A Demon Is A Girl's Best Friend
'
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
~ Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5
'
It was a warm spring day and Rey was enjoying a relaxed afternoon off work, meandering through town on her way home, delighting in the sunshine and doing a little bit of shopping.
Her last stop before home was Snoopers Paradise, it was always best to visit last, as it was it was all too easy to get lost among the three floors of junk as you scavenged for treasure.
Camilla shrieked, "Hallo!" as Rey came through the door, the tinkle of the entrance bell almost drowned out by the flapping of her grey wings as she came to land on Rey's shoulder.
"Hi, pretty girl," Rey greeted the parrot fondly, though she knew better than to try and pet the bird, Rey liked her fingers to stay attached to her hands.
Camilla repeated her greeting and softly nibbled Rey's ear, if you didn't touch her, she was always gentle, if she nudged your hand or fingers with her head, it was safe to stoke her, but if she didn't, you let her be or you would be rewarded with pain and squawked expletives.
"Good afternoon, Rey!" Poe called to her as she came within sight of the desk, "Been a while since we've seen you, are you well?"
Rey smiled, cheeks a little pink, "I'm good thanks, just been working a lot. I can see Camilla is well, but how are the rest of you?"
Poe gave her a sunny smile, "We're good. Bebee is around somewhere, though you may not see him if Camilla stays with you, she snuck up on him earlier and she got his tail," Camilla made a sort of chuckling sound at that and Poe narrowed his eyes at her, "You need to leave that poor cat alone, he never goes after you, you wicked beast." Camilla continued chuckling.
Poe rolled his eyes, "Finn is upstairs, I think, trying to make it possible to actually get into the back room."
Rey huffed a laugh, "He is going to be up there a while, then."
Poe grinned, "Yeah, probably; he has his phone on him just in case he gets trapped under a pile of goodness knows what. So, where are you headed?"
Rey tilted her head in thought, "Hmm, downstairs to the stacks, I think."
Poe handed her a torch and she took it gratefully, "Well, you have my number, if the need arises or you get lost!"
He was half serious; Snoopers Paradise looked small from the outside, but it was three floors and many rooms of pure, unadulterated chaos.
The rooms had high ceilings, lined all the way up with shelves, then there were bookcases, cabinets and tables crammed into each room, some gaps between the heaving furniture were so narrow you had to turn sideways to get through them.
It was a little of how Rey had always imagined Father Christmas's home would look like, (though probably less junk), or perhaps a dragon who was allergic to gold but still had the biological urge to hoard…
'
Camilla opted to stay with Rey as she made her way carefully down the crowded stairs into the depths.
The stacks, as they called the cellar, was huge and Rey had never quite worked out how it came to be so big, compared to the floors above it. She had once asked Poe who had grinned, shrugged and unhelpfully quoted a line from Hamlet at her.
Although there were lights down here, they were dimmed by the huge amount of things stacked high and close, and they didn't always work properly either. Finn didn't like coming down here, claiming it was haunted. Poe teased him about it constantly but Rey knew what he meant... not that she believed in ghosts of course, but this was where the oldest things were kept, things that had been upstairs for years and had never been bought.
There was a palpable feeling of age, a weight of years that seemed to settle like a mantle over you as soon as your feet touched the concrete floor. In the dim light, with the musty smell and soft, enveloping silence, it was easy to believe there was something else down here, but if there was, Rey felt certain it was benign. Though of course, there wasn't anything.
She clicked on her torch and headed for the back left. Whenever Rey came to Snoopers Paradise, she made sure she inspected a part of it she had not before, and really, you could spend hours just going through a few feet of it.
Today she found herself in a dark alcove she hadn't known was there, it was somehow hidden from view, only showing itself once you were a foot away from it.
Rey's skin tingled as she passed through the opening and Camilla shifted uneasily on her shoulder, softly clicking and muttering to herself.
The feeling of age that existed in the stacks intensified and Rey's body pickled with goosebumps as excitement surged inside her chest.
The alcove was completely lightless, though when she flashed her torch around she noticed a couple of old fashioned oil lamps, blackened with years of use, standing on two shelves.
Rey gently brushed her fingertips over a line of ancient leather bound books, but snatched her hand away when it looked as though the books may disintegrate even at that light contact.
She shone her torch carefully around, studying everything without touching. There were mostly books, a few trinkets scattered around, some jewellery, a few faded pictures, a threadbare yet beautiful lilac and gold silk scarf… she was amazed to see no spiders or webs, no trace of mouse droppings, and very little build up of dust. Curiouser and curiouser.
Her jeans and t shirt were old and dirty already from work, (you couldn't be a mechanic and care too much about your appearance) so she happily settled herself on the floor in a small clear space and started to study the things within reach more carefully.
There was a beautiful necklace, ornate and set with opals the colour of a tropical sea, but as her fingers hovered over it, an overwhelming feeling of nausea rose up in her and once she had withdrawn them, it retreated.
Rey frowned and tried once more, the same thing happened and Camilla let out a small, distressed sound and Rey decided to leave it well alone.
The other items she touched seemed normal, just ancient and full of history, until she leaned forwards to read the title of a large book and saw the lacquered edge of something wedged in next to it.
A buzz of electricity seemed to shoot up her arm as she touched it, then drew it out from the shelf to find herself holding a small shiny black box decorated with delicate red swirls.
As she turned it over in her hands something inside rattled and she eagerly looked for a way to open it.
Yet there was no obvious way to be found and she realised with a thrill that this may be a Japanese puzzle box, or something similar.
There was a small marking on the bottom in the left hand corner and she brought it up to her nose, the torch light hurting her eyes as she tried to make it out.
