Allegiance | Kylo Ren

XXV

I was not the only one who decided a post-mission siesta was a good idea, so I had to be careful as I left the barracks so as to not wake anyone else. I left my armor off, too groggy to worry about any potential problems. I navigated my way through the halls with sleepy eyes, occasionally rubbing them with the palms of my hands in an effort to wake myself up before meeting Mason.

When I reached the hospital wing, he was nowhere in sight. I watched as nurses scurried around, tending to troopers with minor injuries sitting impatiently on white beds. One of them noticed me waiting and winked.

"I'll go get him." She smiled as she turned and disappeared through the back door. I watched her go, surprise prickling my skin at being recognized.

A few moments later, she returned with my favorite doctor in tow. He grinned broadly as he spotted me, his white coat billowing behind him as he took long strides to envelop me in a tight hug.

"I was worried when you didn't come visit right away." He murmured in my ear. "I thought maybe something bad had happened."

"Hey, I kept my promise." I grinned, returning the embrace.

"I seem to recall you refusing to make that promise." He raised an eyebrow. "But I'm glad you're safe all the same." He took a step back, giving me a once-over. "No scratches? No burns? Nothing that needs mending?"

I held out my arms to display my unscratched self. "Nope."

He pulled me in for an affectionate kiss. "Good."

"Mason," I said when we pulled away. "How did that nurse know who I was?"

Mason's cheeks were tinged with pink. "I may brag about you occasionally."

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "What is there to brag about?"

He shrugged, glancing around. "Well, you're only my beautiful, brave, kickass girlfriend. It's not hard to find things to talk about."

I blanched. "Girlfriend?"

His eyes widened. "I-I mean... if you're not ready for that, then I don't—"

"No," I took his hands in mine. "No, I'm okay with that."

He grinned and kissed me again, holding me tightly to him. "That's good. Things might have been uncomfortable if the nursing staff found out we were only friends."

I giggled. "That might tarnish your reputation."

He chuckled. "Maybe a bit."

Mason slung his arm around me shoulder as we turned to walk down the hallway. I glanced back at the hospital wing. "Shouldn't you be working?"

He shrugged. "I think the nurses have it covered for now. Besides, you need to tell me all about the mission."

I frowned. "What do you want to know?" Visuals of me fighting side-by-side with Kylo flashed through my mind.

"Well, for starters, was it successful?"

I gave a breathless laugh. "Oh! Yes, it was successful. We destroyed the shipment and took out most of the Resistance fighters, although a few got away. Apparently it was the traitor and the girl, as well as a pilot."

He nodded, looking deep in thought. "I bet Kylo Ren wasn't very happy about that."

"He wasn't." I agreed. "He really wants them gone... I think he feels like they're a nuisance more than anything."

"I remember FN-2187." Mason mused.

I gave him a sideways glance, somewhat surprised. "You do?"

He nodded. "I fixed him up once or twice. Nothing major. He seemed nice. A little jumpy, but nice. I was surprised when I heard he turned against us."

"He's a traitor." I said firmly. "As a trooper, our tasks aren't always pleasant, but just because we don't like something doesn't mean we get to choose not to do it."

Mason was quiet for a moment. His green eyes searched my face, and it seemed like he wanted to say something but was holding back. Then he forced a smile. "So I've heard there's a trooper with some cool new armor. Is that you?"

I gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, that's me. Kylo attacked me in the hallway because he didn't realize it was me, and so he wanted to make sure it didn't happen again."

His eyes widened. "He attacked you?"

"Well, to be fair, I was kind of rude to him, and that's not exactly protocol for troopers." I gave a light laugh. "He didn't realize that I was only joking because he couldn't see my face beneath my helmet. So he ordered for my armor to have a paint job, so now there's no mistaking me for anyone else."

Mason seemed to be taking a moment to absorb all this new information. "So, he's Kylo to you, huh? You guys are on a first-name basis? Should I be worried about that?"

I gave him a playful nudge. "No, I don't think so. He and I are just friends. Well, as much of friends as anyone can be with Kylo, I think."

He made a face. "Yeah, I don't really see him having any close friends."

"He can be a bit difficult at times." I admitted with a laugh. My words were followed by a twinge of guilt as I thought about how, only hours ago, Kylo and I had been laughing deliriously with our legs tangled together. "But he's not as bad as people make him out to be."

Mason rolled his eyes. "Anyone who attacks someone else for being rude is not a good person, Callie."

I frowned. "I guess he's just someone you have to get to know." I felt the need to defend him, as he luckily was not here to defend himself.

We reached the door of the barracks and Mason turned to face me. "I just hope you're being careful around him."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "I am. And he would never hurt me, Mason. You don't need to worry."

He returned my smile halfheartedly before pulling me in for a tight hug and pressing a kiss to my lips. "You should come visit me more often. Even if I'm busy, you can be my assistant or something."

"Yes, I'm sure the other nurses would love having an untrained trooper taking their place." I replied with a dry laugh. "But maybe I'll do that anyway."

Mason chuckled and gave me one last quick kiss before departing. I watched him leave, feeling several emotions fight for superiority inside me. With a sigh, I entered the barracks to find something to do until it was time for dinner.