Summary: Thanisson is freezing in the Finalizer and can't keep his thoughts to himself, prompting a Force user to finally shut him up. Thanisson / Kylo Ren.

Shiver

Thanisson was freezing. Sure, the officer's quarters and other parts of the ship were better heated to combat the freezing temperatures outside, but the petty officer's room had a broken heater for the past week. He'd put in the request for a technician five times already, but each time they were scheduled to come there was another higher priority technical problem to take care of, leaving Thanisson shivering under his thin regulation blankets and praying there wouldn't be any more emergencies tomorrow.

Everyone knew high priority problems meant Kylo Ren was on a rampage again, but no one was stupid enough to ever say anything or put that in any official report. Thanisson was cursing out the Commander for ruining yet another night of sleep. "Frakking f-f-force-user doesn't even h-have the consideration to s-s-s-stop destroying the ship for one shitting day! Even just a kriffing hour to fix my heater and at least one of us can be happy! What's he c-complaining about anyway, his room is probably cozy as fuck!"

He shifted as his blanket kept being pulled in different directions as he curled into the fetal position. His arms were pimpling from the cool air as it settled on his fair skin, making him snuggle his ruffled head further in his makeshift nest. "Just one more night before the heat is fixed, please just one more night before the kriffing heat is fixed," he thought to himself, using it as a mantra to try to lull himself to sleep.

His room sounded three beeps before it opened, shocking him awake. He peeked his eye open to see who had come in without any authorization. Maybe the technician finally decided to fix the freakin' heater… wait, the technician couldn't come in without his authorization first. The only people who could come in without authorization were his superiors, General Hux and…

"You think too loud," the modulated voice growled.

Thanisson shot up in bed, still swaddled in the thin blanket, struggling to get himself upright in front of the unstable force-user. Kylo Ren stood before his bed with his mask in place and covered in his full garb, leaving only Thannison feeling the cold in his room. He looked ready for an interrogation. Maybe that's why he was there. He cursed as his foot caught the blanket and caused him to trip a bit as he forced himself to stand at attention, the blanket not leaving his form.

He saluted the Commander best as he could, trying and failing to hold back his shaking form. "L-lord Kylo Ren, sir, I ap-p-pologize for dist-turbing you, sir," he stuttered out through light blue lips. Thanisson didn't understand how the Force worked, but he'd heard from other petty officers and some higher ups how the Commander had moved things from across rooms, stopped blaster shots mid-air, and read people's minds with no effort… And Thannison had just been cursing out a mind-reader... Shit. "I just had some t-trouble sleeping because m-m-my heater broke." A petty officer versus a force-wielding psychopath was no contest and Thanisson wanted to stop anything before it got started.

"And why haven't they fixed it yet," he grated out as he clenched his fists, the leather sound making a shiver run up Thanisson's spine.

There was a pregnant pause as Thanisson tried his best to seem like a fly on the wall, hoping with everything that his superior wouldn't come at him with a fly swatter. He wondered if being honest would get him some sleep or a broken neck. "There h-have been some… higher p-p-priority cases…," he whispered, hoping the images of Kylo Ren flying into a raging fit weren't transmitting through his mind for the Commander.

The towering figure seemed to loom over him even more. "I see." His gloves were still clenched tight, Thanisson imagined his neck between those fingers.

"I-I'm s-s-sure they'll get it f-fixed right away, sir, C-commander, sir!," he stumbled over his words, hoping to God he didn't anger the man any further. He'd heard what Lieutenant Mitaka said about being force-choked and was in no way excited to be in the same position.

"Come here," Kylo beckoned.

The air grew heavy. Thanisson's mind threw back and forth between his choking face and popping eye vessels and glowing red plasma through his stomach. "Why?," Thanisson squeaked, instinctively backing up towards his bed.

"Come. Here." The masked man repeated, less patience in his stance, towering over the shaking petty officer. Thanisson's knees hit the edge of his mattress. His breaths were coming out in puffs visible in the chilly air.