The markings looked like they could be Japanese, but she'd need to look more closely somewhere where there was better light, for her to be sure.
Rey decided it was high time for a cup of tea and stood, surprised to find her back ached and her bottom had gone quite numb.
She checked her phone for the time but the screen was blank and it wouldn't turn on, she frowned, and taking the box with her, negotiated her way out of the alcove and through the stacks.
At one point, she had to lift her arm up so she wouldn't knock things over and as the box got near to Camilla, (who had been unusually quiet while they were in the alcove), the parrot shrieked like a banshee and took off for the stairs as if her feathers were on fire.
Rey frowned down at the box, but other than the mysterious rattle, there was nothing untoward about it. Camilla's craziness was well documented though, so Rey shrugged and made her way upstairs, following the shrieks.
'
Rey was more than surprised to find twilight had descended outside, she had thought she'd been down there an hour at the most. Granted it was easy to lose track of time in Snoopers Paradise, but not to this extent.
"Rey! Goodness, I thought you'd left!" Poe said as she came into view of the desk. He and Finn were sipping tea, Poe sitting in the battered, overstuffed chair behind the desk and Finn perched on the arm of it.
Finn's eyes were wide as he took in her surprised expression, "You were down there the whole time? Good grief girl, are you mad?"
Poe twacked him good naturedly on the arm as Finn shook his head, "Make her some tea, you massive pot of fuss," he patted the small free space on the desk, "Have a seat and tell us what you found, you were down there for hours."
Rey hopped up and settled herself on the desk, folding her legs beneath her as Finn poured tea into a large, chipped china cup.
"Honestly," she shook her head, "It's really weird- it only felt like I was down there for an hour."
She took out her phone to try and switch it on and was confused to find it working perfectly, it was almost 8pm. She was lucky Poe and Finn hadn't gone home and left her locked in the shop.
Rey handed Finn the torch as he offered her the cup of tea, and she took a sip and smiled appreciatively.
"So? The suspense is killing me, what did you find?" Poe asked, Finn nodding along beside him.
"Oh," Rey put her cup on the table, "I found an alcove I hadn't been in before, right at the back, it was full of really old stuff…" she trailed off as she noticed the twin frowns on Poe and Finn, "What?"
"Well," said Poe slowly, "I've worked here for a almost decade and never once found an alcove downstairs."
"That's because it isn't always there," came a thin, reedy voice and they all jumped as Maz appeared from behind a table piled with books. She was as ancient as some of the items downstairs, tiny and mysterious and Rey often forgot she owned this place as you didn't often see her.
She peered up at Rey through thick, round glasses, "It is a rare and precious honour, to find your way into that alcove. What did it gift you with, child?"
Rey was aware of Finn rolling his eyes but she handed the puzzle box to Maz, who cradled it carefully in her tiny hands.
"Ah, well, I have not seen this in a very long time."
"Do you know what the writing on the back means?" Rey asked, the excitement bubbling up in her once more.
Maz gently brushed her fingers over the writing on the back, closing her eyes as she said, "Roughly, it says, 'Akuma ni kiwotsukero'… which translates, again roughly, as, 'Beware the demon'."
Finn made an alarmed noise and shrank back against the chair, "Maybe you should put it back and forget about it, Rey. Or better yet, maybe just bury it."
"Finn, be not afraid. Most peril in this world, comes from within us. It is the darkness in our souls reflecting back at us. A good and gentle heart has nothing to beware of… Though, Rey, child, I take it you did not touch the necklace?"
Rey didn't need to ask Maz to describe which necklace she meant, and she shook her head.
Maz nodded, "That is well. That, perhaps, is worthy of burying. Though it is not often that anyone truly finds themselves tempted by it." Maz handed the box back to Rey
"There is no price label on it…?" Rey said, feeling slightly awkward, the way Maz spoke of it made her think it would be high and above her price range.
Maz tilted her head to the side as she studied Rey's face, then she smiled, "For you? A gift. It has obviously claimed you and no longer belongs here."
Before Rey could protest Maz turned her head and called in a sing-song voice, "Cam-il-la!"
There was a furious flapping of wings and Camilla descended from wherever she had been sulking, to land on Maz's outstretched hand. Maz brought her hand to her face so Camilla could lovingly nuzzle her beak against Maz's tiny nose, (Maz was the exception to Camilla's biting rule.) She wandered off, crooning a soft song to Camilla as she went.
Rey stared down at the puzzle box, it felt wrong the accept it without paying for it, and she hadn't had time to ask Maz how to open it up either.
"I can't just take this," she told Poe and Finn quietly, "Let me pay something, at least."
Poe shook his head, "Maz will find out, she knows everything, eventually, trust me."
Rey sighed in defeat and sipped her tea.
"So what was this alcove like, then?" Finn asked, half curious, half fearful.
Rey described it as best she could, though the memory of it seemed a trifle hazy now.
She left soon after finishing her tea as her stomach was making loud protests over its current and prolonged emptiness.
'
It seemed like the appropriate thing to do to pick up some sushi and Rey took it down to the beach, along with a bottle of chilled green tea with elderflower.
It was a mild evening and she found a quiet spot to watch the full moon rise above the black water, casting a silver path leading to the horizon.
Once Rey was done eating she took her box out and turned it over in her hands. It felt warm somehow, and she found that this time, her questing fingers were able to move some parts on the sides, but as soon as she paid proper attention to it, she made no more discoveries.
So, this was the sort of puzzle that you did without thinking, it may take some time to solve the mystery and discover what was hidden inside.
Rey pushed her impatience down and put her box back in her bag, for now, she let herself be content to just drink her tea and watch the moon on the water for a while.
