When he opens his eyes, the first thing Kylo notices is how the flourescent lights blare in his eyes, jolting him upwards. His hands and ankles are bound, strapped to an interrogation chair. Struggling to break free, he squirms, thrashing about. What could I possibly have done to get into a situation like this? He wonders.
"I wouldn't do that," a woman cloaked in all black robes says from the corner. Her voice is deep, mechanical, due to it being emitted from a machine. Her form is agile and graceful, as though she could slip through anything, fit through the tiniest of crevices. "The more you struggle, the more frustrated you get and the harder it is for you," she says, as she walks over to where he sits, looming over him.
"Well then why don't you tell me what I'm doing in this facility?" Kylo gestures to the small, compact room without windows. The walls were constructed this way to make the prisoner feel as though the galaxy is closing in on them.
"You don't know? Of course you wouldn't," the woman scoffs. "I'm certain your kind don't think twice about their findings and the people they take them from. My name is Rey. I am a Knight of the Ren, right hand of the Supreme Leader of the First Order. And you—"
"Are you trying to intimidate me with this whole 'Knight of the Ren, First Order, dark side' bullshit? I've often found that those people high up in power try to overcompensate for their lack of skill with these fancy titles," Kylo strikes back.
Beneath the mask, Rey's eyes squint, as she snorts. How dare he? How dare this scavenger speak to her in such a manner? She earned her title through the spilling of blood and the sweat of battle. She has the scars to prove it. "No, you inept, arrogant thief, I'm not trying to intimidate you. Can't you see I'm trying to let you know who you're dealing with, so that you don't say anything stupid?" Flicking her wrist, she adds, "Clearly, it's too late for that." She leans forward to face him with her shoulders pushed back in a wide stance. "Did you really think it would be a good idea to sift through a cartel of the First Order, one that was being transported to our major headquarters? I must say I'm impressed it has taken us this long to find you, but Kylo, you have stolen something of mine. Something very important to me, and I want it back."
"And what, pray tell, did I exactly steal from you?" He tries to sound as unaffected as possible, but his voice wavers at the end, panicked. Sifting through his recent memories, he tries to find out what the hell she is talking about.
"My grandfather's helmet. It belonged to the great Anakin Skywalker, or as many know him, Darth Vader."
"If this item is so important to you, then why didn't you have it on you?" Kylo challenges.
"We were relocating headquarters under short notice, so I didn't have time to—" Taking a sharp intake of breath, she stops mid-sentence. "Wait a minute, I don't have to explain myself to anyone, much less you. I'm asking the questions here." She points to herself with her thumb. "Why did you do it?"
Finally understanding what she means, he says defensively, "Look, I was desperate. Not all of us are high and mighty and have millions of minions running around to do our bidding. Nor are we born to great parents and have opportunity shitting out from behind our imperial, stuck up ass. Some of us have to actually make a living. I didn't think that piece of metal was anything important. I saw it as something that would make me a quick buck."
The stirring of anger rises in her chest, nearly knocking her off her feet. Getting very close to Kylo's face, she leans into him, as if to whisper something, but what she says next comes out as an authoritative threat. "Don't ever mention my parents again." The hostile tone of her voice makes Kylo draw back, turning his cheek away from her. Taking a step back, she breathes to steady herself and brings them back to the matter at hand. "How dare you try and turn this around on me. I'm not the one who stole something here."
"Haven't you though?" He faces her again. "If what they say about you is true, you've taken something much more valuable than a physical object. How many husbands have you stolen? Wives? Fathers? Mothers? Uncles? Siblings? Children?"
Rey raises her hand to strike, and Kylo flinches in response, his eyes wide. She stops herself at the last minute before hitting his face. Realizing this is what he wants, she takes a step away from him, inhaling the sterile air. Centering herself, she closes her eyes and recalls the meditative forms someone once taught her long ago. Upon opening her eyes, she says, "I do what I do for a reason, and I don't regret it. I don't need to explain myself to you. And I certainly won't allow you to make me feel guilty for my actions." She clears her throat. "Now, I'm giving you a chance to tell me what you did with my grandfather's helmet. You don't want me to have to resort to other measures. You know, I can take whatever I want."
