Ren: A Collection of Kylo Ren One Shots

{Mature} Fighting Desire

Between the events of TLJ and TROS, Rey struggles to find peace. An unannounced presence makes it difficult.

Rated mature. Slow burn.

Enjoy xx

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"You know Finn would throw himself in front of an AT-AT for you, right?"

Though Rey tried to keep herself preoccupied with the training droid in front of her-- the kriffing thing zapped her again on her left bicep-- she couldn't help but smirk at the General's effort to distract her.

"Please," Rey answered through gritted teeth, shoving the blue plasma blade toward the droid mocking her movements. "Finn would throw himself in front of an AT-AT just for fun."

In one swift and unpredictable upward swipe, Luke's lightsaber tore through the last training droid's mechanics. It went down immediately in a small, whizzing explosion. Triumphantly, Rey disengaged her weapon, smiling and wiping her sweat-stricken brow with an upper arm. She turned toward Leia who gave a satisfied nod and chuckle.

"I guess that wasn't enough of a distraction," the General said, taking in Rey's worn but sturdy appearance. For the past month of training, she'd notice the small changes in Rey's demeanor; the once unsure and unbalanced girl was slowly becoming a well-rounded fighter. She noticed Rey's shoulders broadening with a taller, more confident stance while her hollowed eyes grew in fascination and understanding with every new teaching. Though she wished she had more time to sacrifice for Rey's training, Leia knew Rey was taking every one of her lessons to heart. This alone made her the proudest teacher.

"One day, you'll think of something," Rey smirked, drawing the lightsaber's hilt to her belt. "Until then," she bowed before Leia, excusing herself from today's course with a humbling nod.

The General took her arm as they headed back toward the rebel base. The older woman glanced up at Rey. "Out of curiosity, why don't you reciprocate Finn's feeling toward you?"

Rey laughed, almost expecting the motherly figure's leading question. "I of course care deeply for Finn," she began, trying to work out the words in her head. "But it's not what you think. Finn and I have... an understanding. He doesn't care for me in that way. We're just... friends."

The General scoffed, prodding further into the investigation that she so loved to talk about. "You may need to sit down and remind Finn of that agreement. I'm afraid he's more in trouble of falling for you than ever." In fact, the entire encampment of bored rebel soldiers was betting on when Finn would finally break and confess his love for the girl; of course, Leia didn't mention this small detail, having her own coin in the say.

Slowly, the two Force-wielders trekked through the overgrowth of the forest, navigating through trees and boulders. As they leaned on each other for balance on a particularly rough downward slope, Rey inconspicuously held tighter to her Master's arm. Rey admired the General more than words could express-- in all her life, she had never met someone more driven and focused as the woman next to her, and she doubted she ever would. The leader of a strong rebellion, a Jedi warrior, a wife, a mother who never gave up hope...

Rey swallowed. The torment and pain Leia went through, perhaps still does, with the loss of her son to the dark side must have been excruciating. Still, somehow she found reason to stand from her bed every morning and lead the growing battalion against that same threat. That strength alone had Rey's heart swelling in gratitude. Somehow, and a part of her wanted to ask why, Leia wanted to teach the ways of the Force to a filthy scavenger. An outcast with no memory. A nobody.