"Yeah, and if you ever need help with anything, just let me know." The engineer's smile was so cheery that Rey couldn't help but give a small smile in response. However, her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. He made her feel wary. 'Not in a run for your life' kind of wary just 'don't get to close' wary. The man touched her shoulder with a friendly pat, that lingered a second to long, before walking away. A sigh of relief rushed out of her.
"You should watch out for that one." A deep voice sounded behind her, and she turned to find Kylo Ren sitting at a rather secluded table in the rec room. A few rows of cups were stacked against the wall on top of the table, a single cup and decanter placed in front of the tall dark haired man. He was usually found by himself, a deserter of the Order found few friends within the Resistance. Kylo Ren never seemed to mind his isolation. He accepted it and was grateful that this was his punishment.
To himself, and to others, they believed he deserved a much worse fate.
Rey slid into the seat across from him, comfortable with his presence. Despite their beginnings and their shared tragedies, she knew the road he took to get this point. They learned to fight along side one another, protect each other, and trust each other. Them becoming friends took a long time, but Rey was content to label him as such.
"And what exactly am I watching for Ben?" She teased, plucking a cup from one of the stacks and pouring whatever was inside the decanter into her cup; topping of his in the process. Kylo Ren flinched at the name, and Rey pretended not to notice and instead took a sip of her drink. It was creamy and both sweet and bitter.
"He's not interested in your friendship." His straightforward response made her fidget with the knowledge that she had already expected.
"Why can't he take the hint that that's all I want from him?"
"I suppose he's optimistic."
Rey was startled into laughter, clinking her cup against Kylo Ren's and he quirked his lips. She looked from him expectantly to the few others that were gathered in the rec room. Most of the people were chatting, some eating, and in one instance completely passed out.
"Well then go on. Who else should I steer clear from?" her eyes held a challenge that Kylo Ren was never able to resist. He casually glanced around the room before pointing to a group of resistance pilots.
"Who…Not Snap right?" Rey looked momentarily alarmed but Kylo Ren shook his head and motioned next to Snap. "Don't you dare joke with me."
"I'm serious."
"Jess is my friend."
"And sometimes friends like their friends in a less then platonic ways." He chuckled into his cup as Rey flustered a gulp of her drink down. This was becoming a fun game.
"Ok then what about Finn?" She pointed to the currently passed out man in the room. Finn was a bit of a workaholic and always kept himself busy, making Rey wonder if it was a lingering affect of him being an engineered Storm trooper. Every once in awhile he would pass out in random areas, and it happened enough times that nobody found it unusual. He could be napping on the floor in front of his bunker and everyone would just leave him be. Possibly only to stop and place a jacket or blanket on top of him.
Kylo Ren made a face, scrunching his lips up.
"That could go either way. So yes and no."
"That doesn't make sense." It was Rey's turn to make a face. He simply shrugged.
"Poe?" Said man walked into the room, nodding briefly in their direction before sitting down loudly in front of Finn. The sound effectively startling Finn into consciousness. Finn Scowled and Poe grinned back.
"No. You don't have to worry about him."
"….General Hux?" Rey asked innocently.
Kylo Ren choked on his drink at the thought of Rey and THAT man. It was an image that he didn't wish to linger on. When he looked to Rey in question, she waved her hand at him nonchalantly.
"Well…I suppose no. I mean I don't see him even being interested in that sort of thing in general." Kylo Ren pondered on it for a moment longer and his instinct suddenly caused him to say, "On second thought, yes. Stay far far away from him."
"Got it." Rey suppressed a smile unsuccessfully. "How about the shiny storm trooper…Captain..?"
"Captain Phasma?" Kylo Ren asked surprised. He tilted his head in thought and slowly shook his head. "No. I'm positive that she isn't interested in that sort of thing. She liked her job more than people really."
"And you Ben?"
They both froze.
Rey hadn't meant to say it. It just popped out. Like she had this list of people she was going to ask about and forgot that she had him on it. She cursed herself silently as she watched Kylo Ren's face. His eyes flicked from her eyes, to her mouth, to her hair, to her hands gripping her cup, and then turned his head to stare at the wall. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it quickly. The table shook with his abrupt standing, his face flushed red. Rey felt her heart thump low and hard at his reaction to her question, feeling slightly breathless.
When he answered he made sure to keep his eyes focused on the decanter, touching the table gently with the tips of his long fingers to keep the table still.
"…You don't have to worry about me." His voice was low, but the words made Rey ache painfully. "…unless..."
"Unless?" Rey spoke, and was embarrassed that it came out in a squeak.
He looked up at her then, searching her eyes carefully. Kylo Ren took a step towards Rey, sliding his fingers across the table and touching the back of her hand with his. The contact caused a heat to flash over Rey from head to toe, but she kept her eyes on his.
"Well maybe you should be a little worried." He smiled.
Kylo Ren walked away from her then, leaving her flipping insides to contemplate what just happened.
She couldn't help but grin foolishly into her cup.
Just a fun oneshot that I wanted to write for a long time.