He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her, especially not now as she hummed with delight, sometimes crowing with excitement with her pointer finger jabbing at the window's glass. In the calm that followed their tumultuous afternoon, the conman supposed that letting the orphan girl provide commentary wasn't the worst thing. He just wished that she would maybe look his way, help him try and figure out the mess in his heart.
It was obvious that Rey had never been on a train before. Kylo realized this as he watched the girl gaze out the window as the scenery blew by, the train steaming through town after town through the countryside. He shuffled and stretched in the seat next to hers, their compartment small but otherwise comfortable, and though his sleeve brushed hers, the movement didn't register, didn't cause her eyes to flicker for even a moment.
Her finger was tracing the skyline now, and Kylo wondered if she was taking stock in how the setting sun's dark orange mixed and faded into the deepening purple on the horizon, or if he was romanticizing this pretty little stranger, if he was trying to replace the princess with someone else. It was dusk now, the light outside nearly too dim to keep looking, but still, Rey didn't tear her eyes away, not even as Finn began to snore, the vodka he and Poe had shared earlier strong and calming. Beside him, Poe scribbled away, carefully marking the travel documents with a steady hand and blue ink. Kylo watched his companions, lips tightening with boredom, especially after the excitement this afternoon, his hand still warm from where she had grabbed it.
It may have been boredom, may have just been in his nature, but either way, Kylo shifted in his seat again, nudging Rey's shoulder, stilling her busy hands as she rubbed her necklace's pendant for the umpteenth time today. "Stop fiddling with that thing…and sit up straight. Remember, you're a princess."
In an instance, her eyes were on him again, her mouth forming a firm line of annoyance, and Kylo bit back a smirk. Across from them, Poe lifted his eyes in interest, an eyebrow following as he sighed. Leave it to Kylo to revert to childhood to flirt with a girl. Poe paused for a second, considered his word choice but shrugged it off, knowing that, even if his partner denied it, the man was flirting. Like a child, no less, and he half expected the man to start pulling on the girl's hair to get attention. He looked back down at his work, his attention pulled away again as Rey snapped back:
"How is it that you know what princesses do or don't do?" Her arms were crossed as she purposefully slouched in her seat, daring Kylo to say anything as he leaned towards her, forcing a smile.
"I make it my business to know, sweetheart." She harrumphed at him, turning back to the window. Poe knew Kylo wouldn't look over, to see his shaking head, to try and deter the jackass's next quip, but still, he tried, wincing when the other conman opened his mouth again as he nudged the vexed girl, a glare being tossed over her shoulder.
"Look, Rey, I'm just trying to help, okay?" Poe audibly scoffed at that, rolling his eyes and averting them and feigning busyness as his partner looked over for the first time, brow arched in judgment. The girl only sighed, reaching up and releasing her hair from the tight bun she had pulled it into this morning, smirking as Kylo's eyes widened for a millisecond, recovering just as she started twirling a strand around her finger.
"Kylo?" Her voice was coy, and even though he knew better, he found himself leaning forward with a smile, a look that she mirrored back charmingly. "Do you really think I'm the princess?" Her voice was breathier as she widened her eyes, pouting a bit, and he audibly swallowed, a bit flustered as he forced himself to remain cool, his smile charming enough to make her breath falter. "You know I do."
In a moment, the façade dropped, and there was Rey, irritated but still smiling as she shoved his shoulder, sending him sprawling against the compartment's seat. "Then stop bossing me around." Poe couldn't help but chortle at Kylo's stunned face, not even trying to hide his laughter as the man tossed a betrayed look across the space at him.
"She certainly has a mind of her own." Poe glanced over, surprised as Finn commented, the amused look on the doctor's face confirming that he had witnessed most the exchange, grinning at the girl as she fought a smirk, looking back at the window.
"Yeah, I hate that in a woman." Rey crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the man next to her, turning away quickly as he glanced back at her, bemused look on his face. Poe chuckled again, ticking another mark on the ongoing tally sheet of the pair's verbal sparring matches. Kylo—five. Rey—thirty.
The stars had finally settled in overhead when Kylo reentered the compartment, barely glancing at Rey as he sat down across from her. She glanced up at him and quickly down again, trying to bury her attention into the book Poe had handed to her before the three men left to stretch their legs.
