Chapter 7: Between Wind and Water

The weekend came quicker than Rey anticipated. While her first week of teaching at Ahch-To had been a success, she had been growing increasingly anxious as the days went by. Ben's offer had left her both excited and terrified. After what had occurred during her second day in the studio, she had given him a wide berth, keeping busy with odd tasks Luke provided her, such as updating his website, and practicing the various forms he had gone over with her. Though Rey was learning more each day, she still struggled with the names. Korean wasn't as easy to pick up as how to install a new carburetor. Luke continued to tell her how naturally gifted she was. His praise was a new concept for Rey. It was taking time to adjust to.

Her position at Rogue One was also going well. Cassian had warmed up to her, or at least wasn't as cold as he had been during her interview. Jyn was constantly sharing new drink recipes with her and asking her opinion on certain areas they wanted to renovate in the club space. However, the infamous Kaytoo was not a fan of hers. Kaytoo, one of Cassian's friends from before he had met Jyn, was as sassy as they came. Rey thought he could probably give Finn a run for his money. She had never met anyone quite like him.

Kaytoo had choppy blonde hair, was middle-aged, of middle-height and weight, and was mediocre looking at best. There was nothing exceptional about him in a physical sense, yet he seemed to mock everyone who entered the club for some flaw or another. Rey failed to see most of them, believing he had severely high standards. What Kaytoo lacked in personality, he made up for as a bartender. He was able to create any concoction, tap numerous pints of beer, and pour the perfect glass of wine, all before Rey could finish one cocktail. None of his customers ever complained, so she assumed the speed was met with craft. She also assumed it was his reason for being a self-assured asshole. In that respect, he could rival Ben Solo, even on his worst day.

Ben Solo was an enigma. Rey wasn't sure what he wanted from her. He had been dead set on kicking her out of the academy and her apartment. She would have thought her strike on his face would have sealed her fate. He seemed the type to push for harassment, or some such nonsense, given the fact he had come after her first. Regardless of who had initiated their fight, Master Luke had ended it. He had never uttered another word about the situation to Rey. He hadn't had to. Rey could sense his distrust of his nephew and the situation. Oddly enough, the act had not led to Ben requesting her to leave, in fact it had prompted him to ask her to allow him to train her.

At first, Rey had been skeptical, believing he was playing a cruel prank on her or testing to see how gullible she could be. It sounded like the twisted sort of thing he'd get a kick out of. But he had been serious. She still wasn't sure what to make of it. Was it normal for a grown man to change opinions and emotions the way most changed underwear? He seemed to be awfully conflicted. Despite it all, including Luke's reservations, Rey was intrigued. There was something about his offer. When he had asked, it had almost seemed like a plea and when she had tried to catch him in a lie, thinking he was being unkind, he had been genuinely shocked, almost hurt. She had been the one shocked, when he had allowed her to set the ground rules: Sundays, here at the dojo.

It had been a request of hers for comfort and safety. She didn't trust Ben. His mood swings were enough reason for alarm. Add in the mistrust from Luke and she was making a recipe for disaster. Her own friends had warned her about him, telling her he was no good. Though both Finn and Poe could exaggerate, they wouldn't make up stories to prove a point, just exaggerate specific details. The fact Ben had been suspended from the ring was another indicator she needed to proceed with caution. Still, she couldn't keep her thoughts from remember how it had felt to have his hands on her.

They were rough, evidence of his rigorous training routine, and strong. She wasn't sure what she had expected from a professional MMA fighter, especially an undefeated one. Still, it had surprised her how controlled he had been in the moment. After watching him annihilate the bag for over an hour, she had decided it was enough. He needed to calm down. She hadn't thought about what would happen if he turned his unbridled rage loose on her. Luckily, she had seen the slight tick in his muscles as he pulled the punch, otherwise she wouldn't have been quick enough to avoid the hit. There had been a change the instant he saw her, focusing on her face. The realization dawned, clear and new, and then something else...something primal overtook him. When he came at her again, it wasn't raw power or an emotion venting against an inanimate object. His moves were calculated, specific. Each move had a purpose.

His offer to teach her had a purpose too. She just wasn't sure what it was.

