Ben Solo wiped the sweat from his brow. They neared the end of their training for the day and his partner hadn't let up for a second. He faced her and readied himself in an aggressive stance. Across the training ground, his target tensed, ready for him. She stood in perfect form as their master had trained her. Being Jedi trained in the ways of the Light Side, she and Skywalker were both better with defense. A glimmer of confidence flashed in her steely gaze. It was on.

He rushed her and swiped with only half of his strength which she easily blocked but with the remainder of his strength, he maneuvered quickly below her and attempted to flip her. She was prepared for this and flipped easily, landing on her feet with her weapon set to block his next attack. Their wooden sabers met and he used brute force to push her back. However, she used his strength as a starting point and rolled backwards to gain more distance. She was still prepared with her weapon and he continued berating her, getting closer and closer to having her right where he wanted her. And just as he was about to deliver the final blow, he felt something push him back. He let his hands fall to his sides limply and unabashedly pouted at his opponent.

"No using the Force, Rey! We talked about this!"

He easily blocked her next swing with the saber and attempted to strike back but quickly had to block again. She began swinging quickly and he had to step backward to maintain his footing. Rey was easily overpowering him until he heard softly in his mind, "Use what Skywalker said this morning." In that instant, he gagued his surroundings and as she attempted an overhead strike, Ben moved to the side. As her sword struck the ground, he knocked her shoulder sending her to the floor. However, she quickly turned as she fell and held up her saber to meet his as it nearly grazed her neck.

He watched her smug expression and couldn't help but smile. Even on her back, she still had the upper hand. She still had her sword and her foot was at his ankle ready to knock him off his feet with a swift kick.

He rolled his eyes and withdrew his saber, "It was only because you used the Force on me. It caught me off guard."

She stood up and dusted herself off, "I should hope the same goes for anyone who tries to attack us." That wasn't the answer he was hoping for. She waved her hand dismissively as they headed to the rack to put away their weapons. "Don't worry, I won't use it unless absolutely necessary." Still not what he was hoping for. "And besides, how else are you going to learn proper defense if you're always the one on offense?"

Ben returned his weapon and grabbed his linen cloak, "The Jedi never use the Force as an attack."

"I wasn't!"

"What I mean is Jedi aren't supposed to attack at all. Defense is the way of the Jedi." He was looming over her and she looked up at him with unmoving eyes.

"Then why do you insist on being the attacker?"

"It's what I'm best at." He looked away and headed for the exit. "Besides, the way of the Jedi is lost to me, I can't truly be a Jedi with what I've done." He looked back at her and she looked disappointed, as though she knew he was right but still found it unfair. He returned to her and brushed a stray hair from her face, "But I can help you. And I'll do anything I can to make you the best."

She crossed her arms and looked up at him, he tried to understand what she was thinking but she seemed conflicted.

He backed away from her and turned to leave again, saying, "You should go clean up and get some dinner. You did a lot today."

"Ben!" She called. He stopped and looked back. "Would you," she hesitated, "like to have dinner with the rest of us?"

He looked around and furrowed his brow slightly. She'd asked this a few times in the past week. Ever since their afternoon together in her bunk. He didn't know how to respond and usually tried to sidestep the question. However, today he asked, "Do you think," he thought a second more, "do you think that's a good idea?"

She approached him with an effortless sway and took his hand, "You can't hide from them forever."

He avoided her gaze, "I know but," he trailed off.

Rey only answered with a smile and brushed his face gently, "It's alright. Whenever you're ready." She pulled away and left the training arena and he looked back down at his hand that she'd held and thought for a moment more before also retiring.

