Chapter 38: What Are We Now?
Rey popped upstairs to change out of her uniform, and once she was back in sensible clothes she added a squirt of Nightbloomer then went downstair to play cards with Poe and Finn.
They taught her to play something called Poker, but after several games they stopped because they kept losing- both their faces were so expressive she knew what cards they had, it was just too easy.
So they sat around talking with the others, Maritan insisted on doing something to Rey's hair, it felt so intimate but Finn had given her a meaningful look when she had opened her mouth to tell Maritan to stop so she had shut up, though not before giving him a glare.
Rey actually weirdly started to enjoy the feeling, Maritan brushed it for a while first then started doing some sort of complicated style. Rey kept an eye on the dorm door, hoping she'd see Kylo walk through but she still hadn't seen him by the time they decided to go to dinner.
As they stood up to leave she raised her hand to pat her head to try and work out what Maritan had done but Jess swatted her hand away, "Oh no, don't touch it, you might pull it out by mistake, wait till you can look in a mirror, you look totally cute."
Cute? That had never been a word she would associate with herself, nor was it one she'd want to. Kenjad laughed when Rey let out a sigh, "We'll make you into a girl yet, Rey-Rey." She said as she linked an arm through Rey's. Rey gave her an eyeroll.
"Rey, could I talk to you alone for a minute?" Ismasta asked as he came alongside them, shit, had Poe not talked to him?
The girls gave him amused, knowing looks then walked briskly ahead, leaving Rey alone with him, oh blood and bloody ashes, she was not equipped to deal with this kind of thing.
Ismasta took one of her hands and pulled her to a stop, facing her.
He gave her a soft smile and she was just trying to work out what to say when he leaned in and just kissed her, after a few seconds of shock she pushed him away from her, ewww no, no, no, no, no! She was careful not to push him roughly, but she pulled her hand out of his, "Err, Ismasta, I'm sorry but, I'm not, err.. " She trailed off uncomfortably, not knowing what to say without insulting him.
"But Rey, you haven't even given me a chance!" He said, almost angrily, "Just let me kiss you properly, I know it'll make you change your mind."
Rey took a step back, hands up in front of her, "Sorry, Ismasta but.. You're just not my type."
She was fairly sure that was the right phrase.
"But you said before you don't know what your type is!" He said in a loud, frustrated voice. Light this was so awkward! How did she explain without being rude?
"Is there someone else then?" He asked before she could think of a suitable answer… But that was another question she didn't know how reply to.
He narrowed his eyes, "I saw Hux talking to you at lunch, someone said he claims he's kissed you. Or is it Kylo Ren? Everyone saw him kissing you last Saturday. Either one is bad news Rey, but I'm not."
Hux was telling people they'd kissed now? What the shit? She was going to cut his heart out with a fucking spoon. She pushed her anger down enough to address Ismasta politely, "I am sorry, but even if I don't know what my type is exactly, I know what it is not, and you are not...It. Also, Hux is a fucking twat." With that she quickly walked away, hoping he wouldn't follow, she ground her teeth when she heard quick steps coming after her, then smiled in relief when she saw Finn coming back towards them.
"Rey, wait, we need to talk about this." Ismasta caught up with her and grabbed her arm, Rey was swiftly coming to hate him.
"No, we don't. There is nothing to talk about." She said as Finn reached them. Ismasta turned to the other boy, "Finn, can you please tell her? She won't even give me a chance."
Finn raised his eyebrows at that, "Sorry Ismasta, but if she isn't interested, she isn't interested."
Finn took Rey's arm and they started walking away, Finn was muttering an apology to her when Ismasta shouted, "You're a fucking tease! Scavenger bitch!"
Rey flushed, angry and embarrassed at the same time, then had to grip Finn's arm to stop him from turning back. "Let it go, Finn, foul words are but foul wind, and that is currently all he has." She said as she pulled him along.
The tension went out of his body at that and he fell into step with her normally, "Sorry Rey, we didn't get to him in time. I didn't think he'd be such a dick about it either."
Rey shrugged, keeping a lid on her anger. This place, this school was so much more effort than Jakku, everything in the desert was black and white, no one bothered about feelings or morals or worried about such trivial things. In Jakku you worried about food, safety, shelter, simple things. She shook her head at herself when she realised that part of her actually missed her old life. It was madness, but still true.
"Is there anything you fancy doing this evening?" Finn asked as they walked, in a forcely cheerful voice. "Swimming and wide games are out cos you've been ill, and I think the movie room is booked up too so that leaves games or just hanging out. At least there is the Firepit tomorrow, but we'll have to wrap you in a scarf and hat and stuff to make sure you don't get ill again."
Rey snorted, "That's only if I survive shopping." She muttered sullenly.
Finn chuckled, "You never know, you may end up liking it!" He said as they went into the refectory. Rey gave him a withering look.
