The sun was shining bright, the clouds scattered throughout the sky as Rey's eyes fluttered open, her cheeks still red and body warm from the night's events.
Smiling, she turned to lay on her back, stretching out on the empty bed as the sheet lowered, exposing her breasts to the cold air as her muscles relaxed against the bed. She looked around the room, realizing Kylo was nowhere to be found.
Sighing, she slowly sat up, covering her yawn with the back of her hand.
"Ben?" she called out.
Silence answered.
With a furrowed brow, Rey got out of bed, securing the black, satin sheet tightly around her body as she went to look for him.
Her lower abdomen ached, and her center was sore, the cause of it reddened her cheeks even more as she opened the bedroom door, looking down the hall to see the light from the fresher on, the door only half closed.
Slowly, she made her way down to the room, gently pushing open the door to see a shirtless Kylo standing in front of the mirror, a small blade held to his cheek.
In the mirror, his eyes shot to hers, unbothered.
As her eyes glanced over him curiously, she watched as his own glanced down her body before returning to his reflection, moving the small blade along his cheek.
Baffled, Rey spoke first.
"What in the stars are you doing?"
Glancing at her once more, Kylo felt the urge to laugh at her shocked expression, but quickly suppressed it.
"Shaving." He answered simply, continuing his task at hand.
Rey's brow raised at him suspiciously, and he returned it just the same as he finished up, Rey's eyes never leaving his face as she watched the last bits of hair leave his jaw.
His face was clean, his black hair wet and combed away from his face. It reminded her of the first time she had seen his face, unbelieving that it was so long ago now.
Watching his face, her center grew warm just as it had in the middle of the night before he took her once more...
Blushing, she clutched the sheet to her chest harder as his eyes wandered down and watched the movement.
Feeling uncomfortable under his intense gaze, Rey cleared her throat.
"Well, what's on the agenda today?" she asked timidly.
Kylo snickered.
"Eager to get out?" he assumed, placing his razor down on the sink before turning to face her head on.
Her hair was down, cascading past her shoulders in wisps of soft brown embers, her cheeks pink and eyes wide with wonder, and her jaw set with a sternness that drove him wild.
Even several feet away, he could feel her warmth around him, making him wonder if it was their physical presence, or their bond.
"Not eager... I've been doing quite well with training if I do say so myself..." She shrugged, moving to toy with the leaf of a large plant sitting atop the counter, feeling playful. "Thought you could use a break from preying on the innocent..." Rey's eyes caught his gaze at the last bit of her statement, nearly laughing at his amused scoff.
"Really?" he asked, dragging his hand over his freshly shaved chin. Easily, he channeled the energy around him, as if muting every sound and capturing the attention of every living thing within the hut.
Rey's eyes widened as she felt his demanding presence command her attention, her body involuntarily moving to face him. Whatever he was doing, she was beginning to feel dizzy and entranced, warmth filling her vision, every sound drowning out except for his voice, a soft melody to her ears.
Suddenly, he was on her, grasping her by the waist and walking her backwards, her limbs flailing awkwardly against him, his stern stance never faltering as he pushed her back against the wall in the hallway, his face hidden in the crook of her neck as she came to.
"What-what did..." Rey trailed off as his lips pressed against her, right beneath her ear. "How did-"
"Rey..." he muttered, and she could feel his smile against her throat. "If I were preying on the innocent..." Kylo nipped at her skin, a small gasp escaping from her own lips as her eyes slowly closed. "You'd know it."
With that, Kylo smirked, turning on his heel and heading back into the fresher, using the force to close the door behind him, leaving Rey in the hallway, sheet still clinging to her body as she sneered at him.
( X )
She was silent, her movement so light that Kylo had to cast a quick glance behind him to ensure she was still there as they walked to their training area in the forest.
The weather was gloomy, the wind harsh.
Perfect weather for training, he decided.
Sighing, he gripped his lightsaber that clung to his hip, tossing his long, black cape over a large boulder as he approached the middle of their field.