She said that every time. And each time he was grateful for her patience. He didn't want to disappoint her but he was truly apprehensive at the idea of sitting around with people he'd actively tried to kill. With Rey it was different. He had gotten to know her in a way that was safe for the both of them. They couldn't attack each other through their bond, and Snoke had used their understanding of each other to lure her to him. The Supreme Leader had used his apprentice in a way to trick Rey. The thought made him sick and ashamed. But that she was still with him, that she'd continued to trust him despite his failings, he wasn't sure what to attribute that to. He wanted to believe it was her own choice and her own compassion that led her to forgive him. But he couldn't help the growing fear in his stomach that he'd somehow played into Snoke's hand by actually seducing the padawan.

After freshening, Ben opened the door to exit the fresher and head to his room. However, instead of an empty hallway, he almost toppled over a much smaller person.

She jumped back with a squeal and he wasn't sure how to respond aside from putting up his hands to let her know he meant no harm. It was Rose.

"Sorry!" She recovered and put her hands behind her head, rubbing her scalp nervously.

"Can I help you?" He asked, slowly exiting the fresher but not turning his back on her. "This is the men's fresher, you know."

She crossed her arms in an attempt to seem casual, "I know! I, uh, had to ask you something." He continued to back away from the door, prompting her to follow until they were walking alongside one another back to his room.

"What do you need?"

She wrung her hands together, seeming to work on a reply. He kept his eyes forward, waiting for it and when he was about to reassure her that she could speak freely with him, she finally asked, "When are you just going to eat with us?"

He stopped and looked at her. She looked up at him, afraid and anxious, he hated that. "I don't know if that is a good idea."

"Why not?! You're," she trailed off. She hadn't really thought of an argument.

"I know how you all see me. I don't think that eating our meals together would fix that." He continued on to his room, hoping to end the conversation there.

She caught up to him easily despite her shorter strides, "I think you're overthinking it." She smiled, trying to reassure him.

He stopped and faced her again, "I appreciate what you're trying to do but-"

"No, you know what, I shouldn't have to explain this." She suddenly gained all the confidence she needed. Her dark eyes locked with his in resounding strength, something all the women around him seemed to have in plenty. "Come eat with us. Rey wants you to. We sit at the third table from the door. You'll see us." She turned around and marched away and all he could do was watch helplessly. He was trapped now. Both women had asked him to join their dinner. Well, one had asked and the other commanded.

Ben made his way to Rey's room and opened the door to find her, Finn, and Poe chatting. He almost stepped back and away until Rey cried out in joy, "Ben!"

He stayed and looked between the three of them, ready to flee, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Not at all," Rey continued getting up from her bunk, "we were just heading to the mess hall."

"You comin'?" Poe asked, looking him straight in the face, almost digging into him with his gaze. Ben felt a lump in his throat and did his best to seem resolved.

"Actually, I just wanted to talk to Rey." The two men stared at him blankly, clearly steadfast. He tried again, "It's Jedi business."

Poe let out a long sigh and Finn responded, "Look, you get to spend all day with her talking about Jedi and Force business. But during dinner, can't you let her spend time with her friends? Please?"

Ben felt nervous and backed away, "Right. Sorry." He quickly left to make his way back to his room.

"Ben, wait! They're only joking!" Rey hurried after him and grabbed his arm tenderly. He whirled around and Poe and Finn were at the door smirking behind Rey.

He knew his eyes were massive and his jaw tensed reflexively. He looked at her nervously and back at her friends and finally back at her.

She read him easily and let go of his arm, "You don't have to join us. I just don't want you to feel like you can't join us."

Poe maintained his smirk, "Yeah, Ben, come on! Have dinner with us! We're not all murderers, traitors, and thieves."

Ben let out a low sigh as Finn snickered. Rey looked back at them and apparently succeeded in shutting them up. She returned a hopeful gaze to Ben and he asked her through the bond, Is this how I'm going to make up for all my transgressions? By having horrible dinners with everyone who hates me? Her gaze was steady but there was a twinge of hurt. I'll be honest, I'd rather be physically tortured.

She frowned and turned away, returning to her friends. "Let's go. I'm starving." Finn followed close behind but Poe stared at Ben and shook his head slowly before turning to follow them.