"That's too bad because I have no idea where it is. It was awhile ago, so I don't remember who I sold it to, much less what it looks like. I scavenge so many things. Do you think I keep track of them?" He has no idea what her threat is referring to, which is why he remains so confident in himself, believing he can take anything she has in store for him. After all, he has felt the detrimental effects of starvation many times.
"That's too bad. I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this." She interlocks her hands, stretching them, bringing her arms out in front of her. "I don't enjoy it like people must assume I do." Looking to the side, a remorseful look in her eyes weights her face down for a split second. Then, she turns to him, her eyebrows sharp as slits, determined.
Kylo coils away from her, as she closes in on him, coming mask-to-face with him. He shuts his eyes, bracing himself, expecting her to torture him physically, wondering if she'll pull his nails off his fingers one by one or electrify him with the droid. She simply lifts her hand in the air, hovering near the side of his face, as though she is conducting an orchestra, conjuring up some ancient force. Suddenly, he feels a brutal pressure on his mind—an invasion, a dissection of his brain, which is the last thing he expected. Separate from the physical entity, he imagines himself being laid out on a metal table, his body paralyzed, and various objects probing and picking at him, puncturing his skin, but not enough to compel him to cry out.
On the outside, Kylo perspires heavily, his breath emitting in heavy pants. Rey stares him in the eyes, completely focused on him. "You're so lonely. I can see that," she says, whispering in his ear, taunting him. "So afraid to leave. At night, desperate to sleep. All those years on your own after they left you behind. Always waiting for your family to come back to you, always hoping." Backing away, she adds, "No wonder you make such rash, utterly stupid decisions like stealing from the First Order. You're a desperate, pathetic scavenger."
Hearing the word pathetic sets him off. "Get out of my head" he pants out.
She rises, looming over his sweat-soaked face. "I know the location of my grandfather's helmet is in there. And now, you'll give it to me."
Kylo leans forward towards Rey, gasping, and tries to fight her. "I'm not giving you anything."
"We'll see about that," says Rey, confidence dripping in every syllable.
With all his strength, he pushes her out, his mind no longer paralyzed. Delving into the depths of her mind, he finds fear, how it cloaks her. In that moment, he knows why she wears the mask: to hide the fear. Feeling how unexpected she finds his defense against her, he shouts out, "You're afraid. You're afraid that you'll never be as strong as Darth Vader!"
Rey's hand falters to the side, drooping like a flower starved of water, as she is stricken back. Her eyes widen both in surprise and fascination. "I knew there was more to you than stealth and agility. I've been watching you, and what you just did confirms what I have suspected all along: you are strong with the force. It's okay, Kylo, I feel it too. "
Kylo's eyes widen in surprise, and his jaw drops. The force? She couldn't possibly mean that jedi-judo shit? Isn't that just a myth? These thoughts pass through his mind.
"I have a proposition for you." She slowly moves closer to him, her hesitance apparent in her hunched stance. "I'll forgive you for your transgressions against me, if you join me and the First Order. I can be your teacher. You will be capable of things that are beyond your imagination."
"No thanks," he says, his uninviting tone stops her from approaching closer. "I won't be like you. I'm not going to serve an institution, when I don't even agree with its principles. And I especially won't be your slave."
Rey almost tries to smack him, but instead she settles back down. That certainly won't convince him, she thinks. She rises to take her leave. "Very well then." Her demeanor changes, becoming cool and calculated, as if she planned for this all along. "You will be left in here until you change your mind, and believe me, you will change your mind. I will visit you daily to find out what that wonderful mind of yours is capable of." She grins, obviously enjoying this.
When she turns away, Kylo says, "Wait! I have something you might want. I'm willing to make a proposition for you."
Rey turns back. "You have my attention."
"This all started with me taking your grandfather's helmet. Well, as you know, I sold it, so I can't undo that action, but I have something else that might be of interest of you. Inside a hidden compartment in that helmet, I found a picture of an older woman and a child on a piece of flimsi, like a mother and a daughter. I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, that is you in the picture, which is why you're so set on finding this helmet. Now, I'll tell you the location of the picture, if you set me free."
