She made sure to give him some space.
From a mile away, she could still feel the tension in the air as if he were right in front of her.
Both Rey and Kylo were equally confused, equally frustrated.
Sighing, Rey kicked away a rock as she slowly made her way back to the hut, throwing her head back as she peered up at the sky.
'Stars... What will I do?' she asked, a silent plea flowing from her.
Rey felt her head begin to throb with so many questions on her mind. She was beginning to be impatient, far too eager to know the outcome of Kylo's choice about joining her or not. In Rey's mind, she felt their bond growing, and unable to deny it, her feelings grew for him too.
Mindlessly, her fingertips brushed at her lips as she remembered the way he had kissed her.
'The way a man kisses a woman...'
Her cheeks began to warm, her stomach doing flips at the memory of his body pressed up against hers, his hot breath against her ear...her neck...
Rey felt a small tremor soar through her.
How was this man able to cause this reaction from her? She just did not know. Everyone in the galaxy feared him... This man was their nightmare... the Prince of darkness... The Supreme Leader...
Yet...
Yet... She has witnessed another side to him... A side that has shown her care, and safety. She felt protected and capable when she was with him. Even through his aggression, he was reliable, and that stood out to Rey in more ways than she could count.
Shivering, Rey looked around the woods, glancing from tree to tree. It was strange to her, this weather here. One day it was as hot as Jakku, the next it was windy and cloudy, or even storming. Today though, it was starting to get cold, the chill in the air made everything appear grey.
Her brows furrowed as she focused on the sky.
'White clouds...Grey sky...'
With that, Rey made her back to the hut.
( X )
He was irritated.
Giving too much information to the enemy... to the scavenger...
Kylo could hear the remarks that Snoke would make, the disappointment and disgust in the pits of his eyes.
He rolled his eyes, throwing the memory away.
Snoke was no longer his concern.
The only thing that mattered was getting the throne back, as soon as he killed that damned Hux.
The name alone made him sneer.
The throne was rightfully his. Hux would never be able to maintain it, nor be a rightful leader, the pure thought of it nearly made Kylo laugh.
Yet, here he was...In Arrowmada... With Rey... As Hux overtook his rule.
Running a rough hand through his hair, Kylo sat in the large chair that sat in the middle of the lounge area, full view of his books and desk, debating if he should start a fire now or later.
His thoughts swiftly drifted to the image of Rey, her skin glowing from the reflection of the fire.
Kylo moved to rest his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward, trying his best not to curse the stars out loud.
It seemed no matter what he thought about, no matter what he did, his thoughts always came back to her.
'My weakness.' he had admitted.
Clenching his jaw, he nearly spat at the memory, feeling weak. There was no defiance in the fact, she was weakening him beyond measure. From the time he had killed his master, and when he offered his hand to Rey, to propose they rule together, side by side... And now, for the third time, saving her, his enemy.
This time, he really did curse the stars aloud.
If he truly believed her to be an enemy, he would not have saved her skin several times...He would not have called her his everything...Or his weakness...And he would not have kissed her as he did...Dreamt of her as he did...
The woman was becoming the death of him.
Sitting up, Kylo leaned back against the chair, his head thrown back as he stared up at the ceiling of the hut, just as the front door opened.
Rey shot through, stopping mid-way in the lounge to glance at him. Kylo did not move from his seat, only watching her every move with his eyes as they followed her. Their eyes met, no emotion appearing on either of their faces as they studied one another for a moment before she moved to his desk.
His eyes opened a little more as he watched her, curious as to what she was doing.
Kylo picked his head up from the chair, staring at Rey as she moved his desk over, sliding it against the wooded floor. He grew instantly annoyed as he saw scratching along the wall that was hidden by his desk, an obvious marking point for her.
Silent, intrigued, and annoyed, Kylo watched her still as she sat on the ground in front of the wall, taking out a small dagger from the wrappings on her arm and scratched a tally onto the wall.
Right then, he realized the rest of the markings were tallies, some of them were inside of a square or triangle.
With his frustration at a new high, Kylo crossed his arms.
"Why not use paper?" he asked in a bored and aggravated tone.
Rey stopped mid scratch, turning her head to the side, as she considered what he said. Her face revealed she hadn't even thought of using paper.
After a moment, she resumed her marking, this time etching a circle around the tally.
Running his hand over his face, Kylo unclenched his jaw. "What is this? What does it mean?"
Rey finished her marking, dusting her hands off as she slid the dagger back into her wrappings and turned herself to face him, still sitting on the floor.
"Tallies, for every day that we've been here. So far, fifteen days. The squares are for sunny days, the triangles for rainy, and now the circle... I think that white, cold dirt might fall."
