Here's the first chapter of a new Rey x Kylo/Ben fic that I'm writing. I posted a summary of a potential fic a couple weeks ago, and the enthusiasm was good enough that I decided to write it. I have no idea when I'll be able to update, as I still have some prompts in my Tumblr inbox and I need to finish my other Reylo story. (It's a soulmate AU if you're interested.)

I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you enjoy it as well! Now, without any further ado, here's chapter 1! (Alternatively titled: 'Kylo Ren is an asshole of the highest order')

Rey Kenobi hurried into the courthouse, her black heels clacking loudly on the linoleum floor. She shivered as her body adjusted to the warmth. Parking near the Coruscant Courthouse was practically nonexistent, and the closest spot she could find was still a good five minutes from the building. The walk wouldn't have bothered her most days, but it was particularly chilly this morning, and she was anxious enough without the weather adding to her unease.

Both arms were wrapped around her bulging briefcase, clutching it tightly to her chest as she walked. Poe and Finn had gifted her with the leather case after learning she had been hired on at Organa, Skywalker, and Solo as a junior associate.

That had been one of the happiest days of her life.

Breathing heavily, Rey plopped down on a vacant bench, setting her bag beside her. She surely made quite the picture, sprawled out ungracefully as she was, but, at the moment, she really couldn't care less. The clock on the opposite wall informed her that she still had thirty minutes before she was supposed to meet Luke. She relaxed slightly. Today marked the beginning of the biggest case of her career (so far, at least), and she wanted everything to go perfectly.

The enticing aroma of coffee and freshly-baked pastries wafted down the hallway; Rey's stomach grumbled in response. In her haste to ensure that she had every document she could possibly need for today's meeting, she had completely forgotten about breakfast.

Quickly glancing at the clock again, she weighed the pros and cons before deciding that a steaming cup of coffee and a bagel would help to calm her frazzled nerves immensely. She pushed herself up from the bench and marched down the hall, following the signs pointing her towards "Jakku Java".

It seemed that not many people had ventured to the courthouse at 7:35am on this cold, dreary Monday morning. Rey took her place in line behind two other individuals, pulling out her cell phone so she could sort through her emails as she waited.

The older gentleman at the counter finished paying and stepped aside, but the man directly in front of her was too busy yelling into his phone to notice. Rey tapped him on the shoulder in a bid to get his attention, but he just shrugged her off and continued on his rant.

"Do you think I give a damn about your excuses? I needed that filed yesterday!" He was silent for a moment as whatever unfortunate soul he was talking to tried to explain themselves. His fingers tightened around the smart phone, which looked tiny in comparison to his massive hands.

"I don't care if your grandmother passed away! No matter what you have to do, fix this! Get it done by noon today, or I will be finding another assistant!" He huffed and hung up, throwing his cell phone haphazardly into his shoulder bag. He reminded Rey of a petulant toddler who'd just been told he couldn't go out to play until his chores were finished.

The barista cleared her throat, finally catching his eye. He shuffled forward, barking out his order and practically throwing his money down in front of the poor girl behind the cash register ("Susan", according to the name badge pinned to her apron). Her plastered-on smile was waning under the intensity of the man's glower.

The irritated employee turned to grab the man's coffee, muttering under her breath about 'customers from hell'. Rey covered her mouth to stifle her chuckle. On principle, she didn't like to vilify other people based on a first impression, but she understood the girl's frustration. Customer service workers deserved respect, too.

Judging by the way he had belittled his assistant, she doubted he shared that opinion.

Susan hastily poured steaming liquid into a paper cup and returned to the register with the coffee in hand. She was reaching for a lid when the man stopped her.

"Don't bother." He yanked the drink out of her grasp and pivoted abruptly.

Seconds ticked by in slow motion; Rey barely had time to realize what was coming before he rammed into her, spilling the entirety of his cup onto her brand new white blouse. She stood, unmoving, as the scalding coffee seeped into her clothes. She abstractedly registered the sound of the barista's startled gasp as she stared at her ruined shirt.

She should have expected that something like this would happen, on today of all days.

"I need another coffee."

Rey was pulled from her state of shock by the man's voice. She narrowed her eyes and looked up to see that he was now leaning over the counter as though he hadn't just emptied an entire cup of coffee on her.

"Excuse me?" Rey called, poking him aggressively in the center of his back. Susan might have to ignore his behavior as part of her job, but Rey Kenobi sure as hell didn't.

"Yes?" he sighed dramatically. As though she were inconveniencing him!

Whatever retort she had on the tip of her tongue, however, was completely forgotten as he turned towards her, and she got a good look at him for the first time.

The first thought that flitted through her mind was that he was ungodly tall. He towered over her five-foot-seven frame by at least six inches, even with her heels adding some height to her stature.