Since it was Saturday, Rey had two morning classes to teach, then some down time before she had to drive to New Jedha for her shift. Going to Maz's had become part of her routine, even though she knew it would have been easier and more cost effective to make tea in her apartment, she hadn't yet gotten a tea kettle, so she used it as an excuse to visit each morning. Rose was always there and on occasion, Jessika was getting her own java fix when Rey stopped in, though Jess wasn't a morning person, so Rey kept her conversations short.

The local girls had become a constant part of Rey's routine along with her two jobs and her visits to Kanata Kaffeine. After years of not having any friends, then accepting Finn and Poe, it was an adjustment to have girl friends. Even though she had known them briefly, she felt attached to them, in the same manner she had felt attached to Finn and Poe when she had opened up to them at college. There was something easy about falling into a rhythm with the two girls. But as with the praise Luke bestowed upon her, Rey was learning to welcome the attention. It helped Rose had a fascination with machines and Jess was overly outgoing and adventurous. Rey found similarities between herself and them, helping ease them into a blossoming friendship.

Maz was consistently giving Rey vague and mysterious advice, which she took happily, if not a bit confused. A lot of what Maz said went over her head, like when Master Luke tried to get her to center her chi during meditation. It was the one concept Rey still failed to grasp. The coffeehouse owner was Rey's favorite member of the Tatooine community, though she would never say it out loud, in fear of disappointing her boss or hurting his feelings. As cryptic as Maz could be, she was nurturing and warm, in a way that had Rey wishing she would have known Maz her entire life. Maybe she could have been her foster mother in another universe? It would have been a vast improvement from the terrible childhood she had suffered at the hands of Plutt.

A cold ghost of a shiver ran down Rey's spine at the thought of her ex-guardian. This had been the longest she had ever been away from him, without hearing his cruel remarks about her or his yells for her to bring in more work. It felt good. Her freedom had been difficult to obtain. Even now there were moments in her day she would pause, simply wait for herself to wake up, convinced it was all a dream and she'd open her eyes to see an angry Plutt hovering over her, ready to reprimand her for sleeping in. This time the shiver hit Rey hard enough she physically shook. Now she needed her tea even more. She needed the warmth to wash away the chill of loneliness seeping into her from the unwanted memories.

"Morning Rey!" Rose greeted her, as she walked into Kanata Kaffeine. "The usual?"

"You know me so well," Rey smiled, handing her a five. "Keep the change."

"It's on the house, dear," Maz appeared next to Rose, reaching across the counter to pat Rey's hand.

"Maz," Rey groaned. "You can't keep doing this. I'm a paying customer."

"And I'm the owner," the older woman insisted. "I can do whatever I want." She stared at Rey, watching the unwavering offer of the bill.

"Fine," the Jakku girl relented. She waited until Maz turned to get her tea, before stuffing the bill into the tip jar.

"I saw that."

Rose and Rey both looked at each other in awe. "How does she do that?" They said in unison, falling into companionable laughter at their shared thought process.

"Jinx!" Rose cried, pointing a finger at Rey, who raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the expression.

"Huh?"

"Jinx," Rose repeated again, her wide smile causing her cheeks to dimple. "You know...the game?"

Shaking her head, Rey gave a small shrug. "Sorry, I've never heard of it."

"What?" Her friend was stunned. "Well we have to remedy that. What are you doing tomorrow? It's your day off, right? You should come over. Jess and I were going to order pizza and binge watch 'Orange is the New Black' on Netflix. You in?"

Rey wanted to agree, but stopped herself, realizing she had never given Ben a time for their training. Was it an all-day thing or were they only going to practice for a couple of hours? The anxiousness she had felt earlier over her upcoming session with him returned. She wasn't sure what time commitment was for one on one tutoring with the famous fighter. Mentally, she kicked herself for not having the forethought to create guidelines around her training.

"Can I text you?" She finally responded. "I have a thing."

"What kind of thing?"

Rey wasn't sure if she should admit to spending time alone with Ben Solo. There were varying degrees of disappointment and concern whenever she brought up his name. Despite the world not knowing Ben Solo's new identity, the residents of Tatooine all seemed aware of Kylo Ren's background, yet they all gave him a wide berth, as if expecting him to turn on them as quickly as he turned on his opponents in the ring. Perhaps that was the reason why Rey kept her voice low when she responded.

