Chapter 8: Powerful

Kylo had been up before the sunrise, anticipation thrumming in his veins. It was Sunday. Today was the day. The fact echoed within him, causing every cell in his being to become charged with excitement. He had never been interested in training with a lesser ranked individual before. Hell, he could hardly stand to train with any single person, preferring to push himself to the limit by actively engaging as many participants from the First Order gym as he could. He never focused on their features, allowing them all to blur into indistinguishable attackers. It was how he operated, removing the personal aspects from his world.

One personal aspect kept trying to break through. His mother had left begun leaving voice mails with both Phasma and his manager, about her charity auction, after he had ignored her previous attempts. This meant Hux was texting, emailing, and calling him constantly to complain that 1) it wasn't his job to take messages and 2) call his damn mother because she held political power he could manipulate for the glory of the First Order. Kylo refused to acknowledge any of his manager's demands.

Though it would have been considered good PR, Kylo wanted nothing to do with the Resistance or his mother. She used those around her for her own political gain. He was no exception. Despite being her only child, she still only viewed him as an advantage. Maybe she couldn't publicly announce him as her offspring, but that wouldn't't stop her. She'd leverage his fame as a renowned fighter to bring in more donors to the event. There was always a trick to play, something she had no doubt learned from her smuggler husband.

Kylo rarely went to black tie events. As Hux had acutely pointed out, he preferred to remain alone. Shying away from people, kept him focused on his goals and kept the cruel memories of his youth at bay. But that would soon all change.

The girl was different. She had a fire in her, a drive he recognized. If he could hone it, train her to follow the strict regime he had built for himself, she'd develop into a worthier opponent, a true challenger. It gave him a pleasant feeling, knowing he had found something in her, something that called to him, made him feel connected in a way no one else ever had.

His bedside clock read 5:50am. He had time before he needed to drive out to Tatooine. He rolled out of his bed, padding across his apartment to his personal studio. The room was as large as the master bedroom, with matted floors, no mirrors, and a selection of training pads and weapons. Kylo began going through his angles of attack, quieting his mind from the excitement of his upcoming session.

To be successful, he needed to continue working on her trust. His first impression had not done him any favors, nor had his follow-up conversation with his uncle. He had a lot of mistakes to make up for. As he moved from angle eight, a strike to the right leg through angle nine, a strike to the left leg, he tried to discern personal details he had observed about Rey versus the confidential information he had obtained. Disclosing private points would set him back and possibly cause her mistrust in him to end their interactions permanently.

Kylo recalled how each day when he had arrived at the academy he had seen an empty cup from Kanata Kaffeine. The disposable travel cups were disposed in the office waste basket. Since his uncle was sold on his blue milk theory, a disgusting concept to Kylo, he assumed the cups belonged to Rey. He remembered she preferred tea, not coffee, which was very British of her. He made a mental note to peruse her files for more on her location before she had been brought to the States.

Heading into Maz's cafe was not an adventure Kylo was prepared for. His self-preservation outweighed his desire to make the girl happy. The other option was a chain, just outside the city. Deathstarbucks Coffee was on his way to Tatooine and had a wide menu of offerings. He'd stop in there on his way to the academy. The chain was wildly popular with both the college aged crowd and his peers at the First Order. He was sure a small boost would be welcomed by the girl.

Mind made up, Kylo continued running through the twelve angles, flowing from one into the next and then again, over and over until he lost himself in the fluid rhythm.

Deathstarbucks was the same as any other chain in Kylo's opinion. The workers were all part-timers in their late teens, early twenties and were decorated in pep and matching uniforms. He tried not to groan at the overzealous young man at the counter when he came up on his turn in line.

"Good morning and welcome to Deathstarbucks. What can I get started for you?"

"One green tea with honey and one black coffee," Kylo responded, handing over his credit card.

"Perfect!" The teenager chirped. "And what size would you like?" Unsure, Kylo glanced at the stacks of paper to-go cups down the counter from the barista. "We have tall, grande, and venti."

What the hell?

"Those sizes do not make sense," he grumbled.

