Novus actus interveniens: "a new action coming between" - A break in causation because something else has happened to remove the causal link.
As Kylo sped back to his townhouse, screeching around corners and racing around slower drivers, desperate to leave that place, those people behind, he came to one inescapable conclusion.
Rey was completely, deviously, deceptively dangerous.
That was the only explanation for how he found himself in the house he swore he'd never return to, eating at their table as if they were one big, happy family. Maker, he had hoped to never speak to any of them again, let alone spend hours and hours at this bizarre charade of a holiday.
But Rey had asked, had looked at him with those eyes, not-quite-hidden pain flashing across her face, and his iron will, which had survived years of familial guilt and a barrage of outside pressures, had simply melted away.
Ignoring the blaring horn of the cars he was passing, he slammed his fist onto the steering wheel. What the hell had she done to him?
He finally had his life the way he wanted it, the solitude, the silence, the self-sufficiency, and she swans in with her lack of boundaries, her assumptions and presumptions, her messy clothes and hair and habits, and acts like she belongs in his things, his house, his life.
But the thing that terrified him most was how it felt like she belonged.
Now, his living room seemed too quiet without her incessant chatter, the table too bare without her ancient laptop and ratty bag cluttering the surface, the couch too big without her nesting in the corner with pillows and snacks.
At first he has simply noticed her absence, which was strange enough, but now, it was almost a void.
You miss her, a voice that sounded alarmingly like Ben Solo pointed out. You miss how warm she is.
"Do not." He snapped out loud, yanking the steering wheel around the turn.
A rush of memories seemed to disagree.
The way her eyes lit up when he offered her food. Her peaceful glow as she slept next to him on the couch. The fire in her voice when she argued with him. Her incandescent smile as she triumphantly fixed his espresso machine. The heat in his cheeks as she padded past him, his clothes enveloping her small frame. The gentle warmth of her hand as she touched his arm. The scorching heat searing his neck as she stood on her tiptoes to-
He reached up and gingerly felt his face, the imprint of her lips still burning on his cheek.
Headlights blinded him for a moment, and he snatched his hand back.
Absolutely, inescapably, dangerous.
Something was definitely going on with Kylo Ren, Rey decided a few days later.
They were studying at his place, as usual, but he was being extra fussy about her papers spread across the table and making sure she washed out her espresso cup, and just generally being… twitchy.
The last straw was when she went to grab more SunChips out of her cupboard.
"Hey, did you buy more snacks?" She asked in a puzzled voice, then turned to see him wince for some reason.
"Why would I buy more? Your junk food is disgusting."
"So you've told me, but there's 21 bags of chips in here now, and last time there were only nine."
"How do you know how many chip bags there are?"
She tilted her head. "You don't have a running inventory of food?"
"No! Why would anyone-" He stopped, then glanced at her with something almost like understanding. "Look, whatever, can we please get back to studying?"
"Geez, fine." She grabbed some chips and a packet of Skittles, then returned to her seat. "Hey, can we move to the couch? This chairs are shiny and futuristic and all, but not super comfortable."
His eyes flicked from her to the couch, then his face reddened. "No. No more distractions. Now, when you do your opening statement-"
"Are you feeling okay?" Rey tilted her head at him. "You look a little flushed." She reached out her hand, "Here, let me feel your forehead."
Kylo jumped back as if her hand was on fire. "I'm fine!"
"Are you sure? You're kind of jumpy. And extra moody."
"I am not moody!" He shouted, and Rey simply raised a wry eyebrow.
"Sure you're not."
He glared, then poured himself a glass of water as Rey rolled her eyes and reorganized her papers.
An hour or so later, as Kylo was quizzing her on the cross-examination, Rey was interrupted by his phone buzzing with Mom Cell Calling on the screen.
Bzz. Bzz.
Bzz. Bzz.
Rey peeked at him. "You going to get that?"
Bzz. Bzz.
"Nope."
Bzz. Bzz.
"You sure?"
Bzz. Bzz.
"Yup."
The phone finally fell silent, and Rey tried to resist giving him a judgemental look around her laptop.
"Who run the world? Girls! We run this motha!" Her phone played loudly, and Rey smiled at the caller ID.
"Don't you dare!" Kylo hissed at her, and she gave him a shit-eating grin as she picked up the phone.
"Why, hello Leia!"
"Rey! So lovely to hear your voice. How are you?"
"I'm doing well, just studying over here at Ren's."
"Oh, you are? Is my son there?"
Rey looked over at Kylo with the question, and he shook his head emphatically.
"Why yes he is!" Rey announced loudly as he shot her a death glare. "Hang on, let me put you on speaker. Say hi, Ren!"
Scowling darkly, he held her gaze until Rey put a dramatic hand over her heart and mouthed, You won't even say hello to your mother?
Shaking his head, he finally muttered a begrudging "Hi."
"Hello sweetheart. Your father and I were wondering about your plans for Christmas. When were you thinking of coming up?"
"I'm not. I have finals."
"Your last final is on the 2nd, dear." Leia reminded him gently.
Kylo narrowed his eyes at the phone. "How do you know that?"