"Training."

"With Luke?"

"Um," Rey bit her bottom lip, unsure how she was going to explain the situation to Rose, who saw the good in everyone, but wasn't above asserting herself when the time called for it. The last time Ben had been in front of Rose, he hadn't been civil. In fact, he had been downright rude. Had Rose not been working, Rey wasn't sure if the petite girl would have dealt with it as well as she had. "Not exactly."

"Did he get another instructor?" Rose asked, as she gathered up some dirty spoons and milk containers to dump into the back sink.

"Yeah, his nephew."

"Ben Solo," Maz returned to the counter, handing Rey's tea over. "Is a masterful fighter, one of the best, but he has lost his path. This could be good," she said, though Rey had a feeling her statement was directed at her and not at Rose, "for both of you."

And there it was, the upteeth cryptic comment Maz had made since Rey had met her.

"He's a jerk, Maz," Rose pointed out.

The older woman turned to her employee with a sly grin. "And what man isn't at one time or another?"

Rose shook her head, but she giggled, before she went to the sink to wash the dishes. Maz's eyes skimmed over the counter to Rey, but not before pausing on the tip jar. She didn't make another comment about it, but Rey suspected the coffeehouse owner wasn't finished yet. "Dear child" Maz's voice was softer this time, despite the fact Rose was elbow deep in soapy water and Rey was the only patron in the shop at the present. "There are times when we embark down a path with the best of intentions, but no matter how hard we try, we get lost. We lose our way and our purpose. That's not to say with the correct guidance, we can't find our way again. If we didn't break apart, there would be no cracks to let the light in."

"Maz?"

Rey didn't understand her meaning or how it related to Ben. The woman was staring at her with such hopeful eyes, it made Rey ache. She wished again Maz had been her adoptive mother or even a friendly neighbor in Jakku — someone who could have held her hand the first time she came home crying from school, someone who would have calmed her during her first period, someone who would have beaten Plutt for ever raising a hand to her. Maz would have done it all. Rey had no doubt in her mind. As it was, she was equally grateful to have the woman in her life now, even if it had only been for a short while. There was no one on this earth quite like Maz. Even if her advice was unclear.

Unclear or not, Maz reached up, tapping her open palm against Rey's cheek lightly. "You'll figure it out, dear."

"Thanks," Rey smiled.

It was the only response she could give.

The first class of the day was an adult women's kickboxing class, followed by the younger padawan level taekwondo class. Temiri Blagg was in the second class. He was quickly becoming Rey's favorite pupil. Though she reminded herself not to pick favorites, his ability to pick up on moves quickly and his infectious energy had Rey seeing a part of herself in him. His mom was a single mother, who usually worked double shifts at the Canto Bight Diner on Main Street. She would come during her breaks to drop off and pick up her only son. If she couldn't make it, one of the other mothers typically offered to take him home. Today, however, no one was available.

"I'll sit and wait with you," Rey told him, coming to sit next to him outside of the studio on the curb. She put an arm around his shoulders, comforting him.

"You don't have to," he attempted a brave face, but she knew he was embarrassed.

"Your mom works really hard, you know."

He was young, but Rey believed he'd understand the value in having a parent who tried as hard as his mother did. From Rey's perspective, his mother was a hero. She worked long hours, brought him up to be a smart, polite kid, and still managed to put him through school and his classes at the academy. It was far more than Plutt had done for her, or anyone for that matter. He was lucky.

"I know," he sighed. "Sometimes, I just get mad, you know?" He glanced over at her, looking guilty. "I wish she didn't have to work so much."

Rey gave him a squeeze. "I bet, but you know, she only works so hard because she loves you and she wants what's best for you."

Temiri nodded. They sat together in silence for several minutes. Rey had wanted to go to the thrift store to search for some necessities for her apartment, but this was more important. She could relate to the lonely child. She couldn't bare the thought of him waiting alone. She wished she had a helmet for him to wear. She could have taken him with her, to keep him out of his house and to keep her from spending more money than she should on any one particular item. The tips she had been making at Rogue One were good, better than she had expected, being new. They were good enough, she had money to purchase some furnishings, which at this point were sorely needed.