Ben attempted to reach into Rey's mind but was met with a titanium wall. He huffed and returned to his room. After the door closed behind him, he laid on his bed and glared up at the ceiling. What was he doing? Why was he acting this way and messing things up with Rey, the only one who'd showed him any kindness? He blushed remembering the other afternoon. He'd told himself for so long that he didn't deserve forgiveness, but Rey had made it clear that she had forgiven him. Although, doubt began to rush in. They hadn't been together in that way since then. She made it clear that she desired him and wanted to keep forgiving him whenever they got the chance. But she hadn't come to him or allowed him anything more than a brush of skin. Had she come to her senses? He was being selfish. What more could he possibly want? She'd forgiven him and she'd keep forgiving him.

Then it hit him. She'd forgiven him, but her friends hadn't. Did she want their approval before continuing whatever they had? If they forgave him, would she let him touch her again? But he couldn't sway her friends the way he'd swayed her. He had tortured one, nearly killed the other, and ultimately had destroyed hope across the galaxy for everyone else. Maybe, in the end he didn't want them to forgive him. It would be easier to just give in to the hatred he felt from everyone when he'd first arrived.

Thinking on it, though, he began to realize that people glared at him less and less. He seemed to not strike as much fear in people. And no one seemed as surprised whenever he rounded a corner, unless it was Rose who was naturally jumpy.

His stomach grumbled and brought him out of his thoughts. He reached under his bunk for his stash of rations he'd kept for when he was particularly unlikely to go out. It turned out to be more nights than he'd planned and he couldn't find anything but empty wrappers. He laid back with a sigh. It seemed the Force was pushing him to have dinner with everyone. He took a deep breath and sat up.

Ben crossed his legs in a meditative position and began to relax his mind. He looked for Rey and hoped that her wall had lowered. Apparently in her merriment, it had. He saw her smiling and felt her joy. It almost made him smile. Then, Rey's eyes locked with his. Her smile wavered before continuing her conversation, pretending he wasn't there. He swallowed and then opened his eyes back on his bunk. He stood up with an audible exhale, and left his room.

Her eyes brightened when she saw him enter the mess hall and he did his best to hide the smile that was forming. The others looked up to him and they had to force smiles on seeing him. That kept his optimism in check. However, Poe grabbed a seat for him and set it at the table between himself and Rey. Ben nodded to him and sat down between them.

Poe picked up his dinner roll and picked off a bit, flicking it into his mouth. While chewing he smirked and said, "Rey was just telling us about how she kicked your ass at practice today."

Ben inhaled nodded, "She's been getting better. We stopped using our previous technique and it's working more to her advantage."

Rose piped up, "What technique were you using before?"

Poe replied, not missing a beat, "You remember how Rey was just the worst the past few weeks?" Rose looked nervously between all of them but Poe continued nodding, "That was why."

Finn responded, "She wasn't the worst. Just," he trailed off, noticing Rey's jaw tightening.

"Tense." Ben agreed. "We were practicing cutting Rey from the Force that connected her with myself and Master Skywalker. It was a technique that he and Snoke used on me in my early years of training."

"But if Snoke used it, why would you do it? Wasn't he…" she didn't finish the thought.

"The worst?" Finn continued.

"Well, yes, he was." Ben acknowledged.

"That's why you killed him." Poe said with a smirk and drank his deep, caramel colored drink greedily.

Finn laughed and Rose looked increasingly nervous as she looked between them all. She let out an apprehensive laugh to mimic Finn. Rey was looking down at her bowl and Ben grit his teeth.

"Oh relax. I'm kidding! I know why you did it."

Ben looked at him confounded. He felt Finn and Rey both shoot the pilot an aggressive look.

Ben looked at Rey and Poe finished, "It was for Rey."

Rose and Ben seemed to be equally in the dark but Ben was a darker shade of red in his confusion. Rose looked at Poe, "What does that mean?"

