Hi, guys, thanks so much for waiting! I've been really backed up, studying, so I haven't been able to write. I'll probably be posting my preexisting chapters until they run out or until I find the time to continue writing. Thanks for waiting and I hope you enjoy!

Friday:

"No, I didn't fail," Rey laughed into her phone as she walked out of class. She gripped her phone with the barest tips of her fingers and tried avoiding the bandages that were taped around her hands.

"That's good," Kylo said and Rey laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose it is. So how's the weather in D.C.?"

"Bye, Rey!" a classmate called out and Rey turned to wave at her peer, pulling her backpack further onto her shoulder. The pavement was slick with ice and Rey stepped over clumps of snow with caution, making sure she did not slip. Her boots were worn from heavy use and Rey hoped she had enough money saved up for a new pair of boots.

"Rainy," Kylo said distastefully. "And my co-workers are wearing on my nerves. Phasma's interns are all over the place and I can't seem to find anyone that will replace my coffee machine."

"Bye!" Rey waved back to her friend. Returning to her call, she walked towards the student parking lot. "Poor you. So, do you want to meet in D.C.? I'm driving there tonight," she said, digging her keys out of her pocket. She searched the student parking lot for her car and wondered which level she parked on.

"Sure," Kylo replied. "You can stay at my hotel suite if you want." Rey frowned as she found her car on the third storey, and unlocked it before tossing her backpack into the trunk and pulling her heavy coat off of her shoulders. Throwing the jacket in, Rey walked to the front of the car and hoisted herself into the front seat. Her car was too big for her, but Rey liked it that way.

"Are you sure about that?" she questioned him. "What will people think?" sliding into the front seat, Rey jammed her keys into the car and pulled out of the space.

Kylo frowned into his phone and set it down onto the countertop, pressing the Speakerphone button. "What will people think?" he repeated."What do you mean?"

"What are we? I want a clear, concise answer," Rey said and Kylo bit his bottom lip. He looked into the mirror in front of him and rested his cheek against his cold knuckles. Summoning the courage to do what he had been meaning to do for a while, Kylo decided to ask Rey to be his girlfriend.

"Well, I'd like for us to be dating, but that depends on your consent," he smiled. "As a lawyer, I find my answer was concise enough. May I ask for a verdict, your honor? Can we begin a romantic relationship?" Kylo said towards his phone, leaning against his elbows against the white marble countertops of the in-room bar offered with his suite. He wondered what Rey's answer would be. He truly wanted her to say yes to his proposition. Closing his eyes, Kylo waited.

There was a moment of silence and Kylo listened to Rey's car hum, his fingers crossed. "Yes," he beamed at Rey's response, "Yes, I think we can add a label to our already romantic relationship. Now stop talking to me," she laughed. "I'm driving and I need to grab Poe before I get home."

"Alright," Kylo felt like a teenager and his smile remained constant. The call ended and Kylo remained still, composing himself. He turned and surveyed the suite he would be staying in for the next few days and made a note to clean the stray dress shirts and sport coats off of the furniture before Rey arrived.

Rey shook her head with mirth as she drove through the school and navigated towards Building One. Her car was one of the largest on campus, but Rey found that having a four-wheel drive was very convenient when going through junkyards and driving over ice.

She saw Poe standing outside of Building One and honked to get his attention. It did not. Rolling her window down, Rey shouted, "Poe!" and sat back when he began pushing through other students to reach her car. His leather jacket stood out against the parkas and winter coats everyone else wore and Rey rolled her eyes when Poe slipped a pair of sunglasses on. He reached the car and took the seat beside her. His curly hair was tied back with one of Rey's hair ties.

Rey had agreed to drive Poe to and from his classes while she was fixing his car because she had classes in Building Three while Finn was in Fourteen. This had lead to early morning arguments on who would drive, stops for coffee, and both of them being late.

"What's up, Rey?" he asked, tossing his backpack into the backseat. "How was genius class?"

"Good and Washington D.C. is what's up," Rey pulled away from the building. "We're leaving today and I want to make sure we get there before dinner," she said. "I won't be staying in the same hotel as you," she said and Poe raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked and Rey sighed.

"Because my new boyfriend also happens to be in D.C. and we've decided to stay together," she said, expecting a fairly happy reaction from Poe. He remained still. Rey glanced over at Poe to see that her friend had paled and looked considerably worried. "Poe? Are you okay?"

Fuck, Poe thought. Fuck, they're dating. Do I tell her… "He works for First Order!" Poe blurted. He regretted his words as soon as Rey stomped on the brakes, sending an un-seatbelted Poe into the windshield. His head collided with the glass and his shoulder slammed against the dashboard.

"What?" Rey demanded as Poe fell back into his seat. A car honked as it passed by and Poe groaned, rubbing his neck.

"Dude, that was mean," he muttered and Rey pressed on the accelerator.

"I'm sorry, I just… you caught me by surprise. What do you mean by 'he works for First Order?'" she asked, taking a right. Poe strapped himself into his seat before replying.

"I mean, Kylo Ren was on CNN, a couple days ago, defending Alder Snoke and explaining how he and Lando butted heads for hours to get the Sacramento deal out of the way," Poe explained. Rey shifted gears and stopped in front of a red light. "So… you two are dating now?" he asked carefully.

"Yes, we are," Rey said and Poe nodded slowly, trying to get a hold of the awkwardness in the car. Rey looked deep in thought and her eyes flickered back and forth as she went over her jumbled thoughts. "Fuck! This is all my fault!" she shouted. "I was the one that told Kylo that we were going to try going after Alaska! That's why they beat us to Congress!" she cried out. "How could I have been so stupid?"

Poe didn't like seeing Rey so frustrated. She hardly ever lost control and when she did, he did not like the effects. "Hey," he rested a hand on her shoulder, "it's not your fault. You didn't know," he said and Rey nodded, pulling into the parking lot of their apartment.

"Let's grab Finn and our bags," she sighed, stopping the car. "Make sure to get BB-8's food too." Poe nodded and stepped out of the car. He did not fail to notice Rey's slouching shoulders as she leaned against her car and pressed a hand against her eyes.