"Why is it called 'Projection'?" Rey asked Kylo.
It was two days after their last encounter, Rey now determined to learn all she can no matter if it was light or dark, good or bad. She felt that what was needed was to gain the power that was required to save her friends, and if possible, Ben Solo.
She was just very scared to do it.
Biting the inside of her cheek, she clasped her hands in her lap, sitting across from Kylo who was hovering over the books. Rey felt these moments were rather intimate, alone with the most fearful man in the galaxy, tucked away in her room as he taught her what he knew from the sacred Jedi texts.
"Mmmm." Was the only response she received from Kylo. She watched as his brows furrowed, his face getting closer to the book, and her gaze fell on his ungloved hand, admiring the length and width of it. She remembered how rough it felt when they touched hands on Ach-to, and how warm it was to her own touch. She wondered if it would happen again, and if so, if the visions would come back.
Inhaling sharoly, Kylo flipped the page, studying hard again. Rey knew not to ask him the same question when he was so focused on something. It irritated her, but dealing with Kylo's frustration was not something she wanted to handle right now.
He quickly closed the book and tossed it to her, and Rey let it fall in her lap, then placing it to her side.
"Projection. They are mind tricks-" he began.
"Like the one you did on me." Rey said, smiling when he glared at her.
"Yes. That was a mind trick. I believe you are familiar with that, since you were able to use it to your advantage when you escaped Starkiller Base." Kylo paused, his eyes flickering to her direction when he felt the wave of satisfaction roll off of her. He rolled his eyes, glad that she was gaining control on her emotions, and now able to build up her block so that he was not able to surpass it. This, however, she let him feel full on.
"Anyway... Projection is similar, when you focus on your target, you can make them feel your presence in other areas. For example, I am in front of you, and if I wanted to, I could make you believe I was behind you, or in even in the other room, all while still standing right here." He explained, Rey leaned forward, intrigued with this new information.
"Why don't you try it?" she asked, and her innocent eyes and soft, dream like tone froze him.
At times like these, when they connected through the force bond, he did admire her looks when she isnt't looking. 'Hell, even when she is...'he thought. Her cheeks were nearly always pink, almost as pink as her lips. And her eyes, always big and curious, as if she was seeing absolutely everything for the first time.
He had to admit, he was completely captivated. She was extremely powerful, strong beyond her years, and breathtakingly beautiful, and she had no idea of any of this.
Shaking his head, he broke his gaze from hers as he sighed.'She is a distraction.'
"When you do that, it takes a great deal of strength and power from you, and I do not particularly feel like being exhausted at the moment." Kylo said, standing now.
For a moment, Rey looked him over, studying the dark, purple circles beneath his eyes. "You already are exhausted. You're not sleeping?" she asked, standing as well.
"Not really." He said simply, his face blank. Rey recognized that he did not like being studied, and that she could pick up that he was not sleeping well. She wondered if she should do the same when people read her, to put the block up at every chance.
"Why?" she asked, causing Kylo to shift his weight to his other foot. He thought about telling Rey of Hux's constant tip-toeing and frustrating secret-planning, but swiftly decided against it. He truly wanted to tell her, though he knew better, knowing that this would be too much information, and that one day she will be on his side and fully aware of every detail, however now was not the time.
Without answering, he raised his chin, just barely, but enough of a signal for Rey to know she would not be getting a reply on this. Nodding, she decided to go back to today's lesson.
"So, how would you channel this...Projection?"
Silent for a moment, Kylo thought about this, trying to find the words to best describe it. "I've only tried it a few times. When you fe-" Kylo abruptly stopped when he heard a very light, distant knock from Rey's side, and she quickly went to an area he could only guess was the door to her chambers.
She turned to Kylo, her eyes wide. He, however, refused to turn or give her any privacy here, even though he would not be able to see who was on the other side of the door unless said person touched her.
His eyebrow lifted, and her mouth opened to say something to him, but quickly shut it.
"Who is it?" she yelled, not opening the door out of fear that whoever was on the other side would possibly leak any information to the Resistance whereabouts. It was a low chance, but still was not one Rey was willing to take.
"It's Poe! Finn and Rose are on their way back and should be here shortly! Come have lunch with me before they get here?" he asked, and Rey could hear the grin in his voice.
"I'll be there in a bit, please just leave me for a moment!" Rey replied, trying her best to hide the panic. Looking back at Kylo, she watched wide eyed as he took a step closer, his eyes mischievous.
'He knows very well who is on the other side of the door. I'm pretty sure he heard him...' Rey thought, gulping when he took another step closer. Turning now, she pressed her back against the door, her breathing growing heavy as she watched Kylo.
"No problem...Are you okay? You sound a little...worried." Poe said.
Rey could hear Poe was getting closer to the door, and with Kylo now towering over her, his expression mixed with rage and curiosity, she was reminded of how he looked when he was interrogating her when they first met.
Clearing her throat, and not taking her eyes off of Kylo's, she called back to Poe. "I'm fine. A moment, please." She said, her voice now stern. Rey and Kylo stared at one another, their gaze daring one another to make a move.
From the other side of the door, Poe shuffled his feet, unsure if he should stay and accompany her. She did sound off, unusual for Rey...
Sighing, Poe told Rey he would meet her in the cafeteria and slowly left.
Kylo lowered his head, his face inches from Rey's as he studied her face, and Rey could feel he was probing her mind, searching for any sign of emotion or thought of the pilot.
Swallowing hard, she pushed back. She would not let him win this one.
After several moments of attempting to dominate one another, Kylo backed off, disappointed that he was not able to detect any feeling from her, but satisfied that she was strengthening her block so well.
Rey could feel he was reeling away, his push on her mind retreating. He, however, did not physically move. He stayed towering over her, his sweet breath hitting her in heavy waves as they looked one another in the eye.
Their gaze never fell, until he eyes drifted down, painfully slow, to her parted lips. For a moment, she thought he would do something else, come closer maybe, and she would be a fool to deny that she nearly wanted him to.
Doing a quick check, she made sure this was not a mind trick, and was happy to confirm it wasn't.
Slowly inching forward, Rey searched his face to see if this was the right thing to do, and saw no sign that it wasn't. His dark eyes were admiring her face, the hungry look returning and casting fire to the pit of her belly.
As she came closer, he did as well, nearly expecting her to stop. Her block was slowly lowering, and he could feel the curiosity and desire rolling off of her, electrifying a dark, hungry need within him.
From the other side of the door, cheers and laughter erupted, filling the halls of the base. Rey felt that Finn and Rose were home now.
Crashing back to reality, Rey blinked a few times as she gained her composure again, and so did Kylo. His chin lifted slightly, though he did not move away, their faces only an inch apart now. He could feel the force drawing him home now, and the bond was fading out.
His eyes stayed on hers, and for a moment, Rey was lost.
"Scavenger." He said, his voice low and husky.
"Ben." She returned, her own tone soft and inviting.
When Rey blinked, the bond severed, and Kylo was gone.
In his chambers, Kylo leaned forward and rested his forehead against the wall he was facing, swearing he could still smell her sweet, floral scent.
In her room, Rey slid down the door, sitting on the ground as she sighed, thinking about what almost happened...What she wanted.
...
Author's Notes:
Thanks for the new reads and favorites! Your feedback is amazing so far, and I absolutely appreciate every bit of it! With that said, leave me a little note? :D
Big things coming up, stay tuned!