The second was that he had one of the most unusual faces she had ever seen on a human being.

He wasn't ugly, by any stretch of the imagination, although she wouldn't call him conventionally attractive, either. His nose seemed almost too big for his head, jutting prominently outwards as it was. His dark hair fell nearly to his shoulders, and was currently slicked back from his face with what appeared to be an excessive amount of hair gel.

The tailored black suit he wore screamed wealth and affluence, and Rey would have disliked him for that fact alone. Combined with the way he was presently glaring down at her with his green eyes, however, and Rey hated him immediately.

"Aren't you going to apologize for ruining my blouse?" She gestured to the dark blemish staining her chest and abdomen.

"Why?"

She frowned in confusion. "Why? Why what?"

"Why should I apologize to you when you were the person at fault?"

"Me?!" she sputtered indignantly. "How exactly did you manage to come to that conclusion?"

"You werestanding too close behind me," he sneered. "Honestly, it's a wonder I couldn't feel your breath on my neck. If you could reach it, that is." The asshole (because, really, what else would one call someone with such a charming disposition) smirked at her.

"Besides, even if I was to blame, which I am not, I would not feel an ounce of remorse for sullying such a cheap, designer knock-off masquerading as a blouse. You should be thanking me."

"How dare you! I will have you know that this shirt cost me a month's salary, you arrogant buffoon!"

"Your insults are as witty as your fashion sense is refined," he countered drily. He pulled away from her. Rey hadn't even realized they were standing so close together.

He made a point to pick up the cooling cup of coffee that Susan had placed on the counter at some point during their spat. "As exciting as this little squabble has been, I have somewhere more important to be."

With those parting words, he brushed past her, not sparing her another glance. Rey's hands clenched into fists at her side as she walked up to the counter. Angry tears blurred her vision.

"What can I get you?" the girl asked kindly.

Rey took a deep breath and smiled at her, determined to push the unpleasant encounter to the back of her mind. Her hands were trembling as she answered, "One green tea, please." Her hands were still trembling, so caffeine was probably not a good idea at the moment.

Susan handed over the tea, waving away the money in Rey's outstretched hand. "It's on the house."

The young lawyer was in no mood to argue, so she took the offered drink without complaint. She could chastise herself later.

As she wandered through the courthouse, back towards the room where her meeting was being held, she ran into Luke, looking as calm and composed as ever. She wished, more than ever, that he could send some of that tranquility her way.

"Rey, what happened to you?" he asked, eyeing her disheveled appearance. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," she replied truthfully. Luke Skywalker had a face that persuaded everyone he met to reveal all of their secrets.

"I just had a rather horrible encounter with some jerk in the coffee line. I'll be fine."

Luke took hold of her bag, grunting exaggeratedly at the weight. Rey couldn't stop the small laugh from escaping.

"You realize this is just a pre-trial meeting, right?"

She nodded. "I know. I just wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything."

Luke grinned. "You are going to be absolutely brilliant, Rey. You've worked hard, and today is only the beginning. We will go in, discuss with the judge and First Order's law team, and then start preparing for the actual trial."

He rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Now, why don't you take a minute to clean yourself up and calm down. You won't be able to concentrate on the case until you do. I'll be here when you're finished."

Rey sipped her tea as she walked to the bathroom, thoughts of the asshole from earlier still swirling in her head. Luke was right, she knew. She was no good to anyone in her current state of mind.

Ten minutes later, her hair was back to the simple bun she had arranged it in that morning before leaving her apartment. She had buttoned her jacket all the way to chin to cover the coffee stain. It was a bit too warm for her liking, but it beat appearing unprofessional any day of the week.

When she arrived back at the room, she was surprised to see Luke conversing with another man. The back of his head looked vaguely familiar….

"Rey!" Luke called once he noticed her approaching. "I'd like you to meet my nephew, Ben."

"It's Kylo Ren, now, Luke," said a deep voice.

Rey froze. Oh please no. Anyone but him.

The stranger glanced at her over his shoulder, mouth tilting up at one corner when he realized who she was.

"Y-your n-nephew?" she stuttered, gaze darting between the two men.

"Yes. Ben – no, sorry, Kylo – is the general counsel for First Order, Inc. Kylo, this is my protégée, Rey Kenobi."

Kylo (What kind of name is that, anyway?) turned towards her. She gulped as her eyes met his.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Ren."

"Oh the pleasure is all mine." The way the words rolled off his tongue reminded her of a lion closing in on its prey.

"Ms. Kenobi, I look forward to besting you in court."

Oh. Well, shit.

I apologize if there are any errors in my portrayal of proper legal technique/methodology. I researched everything I could, but, if I overlooked something, I am so sorry!

What did you think? Leave a review and let me know!