"Ben, aren't you hungry?" Rey asked, "Let's go get you some food." She grabbed his arm and he couldn't protest as she used the Force to help him up from his seat. They made their way to the stew pot and she poured him a bowl.

"What did he mean by that?" Ben asked as he took the bowl from her and took a spoon and dinner roll.

"He's been drinking, you shouldn't listen to anything he says." She started back towards the table but he stood firm.

"What have you told them?"

"Just about how we defeated Snoke together."

"Have you told them about," he lowered his voice glancing back at the table before giving her a look.

She looked at him plainly, "How we made love?"

He forged past her, "Forget it! Forget I asked!" He sat down in his seat and looked at Poe. Apparently, the pilot thought he knew the whole story. Ben was going to ensure that he understood the reasoning behind his betrayal of the Supreme Leader, "Would you like to know happened in Snoke's chamber? According to the one who killed the Supreme Leader?"

Poe put down his drink and look at him intrigued. Rose and Finn both looked at him expectantly while Rey sat down calmly.

Ben continued, "Alright. We entered his chamber."

"Rey as your prisoner." Finn reminded him.

"As Snoke's prisoner." Finn rolled his eyes and Ben let it slide. He was determined to have them see it his way. "We entered his chamber and he proceeded to interrogate Rey."

"You mean torture." Poe said while nibbling on a bit of his roll. His eyes were critical but nonchalant at the same time.

"Yes."

"Because you know interrogating and torturing aren't necessarily the same, right?"

Ben looked at him, waiting for anything else. Poe continued to chew his roll and stared at him, waiting for him to continue. He did, "Right, he was," he paused, "torturing Rey, and then he set her in front of me and ordered me to kill her."

Rose's eyes widened as she listened, she hadn't heard this part of the story apparently.

"Instead, I trained my thoughts -because he saw in my mind- to focus on keeping my plans vague. He was distracted by the idea of me destroying Skywalker's prodigy, that he didn't see what was clearly happening." Rose was his ally. Her expression gave her away. "I moved my grandfather's lightsaber to face him. And just turned it on."

"That's amazing!" Rose said excitedly.

Rey took control of the narrative, "And then, he called the lightsaber and I caught it and together we beat the guards in Snoke's chamber. It was incredible! We were so in sync, it was like nothing I've ever done or even seen before." She paused and then looked at him bashfully.

Ben nodded looking at her reassuringly, "I've never fought with anyone like that either."

Rose looked between them with a small, knowing grin that made Ben a little sheepish. He started on his dinner then and didn't want to add any more to the conversation.

"And then what?" Rose asked.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked confused.

"How did you escape?"

Rey smiled, "We escaped on Snoke's escape pod. Then, we made it to the Millenium Falcon."

Finn laughed, "Tell her what Chewie did when he saw him!"

Ben swallowed a mouthful of soup. Rey leaned forward and grabbed her glass, "Chewie wasn't happy to see him." She took a sip of water, not wanting to divulge in this mockery.

Rose looked between them all, "Wha-"

Finn burst, "He knocked him out!" He and Poe laughed together and Rose looked confusedly amused.

Ben continued to eat, not wanting to give away his embarrassment.

Finn continued, "I mean, he killed his own father, Chewie's co-pilot, and then expects to jump onto the ship and just be in the Resistance!"

Ben attempted to defend himself, "Well," his mouth was full and he swallowed quickly, "I didn't expect to be a part of the Resistance necessarily."

"Oh yeah?" Poe asked, "Then what was your plan?"

He flushed. It only became clear to him recently why he'd joined the Resistance in the first place. He always knew why, but coming to terms with it was difficult. Especially in front of the present company. After all, it didn't seem very heroic to say that he switched sides because of a girl.

Rey read his panic and interceded, "He joined because I told him about his mother and how much she missed him. How it was time to make things right."

