Little Bird (Kylo Ren x Reader AU)

Tell Me Later

"Hey. Hey. Over here," you whispered. "The maze."

Finn, still in his Commander's uniform, gestured to a cloaked Rey, and they both crept across the dark lawn. Their heads whirled for any signs of danger. Just in your nightgown and bare feet, you swallowed and led them into the garden, aided by moonlight. The grass was soft under your soles, your heart's pulse a drum at your temple.

Your Commander's home would normally be the absolute worst place for a Resistance rendezvous. But with his current business concluded, the Knights were granted relief, and your single remaining supervisor was your own damned conscience. In your palm was the switchblade, the first and only nail you'd need to place in Kylo Ren's figurative coffin. Figurative, you reassured yourself. At least for now.

As you shuffled them into a corner, you scanned them, breath stuck in your chest. You could just ask to leave, forget all of the promises you'd made, escape like wind over the border--but you'd done such an awful job protecting the interests of the Resistance, letting them languish in exchange of pursuing your own. It only made sense that you'd hand this item over, this ember to the gas line that would detonate Gilead's foundation. You could not allow yourself to leave without seeking retribution for your selfishness.

And so, logistically speaking, the most appropriate location to discuss a treasonous rebellion was while secluded in a network of hedges. Emotionally speaking, it was far easier to hide from the wolves of your guilt inside a labyrinth.

Finn and Rey gazed at you, their eyes wide and eager. You couldn't think of any natural way to begin the conversation.

"I'm glad you were smart enough to sneak around back."

Finn chuckled, raising a brow. "Of course. I knew it had to be urgent. There'd be no other place to meet you."

You nodded. "Yeah, fair enough."

"So, what do you have for us?" Rey asked.

"It's..." Grimacing, you held it up, rotated it between your fingers. "A switchblade."

Finn blinked. "A switchblade?"

"Yeah." The sterling rivets glinted. "So. Um." It was going to be difficult to explain why you'd held onto this for so long. "Remember when I said that Snoke's Wife was right? That a guard killed him?"

They nodded.

You drew in a long, deep breath. Let it out. "Yeah. Well. I lied. Commander Ren was involved." You wiggled the blade. "This has Snoke's blood on it. Proof of the coup." A clumsy smile tried to form on your lips. "Sorry about that."

Rey blinked, shook her head in confusion. "What? Why are you giving this to us now?" she asked. "You have to understand that we need to be careful. How can we be sure it's real?"

"Um." You pursed your lips. The guilt-wolves had your scent. "I don't..." There wasn't an easy way to say, because I feel something unspeakable for my Commander. "Because I was the one who stabbed him." Not a lie--but not necessarily your primary motivator, either. "I helped. If I give this to you, I'll be implicated too."

"Wait," Finn said, "you stabbed him?"

"Yes," you replied. "I, um. I stabbed him in the foot. The Commander shot him. Then he took out the entire estate." The story was sounding more unbelievable the longer you talked. "I didn't want to get in trouble, too."

Finn and Rey glanced at each other for a moment in disbelief. Rey sighed, shook her head.

"You should've come to us with this a long time ago," she said. "We'll never let anything happen to you."