Kylo felt relief wash over him like a wave. Athena had managed to win the contest. The countess had shown a combination of his fighting style and teachings, perfect lightsaber techniques and dangerous wits. He didn't fathom how she was able to tap into the lightening so easily. It seemed to come naturally to her, as opposed to other manifestations of the Force.

The medical droids began to buzz around her after he placed her down on her bed. "Leave," he growled, pushing the droids away. She didn't need them.

He didn't know how he'd done it. But before he could stop it, he had given a part of his own power to her. His muscles were aching, his head pounded, like he had been the one fighting. But the feeling of having her in his arms, healthy and alive was euphoric.

"How did I do?" she asked, grinning proudly at him. Kylo smiled back, hiding how much his own body was hurting. "You won."

"Surprised?" Athena raised her eyebrows at him. His cheeks blushed as he evaded her glance. He had doubted her, much to his shame. For a moment, he had truly contemplated murdering everyone in the room and escaping with her. Defeating the knights of Ren wasn't a small feat for a beginner and even with her talent for dueling, she wasn't comparable to the born fighter he was. In the end, her wits gave her the crucial advantage.

"You have a lot to learn," he teased. "But for someone who learned to fight as a sport and who prefers to stick her nose in books and contracts, you did well."

Turning his back to her, he walked to the large marble bathtub in the room behind her bed, turning the golden knobs. He heard Athena shifting on the bed to see what he was doing.

"I'm glad you didn't interfere. I don't think it would have ended well. Although it's disappointing that you have so little faith in your own apprentice," Athena complained playfully.

"Leave your clothes on the floor," he simply ordered. Her skin was still covered with a rust-colored crust of blood, leaving marks on her face and her chest, while the black fabric of her clothes was drenched in blood from her now healed wounds.

Athena obeyed him, something she rarely did without a snarky comment. While the warm water filled the tub, Kylo noticed a collection of books next to it. He instantly recognized one of the romance novels from Serenno. The other was called "the history of hyperspace travel" and "the Yavin code". Again, her odd reading choices surprised him.
"Are you smuggling contraband into your quarters?" he asked, raising his voice over the running water.

"I am." Athena appeared right next to him. She was covered in a towel, looking at him sheepishly, then down on her toes. "There is a flourishing book trade going on between the sanitary and the engineering units. One I might have aided with some books I brought from Serenno. Don't tell anyone, please."

Kylo raised his eyebrows at the young woman in front of him.

"You really need to stop breaking the rules, Athena."

"Are you scolding me about books? I'm happy to share," she tut.

Kylo picked a bottle of scented bubbly soap and prepared the bath for her. The gesture felt so incredibly mundane to him. But Athena's warm smile made it worth it as she dropped the towel, slowly stepping into the bath. The water and foam hid her figure, letting only the curves of her breasts visible to his sight. Kylo sat on the floor, watching her. Athena's long, ash-blonde hair dropped into the water as she slowly combed it with her fingers, brushing out her braid.

While his own features looked like someone had drawn them impatiently with coal, drawing rough lines, her features were created with pencil, carefully creating shadows in the right places. Some lines were a little too sharp, others graceful and soft. Her eyes though, they were made of pearl, onyx, and amethyst. The knight of Ren had enjoyed beautiful women of all kind in his live. Athena was the only one he wanted to draw, to capture her features with the strokes of his pen. A part of him remembered a time where he liked to write and draw, focusing on his art while the other Jedi trainees fought outside. It seemed like a side to him long lost, a memory of a stranger.

He even enjoyed the pink spots creeping up her neck as she noticed his gaze on her. She was rarely shy, which was a treat that he liked. But still, he took pleasure in being the one making her blush.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"You were not scared of me when you first met me. Why?" he asked, not knowing why the question came to his mind. Frowning softly, Athena sank deeper into the bathtub.