"Negative. I'm not going to set you free when we are just getting acquainted." She tilts her head to the side.
Kylo sighs. "I didn't think it was going to be that easy. How about this? I'll give you the picture back, if you take of your mask." He smirks, thinking he might as well have a little fun with the overly serious girl in the mask, if he's going to be here awhile.
"What? Why do you want me to take my mask off? You could literally ask for anything else, within reason of course."
"I guess I'm curious to see how much you've grown. Isn't it natural? To wish to see what is purposely being blocked from my vision?"
"I suppose." She clears her throat. "Fine, I'll reveal myself to you, but you better keep your word about that picture. It's important to me." She walks over to him, kneeling down in front of him.
He nods his head, and she places both hands on each side of the mask, pressing a button. A hiss emits from the mask, as she takes it off. It drops to the floor. Her long, wavy, chestnut hair flows out in graceful heaps.
Kylo's jaw drops. Her face isn't what he expected. He sees structured, harsh cheekbones that frame oddly innocent eyes—the eyes of someone who has been witness to too much. Beneath the mask, the skin on her face is soft, pale, and fragile. Suddenly, she isn't so shatterproof. It would be so easy to reach out to touch her petal skin and crinkle it beneath his fingertips.
"What?" Rey asks, her cheeks burning red, chest flushed.
"Nothing...You just look different. A good different...I guess." He clears his throat. "What happened to the shining happy girl in the picture?"
"She grew up, and she made decisions that brought her elsewhere, that brought her here. That little girl is someone who I once was, a constant reminder of what…" I lost, she wants to says, but instead says, "I once was."
"You know you don't have to be this. You could be that girl again."
"How?" She nearly chokes out.
In all honesty, Kylo doesn't know how. There is nothing he could do for this woman. He doesn't even know if she wants to change. He simply looks in her eyes, and something overcomes him, bringing him to lean forward and seal his lips over hers. He knows this isn't helping either of them, but he does it anyways.
Rey lets out a surprised gasp, but eventually sinks into the kiss. She feels like something is collapsing her. She has never been kissed like this before.
Kylo pulls away and says, "You're lonely too, maybe even more than me."
"There was a time when I was less lonely. Maybe you can help me find her, the girl in the picture. Maybe we can help each other to feel less lonely." She looks at him with desperate eyes. This isn't the face of someone full of lust. It's the face of a starved beggar. He knows that look—he's seen that look on him many times.
In response, he pulls her to him, aligning their mouths, locking them in a kiss, lips entwined. He brushes his fingers through her long locks. The moment she freed her hair from that mask he wanted to do that.
Rey sighs in satisfaction. Someone caressing her hair is a weakness of hers. The action reminds her of when her mother would comb her hair, humming some lullaby just before bed. No one has touched her hair in a long time. She finds it unsettling yet oddly comforting how one caress could bring her back to all those years. And how in one fleeting moment, just for once, she doesn't feel pain over recollections of the past.
As they descend deeper into the kiss, Rey places her arms around Kylo's neck, running her hands over the taut muscles of his shoulders. Rey opens her mouth slightly to allow his tongue passage between her lips. As their fervor increases, their tongues dive and delve into each other's mouths, interlocked. Switching from top to bottom lips, trying to kiss every corner of each other's mouths, they savor one another, suckling and nipping.
For once, each of them is calm. In their unity, they contain each other—these two immensely destructive forces neutralized, their weapons stowed away.
Rey breaks away from the kiss and gazes into his eyes to confirm where this is leading and if they will take it there. He nods his head slightly, allowing her to lead.
Rey moves forward, releasing his bindings, then takes his hand, guiding him on his feet. His stature looming over her, she pulls off his shirt. Her lips widen slightly at the sight of his lean muscular form. Reaching out to him, she places both hands on his chest, stroking him, and then runs them down to his hips. His breath hitches in his chest, making him stand rigid, already hard. When she gets to his waistband, she tugs his pants down, and he accommodates her by pushing them off his legs.
Once he is completely freed of clothing, she takes a step back to admire his figure. He is tall and broad, the embodiment of masculinity in its prime. His limbs are long and lanky, but they seem to assist him when he needs to climb pillars and scavenge for items, allowing him to be stealthy. He has various scars, dark marks on his skin that look as though a great animal had scratched him.