"S-Sure they do," the boy stumbled slightly over his own words, unnerved by Kylo's attitude.

"No," Kylo glared down at him. "Naming three sizes in different languages does not make you cool. It makes you stupid."

The boy bristled at the words and there was a hush over the counter area, as the surrounding conversations came to a halt. Kylo continued starring at the startled barista, convinced he was either about to faint or puke. Either option would have proved his point. This entire place was ridiculous.

"Just order, asshole," someone snapped from the back of the line.

With a sigh, he relented. "Make them both grandes."

The barista nodded, nervously, before swiping his card, and handing it back over with a recipe. Kylo pocketed both and moved to the end of the counter to retrieve the drinks.

As painful as this pit stop had been, it was a more preferable alternative to seeing Maz Kanata.

Once he had his beverages in hand, Kylo loaded both the drinks and himself into his Vanquish. The drive to Ahch-To Academy was uneventful, but he had to admit the strength of the black coffee was a pleasant surprise. Maybe those college kids were on to something, even if they were idiots.

Rey was in the office when he arrived. It was eight-thirty, but she had mentioned nine wasn't early. Leaning on the door frame, her tea in his hand, he watched as she combed through files in the bottom drawer of his uncle's desk. She was hovering over the opened drawer from her seat, unable to see him. She had on a pair of light grey capri leggings and a bright blue tank top. There wasn't any black, not even on her sneakers that were peeking out from under the desk. He would have to remedy her wardrobe choices when she came to the First Order. He cleared his throat and she gave a little jump, slamming the drawer shut.

"I brought you caffeine," he entered the room, setting the cup down on the desk in front of her. She eyed the offering, suspiciously. Before her mind could wonder if he had laced the drink with anything, he asked, "What are you looking for?"

"The web hosting contract Master Luke signed," she let out a small sigh, as if she had been at it a while. He briefly pondered how long she had been awake. Could she have been up before dawn, as he had? "I wanted to see if I could get him a better deal," she explained.

"Isn't that his problem?" Kylo returned.

Rey scrunched her nose at him. "Is it a problem to help?"

"Kiss ass."

"Better than a dumbass," she retorted, rising from the chair with a defiant smirk. He gathered her dig was directed at him, but he was too busy comparing her remark to the ones he had made about the baristas earlier. His little bobcat did have spunk.

Kylo followed her out of the office and down onto the dojo floor. He had his gym bag strapped over his shoulder. While he had a clear plan of what he wanted to achieve with Rey, he had been unclear as to how to start off. A run was a good test of her endurance, her breathing, and her form. After that, though, he wasn't sure how to proceed. So his bag was filled with various weapons, pads, and a few books on techniques and methodologies he had studied over the years.

Rey made a choking sound, as he passed her toward the teacher station in the corner of the room.

"This isn't from Maz's?" She made a disgusted face, stretching her arm out, so she could inspect the branding on the cup.

"So?"

"So?" Her eyes widened, as if he had said something ludicrous. "She's the only coffee shop in town. The least you could do is support the local business. It's not like you're hurting for money."

Kylo wasn't sure how to take her words. She sounded as if she was insulting him and reprimanding him at the same time. Her concern over where he had gotten her tea surprised him to the point he momentarily forgot how she should have been grateful he had brought her anything, let alone green tea. He was thankful her concern was overshadowing the fact he had remembered her order from the day they met. Kylo was not in the mood to field questions from her on why he recalled how her accented voice had requested the simple drink order.

He turned to the counter, setting down his bag on the floor at his feet. He put down his own container of black coffee, trying to ignore the growing frustration. He was beginning to associate Rey with the blood boiling feeling he always got in her presence. She was still under his skin, always there, an itch he couldn't scratch. Kylo's goal for the training was self-serving, it was true, but it was developing into something beyond his original intention. He needed to get Rey off this train of thought and focused on their training for the day.

"It was out of my way," he shrugged, angled so his back was partially to her, but so he could still watch her from his peripherals. His lie was an excuse and she latched onto it.