'
Over the next few weeks, Rey took her box everywhere with her, never concentrating too hard on it as she worked her fingers over its surface, keeping her mind preoccupied with other things.
And slowly but surely, its secrets were revealed, the maze her fingers followed was laid bare until she was so close to opening it, she even started to dream about it.
Finally one day, as she sat on her small sofa watching the sun set from her top floor flat and wondered what she would make herself for dinner, there was a click and she looked down in surprise to see the lid was now slightly open.
Her heart rate picked up and her skin prickled as she stared down at her box, and with fingers that trembled slightly, she slid the lid aside to open it up.
As soon as she did, a black shadow seemed to pour from the opening, great leathery wings seemed to beat at her face and she let go with a yell, bring her hands up to cover her head.
Then all was silent and she cautiously brought her hands down to stare at the open box. It was empty. Completely and utterly empty.
Rey's disappointment was only surpassed by her confusion - the box had definitely rattled, everytime it had moved, she had not imagined it... Her shoulders sagged, perhaps the rattle had merely been a part of the puzzle moving.
She sighed and put it on the sofa beside her, then looked back up… into the deep, dark eyes of a man standing in the middle of her living room.
Rey shot to her feet with a frightened yell and moved so the sofa was between her and the intruder, "Who the hell are you?" She asked as she desperately cast around for some sort of weapon whilst trying to keep her eyes on him at the same time.
His eyebrows rose, he was still standing where she had first seen him, arms held loosely at his sides. His body language was unthreatening yet his immense size made it impossible for him not to be, added to that the fact that he only seemed to be wearing trousers, and black smoke seemed to be trailing from his fingers, Rey's brain couldn't help but be afraid.
"Watashi ni meijiru," he said, in a deep and incredibly masculine voice.
Rey's stupid heart fluttered in her chest at the sound, but she rallied herself, "I don't know who the hell you are, or what you just said, but you need to leave before I call the police."
He cocked his head to the side, studying her, his lips moved almost as if he were mouthing the words she had just spoken.
He cleared his throat slightly, then, "I am yours to command, mistress."
Rey blinked, well that was unexpected, "I beg your pardon?"
He took a step forward but paused when she took a step back, he gestured to the box still on the sofa, "I am bound to the opener of the box."
Rey shook her head, "I still have no idea what you mean."
He brought his hands up in an elegant motion, as if she were being particularly dense, "Three wishes, I will grant you. Anything you desire will be yours."
Rey was uncomfortably starting to realise that this man had escape from a secure facility somewhere and she was all alone with him. Well shit.
"Okay," she said carefully, "Would you like a cup of tea?" Her phone was in the kitchen area and he was currently between her and the front door.
It was his turn to frown and he cocked his head again, "You offer me tea?"
Rey nodded, "Yes, well, if you've been stuck in that box for a while you must need one," she answered somewhat lamely, but it was probably best to humour him and go along with his story for now, in case he got upset with her.
He tilted his head the other way, "You offer this freely?"
Rey almost laughed, did he really think she'd make him pay for a cup of tea? How sad. "Completely freely, yes."
"Then I accept, mistress."
"Well okay then," Rey said as calmly as she could as she made her way slowly into her kitchen area, his eyes followed her progress but he stayed where he was, "But please, call me Rey."
She looked at him as he took a shocked breath in, his dark eyes were wide in his pale, chiseled face, "You give me your name?"
Rey shook her head, really, where the hell had this guy been? Perhaps when he went back she'd go and visit him, it seemed he didn't interact with people much. "Well, yes, I do. What's yours?"
There was a pause and she filled the kettle and turned it on, when she turned back, he was much closer, though she had heard no noise to indicate him moving.
Before her fear could get to her she looked into his eyes, and her panic receded like morning mist when met with the summer sun. The feeling left her rather discombobulated.
"I am called Kylo Ren," he told her softly, his dark full lips shaping the words were really quite distracting.
Rey started a little when the kettle reached its boil and she turned to fill two mugs with hot water, but paused, "Okay, err, Kylo, Earl grey, Lapsang Souchong, builders or green tea?"
"I do not know these words, mistress Rey," he told her, a thread of shame entering his voice.
"Okay, don't worry, its fine... why don't you smell them, and see which one you'd prefer?"
She presented each tin to him and he dutifully smelled each one, (it was kind of adorable), then chose the Lapsang.
Rey decided to join him and set the tea to brewing, she had forgotten her urge to get help by now and was oddly just curious about Kylo.
"Is there anyone I can call for you?" she asked as she studied him, "And would you like to borrow a t-shirt?"
He looked perplexed so she handed him her phone to look at, hoping it would help him understand. He took it, turning it over with his long fingers, jerking a little as the screen lit up.
Rey went off to her bedroom to find a t-shirt big enough for him. Luckily she tended to wear oversized mens t-shirts and she found a black one that though it would be tight, should fit him.
She turned away from her wardrobe to find Kylo standing mere inches from her, and she jumped, yipping in surprise.
"You had gone," he told her, as if that were somehow a good reason to sneak up on her and scare her half to death.
She handed him the t-shirt as her heart tried to punch a hole in her chest, "To get you this, put it on, you must be cold."
That was a blatant lie, it was pretty warm, balmy even, but the smooth, sculpted chest and arms on display were seriously beginning to scramble her mental faculties.
His eyes seemed to study the t-shirt she was wearing, then with some hesitation, he pulled the garment on.
As his head emerged from the neck, Rey was struck by how beautiful his hair looked, the light in her bedroom was dim, as it was in the living room and she resolved to turn it up so she could study him properly. "Let's have tea, shall we?" she said briskly as she inched past him and back out of her bedroom.
