walked in. “What would I say if I saw what?” she asked as she walked into the living room. Upon spotting the porg on Ben’s lap, an elated grin slowly formed on Rey’s face, becoming slightly smug when she locked eyes with Ben.
Ben raised an eyebrow at Rey’s smug face.
“I guess I’m not the only one with a soft spot for cute creatures, aren’t I, Ben?”
Ben’s eyes widened in shock and he shook his head. “No, Rey, I didn’t go out looking for this little pes- porg , my-“
“Ben Solo,” Rey interrupted, how dare you bring this adorable little creature into our home without my permission!” she taunted as she sat next to him on the couch.
Ben sputtered. “I didn’t-! Ugh, you know what, never mind. By the way, did you happen to see Luke on your way here?”
“I did!” Rey responded merrily. “Why do you ask?”
“Long shot, but you didn’t happen to tell him to kriff off, did you?”
Rey shook her head. “No, of course not! Why?”
Ben let out a small growl. “Damn it, never mind.”
Rey raised an eyebrow at Ben. “Ooookay, does he have something to do with the porglet?”
Ben grunted. “Yeah, he came here, dumped the little bast- porg on me, and left.”
Rey smiled sweetly at the porg. “Well that was nice of him. Our little family keeps getting bigger!”
Ben wrapped and arm around Rey and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “There are other ways to make our family bigger,” he whispered.
Rey hummed and smiled at him but lightly batted at his shoulder. “Not now, we have a new baby.”
Ben groaned. The sound of Kiwi’s cries came from the other room and Ben groaned louder.
Rey smirked and rolled her eyes at him. “Go check on him, would you?”
“But I’ve been watching him all day!” Ben complained.
Rey tutted. “Then you can spare a few more seconds to bring him out here and meet his new little-“ Rey lifted the backside of the porg to examine it “-sister!”
Ben blinked, deciding it’s best not to ask how Rey became so familiar with porg anatomy. He shook his head and stood up to fetch Kiwi. The furry menace as he was that day was no easier to handle than he was before being put to bed.
“Damn it, Kiwi, calm down!” Ben pleaded.
The ewok continued to fuss. Aggravated, Ben reach for the ewok and swung him out of his nest to rest against Ben’s hip. Ben carried Kiwi out of his room and into the living room, were Rey was lying on the floor, giggling at the little porg – porg let , apparently – trying to walk and falling after every few steps.
When Rey spotted Ben and Kiwi, she swooped the porglet into her arms and sat back down on the couch. Ben shook his head and sat down next to her.
“She can barely walk so she just flops all over the place. I think I want to call her Flip Flop.”
Ben raised a brow at Rey. “Are you sure?”
Rey beamed. “Of course! Flip-Flop, Flip-Flop!” she sang at the bird.
Ben smiled at Rey, never tiring of his wife’s adorable antics. Kiwi squirmed in Ben’s arms, reaching for the newly christened Flip Flop. Ben set him down on the floor and he crawled over to the porglet.
Rey stood up, allowing Kiwi time to get acquainted with his sister. She stood next to Ben and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You know, I really wish you’d stop freaking out every time we acquire a new family member.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because I’m sure if my uncle showed up and ditched his baby pest on you you’d take it so well.”
Rey froze in Ben’s arms. He looked down at her, confused, until he saw the tears forming in her eyes. He squeezed her tight and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that.”
Rey sniffed. “I know you didn’t. It’s just, I feel for them. They weren’t wanted.”
“Shh, shh, I know, Sweetheart, I know, and you are so kind to take them in,” Ben assured her.
“If this bothers you-“
“It doesn’t bother me, once I get over the shock of it. A little notice would be appreciated, but I have no problem with opening our home. I know this is important to you, and I want you to be happy.” Ben brought Rey around to face him and lifted her up by her waist. Gazing into her eyes, he whispered, “I love you.”
Rey smiled at Ben. “I love you, too.”
He pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. The sound of panicked squawking made them pull apart.
“Kiwi, no! Do not eat Flip Flop!” Rey shouted, pulling the distressed porglet away from Kiwi. “Ben, feed your child!”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Oh, so he’s ‘my child’ when he’s in trouble?”
“Yes, now feed him! I think we have some fish for Flip Flop.” She turned her attention to Flip Flop and nuzzled its snout. “Would you like that? Would you like some fish?” she cooed. The little porg chirped happily in Rey’s arms.
Ben chuckled at the sight and went to the conservator to fetch Kiwi a snack. After feeding him Ben went through the process of putting Kiwi to bed. Once Kiwi was sound asleep, Ben went back to the kitchen where Rey was spoon feeding a puree to Flip Flop and cooing at her.
Ben sat down next to Rey and watched her feed the porglet. After finishing the puree, Flip Flop gave a little burp. Rey giggled at her and swept her up into her arms before turning to look at Ben.
“I think she should sleep in our room until we know Kiwi won’t try to eat her. And she’s still a baby, so I want to be able to watch over her.”
Ben yawned. “That’s fine, Sweetheart, just don’t take too long putting her to sleep. I’m exhausted.”
Rey raised an eyebrow. Oh really? You’re exhausted?”
Ben pointed in the direction of Kiwi’s room. “That one is a terror when you’re not around.”
Rey reached up to kiss him. “I’m sure. Help me set up her nest?
Ben nodded tiredly, suppressing another yawn. After helping Rey shred an old blanket and form the nest, he prepared for bed. When he returned to their bedroom, Rey had Flip Flop wrapped up in a blanket and was humming a lullaby to her. When Flip Flop finally seemed to have fallen asleep, Rey laid her down in the nest.
“Wait up for me?” she asked Ben as he crawled into bed.
Ben yawned and nodded. Rey walked over to Ben and gave him a chaste kiss. She left the room and returned a few minutes later, dressed for bed and finally showing her own exhaustion. She joined Ben in bed and curled up into his side.
“You sure you’re okay with Flip Flop?” she asked him.
Ben kissed the top of her head. “Of course I am, Sweetheart.”
Rey looked up at him. “So tomorrow, if I were to bring home a bantha-“
He immediately silenced her with a kiss. “Maybe we should discussed larger creatures a bit more.”
She hummed in agreement. “But smaller ones are always welcome, right?”
Ben chuckled at her. “One at a time, Rey.”
Within minutes Ben, then Rey, fell asleep, wrapped up in each other, their new feathery baby snoring softly from her nest.