On one hand, disobeying a superior was enough to get him demoted… or reconditioned. You forget yourself and are wiped like a hard drive, starting from the beginning. On the other hand, this was Kylo Ren, the overgrown child who had a tantrum over the caf running out of chocolate pudding. Some of the lightsaber marks were still untouched on the walls.

His feet felt like lead, dragging across the carpeted floor. His blanket the only thing keeping him together, a security blanket. Kylo stood almost a foot taller than him, it looked like, his head hardly reaching up to his chin.

Kylo reached up to his face, slowly spreading his fingers. His gloves were chilly on his temples. A shiver racked his body and he heard Kylo's mask make a strange sound,... a breath maybe?

"Stay still," he whispered.

Thanisson felt a warmth on his face. He slowly opened his eyes and saw he was on a beach, maybe Scarif. He looked around and saw Kylo was still there, watching him. He kept looking around, but made sure to keep an eye on the Commander, just in case. "How did-", he started.

"Just sleep," the modulated voice commanded. Kylo pointed to a towel on the sand. The striped blue and white towel stood out on the otherwise empty beach, just the two of them and the fabric on the welcoming sand.

Thanisson reluctantly lied down, keeping his front facing his superior. The towel dipped into the sand, making indents of his arms and legs leaving impressions below. He tried to keep an eye on the commander, but with the comfort of the warmth, the salty wind blowing through his hair lightly tousling it, his eyes began to droop. After what felt like just moments, he felt the pull of sleep as the sun's rays relaxed him. He wasn't sure if the brush of his hair was his imagination or not.

Thanisson woke the next day with two extra blankets covering him. He looked around confused, wondering if he requested more or… oh, cripes. The image of Kylo in his room, in his mind, drew him up in bed with his security blankets. He could have done so many things, choked him, killed him, mutilated him. He vaguely remembered a hand in his hair, but he chalked it up to is dreams.

An hour later, Thanisson worked his way to the bridge unhurried with the early hour. He saw the edge of the robe turn the corner ahead and knew he couldn't avoid the force-user without looking like he was running away. He stood straight and kept his head high with his eyes on the bottom of those dark boots.

He saluted Kylo, standing still waiting for the Commander to pass, but instead he stopped a foot away, standing just facing him.

"Can I help you, Commander,... sir?"

Kylo reached his hand out, carding his gloves through Thanisson's gelled hair, gently. Thanisson stood stock still, shocked at the display. His mind reminded him of the mysterious hand carding through his hair before he slept, and he gathered the courage to look up at the force-user. The mask was covering any emotions, but the hand remained at his face gentle.

The moment passed and Commander Ren began walking away. The sounds of the heavy boots put Thanisson back in motion, quickly retreating towards the bridge. Just as he was about to reach the doors, he heard the commander call out, "Petty Officer," stopping Thanisson and rooting him to the spot. The junior officer turned his head slightly, looking at his superior from the side. The hulking figure stood facing him once again, and it seemed he was mulling something over in his mind, but the mask revealed nothing.

They stood looking at each other across the hall, just watching, something passing between them, but what it was Thanisson wasn't sure. Suddenly an image of the beach and the two of them standing together in the sand popped into Thanisson's mind, the memory of a hand caressing him and his want for more echoing in his thoughts. A shiver ran down his neck and a blush coloured his cheeks. Commander Ren must have noticed and broke the silent spell with a strange hacking sound through his voice modulator… was that a laugh?!

Thanisson stuttered trying to explain himself, but Commander Ren just shook his head, stifling his laughter, and turned to face back down the hall away from Thanisson.

"Your heater should be fixed by the end of your shift," he stated, glancing back at the petty officer once more, and walked out of sight.

Thanisson felt as if the force-user took all the air out with him, being left gawking in the middle of the hall at what he felt may have been one of the few times his superior's cover cracked just the tiniest bit. He was so lost in the revelation he almost didn't notice another officer shuffling around him to enter the bridge, the man giving him a confused look.

Straightening his uniform, Thanisson strode to his station. As he began setting up his work for the day, he wondered if another day without heat would be so bad.