A Lesson to Learn

Chapter 4

As he finished his food (not without some further struggling from a very determined Chewie), Kylo waved his hands and banished the remains of his feast from view. The alluring meal now gone, Kylo released the beast from his hold. He hoped that Chewie would be more relaxed after having spent quite some time battling Kylo for dominance, but his hopes were dashed when Chewie continued to bounce around Kylo, licking and nuzzling and letting out some small yelps. Kylo sank into the couch in defeat, allowing the stubborn animal to cuddle up to his side, wondering why it was that Chewie was so hyper and needy with him when he had seemed so calm around Finn and Poe yesterday.

"Maybe it's because you've never seen me before? Am I exciting to you, Mr. Chewie Dameron? Will your mother be as excited when she meets me?" Kylo mused out loud, smiling at the fact that he had begun to talk to Chewie in the same high sing song voice that Rey had used the other day. Maybe Kylo would turn into a big dog lover after all. He had never been too interested in animals, but this cuddly creature was slowly worming his way into the devil's heart. After all, he was sure that he'd be unable to keep himself from at least liking anything that Rey loved. Kylo grinned down at the furry ball of warmth that had finally settled, laying pressed right up against Kylo's thighs with his head on top of them and his eyes glued to Kylo's face.

"Okay, let's start with a movie and then we can try to figure out other technology." Kylo grabbed the remote and pressed what he assumed the power button was. There were so many buttons on the control that Kylo felt anxious just looking at it. Thankfully the television turned on, revealing a home screen that listed different genres. Kylo used the up and down arrows to navigate to the "romantic comedy" section. Several title names flashed before him as he scrolled through the list: The Kissing Booth, Breakfast Club, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Love Actually... Kylo felt overwhelmed with the choices so he closed his eyes, pressed the right arrow, and counted to five. When he reached five he let go of the arrow and opened his eyes to the movie it had settled on. Guess we're watching "You've Got Mail".

***

Okay... that wasn't... the worst. Kylo chewed over what he had learned from the movie last night and the feature he had just finished. "It seems like you kind of have to be a sweet asshole. Sweet to your girl and indifferent to the world... is that what women want? I couldn't be bothered with other people - unless Rey wanted me to be bothered with them. Does that fit the bill? Have I made it?" Kylo talked out loud to the dog that had fallen asleep on his lap, snoring lightly and drooling a little on Kylo's pants. "Just like your mother said. Absolutely useless unless there's something in it for you. Truly despicable behavior you slobbery demon."

From what Kylo had learned it seemed that women swooned over men who went after what they wanted, paid attention to them, treated them well, and made them laugh. Easier said than done. Kylo was probably charming enough given that he was the devil. Except he hadn't socialized with anyone in years and he figured his social skills were probably a little rusty. What if what was charming twenty years ago was gross and outdated now? Do people still use words like gnarly? Probably not.

Kylo figured it was time to continue his research and take a more active role in his learning other than just sitting back and watching movies or observing Rey. He waved his hand and a new personal computer and messaging device (cell phone, Poe had said the other day) appeared on the coffee table in front of the couch. Kylo powered on the device and dived right in.

By the time he heard Rey walking up to the door, Kylo had read news and entertainment articles, online books, and research journals on topics such as dating for young adults (millennials was the term used nowadays for this generation), how to properly pursue women, and how to flirt your way to "a new bae". He had also caught up on some news, modern literature, and general cultural information. Using the same powers he had used to allow himself to speed read through vast amounts of information and catch up on all he had lost out on while bound to that lifeless antiquated thrift store, he quickly concealed everything from view, including himself before Rey could spot him.