"Rey told me last time we talked."
His head snapped up as he covered the microphone. "You talk to my mother?"
Rey shrugged nonchalantly and moved his hand. "We chat."
"Oh, and Rey, what are your plans for the holidays? Are you spending them with Poe?"
"Actually Poe drives out with BB-8 to see his family for the holidays, but Finn and I always have Christmas together," Rey told her, then stopped as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Although… that might change this year, I guess."
"Well, if it does, we'd love to have you up to the house for Christmas."
Rey stopped breathing for a moment, then asked softly, "Me?"
"Absolutely. Han and I truly enjoyed having you up here for Thanksgiving, and we'd love to spend Christmas with you as well."
A gruff voice in the background called out, "You can even bring Ben, if you want to."
Leia hushed Han as Kylo frowned at the phone.
"Anyway, just let us know what your plans are once you have your schedule."
"Okay, I will! Thank you!"
"And Kylo, sweetheart?"
"What?" He growled, already tensing up.
"Good luck on your finals. I'm sure you'll do great."
Kylo blinked, then stared at the screen in suspicion before finally saying, "Thanks."
"You too, Rey. Have a good night."
"Thanks! Say hi to Han for me!"
He narrowed his eyes at her for a few seconds, then repeated sarcastically, "You chat?"
"She asked me for my rosemary bread recipe." Rey told him as she typed notes on her laptop.
"What do you even talk about?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "Not you, Mr. Narcissist."
"You told her my schedule."
"I told her my schedule. We're in the same class, and it's the last time slot for finals. I'm pretty sure your mom is smart enough to figure that out on her own."
"Hmph." He conceded, then grumbled, "Can't believe they ask you about your plans, but just assume I'm coming."
Rey looked up at him. "Aren't you?"
"Of course not. You saw what they were like with guests listening in. Imagine what it'd be like without them trying to save face."
Opening her mouth, Rey thought the better of it, and focused on highlighting the main points of her arguments.
Kylo stretched, then pulled up the espresso maker app on his phone. "I need more caffeine. Want some?"
"No thanks," Rey replied, not looking away from her notes.
He stood, got out a cup, watched it fill up, then came back to the table, watching her scribble in uncharacteristic silence the whole time.
"You think I should go."
"I didn't say anything."
"Oh yeah, you were not saying anything very loudly. If you want to say something, spit it out."
"Not now."
"Not now?! What does that mean?" He demanded.
"It means you're extra irritable, I'm tired, and I think I should save any arguments for when I've had some sleep and you're in a better mood so we can actually have a productive conversation."
He stared at her, trying to find something to fight about in there, and eventually settled with a mumbled, "Fine. Whatever."
After a few more minutes of studying, Rey rubbed her face, then gathered her papers. "Look, you don't have to, but I'm moving over to the couch."
"You're going to fall asleep."
"Will not." She yawned, pulling the plush blanket around her and turning the heater on. "That's right. Come to mama."
Kylo shook his head, then stared at his case reading until he got up enough courage to ask, "Rey?"
"Hm?" She replied, closing her eyes.
"What did you mean that your plans might change?"
"Oh, well, ever since Finn and I found each other, we have Christmas with just the two of us." She explained, missing the brief flash of jealousy that crossed Kylo's face.
"But this year, Finn got invited to Rose's family's Thanksgiving. So, since they're dating, he might go there for Christmas too." Snuggling down deeper into the couch, she continued, "And even if I'm alone, it's okay. I want him to be happy. He deserves it."
Kylo peered around the couch to see Rey already half asleep. Sighing, he got up and pulled the blanket down over her feet, then sat gently on the coffee table, wrestling with himself.
"Rey, you… even if Flynn goes-"
"Finn."
"Sure, Finn, whatever."
"Not whatever," she argued drowsily. "He's Finn. He's my family." She nuzzled one of his throw pillows, then added, "My only family."
Attempting to ignore the sudden tightness in his chest, he tried again, "Fine, so even if Finn goes with… his girlfriend, you don't have to be alone on Christmas."
"'S okay." She yawned. "'M used to being alone."
"No, that's what I'm… If you're going to be… I'm not going anywhere, so we'll both be alone, and we could be alone… together." He finished lamely, cringing at how pathetic he sounded.
"'N then go to your parents?"
"What? No. Look, it's different for you because they actually like you-"
"M'be. But they love you. C'n tell." She put out one arm blindly, feeling around until she was patting him on the knee. "You d'serve to be happy too. Fam'ly makes me happy, so m'be it'll make you happy."
Shocked into stillness, he could barely make out her next words. "I jus' wan' you to be happy, Ren."
As her breathing evened out and her arm drooped, Kylo could not help but stare at her, all the emotions he knew to be weakness flowing through his veins. He used every ounce of his will to stand, to try and walk away from her before it was too late.
Her hand shot out to grab his with a small, sleepy moan of protest.
The last bit of his self-control vanished at that sound, and he slowly sat back down, yielding to her subconscious demand. As he held her hand, so much smaller than his own, studying the scars on her fingers and the freckles on her face, he only had one clear thought in his mind:
Shit.