'
Rey sat back down on the sofa, curling her legs up underneath her, but rather than join her or sit on the armchair adjacent, Kylo sat on the floor not far from her.
"Err, wouldn't you like to sit on a chair, Kylo?" she asked, he looked astonished but shook his head, as he almost reverently took a sip of his tea.
His eyes shut, seemingly in pleasure, his long lashes brushing his alabaster cheeks. In the better light, Rey's first assumptions were confirmed, he was absolutely beautiful. Even with the jagged scar that bisected his right cheek, there was an otherworldly quality to him.
Rey distracted herself by drinking her own tea; her last relationship was years ago and she had filled her life with other things, content to just be with herself… but occasionally, of course, her neglected libido reared its ravenous head. And boy, was it doing it so now. She tried to divert her thoughts by once again wondering what to do for dinner.
"What of your first wish, mistress Rey?" Kylo's eyes looked up at her, unblinking. Though, due to his size, he wasn't as low down as you'd think.
"Please, just call me Rey," she told him absently, as she noticed his dark, full lips were moist from his tea.
Those lips curved slightly, "Very well, Rey," his voice seemed to purr as he said her name like a caress, "What of your first wish?"
"Err," Rey said intelligently as she racked her brain, trying to come up with something that wouldn't make him feel silly when it didn't happen.
"What do you desire?"
She very almost blurted, 'You!', but luckily her lips refused to cooperate, and instead she went with, "Right now? I could really go for a diavola pizza."
His lips mouthed her words, then he gave her a nod, carefully set his tea down, and disappeared.
Like, he was there, and then, he just wasn't. There was nothing to indicate he had been there, save his half drunk cup of tea, and there was nothing to mark his departure other than a whisper of a breeze.
Rey sat and stared, open mouthed, at the space he had vacated… Oh, god, had he even been there? Was there a gas leak or something and she had hallucinated the whole thing?
Rey took a great, shaky breath as she realised she had forgotten to breathe, then took a mouthful of tea. That felt real enough so she tried pinching her arm and that hurt. Either this was an impressively realistic dream, or… Or what?
She reached down and hesitantly touched his tea cup, it was real, solid and warm… She was just about to get up to search for him, he had to be real, if she was hallucinating it she was sure she wouldn't have made two cups of tea and drunk half of one, when there was an inrush of air and he was standing in front of her, holding a fucking pizza.
Rey opened her mouth, to say something, anything, but found nothing would come out.
"Diavola pizza," he said, as if she may have forgotten what she'd asked for in the last few minutes, and he knelt as he offered it to her.
It was at that point that Rey's body decided this was just too much to handle and she lost her lights.
The darkness was comforting and Rey did her level best to try and remain there, but whatever was gently patting her cheek was annoyingly insistent and she eventually opened her eyes… and found herself staring into the face of Kylo Ren.
She swallowed, "What...?" but she wasn't sure what she wanted to ask, there were too many questions she wanted answers to.
"You fainted," Kylo informed her helpfully.
"Did I?" she replied, somewhat dryly, despite the circumstances, or perhaps because of them. Rey struggled into a sitting position, noting she was still on the sofa and surprised to find she was not covered in what had been left of her tea.
Remarkably her stomach growled at the smell of pizza, and Kylo passed it to her with a small smile.
Oh. Wow. It was nothing like a takeaway pizza, it was still warm, clearly she'd been out for no more than a minute or two. It smelled utterly divine and looked like it had just been handmade by an Italian grandmother.
Rey turned from the pizza to look at Kylo, "Would you like to share?"
He immediately frowned, "You would share your wish?"
Rey shrugged, at this point she didn't even want to think about any of this until her stomach was full, "Sure, I won't be able to eat it all."
He moved closer, so he was right by her feet and she handed him a piece before tucking in herself. It had looked and smelled good, but she almost cried as she ate it. It was undoubtedly, hands down, the most delicious thing she had ever eaten.
When she had eaten as much as her stomach could hold, she left the rest to Kylo, who ate slowly and carefully, as if he hadn't for a very long time and the exercise needed his full concentration.
Rey spotted her tea cup on the floor and finished the what was left, it was cold but she needed something to do with her hands.
"So," she paused, trying to collect her wits enough to word her question, "You grant wishes? Three wishes? Like a genie?"
Kylo eyed her somewhat derisively as he swallowed his mouthful, "There is no such thing as a genie," he told her flatly, "There are demons bound to objects. I am one such."
Rey shook her head, what was it Maz had said was written on the box? Beware the demon… but, if she was honest, he seemed harmless. Rather sweet, actually. "Were you always like this?"
His face grew sad, then angry, "No. A human man, a Sōsarā, summoned me and bound me to him with dark magic… he made me do many bad things, evil things…" he raised his eyes to look at her, there was a wealth of guilt contained in their dark depths, it made her heart ache to see it. "But I rebelled, refused to follow him any longer and he banished me to the box, cursed to remain there, granting wishes to whomever solved it's riddle."
"Is there no way for you to escape?"
He shook his head, "I cannot speak of it," he said in a strained voice, and then pressed his lips firmly together.
… Had she just used one whole magical wish on a pizza? Rey almost laughed, hysterically, but held it inside her, not wanting to make Kylo think she was laughing at him.
But then, what would she wish for, if she could have anything? In all the literature, films, myths, that contained anything like this, it seemed all wishes led inadvertently to something else, something unforeseen that would usually make life worse, or perhaps end it.
