Chapter 49: Breathing Space
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Kylo was surprised to find Luke at the bottom of the stairs, chatting to Mara. They looked up at him as he entered the lobby.
He was even more surprised when Mara patted his hand affectionately before leaving him alone with Luke. "What was that about?" He said, staring after her as she went into the kitchen.
"Let's talk in your room, shall we?" Luke said rather ominously and started up the stairs. Kylo frowned and followed.
When they reached his room they found the Knights all there, Kylo nodded to them as he walked in and sat down on his empty chair and looked up expectantly at Luke.
"I need to talk to Kylo alone, you boys clear out." Luke said, though not unkindly.
The Knights looked at Kyo and he shook his head, "Whatever you have to say to me can be said in front of them." He told his uncle firmly.
Luke raised his eyebrows but nodded and shut the door behind him. "You aren't going to like this." He said tiredly as he sat down on the bed. "But it was the best your mother and I could do. Ismasta Barspo has been expelled, he confessed to spiking the drink he gave to Rey. He has already left the school." The Knights murmured at that, but Kylo just waited, clearly this was not the thing he wouldn't be unhappy about.
"Armitage Hux denied everything and has witnesses that contradict yours. He and his friends have a week of detention for the fight that broke out at the pit as there were too many witnesses for that. However, other than being told to stay away from Rey and not being allowed to interact with her at all, that is as far as it goes."
The Knights erupted around Kylo, their outrage making them forget that Luke was their teacher. Kylo just closed his eyes and breathed. A tiny part of him had suspected Hux would get away with this. Yet the confirmation still sent him reeling. The beast inside uncoiled in his chest and he threw up a wall between Rey and himself so she hopefully wouldn't feel it.
A hand gripped his shoulder comfortingly and he opened his eyes to see Ingalan looking at him. He gave a slight nod, to let Ingalan know he was handling it. "And what of us?" He asked Luke as the others fell silent.
Luke scrubbed his hands through his hair, an unusual gesture of frustration. "You're all off the hook, mostly thanks to your mother. Rey too."
"Why the hell would anyone even consider punishing Rey?!" Zainmar asked disgustedly. The others echoed him. Luke looked unhappy, "She broke Hux's nose. Badly. She also inflicted quite a lot of other injuries on his friends."
Kylo breathed carefully and Luke looked at him. "You're going to have to keep a lid on your temper, Kylo. This feud, this war has to stop."
Kylo snarled. "How can I stop when literally all of this shit has been instigated by Hux and not us?"
Luke looked at him flatly, "I find that hard to believe Kylo, you've had issues with each other for years now."
Ingalan frowned at Luke, "That may be so, but recently, at least ever since Rey turned up, we have just been reacting. Kylo's right." The others nodded.
Luke sighed, "Just try and stay out of it, okay? He shouldn't be going anywhere near Rey so you shouldn't have anymore problems. If you do, you tell Mara, Me or Leia. Is that clear?" He looked at each of them in turn, waiting for their nods of agreement.
Anger flared inside Kylo but he nodded anyway, the sooner Luke was gone the sooner he could eat, shower and discuss things properly with the others.
Luke got up to leave but paused at the door, "You lads did well last night." He told them, then left, closing the door behind him.
There was a pause as they waited for a moment for him to start down the stairs.
"How's Rey doing?" Leonmar asked after a moment. "She'll be okay." Kylo said heavily. "Though we may have to keep an eye on her so she doesn't end up killing Hux the next time she sees him… You should probably know… He wouldn't be her first." He looked up at them to see the shock on their faces, Zainmars mouth was hanging open and Leonmar's eyes were like saucers. "You cannot tell that to anyone though. Including Rey."
Javiell swallowed, "Well shit." The others nodded wordlessly. Kylo shifted in his chair to start on the tray of food, he changed the subject, still uncertain whether he should have told them that at all. "Anything happen while I was gone? Any fallout other than what Luke just mentioned?"
"Not much, it's been pretty quiet today, everyone is treading lightly… Though you'll be pleased to hear that when Ismasta left, he was pretty beat up. Rumour is that Poe and his friends got hold of him during the night." Ingalan said with a small smile.
Kylo nodded in satisfaction, that was something at least. "Hux hasn't yet left his room, guess he is laying low and licking his wounds. Some of his lackeys have been around but they steered clear of us." Javiell added.
"Is Rey really okay?" Zainmar asked, "She isn't injured? Did you stay with her all night?"
"As okay as can be. I used our bond to burn most of what was in that drink out of her system. She only has cuts and bruises, same as me. I don't know how okay she'll be when she next sees Hux though... And yeah, I was allowed to stay with her." He couldn't keep a soft smile from his face as he said the last. Light! It had felt so good to just sleep with her there in his arms, not worrying about when to climb back over the bloody roof.
"What about you? Any injuries?" He asked as he tried to eat everything as quickly as he could without choking. Javiell scoffed, "No, same as you, just cuts, bruises and ripped clothing."