Poe looked at Rey and shook his head, "Nah, you've been covering his ass for too long, I want him to say it. And say the truth. The truth we all know."

"If you all know it, then why do I need to say it?"

"You can't hide forever, bud. We already know you two bumped the other day!"

Ben flushed and looked at Rey who had pulled her lips into a tight line and was just as crimson as he was. He looked back at Poe, "What?"

"Don't play dumb!" Ben could only assume that the liquor had hit him hard. His candor was more outrageous than usual. "We know you did it. Just fess up and we'll keep going easy on you!" He took another swig from his glass.

"You think this is easy?" Ben's dinner roll disintegrated in his hand and fell in crumbs to the floor.

"Comparatively, yeah."

"Compared to what?"

Poe stared calmly at Ben's mounting rage. He'd been waiting for this for a while, "Interrogation."

Rey interceded, "Poe. Don't."

Ben's rage plateaued as he looked into the half-lidded eyes of his tormentor. "You," he hesitated and then searched his hands, littered with crumbs, for the words. He looked back up at the pilot, "You really do still hate me." He knew it was true, why was it such a surprise?

Poe nodded. "And you've got these nice ladies fooled, but I know you. I've seen what you've done. I saw you kill all those people. You 'interrogated' me with your sick mind powers. You had Finn in sickbay for days. That's not something you just forget after a few months of schmoozing. And if we're all being honest, we all know the only reason you're still alive is because of who your mom is. And now, who your girlfriend is."

Ben's rage began its deadly ascent. Leaving the plateau behind to venture into the reaches of the stratosphere. Every part of him screamed in rage, wanting to bash in the head of this arrogant prick. He would destroy him on the table where everyone could see. Everyone would know not to toy with him. They would fear his-

He stopped. He breathed in, and out. He got up. And he left. He wouldn't play into this game. He was going to be better. Not the best. The best of men would have defended himself the right way. The best of men would have defended Rey and his mother. But it was all he could do to simply turn away and not destroy everything he could see.

After leaving the mess hall, he didn't go to his room. He didn't go to the training grounds. He didn't go to Skywalker or his mother for guidance. Instead, he left the base entirely and only came to realize his surroundings in the thick of a snowy, evergreen forest. He looked up and felt the gentle flakes bite into his skin. This was good. The cold would calm him, distract him, allow him time to reflect on how to handle the storm brewing in his gut.

Ben continued on, the only sound being the crunch of snow beneath his feet. Colors retreated, only black and white, and the haze of gray that hung between the black of the tree and the white of the snow. His heavy breath joined the sound of crunching. The pumping of his blood echoed in his ears, louder than any of the crunching, panting, or sniveling.

Ben stalled his journey at a small clearing in the woods. He stood in the center and attempted to clear his mind. He could see the heat of his breath form into clouds of condensation in front of him. This was good, he convinced himself. The numbing power of the cold would help him relax. The snow would encase him and freeze him, keep him from hurting anyone. He would be able to focus in on the Force and not on what Dameron had said, not on his smug face, and not on his words that only made him want to eviscerate the entire compound.

It would be easy to accomplish. A familiar hissing voice whispered in the encroaching darkness of his thoughts. He drew his newly crafted green lightsaber and quickly turned around. He was in the familiar interrogation room. Poe Dameron sat in the chair glaring at him. Ben clenched his fist, withdrew his weapon, and returned it to his belt.

Why do you turn from your destiny? Why do you pull away from my teachings?

Ben clenched his jaw and glared at Dameron. He extended his open hand to release him and saw the familiar black glove guarding his fingers. He realized then that he was wearing the mask he'd destroyed. That he was no longer Ben Solo, but Kylo Ren again. He looked down at himself and saw the familiar layers of black shrouding him. He looked back up at his prisoner and saw the contempt in his eyes.