And all those people who won the lottery or shot to fame and fortune, it never seemed to last, or they never seemed truly happy. So what then, would she wish for? All the large, grand, sweeping wishes would likely end with something bad, even if she wished for something as innocent as world peace… And, although sometimes life could be lonely, she was happy; she liked her job, her friends, her home, and to somehow wish for anything better made a mockery of what she had built for herself, with hard work and determination… perhaps she could wish to find out who her parents were? Yet she had decided long ago that if they didn't want her, she didn't want them either, and she had moved on.
"What do you think of so intently?"
Kylo's low, curious voice snapped her out of her musings, "I was just thinking about wishes."
He nodded, face falling slightly, though why she wasn't sure. Rey cast her mind back to Aladdin, he had wished his genie free, hadn't he? It was a long time since she had watched it, but she was pretty sure that had happened.
She squared her shoulders and sat up straight, "Kylo Ren," she said, sounding oddly formal for some reason, "My wish, is for you to be set free from your curse."
'
For a moment, it felt as if all the world, as if Time itself stood still. As if her words had shocked the very nature of reality, had bent it out of shape somehow, upset the natural order of things.
Then Time seemed to adjust itself and start moving again as everything clicked into place.
Kylo scrambled backwards on his hands and knees, a look of pure astonishment on his face, that fleetingly changed to fear, then, finally to triumph.
His body was drawn upright by some unseen force, as wind rushed around the room, the lights flickered as electricity seemed to crackle over his skin as he hovered above the floor, head thrown back, arms outstretched, an agonised yet exultant cry pulled from his lips.
The sound and sight of it was just too much and Rey drew her knees up and hid her head in her arms.
Then everything abruptly went still and silent. Rey strained her ears, trying to pick up any sound that would indicate whether or not it would be safe to raise her head.
Several minutes passed before there was a gasp and she couldn't help but look up… Something, was crouched on the floor, huge leathery wings protectively wrapped around it, hiding it from view, but the carpet was gone, a wide scorched circle of floor was revealed, at its edges smoldered the ruined carpet. Well, there goes my deposit, Rey's mind said to itself, distractedly.
The room was dark, the bulbs apparently blown, yet there was a red light, emanating from inside the circle of wings… Did you really just release a demon, Rey? That was pretty fucking stupid, even for you…
The wings moved slightly, almost shuddering… "Kylo?" Rey's voice was shaky but she was fairly certain it was understandable.
The wings moved, drawing back slowly to reveal… Holy mother of god…
To say Kylo's appearance had changed was understating it somewhat. Of course, there were the giant, well, bat wings. But sprouting from his head were two curved and coiling horns, somehow made of spitting, fluctuating scarlet light. His body had somehow become more defined, (which Rey really hadn't thought was possible), there was an immense sense of power, as if he would be able to lift an elephant with his little finger and throw it fifty miles away with a mere flick or something, really, her brain was at best, rambling to itself now… his fingertips ended in sharp claws, his hands and arms were pitch black up to the just below his shoulders, there it faded away, morphing into swirls over his shoulders and chest, the pattern akin to the one on the puzzle box. His head was still bent down, and she couldn't see his face but it appeared he was now naked, and her mind absently lamented the loss of her t-shirt… she darted her eyes down, till they rested on what had been feet but were now… paws? Sort of, ish. Whatever they were they were black and clawed like his arms.
"Kylo?" Rey tried again, and he finally looked up. Rey's lungs froze in her chest and her heart stopped beating.
He had lustrous golden eyes, the pupils was slit like a cats and the intensity with which he looked at her, well, it had just taken her breath away and stilled her heart, so you get the picture.
He staggered to his... paws? As if he had forgotten what it was like to be in this form. And the absent part of Rey's brain wondered how long he had been trapped in the box, in that lesser guise.
The scar on his face was now lit from within, as if a fire raged under his skin, the planes of his face were more defined, like his body, with sharp cheekbones leading to now elongated pointed ears. Even his hair was longer, drifting like strands of silk about his face, brushing his shoulders, somehow not catching fire from the horns that burned, nestled within it.
Kylo came to a stop a foot away from her, and Rey found herself ensnared in his eyes, unable to look away, despite the intensity with which he studied her.
He slowly brought up a hand and gently brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes, "Breathe," he told her softly, almost tenderly and it suddenly occurred to her, that she had not been and that was partly why she felt so odd.
Rey took a unsteady breath in, stuttering as if she had forgotten how, it took her several tries before she could stop concentrating on it and was able to leave it to carry on on its own.
"You freed me," he said, voice low, somehow reaching straight for her id and turning it on to hyperdrive.
Rey swallowed, "Yes."
"On your second wish."
"Yes."
He tilted his head, wings flexing behind him before they curled shut, flush against his back, "Why?"
Rey wanted to shake her head, but could not break eye contact, "No one deserves to be a slave."
"Even a demon?" he asked, almost gently, as if he expected her to recant immediatly.
"Even a demon."
He was silent a long time as he gazed down at her, she could feel the searing heat of his body, almost like standing next to an erupting volcano.
"And what of your third wish?" he asked finally.
Rey frowned, "Surely you do not have to grant it? I set you free."
He smiled then, curving his lips in a wicked smirk, the sight went straight to Rey's knees, if she had been standing, she would have dropped like a sack. "Perhaps I want to, Rey. I owe you a great debt."
Rey finally managed to shake her head, it was partly self preservation, because her brain realised if she continued staring into those eyes, she would try and climb him like a bloody tree.
"You owe me nothing, Kylo. Honestly... If you've been trapped for so long, you must have many things you wish to do…"
His smile faded somewhat, as if he were somehow disappointed, "I would be happier, if I could do something in return, Rey."
Oh, the way he said her name… Rey glanced around her flat for inspiration, the third wish really did seem to be holding him back… "You could fix the hole burned in the carpet?"
