Author's Note: Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there - including me, haha! A little bit of a filler chapter, but I wanted to get at least one update out this weekend. I'll have more for ya'll later this week! ♡
*artwork used does not belong to me*
Her kisses slowed and she finally parted from his lips, her cheeks flushed pink.
It had been his first kiss, and he suspected hers as well. He looked down into her eyes, a warmth of compassion exuding from his gaze to hers. Her eyes almost glittered with admiration. He swallowed deeply. Her hands rested on his broad shoulders, his hands drifting from her face to down at his side.
"So what now?" She asked him softly, batting those long lashes of hers at him as she withdrew her hands from his shoulders.
"I will see you in the morning for your lessons." He said in a no-nonsense tone.
Rey bit her lip, still very much pink in the face. His mouth upturned at the corner in an amused smirk.
"Do not be late." He said.
She turned and walked to the door, Kylo following close behind. He activated the door for her and she turned back to him after she passed into the hallway.
"Goodnight." She said to him.
"Goodnight." He replied, his half smile still plastered on his face.
The door shut behind her. He quickly leaned his forehead against the door. His lips twitched as his face broke out into a rare smile. He gently touched his lips, the sensation of her kisses still lingering. He never knew he could feel this.... Happy? If this was what it was like to be truly happy, he cursed himself for obeying orders for so long. He felt a surge of power flow through him. Like he could accomplish anything. She brought out a side of him he thought long destroyed. Destroyed by the family that threw him away. With her he felt a sense of belonging, a sense of worth. Whatever he had done to deserve the way she looked at him tonight, he had no idea. His brutal past behind him, he would do whatever it took to keep her by his side.
ooooo
Far away on the far reaches of the Outer Rim, a woman with graying hair woke up in the night with a start. She held a hand up to her heart, breathing heavy, with eyebrows furrowing in the dark. She looked around the room. Her spouse in a deep sleep beside her, having been completely unaffected by her awakening.
Something had happened. Someone, somewhere, was suddenly very overcome with emotion. A pleasant emotion at that. She gasped to herself, her hand raising from her heart to her mouth. A spark of hope flooded through her, a single tear falling from her eye. She felt the light. The light she knew had been there all along.
ooooo
Rey ran back down the hall and to her room. Once inside, she flung herself onto her bed in a fit of adrenaline and giggles.
She had kissed him! Her Master!
This feeling inside her was intense. It was joyful! There was a thrill of it all. She was in uncharted territory. Falling for her Master was scandalous in itself, but everything about what had just transpired just felt so right! She couldn't care less if Snoke found out. Let him find out! She almost dared it to happen. She knew there had been something more to their initial connection besides the Force. She smiled to herself, smug about this fact. He reciprocated her feelings! She pulled her sheets up to her chin and she smiled widely into her pillows, the fear of sleep having been washed away moments ago. She soon fell asleep, dreaming of how the lessons the following day would play out.
In the morning she waited outside of Kylo's room as usual, rocking back and forth on her feet excitedly. She hadn't been waiting more than a few minutes when the door raised and Kylo stepped out. His hair was neatly brushed and his jacket immaculately pressed.
"Good morning." She said.
"Good morning." He said. His eyes warmed momentarily at her before he strode past her and towards the elevator. She nearly skipped after his tall figure, trying to catch up to his long strides.
In the elevator, she stood uncommonly close to him. He smirked and looked down at her. She lightly bobbed up and down next to him with anticipation. He reached over a hand to her, pulling her hand up to meet his mouth, gently pressing a kiss to her knuckles. She beamed.
He held her hand the rest of the way down the elevator, only letting go as the door signaled its arrival at the dining hall. Already there was a mutual, unspoken pact of keeping their feelings a secret between them. This added to the excitement of their relationship, if that was what you could call it. It was their little game.
He exited the elevator first and she followed him silently along the banquet line as usual. At their table, she aimed to sit closer to him. Their elbows brushed occasionally as they ate, Rey trying to keep her face stoic as she ate her flatcakes.
On the way down to the training studio, Rey flashed Phasma a smile as they walked past the Stormtroopers performing their morning drills. Rey couldn't see Phasma's reaction due to her helmet, but Phasma gave her a simple nod of acknowledgment. Kylo was already several paces ahead of her now and she hurriedly caught up to him, letting her shoulder brush his arm as she reached his side.
Not a word had been spoken between them between their initial morning greeting and their arrival at the studio. Kylo took his meditation pose and Rey quickly followed suit, scooting herself towards him so that their knees touched.
