Stronger Together (Kylo Ren x Reader | Maia)

Reunited

Kylo, the Harbinger

Six hours. It took six hours from the time Hux informed me of her release for me to leave work for the day. At least I hoped it was for the day.

Unfortunately, everything I've been doing would be better achieved by Maia. I needed her, but I needed her to heal more. I didn't know how she would react to me being Supreme Leader, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. She hasn't seen me in over a month, and the majority of that time was likely spent angry with me.

Hell, I spent it angry with me.

Vicrul was posted up outside our quarters, so I knew she had not left. I hoped Hux would prove correct, and Maia spent the hours resting.

I still did not know what she endured, either. There were no witnesses left, other than the two stormtroopers who dragged her to and from his throne room. The only thing I knew for sure was that she had been near death. I assumed it was from lightning mostly, but it was clear she took a few beatings as well.

Unfortunately for Snoke, Maia learned to take a beating a long time ago.

I wondered if she was just too damn stubborn to use the Force, or if she truly didn't know how. Or, if she even used it at all. Alaric said she had, but I didn't know what to believe until I heard it from her. For whatever reason, Maia had not been recording their attack of Iziz—something she was required to do.

According to Alaric, she'd had a bad feeling. That didn't explain to me why she would have turned off the cams. I thought Cardinal might posses the answer, but he's been efficient at avoiding me.

Regardless, for someone to not show even a hint of the Force while being tortured like that... I just wasn't sure it was possible. Snoke had said she could not touch the Force as he taunted me, which meant he had begun to believe her, too.

But deep down, I knew the truth. Maia has spent her whole life suppressing the Force, hiding it. I tried not to be offended she'd hid it from me, but it was difficult.

So when I walked in and heard faint music coming from my room, I felt my stomach flip. I was about to see her, finally. I took slow steps, almost hesitant, as I followed the music.

She was wrapped tightly around one of my pillows, her face buried in another, the large black blanket swallowing her up to her underarms. I wondered why she chose my bed, but honestly, I would have chosen hers, had I not slept in her medbay each night. We were addicted, taking any little hint of the other that we could.

She had very faint bruises on her exposed shoulders, neck, and face. She'd needed surgery to put her ribs back in place before going into bacta, and then the later surgery on her shoulder when it didn't heal properly in the tank. She was a shade too pale, and I thought she looked skinnier, her shoulder jutting out of the dark blankets. Ironically, her nose, which had obviously been broken at some point in her life, was now straight.

I watched her breathing slowly for a while. I thought she was beautiful, so much so that it was actually painful. Her face in slumber showed none of the fearsome woman everyone else saw. I wondered if she hadn't been able to handle the silence, so she turned on music.

Finally, after a long time, I turned and left the room. I didn't want to cook, so I called the kitchens. But I pulled out the stupid little frozen citrus shit she liked so much, knowing she usually lets it thaw before eating. I couldn't be sure, but it appeared she had not touched them since I left. The thought made me irrationally sad.

Five minutes later, the food arrived and I put the icy things on the tray and carried it into the bedroom. I placed it next to the bed and sat down.

The hair on her face was slightly greasy from the bacta. I pushed it off her cheek, and around her ear, letting it all fall behind her. She shuffled lightly, then her eyes flung open. I almost chuckled, watching her come to awareness in the blink of an eye.