This is where you take your revenge, my apprentice. Here, in the recesses of your mind, you can torture your enemies to your heart's content. You can destroy them freely.

"To what end?"

To the only end, Kylo Ren. His end. Their end.

Kylo swallowed hard, looking into the eyes of the man who hated him. His hand was still extended, and he hated how it trembled so unassuredly.

"Do it." Poe said, his eyes steady and prepared. "Show them who you really are. That you'll never change. That you're still a scared little kid," slowly, Dameron's voice harshened, he began to meld into another form, a ghost, the ghost of Ben Solo's father, "trying to impress dear, old Dad."

Suddenly, the interrogation room crumbled away and he was on the platform where he'd committed that fatal sin. Han Solo approached him, "Come on, son. You already know you're not a Jedi. That you'd never be a Jedi. That no one believed in you. You've always had the darkness in you."

Kylo felt his anger balling in his stomach as the smug pilot approached him.

"Just run me through, kid. You did it so easily before."

He drew his saber and with a primal cry lit it to reveal the electric red he'd always known. He thought that was easy? Solo smirked at him and Kylo returned it with his own smug fury. It wasn't before, but seeing his father's contempt, it made it much easier. He'd killed him once, he could do it again. He could feel the darkness mounting within him, ready to consume him. Then, surprising himself, Kylo Ren sliced down, splitting the bridge between them, and turned away from his father. Then, he was transported to Snoke's chamber.

"You can't turn from what you've done." Snoke said, his figure clear and alive in his throne, "You are the heir to the Dark Side. You will never be anything else." His master extended his arm and the red room melted away.

Then Rey was before him in the snow, in the evergreen forest. Her hair was tied up in three buns, and her desert rags made him shiver for her. A scowl marred her face and her eyes burned with achingly unforgettable fury. He dropped his weapon but before it hit the ground, she stabbed him in the shoulder. He dropped to his knees before her, reaching for his wound but she sliced across his face with his grandfather's lightsaber. He fell to the ground, the pain searing his cheek, burning like nothing before, yet painfully familiar. He screamed in pain, lying on the ground. The memories of everyone's pained faces, Poe's in the chair, his father's as he ripped through him, Rey's at the hands of Snoke, which he'd failed to prevent. He saw villagers, prisoners, nameless stormtroopers scream and beg for mercy before he tortured, maimed, or killed them.

Kylo Ren closed his eyes, hoping to block his view, but it was useless. His victims were imprinted in his mind. Their pain was embedded into his soul. He'd never be free. He didn't deserve to be free. He wanted his victims to be freed in his own demise. He opened his eyes to look at the forest sky but saw Rey standing over him with her saber drawn. The blue light illuminated her features, making her appear to him as an angel of death.

"Please," he whispered. Then he felt a surprisingly warm hand on his scarred cheek. For some reason, it didn't burn anymore.

"Ben, you're cold as ice!" He heard her say.

He was shivering. Rey was over him now, her lightsaber gone and she looked different from how he saw her a moment ago. Soft strands of unbound hair fell past her shoulders. Instead of her scavenger garb, she wore a gray cloak but she quickly removed it to wrap him up.

"You have to get up. We'll get you back to the base and get you warm."

He let out a shaky breath and saw the heat hit her. He couldn't control his shivering and his teeth threatened to break themselves from chattering.

She put and arm under him and pulled him up quickly. She then maneuvered somehow so that he was over her as she stood up. His feet were flat on the ground but his legs would not hold him. "Come on," she said, "please try."

Then, he felt another set of hands take hold of him and put his arm around their shoulder. He looked clumsily at the new set of shoulders and said between chatters, "F-Finn."

"Come on, it's not too far. We can make it like this."

"Hold on." Another masculine voice said.

"I'm perfectly capable." Rey said.

"Not the point." He replied and Rey was replaced by Poe Dameron. He settled Kylo's arm on his shoulder, "Alright. Now let's go."