"You're certainly in a good mood." He commented to her. She blushed.
"You look very nice today." He continued.
"Why thank you Master Ren." She replied. His mouth twitched.
"Is that a new tunic?" He asked.
"Yes. How kind of you to notice." She answered teasingly. He cleared his throat.
"We will be switching up our meditation techniques today." He announced. Rey grinned.
"You've exceeded your training in blocking outside interferences. Now, you will need to focus on accessing the minds of others."
"I thought I already could do that." She said with a frown.
"Yes, but you need to enhance your skill. You've been taught to build walls, now you need to learn how to tear them down."
She nodded eagerly.
"If you succeed, you may ask one question." He said smugly to her.
"That's it? I get a question?" She asked, disappointed.
"May I remind you - apprentice - we are in the midst of lessons." He said, giving her a pointed look.
"OH! Yes. I understand.... Master." She said, giggling. He smirked again.
"Now." He said seriously. "Just like how you focused on building a wall, focus on breaking one down."
"On you?" She asked, concerned.
"Of course." He said. "I will focus on a thought, and you will need to retrieve it."
Rey closed her eyes and tried the reverse technique Kylo had described. She could feel his mind and it was closed tight. He was not budging. She squeezed her shut eyes and pushed out with her Force, trying to bend his barriers. She had accessed his mind once before, the time she discovered his true identity. But his mind had been completely open that night. Today was a complete shut out.
Up until the night she had infiltrated his memories, he had no suspicion that he needed to close his mind off to her. Ever since then, he had made sure to keep his thoughts on lockdown. He could feel her push at his thoughts and he pushed right back. He smirked as he heard her grunt with frustration.
"No fair." She hissed to him through gritted teeth. He breathed what sounded like a light laugh.
"You must not want to ask me a question." He taunted her.
She frowned at this and pushed further against his mind. She really wanted to be able to ask a question today, especially with what happened last night. Perhaps she was focusing on the wrong method of breaching his thoughts. Every time she could feel her Force weaken his mind, he built it back up. She pressed her lips together in concentration and focused on her feelings of determining what it was he thinking about. Was he thinking about her? Was he thinking of his family? Was he thinking of something embarrassing? She really wanted to know.
She concentrated on how badly she wanted to discover what he was hiding and suddenly, there was shift in the force and she caught a glimpse of his memories. It was of her serving back at Ergel's, the day they first met. She saw herself through his eyes. Well, through his mask actually. She watched herself filling everyone's glasses with the Naboo wine when a single word, 'beautiful' echoed in Kylo's voice in her head.
She opened her eyes, blushing furiously.
"So you DID say that." She said to him. Kylo shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Do I get my question now?" She asked.
"Not so fast. Meditation has barely begun. Why don't you see if you can repeat the process?" He said slyly.
Rey frowned but obliged.
The next couple of memories she was able to breakthrough weren't as significant as the memory of their first meeting. It was hard for him to choose which memories of his he would allow her to access. His dark past held many unpleasant memories he wished to remain hidden from her - lest her affections for him might cease.
After succeeding to break down three memories in all, Kylo brought the lesson to an end.
"You may ask your question now." He told her. Her eyes lit up.
"What made you change your mind?" She eagerly asked. He should have known that would have been her question.
"You were right." He answered.
"That isn't a good answer." She told him, pouting her lips.
"You weren't the only one with affections. Is that better?" He answered sassily. She smugly smiled.
"Yes. Much better. Do you have a question for me?" She asked with a grin.
"I suppose." He mused. "Are you angry with me for concealing your parents fate from you?"
She slightly hung her head before slowly shaking her head.
"No.... No. I understand why you didn't tell me." She admitted. "You were just trying to protect me."
"I hope you know... I will always protect you." Kylo told her, causing her to blush.
"Yes. I know." She told him, giving him a soft smile.
He returned to her a small smile as he stood, reaching down his hand to help her off the studio floor. She laid her hand in his and he pulled her upwards. As she rose she allowed herself to fall into his sturdy form, their lack of distance electrifying. He continued to hold onto her hand and she inched up on her toes, raising her chin to his face.
"Ah, ah." He said to her gently. "We are still in the middle of lessons."
"But it's lunch time." She whined.
"Patience, apprentice." Kylo said to her, letting go of her hand. She pouted at him.
"Do you enjoy making this difficult for me?" She asked him.
"Difficult for you? Believe me, you have no idea." He told her with a smirk.