Allegiance | Kylo Ren

LXXVII

Leia was sitting with her back to us, deep in thought. At the sound of the door she turned around slowly, her eyes taking in my presence before shifting slowly to her son. Her brown eyes softened as she looked him over, rising to her feet.

Kylo cleared his throat, dropping my hand and taking a step towards the General. "Hello, Mother."

Leia took long strides as she made her way to her son. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face into his chest. "Hello, Ben." Her whispered words were muffled through the fabric of his shirt.

I looked away as Kylo's—Ben's—arms hesitantly returned the embrace, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"Welcome home." I barely caught Leia's words as I quietly left the room to stand beside Poe.

The pilot eyed me as I returned, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "So, you and Kylo, huh?"

"Ben." I corrected him, the name tasting foreign on my tongue. "Here, he's Ben, I think."

"But you're together?" He raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the other guy?"

A lump formed in my throat, and I looked away, trying to blink away the sudden tears threatening to streak from my eyes.

Poe seemed to receive the message. He gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze, and I quickly pulled him into a tight hug. I was suddenly overcome by so many powerful emotions at once. The tears that I had been fighting flowed freely down my cheeks.

Less than twenty-four hours I had been filled with a bitter hatred for the world. At the core of that hate was Kylo—his actions had launched me into the downward spiral of emotional decay. But the moment his lightsaber lashed out at General Hux, a tiny spark of hope had ignited in the depths of my mind. Hope that maybe I hadn't been wrong about him, hope that the future held something brighter.

Leaving the First Order had enveloped me in fear, and confusion—I had been forced to trust Kylo with my life, and I didn't entirely know why. The flight here had been terrifying. Even though I knew Poe was entirely capable of getting us out of here, I hadn't been able to shake the fear of what would happen if we were caught and returned.

I still didn't wholly understand what had happened on the jet, and how I had become so calm so quickly. It was an unnatural memory—something twisted in my stomach to think of it. I had felt so safe in Kylo's grasp, as if nothing in the world could ever touch us.

And now we were here. Seeing Kylo reunited with Leia had been overwhelming. Their bond was undeniable, strong even after all these years. All the familiar faces had been so welcoming—Poe, Rey, and even Finn—and this time I wasn't being held prisoner. It was a strange feeling to be here of our own accord. Were we part of the Resistance now? The idea sent tremors down my spine.

I buried my face into the shoulder of Poe's jacket, somewhat comforted by his warmth.

"Thank you for saving us." I whispered.

I felt him grin. "Anytime, Callie. You know I can't turn down an adventure, especially when it involves infiltrating the headquarters of the First Order." He gave me a comforting squeeze, then pulled away.

I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand, my cheeks burning slightly at being so emotional. "You're going to have to tell me all about that. I was in the dark about everything."

Poe's eyebrows rose. "Really? You didn't know anything?"

I shook my head as the door opened behind us. I turned to meet the familiar face of Kylo. His eyes were tinged a bit red, but he appeared to be okay otherwise. Wordlessly, he threaded his fingers through mine. Poe's eyes wandered over the action, but he stayed quiet. Instead, he motioned for us to follow him.

"You guys must be tired. We have a room set up for you. It's temporary, but it'll work for now."

We followed him down a flight of stairs and along a corridor. At last we came to a large, heavy-looking door.

"This looks suspiciously like the room you held me in before." I gave Poe a sideways glance, feeling Kylo's hand tense in mine.

Poe gave a little laugh. "Well, it is technically one of our holding rooms, but we aren't going to lock the door on you or anything. Leia figured that you two would want to lay low for a while, and this room seemed like the best fit."

I pushed the door open. The room was identical to my former one, except larger. A single bed stood against the wall. I stared at it longingly, my limbs suddenly feeling like they were made of lead.

"Let us know if you guys need anything." Poe said as he closed the door. "I'll be around."

When he was gone, I collapsed onto the soft bed, reveling in its cool sheets and plushy mattress. A long sigh escaped my lips.

Kylo hadn't moved from where he stood near the door. He stood quietly, watching me with a hint of guilt in his expression.

"I know you have questions—" he started.

"And I expect answers." I confirmed. "But not tonight. I'm very tired, and I know you are exhausted. So, for now, let's focus on getting rest, and tomorrow, we'll talk."

He nodded, looking relieved. After a slight hesitation, he crawled onto the bed next to me, laying down softly on the opposite side. I shifted slightly so my arm was brushing his, enjoying the feeling of being in someone else's company. It was only a few heartbeats before we both fell deeply into sleep.