She hadn't seen the need to join them, taking the moments alone to watch the moon rise in silence, to let the wonder of what she was doing set in. She was leaving the only home she knew, and it was exhilarating but numbing all at once. She took comfort in the moon, its shape still predictable even as the train carried her far away from the orphanage, from the palace, from Russia.
But now Kylo had returned, alone, with only a murmur to explain their companions' absence—they're busy stuffing their faces in the dining car—and Rey could feel her stomach tighten and threaten to flutter about. It was only the two of them, and she was sure that he was still sulking from her barbs earlier, but she couldn't stand the silence. But still, she said nothing, concentrating on the book, daring him to speak first.
When he had returned from his quick walk, he had expected her to be asleep, as it was late and finally too dark for Rey to avoid his eyes by looking out the window. Instead, she was curled up with a book, humming to herself as she flipped pages, a blanket tangled around her legs. If he had still been sitting next to her, he mused, her feet would practically be in his lap, watching her stretch as she lounged, chewing on her lip as she read. He supposed he was grateful that he was across from her, that the position he would have found himself in beside her would have been too domestic, too familiar. It would have driven him mad.
But still, this silence wouldn't do. He cleared his throat, watched Rey's hazel eyes flicker up and then settle back down onto her page. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot."
At first, no response, her eyes still fastened to her book, flicking a page aside as she turned to the next section. He grunted with frustration, sinking into his seat further, about to settle into some sleeping position when she spoke. "Well, I think we did too."
His smile quirked up on closed lips, and it looked as if he was about to say something more before Rey spoke once more: "But I appreciate your apology."
"Apology? Who said anything about an apology?" Kylo couldn't keep the edge of frustration out of his voice, brow furrowing as the girl continued flipping through the pages, nonplussed. "I was just saying that we—"
"Please, don't talk anymore, okay?" Her eyes had snapped up to him, and he hated how cool her tone was, how unaffected she seemed. He felt his face flushing with anger. If she was the princess, she wouldn't be acting like this. Surely, the princess would recognize him, would know better than to tease and bully him. She couldn't be the princess after all. "You know it's only going to upset me."
Rey had wanted to smirk a moment before, when he seemed flustered over her "misinterpreting" him, but now, as he ran his hands through his hair with agitation, a sweep of his hands drawing attention to his ears, how they reddened with his emotions, she couldn't muster up the strength to quirk her mouth just so. It all seemed so familiar, and yet, she wasn't sure why, watching him cover his ears again self-consciously as he spat back:
"Fine! I'll be quiet." Then, sullenly: "I'll be quiet if you will."
"Oh, I'll be quiet. You don't have to worry about that." Rey watched him scowl at her, his lips coming to a pout as he growled, throwing his feet up on the seat next to her. "Fine."
"Fine." She crossed her arms, tossed her head up and away, looking back with annoyance now as he fought for the last word. "Fine."
"Fine." Kylo almost seemed surprised as she snarled it back, but she wished he would stop being so impudent, that he'd leave her be, the two lapsing into silence, eyes trained on the door, waiting for the tension to dissipate as soon as Finn and Poe came back.
"Will you miss it?" Her voice was quiet, and he wasn't sure if he had heard it, glancing back at her, eyes once again trained on the window, her fingers flat against the glass.
"What, your talking?" He snorted with derision, and Rey's glare snapped back on him, practically growling at him. "No, you idiot. Russia. Will you miss Russia?"
The question pulled him up short, and Kylo was grateful that she wasn't looking at him again, unsure as he was. There were many memories in Russia, from working in the royal kitchens alongside his uncle to watching his parents leave him behind to tend to the old king, his uncle following shortly thereafter. There were memories of lonely nights, of washing dishes with tears and a soap cake scarcely larger than his thumb.
Memories of a little princess peeking her head around the door, of not noticing him at first in her late-night hunger, and then later, her visits when she wasn't hungry, but lonely too. There was a blur of memories of her stepping on his feet, laughing at his jokes, demanding him to come to the holiday balls, not understanding that they were different classes, pouting at him until he kissed her hand, called her princess. Then there were memories from the time he dubs "after": after she left, after he lost her, after he turned to crime to survive, after he lost touch with his family, after he lost hope in being fulfilled.