Kylo stared at her.
Under his gaze, Rey began to blush from embarrassment as Kylo quickly picked up on it. He didn't need to push into her mind to see she was already thinking of their first battle on Starkiller Base.
Against his will, Kylo couldn't help by admire the innocent description she gave before he answered.
"Snow. It's called snow."
Her eyes seemed to brighten before she looked away, tucking the information deep into her mind.
"It was your first time experiencing it?" He asked, this time trying to keep up the bored tone, though he failed.
"Yes. I heard stories about it on Jakku, but I always thought it was a myth." Rey glanced towards him, her eyes meeting his. For a moment, they held their gaze against one another, the silence filling the room. Rey looked away, rubbing her hands together. "Is it... Normal?" she timidly asked.
"Yes. Though on Arrowmada, the weather is highly unpredictable. It could be sunny one hour, and snowing the next. I'll start a fire soon. It will be cold tonight..."
Kylo trailed off just as MOX wobbled his way to them from the kitchen, a small cloth draped over his arm.
"Master Ren, Lady Ren, will I be co-" MOX quickly stopped, his shiny arm shooting up to his head as Kylo shot glass daggers at him with a single look.
Lady Ren?
Kylo could feel the blush creeping up on Rey's cheeks, the warmth reaching him through their bond.
It drove him mad, the thought of her warm skin alone was... absolute havoc for his own mind as he recalled her skin against his... her soft, untouched lips on his...
Curse the bond...
Curse her...
And curse this damned bot.
MOX performed another nervous wobble as Rey looked away.
"Apologies, Lady Rey... Master Ren... Would you like me to prepare meat of the deer for dinner? A hot, hearty meal for the incoming snow storm..."
"That's fine." Kylo answered, his voice stern. MOX took the hint, quickly backing away and returning to the kitchen.
Kylo's eyes shot back to Rey, watching her again as she brought her knees to her chest, resting her chin on one of them. In this moment, she seemed more relaxed than he had seen her previously since he had known her, even when they had touched hands during one of their bonds.
Unable to resist the urge, he peered into her thoughts, a small smirk coming to play at the corner of his lips.
She quickly felt him, growling in frustration at him as she glared. "How many times must you be reminded? Stay out my head!"
A full smirk displayed on his face, Kylo couldn't help the surge of confidence that coursed through him, taking the opportunity by force to tease her more.
"Rey, I barely have to push at all now. Our bond is strengthening. With that in mind, maybe it'd help your embarrassment if you didn't think about us so much."
Rey's lips parted in disbelief. She was torn on stalking out of the hut and staying the night in the forest, or just smacking him across the face now.
Never in her life has someone been able to make her so irritated so quickly.
Her cheeks burned red and hot, part of it from being so heated over his comment, and part of it because she was caught thinking of him, again, and the way he kissed her and had grabbed at waist. Her stomach had been pooling with warmth, an intense pull to him just as she felt him enter her mind.
No...
How dare he.
Rey's eyes narrowed at him.
"You think you're so innocent, too? I felt exactly how that kiss affected you." Rey stood now, stepping closer to him. Kylo's eyes stayed on her, never leaving her as she moved.
He was absolutely fascinated with how quickly she grew to be frustrated, eager to accept his challenge and to match it, exceed it even.
She continued, "I know our bond is strengthening. I can feel it, in every way we move, in every glance we steal..." she was standing over him as he sat, and as her eyes grew dark his mind began to get hazy, his senses overwhelmed by her.
For a moment, he wondered if he was being mind tricked....
Rey bent down, her eyes peering into his as she met him at eye level, her face getting closer to his.
She felt a thrill kick in, somehow forming the atmosphere to her liking, taking it in her grasp and squeezing until his senses were mute, his vision surrounded by nothing but her.
Unsure if it was the embarrassment he purposefully caused her, or the intrusion on her mind that angered her, but Rey felt fully charged and ready to attack, ready to return the teasing he had given her.
She felt the force around her, working with her to avenge her nerves. The power she felt was calming, almost as if she was meant to handle this amount of control she held over him...
And it shocked her, shocked her to feel so thrilled by it, excited to see that it was working...
For once, not scared to use it.
For a brief moment, she wondered if it was because of his teaching, or maybe even the experience with Kai.
However, in this moment, nothing else mattered as she continued, her face so close to his, her tone growing low.
The tone soothed Kylo as she peered into him, taking him whole and picking him apart.
"I can feel your mind trembling... You're scared... You're scared that you like this... You're scared of being wanted... Of wanting..." Her heavy, lidded gaze dropped to his lips.