"I was scared when they took my mum. When my father lost his mind because he couldn't do anything to get her back… I was scared. But what was truly terrifying was the knowledge that there was another death star that could destroy so much in mere minutes. I realized no matter how powerful I was, the First Order was able to dictate my fate without me being able to do anything about it."

Her chin touched the water. Her eyes looked up to him, the water reflecting in the purple hue of her eyes.

"You, I can bargain and fight and hurt and love. You don't scare me. You're only human, Kylo Ren."

He answered with a soft chuckle. How was it possible that he enjoyed being human around her? The room was heating up through the damping warm water, so he removed his cape. Kylo couldn't help but feel his stomach flutter at the flash of desire in her eyes. He was riddled with fear of losing or hurting her, he was constantly challenged and on edge because of her, but nothing was sweeter than the feeling of her body moving to his touch, the show of little dimples when she smiled or her scent of jasmine and orange blossom.

"You should come in," she said, her voice lower and huskier than before.

"I will," he answered shortly. He removed his glove, slowly enough to make Athena's eyes linger on his hands. Then he moved to grab a bar of lavender scented soap, slowly making his way to her shoulder. After all he had done to her, he wanted to erase every inch of pain he had caused her.

"Allow me," his voice only came out as a whisper, soft as the skin so close to his own. Athena nodded gracefully, like a queen allowing her servant. Carefully, he moved her hair to the side, accessing her neck. Athena's lips parted ever so slightly, pink and damp. She breathed in deeply and sighed as the soap wandered to her arm, then back to her neck again, lingering for a moment before reaching down to her breasts. Kylo felt like the air tightened around him, as he could no longer hide his own arousal. But he continued slowly, deliciously, feeling Athena's back arch as she closed her eyes. The sight of her would most definitely be a masterpiece to draw, even though he would never want anyone else to see her in this moment. Athena was like the grey sky moments just before the storm. Kylo would destroy worlds for this one woman.

"How did you do it? How did you tap into the Light and the Dark Side at once earlier?" he whispered. "Tell me."

It was almost a plea, born from the deep black pit in the bottom of his heart, the fear of rejection, that made him who he was, surfacing. A strange feeling, a feeling of hope made him ask for an answer only this woman could give.

Lazily, she opened her eyes.

"I'll tell you." she promised, then slowly took his hand, taking the soap away and putting it down, splashes of water dripping down her velvet skin. Then she pushed his hand down again, inch by inch, leaving him to continue without her guidance. As if Athena had managed to recalibrate gravity towards her, he could no longer breathe nor think.

"Good girl," he praised, eliciting a small moan from her lips. Through the Force, he could feel the overwhelming desire in her, mirroring his own. Like an artist he studied every little movement of her body, drinking up every small detail as he finally hit the spot, she wanted him so badly to find, sending shivers through her body like sparkles of lightning. Her hands grabbed the sides of the tub, holding her in place as she threw her head back, a look on pure delight illuminating her features. Even though his hands were large and callous from the years of fighting, he moved gently, drawing circles, and putting pressure at the right places. She moaned, holding herself tighter as he continued, patiently drawing her closer, slowing down his movements only to heighten the pace. A masterpiece, he thought. A symphony, a picture so perfect he never wanted to forget it. When she came, it felt like a gift to him.

Athena regained her breath, opening her eyes again, her cheeks flushed pink. Kylo hadn't noticed how he had kept his own breath, as the tension had built in his body as well.

"The secret is…" she muttered, her voice husky, as she turned around to slowly open his shirt, delicately taking her time to make him wait. Water ran down her body, letting her bask in the soft light of the bathroom, as she looked so tiny in front of him, her frame delicate against his largely built torso and his broad shoulders. The woman who could make Kylo Ren kneel for her.

When she reached his pants, teasingly letting her fingers linger around his member, pressing against the tight leather, he couldn't help but shiver in extasy.

Her lips reached his ear, the feeling of her breath against his skin making his legs weak. Athena stepped on her toes to reach him, stretching that perfect body against his.

"You have to let it all in."

And so he did.