Once again she had surprised him… or, her brain supplied, he thinks you're a total idiot.
He gestured his fingers almost lazily and there was her carpet, restored to it's previous state right before her eyes, which were now, even after everything that had occurred, almost falling out of her head.
"Err, thanks," she told him a little hoarsely, "That's perfect." Hurrah for her deposit.
"No," he told her, completely seriously, "I thank you," he bent at the waist and for one glorious moment, Rey thought he would kiss her, and he did, but on the forehead, like she was a child… which compared to him, she very probably was.
Her skin burned and hummed where his lips had touched, but it didn't hurt and the feeling sunk into her skin, almost as if he were marking her, an impression of him sinking in and becoming part of her soul.
There was a brief puff of air and he was gone, taking his warmth with him and Rey was shocked by the sudden bereft feeling his departure left her with.
She sat alone for a few moments, in the dark, as her mind tried to process everything. After a little while though, she realised that was unlikely and decided the best place to be right now, was in bed, fast asleep.
So that was where she went.
'
If Rey dreamt of Kylo Ren, she did not remember it when her alarm woke her at 6.30am. As she wandered into the living room to make coffee, she found an olive oiled stained breadboard on the kitchen counter. It was not her own.
The puzzle box was on the sofa still, open and empty and there was still the faint smell of charred carpet in the air, so she flung the windows opened and sat dejectedly looking out as she sipped her coffee.
It had been a funny sort of adventure, dissatisfying and somehow truncated… she should have thought of better wishes, but at the time, the idea of living forever or never getting ill hadn't attracted her. She was such an tool... Although, she did not regret setting Kylo free, that, at least, had not been a wasted wish.
She allowed herself fifteen minutes to wallow in her disappointment before she made herself get up, eat, shower and head to work.
Life was normal, the world was normal, Rey felt as if it should have changed somehow, but it hadn't and she did her best to forget the box and what it had contained.
Rey almost put it in a charity shop, but somehow couldn't bring herself to part with it, so she put it in a box of keepsakes she hid under her bed, needing it to be out of her sight for a while.
'
She didn't visit Snoopers Paradise again for some time, unwilling to explain to Finn and Poe that she had finally opened the box and it had contain… a demon. Or nothing. Nothing would mean she wouldn't get sectioned.
After a few weeks of being miserable she decided enough was enough and went out for cocktails.
Jess, Kaydel and Rose were giddy with excitement at the prospect and Rey even made an effort with her appearance. She didn't go as far as wearing a dress or skirt, but she did put on some makeup, exchanged her normal baggy jeans for skinny black ones and even wore a slinky red top with a plunging neckline.
When Rey arrived at the bar, she was dismayed to find Jess had invited Finn and Poe along as well. Happily though, neither one of them asked about the box and Rey quickly relaxed as they chatted about everything and nothing, whilst consuming a variety of cocktails.
They hit a club afterwards and by this time Rey was drunk enough that she only dragged her feet slightly when the girls pulled her onto the dance floor.
It felt good to let off steam, to unwind and let loose the hunch that her shoulders had been stuck in recently, and she gave herself over to the alcohol in in her system and the music in her ears.
'
"That hot blond guy has been staring at you for the last ten minutes," Jess shouted in Rey's ear as she pointed vaguely off to the bar.
Rey's eyes slid over and found the guy in question, who smiled and raised his glass at her invitingly. He was hot, almost a Thor look alike... yet Rey couldn't seem to conjure up even the tiniest bit of interest.
Rey sent him a shrug, hopping he got it and turned back to Jess, "Not interested in any of that tonight. I just want to drink and dance, and anyway, he is probably staring at you."
Jess shook her head, "Nah, definitely you. Anyways I got my eye on someone else."
Rey grinned, "Then why are you still here?" and she gave Jess a little push.
'
Rey reached her limit about 3.30am. Whenever she was out for the night, at some point her body would demand hot chocolate, and once that need arose, she had to go home, or she became twitchy and her skin itched. It was weird but it was a feeling that couldn't be denied.
As she hit the night air she found she was rather more drunk than she had realised, and was grateful she was wearing flat boots rather than heels.
Her flat wasn't a long walk away and rather than wait in line for a taxi she meandered back home on her own, weaving about and tripping up on her own feet occasionally, but steadily making progress.
"You look like you need an arm to lean on," someone said, and Rey jerked her head around to find the hot blond guy a few paces behind her.
"Ah I'm fine, almost home anyways, but thanks," her words were slurred but she was fairly sure they were intelligible.
"Pretty girl like you shouldn't be out alone somewhere so dark," he said, now right next to her.
Rey decided she didn't like him, "It's notso dark, I'm fine," and she started to walk on, but his hand on her arm pulled her up short and she turned a glare on him, "Lemme go, I said I'm fine."
His eyebrows raised and he held up his hands, "Okay, sure, but at least let me walk you home."
"No," she said as firmly as she could manage whilst swaying where she stood; "I mebbe drunk but I'm not a fucking idjit. Now, off you fuck."
"You are pretty fucking you rude you know? I'm just trying to be nice," he told her resentfully, after another look at her set face though, he shrugged irritably and turned away, walking back into town.
Seriously, what had he expected? Rey snorted softly to herself and wandered into the road, making diagonally for the other side.
In her irritated and inebriated state, she hadn't paid attention, hadn't checked for traffic before crossing.
She was halfway across when she registered the loud sound of a horn and turned to see blinding lights and a large van hurtling towards her.
Her body refused to respond and she just stood there. Well, she thought as the van sped towards her, the seconds seemed to ooze like honey, yet her thoughts were still running fast, at least I'm really drunk, that may mean this'll be less painful… and I had one last good night out… I hope the van driver or the hot guy sticks around. I don't want to die alone...