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After Kylo had scarfed down as much food as he could hold, he went and had a shower, letting the hot water pound some of the tension from his shoulders as he thought about what Luke had said. Could he really let Hux get away with this without retaliating? The broken nose didn't seem to be nearly enough punishment for what he had done. The worst thing was that he knew Luke and Leia believed him, and yet they could do nothing. He shook his head irritably, then winced as a wet strand of hair caught him in the eye. Although it was Hux's last year here, they were only a quarter way through it, and Kylo doubted that Hux would not do anything else before he left…
Kylo dressed quickly, just towelling his hair dry and throwing whatever clothes came to his hand first, then headed downstairs to meet the Knights who he'd sent down ahead of him in case Rey got down before he could meet her.
He found Finn, Poe and their friends waiting with the Knights in the lobby, talking quietly to each other as they waited.
Finn broke off when he saw Kylo and moved swiftly to intercept him before Kylo could join the Knights. "Ingalan filled me in." Finn said softly, though anger bubbled just below the surface. "I just wanted to thank you. For saving her." He voice broke slightly and he shook his head in annoyance, "She is like my sister. No, she is my sister. She is the only family I have. I should have been there and I hate that I wasn't, and I hate that I ever introduced her to that shit Ismasta... So thank you." He finished awkwardly, ducking his eyes away from Kylo's face.
Yet Kylo felt a glimmer of understanding, afterall the Knights were not his kin, but they were his brothers, and he knew Finn was an orphan, so could imagine how that must increase Rey's importance to him. He shifted his feet uncomfortably, unsure how to respond. "That's okay." He said finally, then added, "I hear you got to Ismasta before he left."
Finn looked up at him at that and gave him a small grin, "Yeah. We did. He isn't going to sit comfortably for a few weeks… It was the least we could do."
Kylo nodded, then turned as he heard the ungainly sound of a larger than average wolfhound coming down stairs.
Rey followed after him, dressed in what must have been some of her new clothes, even if the jeans were clearly mens and the hoodie was a least one size too big.
Kylo suddenly realised that sixteen people rushing over to talk to her probably wasn't such a great idea and he caught Finn's eye who had evidently just realised the same thing.
Finn gestured at Poe who seemed to understand and raised his voice, "Okay guys, let's take this in the movie room shall we? I booked it." And he started towards the corridor, pulling two of his protesting female friends with him.
Kylo nodded to the Knights to follow and he and Finn stayed behind and went over to Rey who was still standing on the stairs, eyes a little wider than normal.
Kylo let Finn reach her first, it hurt, to see how she embraced him, to feel the happiness she felt at seeing her friend. But he pushed the feeling down, after all he had spent all night with her. He could allow this. Chewie's heavy head pressed against his hip as if the dog knew what he was thinking, he gazed up at him and Kylo smiled down at the dog as he pulled his ears and Chewie groaned happily.
Rey's hand slipped into his free one and he looked at her, drinking in her face even though he'd seen her barely an hour ago, "Are you sure you're okay being down here?" He asked her softly and noticed Finn frowning behind her.
"I'll be fine." She said airily. Finn crossed his arms. "Peanut, no one will think less of you if you want to go back upstairs."
Rey shot him a loving but exasperated look over her shoulder. "I'll be fine. So long as everyone doesn't stare at me or bombard me with questions, I'll be fine.. I have to be. Fucking Hux is still here and I won't give him the satisfaction of thinking he frightened me." She raised her chin and gave Finn and himself flat, determined looks.
Kylo and Finn both sighed at the same time then smirked at each other. Rey rolled her eyes and grabbing Finn's hand, tugged them towards the movie room.
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The evening passed quietly, Rey sat between Finn and Kylo on the large sofa, Poe on Finn's other side and Chewie at her feet. The conversation once it got started, had flowed easily, they didn't watch a movie but the privacy of the movie room was welcome.
It was nice to just spend time with Kylo without having to sneak around. She snuggled into his side, with his arm around her. Every now and then Finn would touch her, as if to make sure she was still there and still okay.
Despite everything that had happened, Rey realised she was happy. She knew that tomorrow would likely be harder. It would be more difficult to avoid Hux and other students, everyone in the school would be aware of some of it by now. But she'd survive, that's what she did.
One of the things that had surprised her and that she had secretly been afraid of, was the reaction of Poe and his friends. After all, they had been friends with Ismasta for a long time, and had only known her less than two weeks. And yet none of them seemed to feel she was to blame, and it even turned out they had had a go at him before he left.
She was greatly amused when Finn told her he'd bruised his knuckles on Ismasta's face. As she let the conversation wash over her, she turned her thoughts to revenge.
There was absolutely no way she would let Hux get away with this. But whatever she came up with, it had to be subtle, had to be something she, or anyone else could not be easily linked to for she knew if anything were to happen to him, they would be top of the list of suspected perpetrators.
As it turned out, it was Finn who gave her the idea, and it was perfect...
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A/N: I am resisting the urge to just go and watch the new series of iZombie as well as other things that have just arrived on Netflix. But I won't. This is how much I love you guys.