As they sat together, Rey noticed the sounds of the area. The breeze had picked up since her morning run to Kanata Kaffeine. She could hear the gentle brush of leaves from the trees in Master Luke's zen garden, paired with the babbling sounds of the pound. If she concentrated, she could hear her boss moving around his office, off to her right. Peeking up, she saw him wave from the window. She waved back. And then there was a distant rumble, getting louder. It wasn't organic, but it was familiar. It was the sound of a black Vanquish speeding out of Corellia and towards the parking lot. Rey immediately tensed.

Within seconds, Ben pulled in. His vehicle was impeccable, as always. Despite the miles he was putting on it by driving back and forth from the city on a daily basis, it was always spotless. There wasn't a smudge of dirt on the shiny black surface. She figured he had it washed regularly. As he slid out of his car, she noticed he was wearing the same Ray-Ban sunglasses he had worn the first day she had met him. He didn't remove them, as he walked towards them.

"Morning," he greeted her, ignoring the Temiri.

"Morning," she replied, willing her voice to remain unwavering.

"Hey Mr. Tall Teacher Guy," the child at her side acknowledged him.

Rey bit back her laughter. Ben peered over his sunglasses at the boy. She wasn't sure if it was contempt or surprise she saw reflected in his eyes. He cleared his throat, before angling towards her. "Are you finished for the day?"

"Yes, we just wrapped up."

"Good," he muttered. "I wanted to run over details with you before tomorrow. Shall we?" He brushed past Temiri, heading into the dojo.

"It will have to wait," she called over her shoulder to him. "I'm waiting with Temiri until his mother is able to pick him up."

Ben stalled in the doorway, his face scrunching up. "And how long will that be?"

Rey shrugged. "Not sure. Depends on when she is permitted to take a break."

He frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose, as if it caused him some sort of physical pain. Rey watched him, curious. Did he not like children? He seemed to regard them the same way most adults regarded a contagious disease. It was almost humorous. Almost. Rey had always liked children, ever since she was one. Things were simple in a child's eyes. The world was larger, full of opportunities and endless possibilities. The hardest decision was usually about what color crayon to use on an activity pad or which flavor juice box to indulge in. There was a beautiful innocence to their age. She couldn't understand his disdain.

"Fine," Ben sighed, his shoulders slumping forward as he exhaled. "I'll be inside, when you are ready."

"You could stay out here with us," she offered. She wasn't sure if she was offering to be friendly or because she wanted to test his patience around a child. "We don't bite."

"Much," Temiri added, laughing at his own joke.

"Pass," he responded, gruffly. The door slammed shut once he was inside.

"Why is he such a grump?" Temiri asked.

"Unsolved mystery," Rey teased, though she truly didn't know why Ben Solo was as unpleasant as he was.

Maz had mentioned he had lost his way. Rey didn't know what path he had meant to take, but it was clear he was dealing with several severely unresolved issues. When she had done her research on his mother, the Senator, she hadn't focused on the details of his formative years. Some parts had trickled in, where they intersected with Leia Organa's work, but ultimately her report had been on his mother. Now, she found herself wondering what had happened to bring him to this point in his life. As rude and stand-offish as he could be, he tended to operate at a level of calm in her presence.

Still, she could see the weight on his shoulders was heavy. He carried it around, as if he was trying to atone for something. It was yet another layer to the unanswered riddle that was Ben Solo. Rey had never been good with riddles, however, she excelled at fixing broken things. From an early age she had enjoyed opening up objects to inspect what made them work. She taught herself how to put them back together and, if necessary, how to improve them. Perhaps she could do the same to Ben.

It was another twenty minutes before Temiri's mother arrived to collect him. She thanked Rey profusely before she reminded Temiri to thank his instructor and loaded him into her beat up Subaru. Rey waved, watching them depart from the parking lot, before she turned to the studio.