Kylo listened to Rey behind him, throwing her canteen to the side with a big 'huff'.
He couldn't hide the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. Ever since his small teasing earlier, Rey had quite the stubborn attitude during breakfast, refusing to speak to him or even meet his gaze.
It only added to the exc-
Without warning, he heard her lightsaber ignite, the energy between them abruptly turning into a playful contest.
He felt the spike of excitement course between them both as he ignited his own, quickly turning to answer the strike she was attacking him with.
Caught off guard with the power behind her strike, his hold faltered on his saber, the quick readjustment was felt from his weapon, through her own, causing Rey to smile at Kylo.
Narrowing his eyes at her, he used the force to quickly shove her back, watching Rey as she stumbled back. She answered his glare with her own as she circled him, and he circled her.
Twigs and rocks crunched together beneath his heavy boots, the only sound filling the dead air between them besides the buzz of their lightsabers as the wind seemed to cease, as if to watch the battle.
Unapologetically, Rey pushed into his mind, trying her best to catch any sign of his next move, coming so close to the answer before he quickly pushed back, their block louder than ever.
"You could do better than that." Kylo called to her, smirking as her eyes narrowed more.
He was sure she would attack...
He would have bet his own saber on it...
Instead, he felt a sudden energy lift from within her, ambushing his own senses as his movements stammered over one another. Kylo blinked furiously, willing the interference away.
Swiftly, so fast that Kylo was forced to drop his saber, Rey's own sword flew at him, her open palm giving it an extra push as it rushed past him.
Kylo quickly moved his body to the side, the purple whips of her lightsaber catching the edge of his sleeve, his hair whipping across his face as he dodged it.
Rey's lightsaber impaled itself firmly into a large tree several yards behind Kylo, his eyes landing on it before he breathlessly looked back to Rey. Her expression was blank at first, before satisfaction filled her, a wide grin spreading from cheek to cheek.
Before he had a chance to fully compose himself, Kylo watched as Rey quickly turned and ran, leaving her lightsaber behind. Cursing and hissing, he followed, starting off at long strides before breaking out into a full sprint to catch up to her.
By the time he did, they were nearly half a mile away from the training grounds, and Kylo still refused to use the force to halt her, instead, he sheathed his saber, as if that alone would give him the speed he needed to catch her.
However, he was growing bored and tired.
Grunting, his palm opened against his will, his own energy beginning to call the force to his hand just as Rey approached a large tree ahead of her, her arms stretching above her to pull herself up onto a thick branch, her legs swinging in front of her to gain momentum...
... He swore he'd seen her do this before...
Memories of watching Rey fight in Vicar's throne room filled his mind.
As Kylo ran to her, determined to catch her there, Rey quickly swung herself around to face him, the balls of her feet pressing hard into the middle of his chest and sending him directly to the ground, knocking the breath out of him.
Rey couldn't help but laugh as she swung herself into the air, landing perfect over him and kneeling down, straddling him as she looked him right in the eye as he breathlessly glared at her, struggling to catch his breath.
"Preying on the innocent, Ben?" Rey smiled down to him, sweat beading her forehead.
This time, she threw her head back as she roared with laughter, something no one ever dared to do before.
'Just her.' his mind grunted.
Watching her, he allowed himself a quick chuckle before she looked back down to him, both of them still out of breath.
Without warning, Kylo bucked his hip, tossing her onto her back and trapping her there with his body, his hands grasping her wrists together as she tried to wiggle away.
"You know how to climb a tree, wonderful work, Scavenger."
Kylo quickly hid a smile in her hair as she cursed at him.
Out of breath and quite tired, Rey settled down against the dirt, the wind picking up once more as the tension fell away. Together, they lay there as they both calmed, Kylo moving to gaze at her, and Rey gazing up at him.
Trying to move out of his grasp, Rey settled back down when he refused.
With a small sigh, she decided to amuse her curiosity.
"What was that thing you did earlier? It felt like a mind trick, but... Well, I felt awake."