She could see the van start to attempt a swerve, as if the driver realised she wouldn't be moving. But she knew it would be too late. She braced herself, because she knew this was going to hurt, then relaxed as she remembered if you fell down the stairs limp you were likely to sustain less injury than if you were trying to fight it. It was worth a try.
Rey decided that screaming would be redundant at this point, it wouldn't help anything after all, if she was going to go out with a bang she'd rather not add a scream to the noise she'd be making… No hot chocolate afterall...
Funny, what your mind thinks of as you watch what is likely to be your impending death, speeding, (yet viewed in slow motion) towards you as you stare, transfixed at the headlights, as if you were a mouse and the headlights were the eyes of a monstrous owl.
Absently she wondered what Kylo had been doing with his freedom, what did demons do anyway? She had no idea, whatever it was, she hoped he was happy. Of course he was, he'd been kept in a fucking tiny box for goodness knew how long, anything after that would be happy…
She sighed and let go, suddenly feeling very tired, and time caught up, started moving naturally as the van hit her.
There was pain and then a rather exhilarating sensation of flying into the air, before oblivion welcomed her with open arms, presumably, for the last time.
All in all it wasn't the worst way to die.
'
Oblivion was kind to her, and she clung to it, refusing to answer the insistent voice that was saying her name worriedly in her ears… wait, ears?
Rey groaned, was she not dead? Or just somewhere else, somewhere where she still had ears? No. Gods, she felt it now, pain, awful, crushing pain. If they thought she was going to wake up, they had another thing coming. She stubbornly burrowed her way back into the dark depths of unconsciousness, but the voice kept tugging at her, pulling at her, trying to drag her back to the light and to the pain.
Ugh, really, where was morphine when you needed it? Why wasn't she hopped up on some kind of opioid? Surely she was in hospital or something?
As she slowly rose to the surface, she became aware that she seemed to be lying against a furness… maybe she had gone into shock? Either way, now she was definitely too hot.
"Rey? Can you hear me?" the low voice was pleasant and somehow familiar, "Open your eyes, Rey."
The voice was reassuring yet concerned at the same time and Rey found she didn't want to let it down, so she carefully cracked her eyelids open.
She had to blink as she focused, it took a while but rather than a hospital bed and machines surrounding her, she found she was on her own bed, in her flat and as she looked up, she found herself staring into the torrid depths of Kylo Ren's molten gold eyes.
He smiled in relief as she frowned at him, "I needed to wake you before I could take your pain away," he told her seriously, then pressed his clawed, blackened hands gently against her temples. The heat of his skin was nothing compared to the heat his touch created inside her, and her breathing hitched as he brought his face close to hers.
Up close his golden irises sparkled, glittered, as if they were alive, as if the cells that made them up swirled within the confines of their black rim. The slitted pupils were alien yet not unsettling - Rey had always liked cats.
His hot breath tickled her lips for a moment, as they stared at one another, and then his lips met hers.
Rey gasped at the contact, and at the parting of her lips, his tongue flickered into her mouth in a tender yet scorching exploration.
Her eyes had closed of their own accord, and after the first seconds of astonishment she joined him, tangling her tongue with his, slipping it into the heat of his mouth.
His teeth were pointed, sharp against her tongue, and she realised his tongue was forked, and it may be messed up, may make her a freak, but that set her already hot blood to boiling.
As she brought her arms up to hold him, she realised that the pain she had been in was diminishing, disappearing as if it had never been, as if she hadn't been hit and thrown by bloody a transit van.
When all the pain was gone, when it was barely even a memory, Kylo gently took her arms and pulled away from her.
Rey couldn't help letting loose a whine of disappointment, her eyes flying open to see him sitting up and she followed him, a small frown pulling her brows down, her cheeks flushed.
Kylo looked away from her, "I am sorry, that was the… most pleasant way I could restore you. You should be fully healed now."
Rey's heart sank, hitting her stomach where it promptly turned to stone. She felt the blood drain away from her cheeks. "Oh," was all she seemed able to manage in response.
Kylo stood, "Fare you well, Rey," and then he was gone.
Rey gasped as she felt her throat tighten, it hurt. This rejection, the implication that he had only kissed her to heal her, that he had only done it because he felt he owed her.
She had no idea why he had had such a profound effect on her, but he had, he really had… but clearly it was one sided.
Hot tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, pressing her eyes into her knees till she saw stars burst behind her lids, lighting up the darkness briefly before disappearing again. Just like Kylo Ren.
She should get up, maybe make herself that hot chocolate her body had been craving earlier, maybe have a shower… but who was she kidding, she was going to sit here and soak her jeans with her tears and probably fall asleep eventually.
She wished she could pass out now, leave life behind for a short break, but she knew it would be a while till she could, so for now, she let herself wallow.
'
"Rey?"
Rey jerked her head up with a start, and there he was again, standing by her bed, looking down at her with concern.
"Why do you weep?"
Rey swallowed, attempting to free herself from the pressure that always restricted her airways when she truly cried. She blushed as she swallowed again and hasilty wiped her face.
Her first instinct was a childish urge to deny it, but there was no way she could get away with that… but no explanation came to her, nothing that would conceal the pathetic truth.
She shook her head, gave him a watery, lopsided smile, "It doesn't matter, don't worry, I'm fine."
His gaze was too penetrating to hold for long and she looked away.
"You are lying," he told her softly, one black claw delicately caught a stray tear and she looked back up to see him bring it to his lips, "You are full of anguish, I can taste it."
