My Love, My Bonded

Chapter Twenty Three

"This is what we have to do," Kylo began in a stern voice as he paced back and forth in front of Rey. "Go back to your friends and help them with any of the damage. Suggest planning a surprise attack on the First Order. If your generals are smart enough, they should know you won't be able to but at least they'll trust that you're on their side. I doubt they wouldn't have before but we don't know the extent of the damage the pilot has caused. Make it look like you evacuated the planet without actually leaving. Send a few large ships out of the atmosphere for some time and then come back. This should fool the First Order for a little while, or at least until I can deal with Hux."

Rey nodded along quietly. She spoke up through their mind connection while her voice box was still damaged. "And what of Poe?"

"Okay, this is going to bother me too much. You shouldn't go this long with an untreated injury." Kylo stated as he marched over to her. He had thought he could just leave her be and let the Resistance treat her but even just glancing over at her and seeing the jarring bruises and hearing her broken voice hurt him way too much.

"I'm from Jakku, I've gone longer." She gently teased as a way to assure him that she was alright.

His heart stopped in his chest at the thought of her being in pain and alone with no one to help her. He made a silent vow to himself never to let that happen.

"Not anymore." He raised his hand to meet her throat and she looked at him with wide eyes. "It's okay, I'm healing it."

Rey nodded while he wrapped his large hand around her slim neck. He pressed gingerly into it, causing her to hiss gently but soon the pain of her voice box melted away into nothingness. She swallowed and felt a small sting in her throat but nothing compared to what happened previously.

"I hope you don't mind," Kylo started. "I left the bruises so that the Resistance would understand everything but you didn't have to deal with a painful throat. They should heal faster though."

She looked up at him happily. Just the other day she was thinking of why she had begun to care for him so deeply and this was definitely one of them. "Thank you."

Her voice sounded exactly the same besides breaking a little in the beginning. Her accent struck his ears and he had to hide the little blush that grew.

"Um, yeah. Now what did you ask?" He anxiously replied. She chuckled inwardly and wondered if Leia or Han ever taught him how to talk to girls properly. Some moments he exceeded himself and others, well, they were similar to that of a preteen boy.

"Oh, yes, what of Poe?" Rey replied.

He narrowed his eyes as their conversation turned dark. "Leave him here to die."

"Ben!" She scolded, crossing her arms across her chest.

"No, I'm serious, Rey." He stated. "He tried to kill you. He doesn't deserve another second of your time."

"He's part of my family." She remarked.

"Family doesn't kill family!" Kylo urged but a thick cloud of irony enveloped them. He swallowed, hard. His throat bobbed and his body stiffened at his own words. He stopped pacing and looked down at the floor.

Rey felt it, the inner battle he always fought, increase in intensity within him once more. She cautiously walked forward to the man dressed in black. She placed her hand on his cheek and pushed his head to look at her. He stood frozen at her touch, not daring to move as if he would ruin the tender movement.

His skin was warm and she watched as his cheeks flooded red from her palm. She felt the sharp blades of stubble stick out on her hand and she couldn't deny that she found it charming. The pad of her thumb went over the scar she had branded him with many moons ago as Rey smiled sadly up at her bonded.