"Out of your way?" She rolled her eyes now, more annoyed over his gesture of good faith than she had a right to be. "You have to drive down Main Street, past Kanata's Kaffeine to get here!"

He didn't't like the fact she had found yet another point to call him out on. This was not how he had envisioned the morning going. He was losing ground with her, not building up her trust. The entire point of bringing her tea was to make her warm to him, open up, so he was begin planting seeds towards getting her away from the academy and back in the city with him, getting her to join him and the First Order. As with so many things in his life, he had messed it up. She was pulling away from him. Kylo growled, low in his throat, too low for her to hear.

"Next time you won't get anything," he snarled, yanking the cup out of her still outstretched hand. The anger on Rey's face fell away instantly, as she stared at him, seemingly shocked by his response.

Silence followed his outburst. He wanted to scream. He wanted to go over to one of the bags and begin beating it until it came undone from its heavy base. He wanted to punch at the mirrored walls. What was seven years bad luck when he had already suffered his family's short-comings? He had already put up with years of his mother attempting to guilt trip him and his uncle's hypocrisy. A few shattered mirrors wouldn't change any of it. But Rey could.

The girl behind him was his reason for not taking out his aggression in a physical way. Teaching her to fight, showing her techniques for self-defense was different than blowing up in a rage. He figured she'd appreciate him appearing calm and in control versus the dangerous storm of chaos he was dissolving into. Kylo reminded himself of her past history, willing himself to snuff out the raging fire within. Rey wouldn't trust him if he couldn't keep it together. He needed her to see him as a friend, not the enemy. If he pushed too hard or too far, she'd retreat. She'd back out of these one on one sessions and he'd lose his opportunity to have her.

"Ben," her voice was softer now, the heat of the fight gone. "I'm sorry. It was nice of you to think of me."

Kylo sighed, running a hand through his hair, before turning around fully to face her. "Forget it." She was looking at him, still unsure, still suspicious, but there was a hint of acceptance there. "Here," he handed her back the tea. "It will get cold if you don't drink it now." Her lips pulled into a small smile and she accepted the offering. This time there was no suspicion in her gaze, only appreciation.

"Thank you, Ben."

"You're welcome."

After they had finished their preliminary stretching in silence, they locked up the studio and proceeded outside. Kylo decided they would run down into town, along Main Street, then loop around back to the academy. It was about three miles in total, but would give them a good warm up before they started going over some forms and basic techniques. Rey was already bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet, as they stood at the edge of the academy's driveway. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought he had handed her a triple shot of espresso instead of a green tea.

He ignored her burst of energy; sure it was another one of her endless techniques to annoy him. Kylo focused on how training her would improve his relations with Anthony Snoke. To say the man was displeased by Kylo Ren's latest write up was an understatement. Though Phasma had said something along the lines of, "no press is bad press," Mr. Snoke had reprimanded Kylo for his actions. His exact words had been, "What foolish, weak-minded nonsense was that? Look at what you've cost me with your insolence!"

Kylo had stormed out of the office, keeping himself in check long enough to drive back to his apartment, before destroying everything in the guest room, including the mattress. Once his aggression had been restored to normal levels, he had called Phasma and stepped out to give the cleaners privacy. He was sure they were used to the destruction he left in his wake. They had been servicing his apartment since he had moved in.

"Want to make this interesting?" The girl asked, causing him to glance back over in her direction.

He quirked an eyebrow at her; unsure what she meant.

"I bet I can make it around town and back here before you." She flashed him a full grin of white teeth and dimpled cheeks.

Kylo squashed his impulse to say something nasty and merely retorted, "Impossible. My strides are longer than yours."

She shrugged, walking towards the end of the driveway. "Fine, if you're too scared to-."

"I'm not scared," he protested.

The girl glanced over her shoulder at him with a skeptical look. "If you say so."

"I will not coddle you, if you cry when you lose," he insisted, moving to join her at their 'starting line.'

Rey smiled again, craning her neck slightly to see him properly. "Don't worry, old man. Just try to keep up."

Old man?

"Three, two, one...Go!"

And she was off, before his mind could comprehend what she had called him.