This was mortifying, but perhaps if she just manned up and spat if out he would leave. Rey looked away from him again, fixing her eyes on her hands, "I hadn't realised you kissed me to take the pain away, I thought you had done it because you wanted to… because you wanted me. It was my mistake, please, don't... trouble yourself further, and… thank you, for saving my life."
Silence seemed to be her only answer, he must have gone again. Rey took a shuddering breath and shut her eyes as tears filled them once more.
Hot fingers gripped her chin and her eyes flew open, his eyes as they met hers seemed to be on fire, his muscles tense and trembling.
"You desire me? I am a demon, I am nothing," his rich voice had grown rough, strained.
Rey shook her head, "You are not nothing... not to me."
She had barely begun to hope, when he growled low in his throat and lunged, pulling her into his arms, devouring her mouth as he held her tightly against his body.
As they kissed, Rey felt his claws simply shredding her clothing, slicing it away until she was bare. And at that point, she really couldn't care less.
Her hands ran freely over the hard planes of his chest and shoulders, slipped around his sides and she was momentarily surprised by his wings, furled tightly against his back. As her fingers went back to explore them, she found them soft, like thin, supple lambs leather.
Everything about him was searing, skin, teeth, tongue, even his wings, but the heat didn't hurt her, it just felt divine against her normally cool skin.
His hands smoothed over her body, the slight pressure of his claws gave her goosebumps and she drew in a sharp breath as they finally found her breasts, nipples instantly hardening as he palmed them.
Then he was pushing her back onto her bed, pressing her down with the length of his body, holding himself just above her on his hands as he abandoned her mouth and trailed his lips down her neck. He nipped at her pulse and she arched up against him, hissing with pleasure as he soothed the bite with his lips before moving on, down her neck, along her collar bone, down her shoulder, and thence to swirl his tongue around a nipple whilst one hand caressed the other, needing and stroking it till she was wriggling against him, her hands gripping his sides reflexively.
Her thighs were slick now and she couldn't stop her hips from seeking his, needing contact or pressure or something, anything. Her action earning a rich, dark chuckle from Kylo.
He removed his mouth from her body and looked at her as his hands went to his waist and unwrapped the dark length of cloth that Rey, in a studious effort to avoid looking at that area at all up until now, hadn't realised was there. Now it was gone anyway and her wide eyes stayed transfixed on what he had going on down there… In the blinding haze of lust it had never occurred to her that he may not be… what she was accustomed to. He had wings, claws, paw-feet-things and for a split second she was worried he may not have the necessary equipment needed… But he did. Oh boy, he did.
Her view was cut off as he slid down her body, she was fairly certain of what he intended, and as much as the idea of what a forked tongue may feel like down there, she was worried she would lose her nerve and quite frankly she was good and ready right now.
"No," she said, her voice breathless, he paused and looked up at her, some of his hair falling over his face as his expression became unsure.
"No," she said again, pulling him back up to her as she shifted her body slightly and wrapped her legs around his hips, pressing herself against him.
His eyes widened but a slow smile graced his lips, some of his sharp white teeth peeking out as he guided himself to rest against her slick surface.
"You are ready?" he asked and Rey nodded.
Slowly, carefully, he began to push inside her, the stretch and heat of him made her body clench around him, and she canted her hips, hoping to encourage him to hurry up because this was like some kind of exquisite torture.
Kylo ignored her needy whines, keeping his deliberate speed, until he was up to the hilt. He hissed as her body clenched around him again, then brought his lips to hers, greedily kissing her till she was quivering.
"Please," she gasped out as he moved his lips to her jaw. She rocked against him, desperate for movement, for something to relieve the clench of her muscles, "Please."
Kylo treated her to a wicked grin that made her stomach flip, and then he started moving. And oh gods did it feel good, even if he went slowly at first, he picked up speed and she rocked her hips with him, meeting every thrust until she came, hard and long. Her body convulsed against his, her muscles clenching so tightly it must have hurt him, yet he didn't stop, he kept going as stars burst behind her eyes, as pleasure surged through her every vein, turning her into a being of rapturous, pure light.
Rey was just coming down when his thrusts grew ragged, he came with a gutteral shout in an unknown language and as he spilled into her, she flew into the light a second time.
She could feel Kylo's awe, he was there too, bathed in the blaze of a thousand suns, overcome by their shared ecstasy.
'
When Rey blinked and opened her eyes, she was relieved to find Kylo still there, his arms wrapped firmly around her.
"I did not hurt you?" he asked her softly, breath tickling her ear.
She looked up, met that mesmerising golden stare, "No, that… that was," she struggled for words, shook her head, nothing came close, "Amazing," she finished lamely.
His lips curving in a smile, "It was, I… I have not felt anything like that, nothing like it, ever."
From the light on his face Rey realised it must be daylight outside, but she felt sleep trying to drag her down, away from him.
"Will you stay, if I sleep?" Rey was almost afraid to ask but she knew she wouldn't be able to stay awake for long and she needed to know, needed to prepare herself.
Kylo's arms tightened around her, "I will stay, Rey. For as long as you want me, I will stay."
Rey felt herself relax, a smile pulled at her lips as she snuggled closer, and she just managed to get out, "You'll be here a long time then," before sleep took her, content with the knowledge that she wouldn't wake up alone.
Kylo kissed her tenderly and pulled a blanket over her sleeping form, he spent her down time deciding what he'd like to do next, because this was just the beginning.
'
'
My translastions are probably awful, but...
悪魔に気をつけろAkuma ni kiwotsukero (Beware the demon)
私に命じる Watashi ni meijiru (Command me, masterful one.)
In case you wondered, Kylo shouts, "J'us tuti ki!" as he comes, it is High Sith for, "You are mine."