Not Alone

They stared at each other with an intensity that rivaled the heat of the fire. Rey's breathing slowed and found that it was in perfect sync with Kylo's. She didn't bother trying to hide her tears, which surprised both of them.

Kylo's heart twinged slightly at the sight of Rey crying. She was soaked through as if she had been caught in a downpour. Her hair had lost her customary three looped buns, with only the top half being tied back as the rest cascaded past her shoulders. He liked it like that. He stopped short when he realized what he was thinking and quickly cleared his mind. He lifted his gaze to meet Rey's. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks as she trembled and shook. To his surprise, she didn't look angry or upset to see him. She looked broken. And in pain. He didn't say anything, as he didn't want to pressure her to do anything. She took a shaky breath and opened her mouth as if she were going to speak. Her lips parted but nothing came out. Her body shook and she tried again.

"I… " she trailed off. Kylo looked at her with soft, dark eyes. She looked into them and saw openness and an invitation. Surprising herself and Kylo, Rey took the offer and began to open up to him. "I've been alone my whole life." Rey stared at her lap for a moment. "So I'm not sure why this is any different," she says bitterly.

"It doesn't mean that it stops hurting." Kylo's voice surprised her. She looked at him and saw understanding and sympathy. Their connection was electric, almost palpable. The flow of thoughts and feelings that flowed between them was almost overwhelming. He saw her countless nights on Jakku, crying herself to sleep. Clinging to the hope that she hadn't been abandoned. She saw him as a child feeling abandoned by his family because they were busy with other things. How much it hurt when he would hear nervous whispers about how he was too powerful. That he was dangerous, a monster. And even now, the aching loneliness persisted. They understood each other.

Without even thinking about it, Rey began recounting the events in the cave. She told him the immense pull to the dark, the panic she felt in the water, her confusion in the mirror. She told him everything. And he just sat there, listening to her. Not pushing her when she hesitated or interrupting her. There were many opportunities to be cruel, but he didn't take any of them. He just listened to her, with understanding and sympathy in his eyes.

"I should have felt trapped or panicked. But I didn't…" Rey said as she spoke of her replicas in the mirror. "This didn't go on forever, I knew it was leading somewhere." She paused for a moment, before saying shakily, "That at the end it would show me what I came to see." Her eyes squeezed shut for a moment as more tears fell from her eyes. "I'd thought I'd find answers here." Her lower lip quivered slightly as she shakily whispered, "I was wrong." She hesitated slightly before continuing but decided to cast away any facade of strength and decided to be honest and vulnerable with him. She somehow knew he wouldn't judge her. "I'd never felt so alone." Another tear streaked down her face.

A beat of silence hung in the air before Kylo's soft voice broke the tension. "You're not alone." Rey lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. She was stricken with the openness and vulnerability in them. And with his sincerity. His voice was gentle and compassionate. His dark eyes gave Rey a sense of comfort, familiarity, and belonging.

She looked at him for a moment before saying, "Neither are you." Kylo was surprised to see that she was being genuine as if she truly cared about him. The bond between them grew in intensity and depth as they stared into each other's eyes as if they saw into each other's soul. Their breathing and heartbeats were synced together as one, impossible to tell the difference between them, almost as if they were one being altogether…

"Rey?" Luke called as thunder boomed outside. He blinked through the rain and his gaze landed on the stone hut Rey was staying in. It was opposite to where Luke was, but he could see the light from a fire inside. When he felt Leia through the Force, Luke decided that he was done hiding. He needed to tell Rey that he had decided to go with her, to help her. He began walking towards the hut eagerly.

Rey lifted her head slightly and said, "It isn't too late." Her eyes were almost pleading that Kylo would believe her. That Ben Solo wasn't completely gone. That there was still light in him. Kylo turned his head towards her slightly in surprise. But her gaze was unwavering as he looked into her hazel eyes. Rey exhaled breathily then shocked herself, and Kylo.

Rey slowly began to lift her hand and her slender fingers stretched outwards towards him. Kylo glanced at her hand and blinked in surprise. But she kept reaching her hand out towards him, is if it were a lifeline she was trying to cling to. Kylo pulled off his glove then, feeling exposed with nothing between his skin and the world. He slowly began to reach his hand forwards, too.

Rey trembled as she continued to offer her hand. She wondered if she could actually touch him, or if her fingers would just go through the air. It wasn't like he was actually in the hut with her. But he seemed so real. As if she could touch his hand, his hair, or trace the scar along his jaw.

As his hand drew closer, neither of them broke eye contact with each other, scarcely daring to breathe. His hand was so close to hers, lit in the golden glow of the fire. They weren't even an inch apart. He hesitated for a moment before his fingertips finally found purchase against her's. Rey gasped slightly as she felt a jolt of electricity flow from their touch. Kylo inhaled sharply as well. They stared at each other in awe and wonderment. Rey found herself reaching out more, for more contact with his hand. She gently closed the rest of the distance between them, their palms fitting against each other perfectly. Rey stared at him in shock and her eyes suddenly were bright with hope as another tear ran down her cheek. But not from sorrow or pain. Kylo trembled as well, not remembering the last time he had had skin-to-skin contact with another person without hurting them. He stared at Rey with such an intensity that Rey almost wanted to look away. But she couldn't bear to turn her gaze away from him. Thunder crashed outside but neither of them paid it any attention. Rey inhaled a shuddering breath through parted lips. There was a strange tether between them, slowly pulling them closer together…

Luke entered the hut and stopped short. He saw Rey sitting across from Kylo Ren. Ben… His nephew, Leia's son. Their hands were clasped together and they were staring into each other's eyes. The way they were looking at each other was stronger and more intimate than the twin suns themselves. Luke felt panic rising in him and he thrust out his hand. "STOP!" He yelled, and the two whipped their heads towards him as the stone hut blew apart with a thunderous crash.