No, he wasn't going to miss Russia. But she didn't need to know why. He forced indifference, knowing the orphan's eyes were intent on him now, almost worried. "Nope." He popped the p, hoping that his casual delivery would take the emotion away.
Rey was silent and Kylo breathed a prayer of relief. Perhaps she'd take a hint, not press further.
"But it was your home." Her voice was almost a plea, confusion, and the man wondered if they were really talking about him missing the old country, or her. Still, he didn't ask, only grunted. "It was a place I once lived. End of story."
"Well, then you must plan on making your true home in Paris." To the unpracticed ear, her forcefully chipper tone would be seen as naivety, as if she didn't understand that some people wander about, aimlessly, all their lives. To Kylo, it just sounded wistful, as if she was hoping the same for herself, as if she hoped Paris would accept her more than the orphanage, the arms of strangers, ever did. If they had been sweeter and softer with each other, instead of constantly bickering, Kylo supposed that he would entertain Rey's threadbare dreams. Instead, he huffed.
"What is it with you and homes?" She scoffed at him, throwing her arms up, the rest of her limbs following as she stood. "Well, for one thing, it's something that every normal person wants." She moved to get past him, but he stubbornly kept his legs up on the seat, forcing her to look at him, be it to ask him to move or to force him to. It seemed that she settled for the latter, kicking at his legs in frustration. Her throat was tight, he could tell, as if she was trying not to cry in her anger and state of misunderstanding. Still, she continued to kick him, punctuating her pauses with her feet.
"For another thing, it's a thing…where you… where you…"
"What? Where you what?!" Rey forced herself to look at him, full in the face, his brown eyes trying to glare, but just betraying himself, the pity palpable in his stare. In that moment, she felt ready to blurt her answer, stun him into silence, but surely he wouldn't understand, the brute.
"Oh, just forget it!" Her cry was shrill, and as the compartment door slid open, she worried that the whole train had heard her, but no, it was only Finn and Poe. Relief flooded her, but still, she glared at Kylo.
"Oh, thank goodness, it's you! Please remove him from my sight!" Kylo outright laughed at her accusing finger, watching the other two men glance between the bickering pair, stricken but unsurprised. However, his face fell as Poe turned to him, voice harsh.
"What have you done to her?"
Kylo threw his hands up, cursing. "Me? It's her!" He heard her scoff, saw the flutter of her hands as she stalked out of the compartment, seething as she went. He almost wanted to follow, to continue this fight, this spar, but as Finn's bemused gaze fell on him, he knew it would be an unwise move.
However, he knew that he couldn't stay in the compartment, now with Poe and Finn murmuring between themselves. "Oh no, an unspoken attraction?" The smiles were teasing, and if he had been in a different situation, with a different girl, Kylo may have had the wherewithal to laugh.
"Attraction?! For that skinny little brat?! Have you lost your mind?"
"Jesus, Kylo, it was only a simple question." Poe rubbed his temples, weary as he watched the taller man throw open the door, muttering as he stormed out:
Attraction? Ridiculous!"
"Methinks the man doth protest too much." Despite himself, Poe smiled at Finn, glancing at him. "Those crazy kids…they bicker like an old married couple." The doctor nodded, settling back into his seat, looking up at the swarthy man as he remained standing as if debating whether to go gather the pair.
"Just leave them. They know their way back. In fact…" Finn's mouth widened into a grin. "I bet you ten kopecks that they come back together." Poe chuckled, reaching into his pocket, never one to pass up on a bet. "You're on."
An hour later, Poe awoke to the compartment door opening with some struggle as Kylo slipped in, Rey cradled in his arms, fast asleep. "You son of a bitch." Kylo tensed, meeting his friend's gaze abashed. "You son of a bitch, you just lost me ten kopecks."
The former kitchen boy said nothing, setting the girl down on the empty upholstered bench, watching her turn over and curl into herself, snoring lightly, before he collapsed in the small space next to her, not asking about the bet's subject. "Blame her majesty here. When I found her, she was three shots into a bottle of vodka in the dining car."
In the dim light, he could see Poe's brow furrow and his mouth smirk. "Why did you go looking for Rey? She would have been fine. If anything, a porter would have brought her back."
"Goodnight, Poe." There was that tone, the one that always signaled that the shorter conman should drop the subject, that it may be explained later, maybe not. The smirk grew wider, but he only hummed at his partner. No attraction, my ass.