Walking in, she immediately turned to go to the office, forgetting Ben had asked to speak to her. Luke was still working when she stopped in the doorway. "Hey boss," she greeted him, leaning against the frame. "All done for the day. Do you need anything?"

"No thank you, Rey," he smiled, good-naturedly back at her. "Thank you for watching out for the children. They love you."

"Aww," she beamed, taking the seat across from his. "I love them."

"It shows."

He seemed pleased by her efforts. Rey was glad. Though it had never been her plan to teach at a martial arts school, she was enjoying herself. She was learning just as much from her students as they were learning from her. It was the perfect balance of give and take. She could understand why Luke had told her this was his life's mission. It was rewarding to watch a pupil struggle with a certain form, only to perfect it over time, and light up when they mastered it.

"Do you like the new header image for the website?" She asked.

"I do," he replied. "It balances the page out. "

"I thought so too," she grinned.

Their conversation lapsed into a comfortable quiet. Luke continued going through the files littering his desk. Rey scanned over them, absently, not really reading any of the text or pausing long enough to make sense of the content. His office, no matter how many times she attempted to organize it, was always in some level of disarray. She decided it was organized chaos and that he must have liked it that way because he worked more efficiency when she let him keep it a mess. She mused at what his twin would think of such clutter, knowing how orderly Leia tended to be. With that in mind, she started for the stairs to her apartment.

"Any fun plans for the weekend?" He questioned, suddenly.

"Actually," she held onto the railing to keep herself from shaking, "I was wondering if it would be alright to use the studio space tomorrow."

"There are no classes," Luke stated the obvious. "Are you practicing your forms?"

She couldn't lie to her boss and mentor. "Sort of. Ben offered to train me one on one."

"Did he now?" Master Luke rotated in his chair, his eyes boring into her. He had his hands in his lap, fingers strumming against one another, as though he was a villain in an action movie plotting against the protagonist. "How interesting."

Rey hopped down from the steps. "He wanted to do it at his apartment," she paused, shaking off the blush that had sprung up in her cheeks at the thought of being alone with Ben at his apartment, "but I'd rather do it here, if you'd be open to it," she concluded.

"Of course, Rey," Luke agreed. "Please use the space, as you need. It is your day off, after all. You should be able to benefit from it."

"Thank you, Master Luke."

"Don't mention it."

Rey hurried up to her apartment. As much as she enjoyed teaching and training, she was ready to be out of her itchy uniform. The solid white color was so stark it made her appear to have more of a tan than she did. The material was heavy and, after long hours, uncomfortable. She was happy to shed it now that she was done for the day. Slipping into her favorite pair of ripped jeans and a band T-shirt, she went to her kitchen. She had written out a list of what she needed last night. While downing the rest of her tea from Maz's earlier, she had prioritized each item. She folded it once and then again, before stuffing the note into her pocket. She had enough time to go scavenging at the thrift store. Poe and Finn had promised to help her haul any finds back to her apartment and if their car couldn't fit it, Jess had a beat up orange Toyota they could use.

It was then, as she prepared to go out to her bike, she remembered Ben needing to speak with her.

When she crossed through the office, Master Luke was gone. Furrowing her brow, Rey wondered where he had disappeared to. He had been deeply concentrated not but five minutes ago. She doubted he'd been able to complete his work in the time it had taken her to change. Still, it wasn't her business how he went about things. She found Ben in the main studio, doing one-handed push-ups. He had removed his shirt, leaving his top-half bare to her eyes.

She could hardly keep herself from running her gaze up and down his form. As he bobbed up and down, she watched the way his arm muscles tightened, then relaxed, before he went down into the next rep. His other arm was folded across his back, which was equally muscular. Beads of sweat were pooling on his forehead and he let out a whoosh of air each time he descended. She had seen him fighting, knew he was strong, but he hadn't been shirtless in her presence before. It made her briefly reconsider her position on training here at the academy instead of in his personal gym at his apartment.

"Can I help you?" He quipped, repeating her question from prior.

Rey remembered herself, keeping to the doorway so as not to mess up the mats with her sneakers. "You said you had some details to review."

"Yes." He completed his last rep, before pushing himself up so completely he sprung to his feet. "I was thinking we should get an early start."

