Chapter 2

Kylo Ren sat across from Rey back on Starkiller Base. He gazed at her as she slept, his fists unclenched. It was uncommon for Kylo to keep his fists unclenched but he found comforted by the presence of this scavenger girl he had heard so much about. He hated keeping her locked into restraints but had no idea how she would react to him in this setting since the first thing she had done was shoot at him. Behind his mask his lips curled into a smile at the spunk of this mystery girl. She reminded him a lot of himself strangely. Quickly he shook the thought when he saw the girl jolt awake.
Rey awoke and waited until her eyes adjusted before taking in her surroundings. She instantly felt the presence of Kylo Ren before her eyes landed on him sitting in front of her. It was strange seeing him so calm and still before her when he had brandished his lightsaber towards her when they first met. Granted, she had shot him first, but it was still interesting seeing him so still at this moment. She tried to keep her roiling emotions in check as she stared at the masked figure in front of her. Rey was no longer frightened of him but felt a sort of connection with him, which shocked her to her core.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"You're my guest," Kylo replied, not taking his eyes off of her. He still sat calmly in front of her with his hands dangling off of his knees. Rey shuddered at the softness his voice emitted in his response, but hid her feelings about it away from him. She tried to keep the conversation moving.
"Where are the others?" Rey continued.
"You mean the murderers, traitors, and thieves you call friends? You'll be relieved I have no idea," Kylo stated. He could feel her relief sweep over her and paused when he felt a quiet rage starting to burn inside her.
"You still want to kill me?" he asked as he turned his head to the side. "That happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask," Rey spat out, trying to show him she wasn't scared of him. She watched as he sat and proceeded to remove his helmet. Kylo stood up and his whole face was now exposed towards her. Rey was taken aback at the stunningly handsome face that gazed back at her not with hate but with a soft understanding that filled her up. She broke her stare for a moment as she felt her cheeks burn red. It never occurred to her that the man behind the mask would ever make her feel this way. Kylo turned to place his mask on a desk and walked over to where she was, hovering beside her just feet away. They stared at each other and both were aware of the tension growing between them. Without being inside her mind, Kylo could feel everything she was feeling as did Rey towards him. They seemed to share a bond of some sort and both were stunned by this discovery.
"Tell me something...do you feel this connection between us? It can't just be me," Kylo spoke softly after a few quiet moments had passed between them. He looked at her with a curiosity that he saw was mirrored in her eyes. But he also saw a longing in her eyes that reflected his own sense of longing. To find it in this girl was surprising to him, but he welcomed the feeling. Rey's heart fluttered inside her chest. She had never had anyone look at her this way before and it made her feel...safe. While they had been staring at one another they hadn't noticed how close they became. Kylo let his gaze run from Rey's beautiful brown eyes down to her feet and back up again. Then he did something Rey would have never thought would happen.
With a wave of his hand, the restraints holding Rey in place were lifted. Kylo feared that she would attack him the second he did this and found he was pleasantly surprised when she didn't. Rey carefully stepped down from where she was held and found herself directly in front of Kylo. She looked up into his face as he towered over her. His height was something that she was enjoying immensely as she continued staring into his soft eyes, stepping ever closer to him. They were now a breath apart and the tension increased exponentially between them. Looking into each other's eyes, they slowly leaned closer and touched their foreheads to one another.
Both Kylo and Rey were hit with an explosion of feelings and memories that washed over them rapidly. With their minds connected, they could see into each other's pasts and also saw each other's futures. They both shuddered at the intensity of what they were experiencing but didn't pull away from each other. All at once the visions suddenly stopped and both Rey and Kylo breathed out deeply. They pulled their foreheads away from one another and looked into each other's eyes before looking down towards their hands, which they found were intertwined. Looking back up at one another, there was an overwhelming sense of calm and understanding that passed between Kylo and Rey that could only be understood by them. Kylo took one of his hands and placed it against Rey's cheek in a loving way as he stared down at her. Wordlessly, he began moving his head closer to hers so his lips breathed against hers. Rey closed her eyes and stood on her tiptoes so she could meet him halfway. A loud knock at the door stopped them just as their lips almost touched, making them jump apart slightly, their hands still laced together. Kylo looked back at Rey and she understood what he was telling her through their special yet mysterious connection. She stood still, holding his hand in hers, as he turned his attention to the door. "Sir, General Hux is asking for an update on the scavenger girl. You will be providing the map to the Supreme Leader in a few moments," spoke the voice of a Stormtrooper.
"I will join General Hux soon," Kylo replied before turning back to Rey. His eyes drifted to their interlocked fingers and he squeezed her fingers gently. He sighed deeply and looked into her eyes before pulling her closer to him so they were inches apart. "I...I have to go but I don't want to leave you. There's so much I don't understand about you, but I want to know why we are connected in this way. However, I don't want to hold you against your will. If I go, I just ask that you think about staying so we can figure this out," Kylo spoke so softly and it somehow made Rey feel safe for the first time in a long time. She squeezed his hand back and noticed a small pull at the corner of his mouth that she could have sworn was a smile.
"I won't leave. I want to know what that was that I just experienced with you and I feel that we are the only ones who can figure it out," she replied. Kylo gazed at her and placed his hand on her cheek one last time before he started to leave, even though he desperately wanted to stay with her. Rey watched as he left and anxiously awaited his return, hoping to figure out what it was she saw and to see if her future truly does end with Kylo at her side.