The air around him was full of her...Of her scent... Of her being...Of her force...
Kylo gulped, his own hooded gaze staring at her as he waited for another assault... For another move...
Rey was leaning over him now, her lips nearly touching his...
"I can feel this pull now... It's a hunger we both share... It's... confusing...It's taunting...It's calling me. It's calling you..."
Her sweet breath hit his face, his eyes nearly closing as he felt her lip brush his as she spoke...
He couldn't... Find his mind...
Yes...
This was a mind trick.
His senses awakening, his hand shot out, gripping her by the throat, though he made sure not to squeeze too tight. She stepped back as he stood, never letting her go as he walked until her back was pressed hard against the wall behind her.
Rey looked up at him, and he down at her.
Their eyes were still dark and hungry, the push and shove game still in play.
The damned scavenger succeeded in tricking him, even for a moment...It was so quick, so subtle...
"Listen here," his thumb pressed into her neck as a small smile formed on her lips, reminding him of his dream... "I am not a man to beg, and I never will be, scavenger-"
"Because, everyone gives you what you want, spoiled brat." Rey bit, playfully. Though the way she said the pet name, she almost sounded disgusted...
It, oddly, made his arousal grow.
"Tell you what. I will not kiss you again until you ask me to. And you will. You truly believe you can best me?" He asked, amusement creeping into his eyes.
"I have before." Rey tested.
Kylo adjusted his hold on her throat, refusing to let up.
"And I could have easily killed you both times."
Rey smirked as she moved her foot between his, her movements limited with his grip on her. Unable to think clearly, she chalked up the warmth in her core to the animalistic urge that was rising within her.
"Tempted?" She asked, and they both glanced down to each other's lips.
"Rey..." he voice called to her in a soft tone, sucking her into a void that was not able to come back from. Her eyes still on his mouth, she tried to move toward him as much as she could, his firm grip still on her neck. Rey tipped her chin up in hopes of catching his lips with her own, eager to feel the same sweet, warmth as before...
Her mind was spiraling, this new and unfamiliar need growing more and more as her core trembled, a strange ache she hadn't experienced for another being before.
'Rey...' he repeated in her mind as her hooded gaze slowly met his again.
She was trapped there, in the world of desire... and temptation...
His grip slowly slid to the back of her neck as his head bent low into her neck, his lips skimming over the flesh he was just holding. Rey's head leaned back as her eyes shut, her breath hitched with anticipation.
"... So soft...What a dream..." he whispered against her skin.
What a dream...
Dream...
Rey's eyes shot wide open, shoving him off of her, feeling his presence on her mind slip away as she pushed him back.
The bastard tricked her... And he found the dream...
Rey's cheeks went bright red.
Kylo was already smirking at her as he straightened his tunic.
Her embarrassment and anger came flooding back, taking place of the lust.
She was so overcome by the emotion that she couldn't even register what she was doing next.
Without control, she walked straight up to the still smirking Kylo, and her hand shot out, smacking him across the face.
His hair flew in waves, his jaw tensing.
Silence filled the air after the loud slap of her flesh on his face...
Rey's eyes went wide as the moment settled, and Kylo's head slowly turned back to her.
Amusement still struck his eyes, though she could see anger beginning to turn his face red as his nostrils flared.
He was already taking one long step to her, instantly backing her up against the wall again just as MOX entered the room again.
"Master Ren, Lady Rey! Dinner has-" MOX stopped mid-sentence as he interrupted the two. "Oh, I beg your pardon, Sir. Dinner has been served!"
Kylo did not take his eyes of Rey as he answered the droid. "We'll be there shortly."
MOX wobbled out of the room, leaving Kylo to stalk right up to Rey, his body pressed against hers, both of their breathing heavy.
"Leave it for training. Do that again, and I will not hesitate to return it." Kylo warned.
Rey stared at him for a moment, her chin high up in the air as she refused to be scolded, even though she felt bad...
She moved to glance to the ground, and his finger shot out, catching her chin and turning her up to him again.
He dipped his head to hold her look, and her breathing hitched once more at the deep gaze he was giving her.
"And I meant it. I will not kiss you again until you ask me to."
Kylo stepped away from her, turning to go to the dining area of the hut, stopping when she called out.
"You had a similar dream. I didn't see it, but I felt it there, when you saw mine."
Kylo stayed with his back to her, turning his head to look at her from the corner of his eye as she continued.
"You could easily be the one to ask me to kiss you."
He smirked.
"We'll see." he replied, turning away from her as his mouth formed a half smile, the first time for him in a very, very long time.
( X )
Author's Notes: Leave me some feedback please!? Maybe I'll bust out another chapter tomorrow... :D