It is nothing compared to hers. These scars are of his own making, perhaps he fell. Her scars were given to her by others, those who left their mark on her in the heat of battle, serving as a reminder, a reminder to try harder, to never let it happen again. Or they were punishments from Snoke‒to make her stronger, help her relish in the power of the dark side. People who give her scars imprint themselves onto her, both in her memory and upon her flesh. She can't let him see how many have tainted her. Instead, she moves away from him to stand behind him. As she is turning, she draws a finger across his shoulder blades. She says, "Don't turn around."
Behind him, she strips off her clothing piece by piece, going tantalizingly slow, watching his every movement. Kylo listens intently to each drop of cloth falling to the floor, hoping it will be the last. Once she is naked, she shivers, not from the cold, but from the anticipation of what's to come. She hasn't revealed herself completely to a man ever. It's not like she has never had sex before. Snoke encouraged the passions of the flesh to bring her closer to the dark side, but she always kept most of her clothes on.
In a single step, she plunges forward and presses her breasts to his back, gripping onto his shoulders with her hands, nearly clawing him. Her head is turned, her right cheek plastered between his shoulder blades.
He intakes a breath sharply. "Please, let me see you," he begs.
She twists her head to whisper in his ear, saying "I don't think I can do that." Her breath tickles him, a tingle slithering up his body from the base of his spine to his skull, like a snake.
"I want to see you, Rey. What are you afraid of?"
"I don't know…" she mumbles. "I have a lot of scars. I'm sure you've been with women who look more 'feminine' with soft, pristine skin and shapely curves."
He turns his head to look back at her. "Rey, the woman I've had in the past weren't exactly what you'd call "curvy." I live on a desert planet. From what I can tell, you feel very feminine."
She blushes at that, her hand rising to her cheek, as she smiles. "Fine," she takes a step back from him. "You can turn around."
The speed with which he swoops around is embarrassingly fast, which makes her laugh lightly. He takes her in, as if to immortalize her in his memory. Scanning over her thin, lithe form, his eyes widen and eyebrows rise. "When you first took off the mask, my first thought was how beautiful you are."
Her face flushes slightly. "No, that's not usually the first word that comes to mind, when people think about me." Ruthless, domineering, even brilliant, but beautiful? Never. It is nice to hear it for once, she thinks.
He looks at her small, rose-bud breasts and wants to touch her erect nipples. "Can I touch you?" he asks.
"I think I would like that very much," she smirks, tilting her body and putting her weight onto one side.
In one fluid movement, he holds one breast in hand, squeezing slightly, immensely curious. He rubs the other breast's nipple, pinching lightly so as not to hurt her.
Her breath hitches, and she has to bite her lip to keep from moaning out. "You know you could do it harder than that."
He increases the pressure and brings his head down to lick one nipple, swirling his tongue over the soft, sensitive flesh, which incites a moan from her lips. He breaks away from her chest, getting down on his knees. Before he begins the worship of her body, he peers up at her, then kisses a crescent-shaped scar on her shin. Realizing his intention, Rey isn't sure if she is on the brink of bursting because of his sweet gesture or the fact that his lips on her body is making all the blood rush to her core. He brushes his lips along her entire body, starting at her legs, moving up to her toned stomach, along her arms, until he finally reaches her lips.
Rey breaks away from the kiss, panting. "My turn," she says. Starting at the top, she runs her fingers through his dark hair, then brings her hands down to caress his chest, making her way to his abs and hips. Finally, she places her hand on his erect cock, stroking it from base to tip in slow, deliberate motions.
Rey watches as his head tips back in a groan at the friction—she always loved what she could do to a man just by having his flesh in her hands. She increases the rhythm, making sure to rub her thumb over the tip, his most sensitive area.
Kylo pulls away from her. "I want you right now, Rey."
Rey decides to press her lips against him again, and he lifts her up, letting her wrap her muscular legs around his waist. Just the soft skin of her inner thigh rubbing along his waist could send him over the edge, but he steadies himself. Setting them on the chair, he lets her be on top.
"Good," she says. "I like you beneath me, that way I can watch you writhe."
