🌙

I think you’re right that this is a huge part of why so many people don’t see the actual romance that’s happening in front of their eyes. they’re treating Rey like the love interest instead of the person who has a love interest, and they fail to recognize her love interest because the romance is played through the female gaze. 

in TLJ we don’t see Ben pursuing her in a traditional way (it’s the Force itself and Rey initiating most their interactions–and although Ben is always eager to see her and talk to her, because he’s not the one initiating it for some reason people fail to recognize that for romantic interest). Ben’s the one who gets a gratuitous scene that shows off his body for Rey’s benefit. Ben doesn’t back her up against walls or say sexually suggestive things or flirt in any way most people are used to seeing in action movies and thus the heavy, obvious sexual attraction between them flies over so many people’s heads just because it’s played in a different way than we’re used to seeing in blockbuster films.

“family guy and tender lover Ben Solo”

then Lucasfilm never would’ve had:

Kylo give Rey “elevator” eyes upon their first encounter

“What girl?!” –> “it’s the motivator!”

a Bridal Carry

Kylo remove his helmet for the first time for Rey

Rey’s “on no he’s hot” face after he takes off his helmet

Kylo staring at Rey’s mouth while reading her mind

“Don’t be afraid, I feel it too.”

the Force Theme swelling as Kylo is staring at Rey after she snatched the legacy lightsaber (with a grin creeping upon his lips)

Kylo never once attempting to actually kill Rey

Kylo wanting to “show [Rey] the ways of the Force” instead of killing her

Rey not killing Kylo when she had the chance

Kylo and Rey staring at each other across a gaping chasm between them

a Force-bond

“Just you.”

Kylo wiping Rey’s *wetness* off his mouth with his leather glove

Rey getting a glimpse of Kylo’s sweet pecs and getting all pink in the cheeks about it

Rey confiding in Ben instead of Luke after her cave experience

“You’re not alone.” “Neither are you.”

Rey and Ben having hand-sex through the Force

Rey beating Luke’s ass in defense of Ben

Rey getting a makeover and FedEx-ing herself to Ben’s ship

Rey approaching and gazing at Ben like he’s a whole-ass snack in the elevator

“I’ll help you.”

Ben killing (who he thought was) his life-long abuser to save Rey

the Thigh Grab™

Ben being momentarily distracted from the fight with the Praetorian guards when he sees Rey get hurt

the Tension™ after the fight ends

“But not to me.”

Ben basically proposing and offering to leave everything behind for Rey to join him and rule the Galaxy together

Rey crying because she knows he’s still too beholden to the Dark

“Please.”

the scar on Rey’s arm that looks like 2 hands reaching for each other

Ben looking up at Rey with sad puppy eyes as she closes the Falcon door on him

Rey staring longingly at Finn & Rose while holding the two broken halves of the legacy lightsaber

Rey all but admitting she is losing sleep over Ben and asking Leia about him and Leia realizing that “she cares for him” (in Resistance Reborn)

Rey and Kylo confronting each other in Kylo’s bedroom

Rey having a vision of both her and Kylo on the Sith Throne

Ben defying Palpatine’s order to kill Rey and instead AGAIN asking her to join him

a Force DYAD, aka literal soulmates

Ben’s mini-orgasm when Rey says “Give it to me!”

Rey healing Ben and the framing looking like she’s giving him a handy

“I did want to take your hand. Ben’s hand.”

Ben running to Exegol in his PJs armed with nothing but a blaster to help Rey

Rey gazing all glassy-eyed at Ben when she realizes he’s come for her while sweet, fairytale-esque music plays in the background

Ben desperately embracing Rey’s dead body

Ben giving up his whole damn life to bring Rey back

“Ben!”

Tender face-touching

FULL ON-THE-MOUTH KISS

Rey holding Ben’s hand as he dies

Has anyone else noticed the moment where Rey can feel Ben’s presence before the force bond moment? 

He arrives on Exogul and it immediately cuts to Rey and you can see just by looking at her that she knows he’s there. 

He’s running to her, and as she’s playing along with Palpatine’s ceremonious speech or whatever, she looks to the side, looks for Ben, biding her time until he arrives. But of course he bumps into the KoR (how the hell did they end up there anyway?) and as Rey gets closer to the ‘sacrifice’ part, you can see the fear on her face growing. She doesn’t know what to do. Ben hasn’t come yet and she’s running out of time. 

She’s terrified of what’s about to happen. 

And then she sees him. And he sees her, through their bond, and instantly they both relax, knowing that they’re there for each other; there to save each other, and Rey knows for sure this time that Ben Solo is with her. You can see it in their expressions, and then suddenly Rey’s fear and uncertainty turns into determination.

She hesitates for a second, isn’t sure what to do with her hands or how to kiss a boy but goddamn it, she’s alive and Ben Solo is here, with her, and she loves him so much that she just can’t wait one more second to kiss him when she’s wanted him so much for so long and she just LAUNCHES herself at him and figures it out as she goes.

And then there’s Ben, his body broken, his life force all but gone, but Rey is alive and in his arms and he would never try to kiss her first because finally, at last, this is for her, everything is for her with no expectations. But then she kisses HIM and he can’t help it, he meets her halfway with one hand clutching the back of her neck, one arm going around her, and he nuzzles and deepens because this may be all they have but it’s THEIRS, and for this one perfect moment, they can just hold each other and know that they’ve loved each other all along, know that no matter what happens afterwards, they’ll never really be apart anymore.

What is even the point of wasting almost a minute of footage showing your heroine looking longingly at children at the beginning of the movie if you don't intend to show her with children of her own by the end of the film??

WHAT

IS

THE

POINT???

Oh, right. It's so that at the end of the film we totally get the payoff that the family she's always wanted was already the one 100% comprised of the adults she'd already found in the previous movie and acted emotionally disconnected with throughout this whole film.