He looked ahead to see Rose as well as she and Rey took the lead. Kylo did his best to move for himself until Poe shrugged and reminded Kylo of how weak he really was.

"Don't even think about it." Poe said. "You can get in a better swing when you aren't half-frozen."

Kylo couldn't stop shaking and felt his consciousness fading. All he could mutter was, "Sorry." And even then it was slurred to the point that he could barely understand. He closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep. Even his eyelashes were cold as they hit his lower lids.

Suddenly, a hand gripped his hair tightly and pulled his head up. "Nope! No sleeping till we get back."

Rey looked back at him and he saw she was racked with worry. Even so, the snow looked like stars in her hair. Or flowers. Both probably. She looked forward again but spoke to him through the bond, Stay with me.

So tired.

Why did you come out here in the first place? I've been looking all over for you.

You couldn't sense me?

I tried. But for some reason, you seemed further away. Almost systems away. I had to meditate just to be sure you were still on the planet.

I'm... He was losing consciousness again ...sorry.

Ben, what were you doing out here?

Had to run. Get away. He was looking at the snowy forest floor. The pattern Poe and Finn carried him was in sync to the point of hypnotizing.

It was Finn's turn to grab the former Dark Knight by the back of his head and wake him up. He cried out in shock and annoyance.

"Don't worry, Ben!" Rose called back to him. "We're almost there! Should we talk to him to keep him awake?"

Rey responded, "That's a good idea. Boys, do you have anything you'd like to say?"

Poe sighed loudly. Then Finn said, "I'll be the bigger man and apologize first. Ben, I'm sorry for teasing you at dinner. You're still learning about friendship apparently. We were just messing around but were also being jerks about it. Again, I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Finn." Rey nodded at him from over her shoulder. "Poe?"

"Look, we're all pretty used to my antics, aren't we?"

"Not all of us." Rose obviustated.

"Don't." Kylo said. He continued between shaky breaths, "Don't need to."

"See? He gets it."

"He's delusional." Finn observed.

"So then your apology doesn't count either."

"Mine counts! I actually apologized! And you know what, I didn't even do anything that bad. I was just saying it so you didn't feel like the asshole. Which, let's face it, you are."

"I'm drunk!"

"You didn't even finish your one glass!"

"Um," Rose interrupted, "Ben, are you ok?"

He hadn't noticed it until she'd asked but he'd had a small content smirk on his face. He was actually amused by their bickering. And their combined body heat had started to radiate onto him and warm him. He felt the blood try to rush to his cheeks but his pulse was still very faint and it took some time for a blush to form. "Fine. Just cold." He mumbled and Rose laughed at her own question.

Then he saw Rey looking at him again. Her eyes were dark in the evening but the moon graced itself by shining its light on her. The blush continued to form on his face. Then, it wasn't just the moonlight on her as they made their way into the base. The low yellow lights of the structure weren't as tantalizing as the moonlight but they did allow him to see her better. Once inside, he saw her in the bright light of the interior. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and her nose shined a bright red.

"It looks like your color is already coming back," Rose observed.

"We still need to get him to sickbay to ensure he hasn't lost a toe or something." Finn countered.

The rest of the way was silent until they laid him down on the exam bed. Rey moved her cloak over him to use as a blanket. Meanwhile, Poe groaned and rolled his shoulders, "Geez, Rey, did you have to fall for the biggest guy in the First Order?"

"Shut up." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and leaned over Kylo Ren. She brushed some stray, damp hairs away. Her slim fingers were chilled from their exposure.

"You're welcome!" Poe exaggerated.

She turned from her caregiving and Kylo could tell she was glaring at the tipsy pilot. "Get. Out."

He heard Poe, Finn, and Rose leave. A nurse arrived and did a bio-scan to check his vitals. She did a few more tests and allowed him to stabilize before giving him the go-ahead to return to his bunk. She gave him a few extra blankets and some tea before returning to her other duties.