Lifting his mouth to her ear, he growls in agreement, and it sends shock waves throughout her body, heat settling in her center. Holding him in place, she presses her sex against him, ripping a groan from his throat. She lifts herself up slightly, so that she's standing on her tippy-toes. Grabbing his cock, she rubs the head against that spot that makes her weak. Unable to take it anymore, Kylo grabs her hips, nailing digging into her flesh, and slams her down on him, making them both cry out from the direct contact.
Rey straddles him harder, so that he has the urge to squirm beneath her. "You're gonna pay for that," she says, a maliciously playful flash in her eyes. In an instant, she seizes his wrists in a tight grip, lifting them over his head, pressing them against the wall behind them. This position forces them to look each other in the eyes as they fuck. Setting the pace, she shoves her body down on him ruthlessly, revelling in the fullness he gives her. Kylo looks up at her, panting, face flushed, sweat dripping down his forehead, and she knows he likes her like this. Gaining more confidence, she rocks and rolls her hips, sensing the slow build igniting inside her. Simultaneously, their voices begin to trip and tumble over themselves, lost in the moment, unable to control the sounds being emitted. Rey takes one hand away from the wall and shifts them, so that she holds both of Kylo's wrists with one hand. Using the other, she reaches for her clit and begins moving in fast, circular motions.
"You know," Kylo says between racy breaths, his voice strained. "I could help you with that if you let me." His eyes lift up to where she has him in her clutches.
Nodding her head, Rey releases his wrists, drawing her hands back, so that she can place them on his thighs to support herself. She opens her legs wide, splayed out for him, displaying the most intimate parts of her. Taking a second to admire her, he scans her supple body, and his cock clenches inside her. Before placing his hand on her clit, he makes sure to trail them up and down, testing his circular ministrations to see how much pressure she likes. Once he sees her bite down a moan, he knows he's got it.
"It's okay, Rey," he pants out. "You don't have to hide." He gazes into her eyes. "I want to hear you moan for me." He thrusts up into her harder. The two types of stimulation make her go crazy, as a whimper escapes her lips. She didn't know she was capable of whimpering. Suddenly, she loses control, feeling as though a wave is crashing over her head, as she cries out in ecstasy. Kylo follows soon after, as her muscles clench around his cock. Before he spills, he pulls out and finishes on her stomach. Chests heaving, dazed eyes, and hearts pumping like fountains, they pull each other close for one last embrace, kissing between pants.
As they gaze into each other's eyes, Rey wants to ask him to stay, but she can't bring herself to do it. Instead, she pulls away from him and begins to dress herself. He does the same, starting to ruffle through his clothes, as though looking for something. Before she can leave, closing the door behind her, he grabs her wrist, making her turn around and places the picture in the palm of her hand. A smile breaks over Rey's face, brightening her. It is the first genuine one in a long time.
Kylo clears his throat and says, "You should smile more often. You look like the young girl in the picture." He lifts his arm and caresses the side of her face. Rey sinks into it, nuzzling him.
"Thank you," she replies.
"You're welcome," he nods.
"Get out of here," Rey says quietly. She doesn't mean it. She knows she wants him to stay, but not like this, not as Snoke's weapon.
"What?" Kylo gapes.
"Leave before I change my mind. You don't want to be here."
"You're right. I don't want to be here." Looking around the room, he points to the ceiling above them, which suddenly feels as though it could cave in on them. "I want to be here," he says, as he places her hand on her heart. "But neither of us is ready for that." He turns away from her, leaving. "Until next time."
"I will come for you," Rey says.
"Is that a threat?" He smirks, turning back to her.
"No, it's a promise." Her phrase hangs in the air like a wish made upon a shooting star.
He glimpses at her one last time before tearing his eyes away. Then, he is out the door faster than she can blink.
Rey stays there awhile, contemplating, trying to sort through her emotions. She isn't sad; she knows they'll meet again. Two great forces like that cannot avoid each other forever. They are meant to collide. Most of all she is surprised that she let a scavenger get the best of her, let him get under her skin. Not even that, she had completely surrendered, and it didn't hurt. She clutches the picture to her chest before leaving the room behind for good.
