A Lesson to Learn

Chapter 18

"Are you serious?" Kylo answered, eyebrow raising up in question.

"Deadly, Ren," Rey responded, fixing him with an icy glare that was more playful than harmful. She knew how much Kylo didn't enjoy the movies and she secretly loved to tease her grump of a boyfriend. "I want to match and at least this way we have a theme!"

"Isn't the theme just Christmas ?"

"Ky-lo. You're not being very fun," Rey teased, waving the sweaters in her hands. One of them started making laser gun sounds and she laughed at the sudden outburst of noise. "You can pretend you're shooting people! I'll even get you a toy blaster."

Kylo rolled his eyes but his smile gave him away as he relented. Rey did a little fist bump in celebration as she put the sweaters in the cart.

"Don't get too excited, this is a conditional yes," Kylo warned, waiting for Rey to turn back around to face him. He stepped forward and grabbed Rey by the waist, bringing her flush against his body as he leaned down to make eye contact with her. Rey felt her heart beat out of her chest, always mesmerized by how good looking Kylo was, feeling a little like prey in the arms of a predator as he wrapped his arms around her.

"One, I want a saber instead - I think they're cooler. A red one," he started, inching his face closer to Rey's as he nuzzled his nose against hers, giving her a chaste kiss before he continued, "And two, you have to admit that I'm better looking than that dude Ben Solo or whatever."

Rey pretended to think about it before she pushed off from his hold, hissing a quick, " Never !" before attempting to dart off. Kylo was much quicker than her as he took one large step and enveloped her in his arms once more, bringing her back towards him, her back hitting his chest with a thump.

"Say it," he growled, nipping at her ear, eyes narrowed.

"Make me, Ren," Rey challenged.

"You won't like what I do if I have to make you, Little One," Kylo snarled, pulling her a little tighter to his chest.

Rey wriggled in Kylo's hold, barely able to move in the constricting embrace he held her in. "Don't say I didn't warn you," Kylo taunted as he loosened his hold and began tickling Rey.

Rey buckled over, red faced and giggling like a schoolchild as Kylo viciously attacked her before she finally begged for mercy, more out of fear of drawing attention to themselves in the small store and the need to catch her breath than anything. "Fine! Fine ! I think that, you, Kylo Ren , are more attractive than Ben Solo, " she spit out between big heaving breaths.

" Good ," Kylo jeered with no real malice, obviously pleased that his evil plan had worked. He gave her another quick kiss on the cheek before letting her go with a, "Now was that so hard?"

Rey straightened up, gathering the last of her dignity as she shot daggers at Kylo before cracking a smile. "I guess not," she admitted, leaning forward for a kiss that Kylo gladly gave. She grabbed his hand as she added, "Come on, you big baby, let's go check out and go to the other store to get your lightsaber."

***

The night of the Christmas party, which was at Finn and Poe's house this time, Rey had to chastise Kylo in order to finally rush him out of the house since Kylo had been more interested in instigating fights with his new lightsaber. Rey regretted the purchase for all of two seconds before she saw Kylo theatrically leap over the couch to make a swipe at her, unable to stop the guffaw that escaped her lips. Sometimes Kylo was so serious and intense that Rey wondered what went on behind those pensive eyes and other times he was... this - a playful, silly puppy.