As they sat down at the table with the rest of Poe's friends, they hushed a little and gave her odd looks. Finn looked around at them, "What?" He asked as he dug into his pile of… Rey wasn't even sure what he had, it was rice and then…. Just orange stuff with bits in.
"Hux has started a rumour that he and Rey are involved." Kenjad stage whispered.
Rey closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, maybe she could walk back to Jakku? It would only take her about a year, unless she hot-wired a car, which of course she would, afterall it was her speciality.
Finn snorted then coughed as some food went down the wrong way, Poe patted him on the back.
Did Rey tell them the truth or lie? If she admitted that he had kissed her when she was half asleep then he would either look creepy or it would just look like she was lying, or what was it Ismasta had said? Being a tease. On the other hand if she denied it, it may somehow come out later and then she would be seen as a liar. And she'd already told a lot of lies recently, she knew you had to pick and choose your lies carefully, otherwise they'd fall apart and you'd get whatever it was you were trying to avoid that much worse.
She stabbed a piece of chicken viciously with her fork. "We are not involved. But Hux did kiss me. I told him to go fuck himself, but apparently he didn't understand what that meant." She said sardonically.
Finn started choking again and everyone else gaped at her. She was too angry to blush, Jess was the first one to get her wits back, "What the hell do you mean Hux kissed you? How? When?"
Everyone leaned towards her, Rey figeted in her chair, "When I was ill in the nurse's office, Joselor left him to watch me sleep as she had to run an errand, he kissed me as I woke up."
Maritan gasped and put her hands over her mouth in horror, "But that is awful!"
Finn glared, "Is that why you were in such a hurry to get back to the dorm? And why he spoke to you at lunch?" Rey nodded, still stabbing things on her plate instead of eating. "Can we please talk about something else now?" Rey asked, she just wanted everyone to stop looking at her like she was some kind of victim.
"Ugh, Hux is such a creepy douche!" Kenjad said and everyone nodded. Rey suddenly lost her appetite, she pushed her plate away and stood, "Actually, I'm not hungry, I'll see you guys in a bit." And she walked away quickly, but not before she heard Brobard say, "Wait, where's Ismasta?"
And that was another topic she really didn't want to be around to talk about. She heard Finn start saying something but stopped listening straight away, she didn't want to know and right now she really didn't care.
Rey didn't go to the dorm but turned right instead and headed towards the gym, she really didn't want to bump into Ismasta again or anyone else for that matter, and her muscles were twitchy from lack of use, she pulled her hood up as she wandered aimlessly around the edge of the East field.
As she started to bear back to the west she heard a galloping noise and looked up, Chewie came bounding out of the gathering darkness, tail wagging madly in greeting.
Why couldn't people be more like animals? She rubbed Chewie's ears and he gave her a happy groan, then took her coat sleeve delicately in his mouth and tugged, rolling his eyes at her as he did so. "You want me to go with you?" She asked out loud, his ears went back as he smiled and wagged his tail, "Okay." Rey said and he let go and trotted off, pausing every few steps to make sure she was still following him.
Unsurprisingly he took her to the workshop, there was a light on inside so Rey decided now would be a good time to ask Han for that door lock.
Chewie led her through the workshop to an open office doorway, she could see Han sitting in a battered leather chair talking to someone out of sight. Rey hovered in the darkness, unsure whether she should interrupt but Chewie trotted back to her and pulled her by her sleeve through the doorway.
Han looked up as she got there, "Oh, hi kiddo what's up?" He said unsurprised to see her, "Chewie, let her go you daft lummox." Chewie gave him a long suffering look then sat, rubbing his head on Rey's hip, making her almost fall over.
"Have a seat or you'll fall down, you know Ben, I mean Kylo, right?" Rey blinked and turned to see Kylo sitting on a sagging brown leather sofa, looking very uncomfortable. Was he uncomfortable because she was there and he was wishing she wasn't or because the first time they saw each other was around a teacher? What should she do?
Chewie took her choice away, he leaned into her, pushing her towards the sofa and she almost fell onto it, he immediately rested his head on her lap, as if he knew she would have jumped back up if he hadn't.
Rey suddenly realised she hadn't answered Han yet and tried to remember what he had said "Um, sorry to bother you but Chewie seemed to want me to come here, I'm sorry I didn't come on Monday for the lock, would it be possible to get one now though? Please?"
Han chuckled, "Yeah, I think Chewie's rather smitten with you. Sure I'll go get a lock now, I heard you were ill, you all better now?" Rey shot him a nervous smile, "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."
Han got up and disappeared into the darkness of the workshop, Rey could hear him banging around and muttering to himself as he went.
She found she couldn't look at Kylo, she was too afraid she'd see anger or rejection on his face and right now she really couldn't bear that. He hadn't moved or spoken during her exchange with Han, and Rey had no idea what that might mean.
The silence was loaded, the air almost seemed to ripple with tension, then something touched her right hand making her jump slightly, she turned her head to see Kylo's hand hovering a few inches away from hers, without looking at his face she moved her fingers to lightly touch his, then snatched them away as soon as they touched, it had felt like she'd got a shock of static electricity. Only one or two seconds later though his hand was enveloping hers and she closed her eyes briefly in relief.