"How early?" She queried, already not liking the sound of it.

"Nine?"

She laughed. "Nine in the morning is early?"

"For normal humans, yes."

"What are you some nocturnal being?" She mocked, knowing he only ever wore black. With his pale skin, one may have thought he was a vampire wannabe. All he needed was a black cape fluttering behind him like some sort of strangely erotic Dracula cosplay. Rey shook her head at her own traitorous thoughts. She had to remember who he was, what he had done. He was not to be trusted. "Nine is good."

"Good," he agreed. "We'll start with a run, then we can come back here and get to work."

"How long are we going to work?"

"Do you have a hot date or something?" His question was meant to tease, but Rey sensed a genuine curiosity stemming from his words.

"My friends and I were going to hang since it's my day off."

He nodded. "Let's see how it goes. It's only the first day. You may be tired after the first hour."

Rey raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. She was not going to let him act all arrogant and behave as if he was better than her. Truth be told, he was. He was ranked and had won medals, but she wasn't about to let that stop her from mocking him further. "Listen, Mr. I'm Better Than Everyone Else, if memory serves correct, I wasn't too tired to kick your ass."

"You got lucky," he insisted.

She scoffed. "No, you got lucky. Lucky that all I did was punch your pretty face."

"Is that a threat?" He asked, walking over to her. "Or an invitation?" He stopped when he was standing directly in front of her, the difference in their height non-existent, since the studio floor was lower than the waiting room floor. They were eye level and suddenly Rey regretted egging him on. He was too close. His eyes were too intense. They were a dark brown color, she realized, having thought they were pure black before. It would have matched his mood. Seeing the lighter, warmer color hidden in his depths, she was relieved. He was less intimidating with brown eyes. For some reason, it endeared him to her. She continued to stare, scanning for other details she may have missed.

He had a scar. It wasn't noticeable all the time, but up close Rey could see it ran the length of his face, down his chest towards his right hip. She wondered what had caused such a long gash. She didn't remember reading about any accidents or events which could have resulted in such a wound when she had done her research. Ben had probably obtained it after his emancipation. Did it hurt him? Was he bothered by the mark it had left on his skin? Did it have to do with the weight he carried around with him?

Red flags, Rey, she attempted to remind herself. Anger issues, physical assault, broken family... the list went on. For every reason her brain told her to abstain from his advance, her body was responding in an altogether different manner. Butterflies sprang to life in her stomach, heat flowed through her entire form, and she began to feel lightheaded. It was reckless, terribly uncharacteristic of her to be so affected by an expanse of skin. She had seen Poe and Finn pad through their apartment in only their boxers. It had never made her feel like this.

Part of her knew to be afraid. Part of her warned about his power, his connections, and his wealth. He had everything at his disposal. With a snap of his fingers, he could change the course of her entire life, if he had wanted to. She was sure he had access to some of the best lawyers in the country, if not the world. She was surprised he hadn't gone that route in order to take over the academy, though she also believed Luke would never sign over the business. Ben had unlimited power and a need for control. It was equal parts irritating and irresistible. In her current position, with him so dangerously close that she could feel his breath against her skin, she was leaning towards irresistible.

"Rey?"

Hearing her name, brought her out of the trance. The girl from Jakku found her resolve and her voice. "I guess we'll see."

She could feel her face burning from his proximity. Her pulse was hammering in her ears and she couldn't catch her breath. Why had she done that? Why had she thought it was a good idea to pick on the unstable enigma? Handsome or not, toying with him was likely to end up with one or both of them hurt. The far more likely result was her. After all, he had a reputation for being trouble. And she didn't want to be used for what she could do for him. Plutt had already taken advantage of her. She wouldn't waste any more of her life serving the needs of another. So, before she could further embarrass herself, she left for the thrift store.

But not before he called after her, "We certainly will."

A/N: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! The response to this story has absolutely blown me away and I can't thank you all enough for your support and love. All the comments have made me keep writing and were the sole reason this update happened as quick as it did.

Next up: Kylo's POV and their first one-on-one training session - which results in some conflicting emotions, some more unsolved mysteries about Kylo's past, and some increased sexual tension... Stay tuned, my friends!