After finishing the tea, Kylo gingerly stood up, his strength having slightly returned. Rey held his arm to keep him steady. She returned to his room with him and when she reached for the fastenings on his belt, he stopped her by putting his hands on hers.

He moved them away feebly. "It's fine." He said weakly, "I can take care of myself." He turned toward his bed and set the blankets down before removing his cloak. He was cold again without it and began to shiver slightly.

Then, from behind him, her arms wrapped around him and she was back to removing his belt. Her body against his back was warm and he wanted to relax into her embrace. But now was not the time.

"Rey." He grabbed her hands to stop her.

"What is wrong with you? Just let me help you!" She fought him and easily won out as his belt fell to the floor with a smack. She continued, removing his robe and letting it fall to the floor over his belt.

He turned and gripped her arms and she inhaled sharply at how cold his hands were. She looked at him, regaining her composure. "You should go to your friends." He said, hating how his shoulders shaking made him seem weaker than he intended.

"Why?" She was completely thrown by the idea and he lowered his hands as he sat on his bunk.

"You've done enough. You should be with them. You can thank them for me."

"You can thank them yourself in the morning. Now hold still." She took hold of his tunic but he quickly grabbed her arms.

"Are you joking? You know I've seen you naked."

He flushed at her immodesty. "We can't do that again. We can't let this happen again. I shouldn't distract you."

"Excuse me? You give yourself a lot of credit." She yanked his tunic over his head and he hardly protested now. She knew he didn't mean any of what he said. "Shouldn't distract me. Honestly." She barely folded the tunic and seemed to do it more as a habit than as a courtesy to his clothes.

"You know I'm right." He said as she set his loosely folded tunic on his dresser. "Don't you want to be a Jedi Master? You're going to have to cut ties with the material world sooner or later."

"Oh, yes, because that worked so well last time."

He was shirtless before her and the cold was still in his bones. Rey was still nervous at the sight of him. She talked a big game, but to see him in the intimate setting of his room, alone, it still made her cheeks a dusty rose color. He grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around him. He sniffled and she couldn't help but bite her lip to hold back a smile. "What?" He asked.

"You look like a child. Pouting in your blanket."

He glared at her.

"Aww," she brushed his hair back and winced at the cold, wet strands. She wrapped another blanket around him, this one covered his hair. He was thoroughly wrapped above the waist but his legs still hung over the side of the bed and he noticed how much colder his toes were than his fingers. He scooted back on the bed and pulled his knees to his chest, covering them in his blanket.

She didn't stop looking at him in that frustrating manner. "Stop it." He pouted.

"Your toes would warm faster if you took your shoes off. They're damp from the snow."

He didn't move.

"Come on." She reached her hands under the blanket and found his boots, pulling them off easily and dumping them on the floor. She removed his socks then and all that was left were his pants. But he would fight her if she tried to remove those.

Rey didn't attempt to take them and instead added one more blanket, this time wrapping herself in it beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

His shivers were dying down but he didn't want to speak. He wanted to sleep.

"It's ok. You don't have to."

"Don't try to find it." He said after one final shiver as his body temperature adjusted to the blankets.

"I wasn't planning on it." He felt a smooth wave of calm brush against him. He breathed in and relaxed. Then he felt a soft trembling beside him. He looked at her and noticed that she was shivering now.

Kylo, Ben, whoever he was, wrapped himself around her and pulled her to lay down beside him in his bed. Separated only by a blanket, he felt her small figure curl into him among his arms and legs. He would warm her until she soaked with hot sweat instead of snow. The idea caused him to blush and he heard Rey let out a small snicker.

She turned around to face him in his arms and leaned forward. He didn't pull away as her lips met his in a soft kiss. He didn't add anything to her gesture but allowed the peace her lips brought to wash over him. She separated after a moment and stared at him. His half-lidded eyes fed on every last bit of her features before he finally gave in to sleep.