His skin was so warm! It almost felt like he was pushing heat through his fingers into hers, it traveled up her arm and into her chest, a pressure she hadn't realised was there disappeared and she let out a small relieved sigh.
Their hands separated as they heard Han coming back in, "Is a straight door bolt okay with you, Scavenger?"
Rey smiled, "Yeah, that's perfect, thanks."
"I'm lending Kylo some tools, you can borrow them too." He said as he handed her the lock and six screws.
Rey smiled, "That's okay, I've got my own." She said as she put them carefully in her pocket.
Han raised his eyebrows but nodded, then said, "Okay you two, off you go, Chewie and I have plans."
Rey smiled and said thank you again as she left, she heard Kylo pause and mutter something but didn't catch what, Han laughed.
Chewie saw them off, escorting them to the door then watching for a few moments, eyes almost glowing, before going back inside.
Rey and Kylo walked in silence till they got out of sight of the workshop, then suddenly she was in his arms, his mouth hot and frantic on hers as he pushed her up against the wall of the Music and Drama building.
Static seemed to crackle across their skin as they touched, Rey lost time, the world shrunk down to his burning lips, his warm hands, his breath.
Han's reaction to Kylo's wound was very different to his mother's. Han had clapped him on the back and said it would appeal to girls once it was healed, offered him a beer and they'd sat and talked about his mother, lessons and how long the wound may take to heal.
To Kylo's surprise Han had offered him dinner and even more surprising, he'd stayed, enjoying the beer, pizza and Chewie's heavy head on his knee.
Then Chewie had returned from for what Kylo had just assumed was a loo break, towing Rey behind him.
At the sight of her his chest had suddenly frozen in fear, she looked tired and sad and he had been deathly afraid that it had something to do with him.
She hadn't even looked at him, and he'd thought it was over again, before it had properly begun. Then Han had disappeared to get her a lock too, why did Rey want a door lock? And he'd built up the courage to reach out and touch his fingers to hers, she'd jumped as if repelled by his touch, but when he was about to be crushed by despair she had reached out and touched his fingers. A spark seemed to jump between them shocking him for a second, then he had grabbed her hand with his, her fingers cold and perfect in his grasp. And it felt so good, just that small point of contact.
When Han turfed them out, he'd held off as long as he could before grabbing her and kissing her as if she had been away from him for a year or more.
Her hands were in his hair, he held her face as they kissed, her back against a wall, his body against hers, and everything was perfect in that instant, static crackled over them like tiny lighting strikes, it didn't matter, nothing mattered in that moment, and they spun it out as long as they could.
Voices pulled them apart, he led her behind some trees, he went to kiss her again but she pressed her hands against his chest, just enough to keep their lips from touching.
"There are some things we need to talk about." Her breath against his lips made him dizzy but he nodded, and pulled back from her a little more.
She didn't speak though, she frowned in concentration as she softly traced just beside his wound, the static that had been crackling over them, through them, seemed to concentrate at her touch, his cut suddenly feeling cold and hot, searing, it lasted for a few breaths, then was over. He looked down at her, her eyes were wide and she slowly grinned up at him.
Kylo flexed his jaw and realised his face felt… different. "What just happened?" He asked in a whisper, unsure why he didn't talk normally.
Rey shrugged, "I have no idea," She whispered back, "But you should go and look in a mirror soon." Suddenly she looked enormously smug.
It faded quickly though, "Have you had dinner?" Kylo nodded, "Okay, shall I meet you in your room once curfew starts?"
Kylo shook his head firmly, "I'll meet you in your room, you're still getting better, you shouldn't be scampering across roofs at the moment."
Rey raised an eyebrow at him, "We have it well established that I am better at 'scampering' than you are."
"I will agree with you there, but you have been ill, really ill, I can feel your legs trembling even now."
Rey glared back at him but then sighed, "Fine, okay." And he grinned, grabbing her hand to lead her back onto the path but she tugged him to a stop.
"I'm not sure we should be seen together yet." It was Kylo's turn to raise his eyebrows.
"Are you embarrassed about me?" He asked jokingly, but feeling a flash of hurt inside.
Rey rolled her eyes at him, "No. But we need to… talk about some things before we tell people." Kylo was about to argue then remembered his Mother and Hux. He sighed in resignation, "You're probably right. Okay, do you want to go first? I'll go around the gym first so I come from the other direction."
Rey smiled at him and went up on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly, but he pulled her to him again, kissing her till she was gasping against him before letting her go with a smug chuckle.
There was a promise of pay back in her eyes, and honestly, he couldn't wait.
A/N: Sorry, kind of more filler… also I had a really, really shitty day, So this chapter is brought to you by Whiskey and a migraine. (The path of my life is strewn with cowpats from the devil's own satanic herd.)