CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
They made three separate jumps before Kylo Ren relaxed enough to consider leaving the cockpit and allowing BB-8 to monitor the auto-pilot on the Eclipse.
But he only did that after Rey badgered him about getting some rest.
"If you fall over dead from exhaustion, you'll be no use to me," she said, leaning over the back of the pilot's seat to wrap her arms around him.
He twisted his neck to gaze up at her "Oh? And what use would that be?"
"Learning how to balance the light and dark sides of the Force, of course." Rey released him and stepped back, but not before planting a swift kiss on his neck.
He leapt up and took two strides to stand toe-to-toe with her. "Is that all?"
Rey looked up at him with a little smile, her brown eyes sparkling. "Isn't that enough?"
"Not quite," he said. "BB-8, you have the helm. I've set the course and we should be fine for a while, but notify me immediately if anything changes. Anything at all."
The little droid chirped and buzzed an affirmative response.
"Now." Kylo Ren's dark eyes seemed to devour Rey as he gazed down at her. "I promise I will go and grab some sleep. But there's something I want to say before that." He threw up his hands at her expression. "And yes, yes, I know you can't join me."
"Not yet," said Rey, with a little lift of her chin.
"Not yet," Kylo Ren repeated, his lips curving seductively. "But before that, there's still something you should know."
Rey tapped his chest with one finger. "That we are going to have to be hiding for quite some time? Because I've already figured that out."
"Yes, and we'll be hunted. By both sides. But you know that as well."
"I do," she said, draping her arms over his shoulders. "We'll have to fly from planet to planet, I expect. Never staying anywhere long. At least not until this war is over."
"Exactly. So things will be always uncertain. With both the First Order and the Alliance on our tail, we won't be able to lower our guard. Not really. No settling down, not even to continue our studies into the Force. That will have to happen whenever and wherever we can manage it." He shook his head. "Shame we had to leave those Jedi texts behind, but there was no time to go back for them."
"They're still there, in the cave." Rey said, thoughtfully. "And Poe knows where that is. If we send a message to him, somehow…"
"You mean through my mother. Perhaps, one day." Kylo Ren slipped his arms around Rey's waist and pulled her close. "But that isn't really what I wanted to tell you. There's something else. Something you should know, just in case…"
"In case, in the midst of all this running and hiding and being hunted, one of us gets themselves killed?"
"Yes, in case of that." Kylo Ren studied her face for a moment. "You really can read me, can't you?"
"Most of the time," Rey said, her smile broadening. "But I admit I'm drawing a blank over this latest bit of information. I can sense that you want to tell me something important, but not exactly what it is."
"Very well then, here we go." He took a deep breath and slid his hands down, resting them on her hips. "You probably can't discern it because it's a feeling that's so new to me, I can hardly put a name to it. I've never felt it before, you see. Not the way other people do. At least, that's been my understanding." A rueful smile flitted across his face. "I wasn't certain before, I must confess. I just felt something that…confused me. But now I am sure. I know what it is, this very different feeling."
Rey stood perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe, as he leaned in until his lips were a whisper away from hers.
"I love you, Rey."
Rey gave him a smile almost as bright as the force energy they'd unleashed on the beach.
"And I love you, Ben Solo."
"I know," he said, flashing a grin before he kissed her. More gently than in the cave, but infused with, somehow, even more passion.
And Rey, returning his kisses, sent up a silent plea to the Force that their not yet could become now as soon as possible.