Sitting up on his knees, Kylo straightened his back, rolling his neck as he released her wrists, satisfied that she didn't move from her current position.
"It wasn't. I just pulled your energy to me. I could have done it again while you were throwing your little tantrum earlier..." Rey glared at him. "Though, I decided to let you calm down."
Thinking for a moment, Rey stretched on the ground, trying her best not to pay any attention to his hand that was beginning to lightly make its way up her leg.
"Could I do it?" she asked.
With his attention elsewhere, all she received back was a quick 'Mhmm'.
Rey remained silent as she tried her best to do it, channeling the last of her energy to try and command his attention, knowing that she failed as his fingers skimmed across her hip, sending a delightful shiver down her spine that made her close her eyes.
"Not like that." he muttered.
Eyes opening once more, she studied him with a confused expression. "Then how?" she demanded.
Kylo snickered, watching as his thumb brushed over her skin once more, trying to speak although his attention was begging to be elsewhere.
"You're trying to control the force. Let it control you, for once. Let it call to you." he muttered again.
Anxiety quickly ate at her nerves. "But what if-"
"Rey." Kylo said sternly as he caught her wrist, turning to press his lips to it.
Her cheeks began to turn pink, her mind wondering what would happen if someone, anyone, caught a glimpse of them right now.
Stars, she couldn't even believe he was here right now, and so was she, getting a kiss to her skin from the man the galaxy feared...
With a quick shake of her head, Rey cleared her mind, letting her body relax and evening out her breathing.
At first, she was certain that she just wasn't made for this type of trick, even doubting for a moment that Kylo had no idea what he was talking about...
But just as the doubt began to settle in, she felt it...
It was as if the call from the force was there already, in the back of her mind, prodding every nerve within her and begging for help...
Pleading with her to answer it... Urgent... Desperate...
Rey's eyes flew open, any trace of a smile washed away as she quickly sat up.
Kylo turned his head, looking for the energy that caught Rey's attention.
Her breathing turned ragged as she grew nervous, this desperate call that reached to her was so intense, so raw that she nearly cried.
Yet...
She couldn't place her finger on it...
She couldn't focus...
Shooting to her feet, Rey paced as she glanced around at the ground mindlessly.
Something was happening...
Someone was...
Her heart began to skip a beat, the uncertainty was making her sick...
Falling to her knees, Rey shut her eyes as she franticly reached through the force to the only person she knew could answer.
From beside her, Kylo anxiously watched and waited for Rey to announce what was going on, his presence already staked in her mind as he witnessed her reach through the force, her own presence nearly stopping him in his tracks.
Her energy was growing, more than he had imagined, more than he knew how to tame...
Time seemed to stop as she commanded the force to reveal her caller, the wind freezing against the branches of the tall trees above them.
Breathlessly, he heard a soft whisper escape her lips.
"Flora?"
Kylo glanced down to her just as her eyes opened, and before he could process what was happening, she was back to running towards the hut, her arm extended for a moment as she called her lightsaber back to her.
( X )
There was no time to waste.
Her legs were shaking from running, her ankles sore and she knew for certain that her toes were blistering.
But she could pay no mind to it now.
As Rey made her way onto the ship, her only concern was her friends.
Switching on the control panel, Rey grasped the speaker to the comm unit, her fingers already tuning the system to find the shared wave her and Chewie communicated on.
"Light to Falcon." Her shaky voice called.
Silence.
"Light to Falcon!" she yelled.
Behind her, she could sense Kylo slowly pacing, his place unsure.
Silence filled the comm for minutes, which to Rey, felt like years as she so desperately waited for word back.
"Light to Falcon...Please..."
Silence.
Silence...
Static...
"R- Rey?" a voice called to her.
"Poe! Poe what's hap-" Rey exclaimed.
"Rey! We've been trying to get a- ahold of-" the line broke up.
"Poe! I can't hear..."
Shuffling noises filled the comm unit, echoing throughout the ship.
"Rey! They found us! They t-t- they took out most of our fleet! Rey- Rey they're looking for y- you! We don't stan- stand a chance!" Rose yelled.
"Rose! Do not engage them, you need to find cover!-"
"We're trying, we're on the outer rim of Leebar. You need to hide!" Rose exclaimed. "Rey, they ha-have weapons I've nev- never seen in my life!" Rose began to cry.
Rey's eyes watered as she clutched at her head, her heart beating so fast that she feared her ear drum would split.
"Rose, where's Flora? I felt her calling to me..."
"We were am-ambushed, her and Chewie led off a group of them before they attacked the fleet, bu-but we-we haven't seen them si-since!"
"And Leia?" Rey asked. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kylo's head barely turn to her direction, fully listening.
"She's trying to g-ga-gather reinforcements- bu- but it's not looking go-good. We've throw-thrown off the Firs-First Or-Order for a whi-while, but we do-don't know for ho-"
The comm unit lost signal, and Rey desperately tried to get it back, but to no success.
Defeated, Rey fell to her knees as her breathing hardened, tears filling her eyes in frustration and fear for her friends, fear for Flora and Chewie.
And the weapons? Rey could only assume it was along the lines of what Viccar had already created, something she herself had experienced.
Behind her, Kylo continued to shuffle, regret, shame and absolute anger rolling off of him in large, black waves, though Rey couldn't pinpoint the cause as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand as she stood.
Turning to him, they met each other's gaze.
"Rey..." Kylo began, already shaking his head.
"Please." Rey begged, taking a step towards him, peering up at him with tears in her eyes still. She wasn't sure what she was asking him... She just didn't have the answers, she didn't have the strength...
"Please, help me." she pled.
Kylo gulped, struggling to overcome every emotion that was hitting him, stabbing him in his gut, every lesson he was taught getting tossed aside.
No... he couldn't...
As Rey looked to him, he felt her need, her desperation...
Similar to how she had looked and pled with him when she asked for his help the first time...
'Please don't go this way...'
Her voice echoed in his mind, the same expression haunting him for months after...
No...
He couldn't commit to joining her side...
Gulping once more, he glanced away from her waiting face, already knowing what he had to do...
No, he wouldn't commit...
But, he would help.
With nothing else to say, Rey nodded, not daring to say anything that would make him second guess his decision as she rushed to the hut to gather a few necessities, leaving Kylo to commandeer the ship.
When Rey returned, she watched as Kylo quickly punched in their destination, frustration and confusion clashing together within her as she glanced to his face.
"Are we not going to Leebar? Rose sai-"
"No. We aren't going there." Kylo firmly stated, his eyes ahead of them as he began to maneuver the ship off of the ground, wishing that he could do anything to stay there on Arrowmada with Rey...
The realization stunned him for the quickest moment.
"We need to help the fleet-"
"Rey, Hux is too ignorant to attack twice, even if you're low on man power or not. He's doing this to send a message, we have time-"
"We thought we had time to begin with!" Rey bit.
"Trust me." Kylo said.
Rey glared at him, arms crossed as she slid down into the co-pilot's chair, nervousness settling into the pit of her stomach.
"Will you at least tell me where we are going? Do you have a plan?" she asked, exasperated.
Kylo's jaw tensed, knowing fully well that he did indeed have a plan, though he wasn't sure he could commit to it in the long run...
"Yes. I have a plan. We are going to Naboo."
Rey's head whipped towards him, unsure if she had heard him right.
She heard tales and legends of Naboo, and she knew it had something to do with the royal line, but again, it was just stories, most of them she heard from the children on Jakku.
"Why there? What could we possibly accomplish-"
"Rey. Trust me... Please." This time, Kylo looked at her, catching her gaze with his, and for the first time, Rey saw a hint of his own plea hidden deep within his eyes.
And so, with everything she had, she trusted him.
( X )
Author's Notes: Thanks for the get well wishes! I am feeling much better and am hoping to get back to my regular posting schedule! :D Thank you for reading, and I loveeeee and appreciate comments! so leave me some?