Kylo was still standing there, partially stunned by her absent minded insult, until he noticed the growing distance between them, as she sprinted down the road. She was fast. He recalled her instincts from when they had sparred. She was quicker than he had given her credit for. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. He needed to show her who was in charge, needed to set precedence as her teacher.

His lengthy limbs covered the distance easily, as he charged after her. It had been some time since he had run on physical ground. Normally he resigned himself to the treadmills at the First Order gym or in his apartment complex. He preferred to go at off times when the probability of having to converse with other individuals was lower, nearly non-existent. Still, he kept up with his training, never taking a day off, if he could help it. So despite the girl's immature attempt to beat him, he passed her.

He allowed himself the briefest of glances at her, as he raced by, noting the growing smile on her face. She seemed pleased, not at all flustered or upset by his presence. Kylo was confused by her response. Had she been angered, he could have jeered back at her. Yet again, he reminded himself of his goal.

By bringing her to the First Order and to Snoke, he would have delivered a valuable asset to their organization, another top contender who would win endless competitions, as he had, bringing in further recognition and revenue, the two things Snoke revered over all others. Kylo's last indiscretions would be forgotten once he had the girl. Snoke would be far too pleased with the added benefit of having her onboard that he would praise Kylo for his prudence. It was a perfect plan to get back into his mentor's good graces.

As he thought through how he'd announce his discovery of the girl and her raw talent, he let the scenery around him change from the open landscape around the academy to the buildings of town and the change of the pavement from battered macadam to concrete sidewalks.

Kylo made a wide loop at the end of Main Street, where the road headed out the other side of town, ready to start his way back towards the academy. As he came to pass Kanata Kaffeine, he spotted the petite figure he had been avoiding since his sentence to return to this god-forsaken community.

Maz.

The old woman appeared weathered by time and experiences, but to Kylo she hadn't changed at all. She had always worn the mark of an ancient entity, as if she was not of this world. Her wise eyes locked onto him, from where she told on the porch of her business, sweeping up the front stoop. He felt his steps grow heavy, his limbs suddenly tired from his jog.

Her brown eyes pierced through him, sending his mind reeling from memories long suppressed. But as rapidly as he was pulled into his painful past, he was brought back, by the brush of someone's bony shoulder nudging into his side.

"Keep up," the girl teased, momentarily running backwards in front of him before she took off like a shot towards the dojo.

Kylo shook his head, eliminating the last of his mental haze. One final peek back at the coffeehouse revealed a now empty front porch. He scowled and continued forward. He was not about to let the untrained girl win this race.

He picked up his pace, once again closing the space between the girl and himself, but this time, as he neared her, she pressed on, increasing her pace with his. Each time he progressed closer, she sped up, staying ahead of him, even if it was only by a couple of yards. He glared at her back, as if he could mentally haul her backwards. He fixated on a spot in between her shoulder blades, as if by sheer will he had the power to immobilize her.

He didn't.

She won.

As they both came round the corner of the academy to enter the parking lot, Rey threw both her arms up on the arm, dancing around, her buns bouncing on her head as she hopped back and forth on the gravel.

"Ha!" She taunted him, her smile wider than ever before. She gave another couple of hops around the parking lot, before pulling the keys free from her capri's pocket.

Kylo was chiding himself inwardly, as she moved toward the door. He had not expected to lose. He had not expected her last burst of speed or her endurance to keep up the way she had. Then he recalled Maz in town and cursed the old woman for getting into his head. It was her fault he had stalled, her fault he had lost his pace, and ultimately their race.

That woman was proving to be a meddlesome force yet again. He wondered if it was her age that brought her such abilities or if was his former selfs weakness which allowed her to breach his normal rough exterior. She had always been able to open him up, even if it required a few cracks to get to the center of him.

"Coming?" The girl called, standing in the entrance. Kylo buried his anger, stalking towards the door.

Once they were back inside the studio, Rey bounded up towards her apartment, the outcome of the race seemingly already forgotten in her mind.

"I'm going to grab my water bottle. Do you want anything?"

"No," he called after her, watching her dart from the waiting room and disappear through the office. He had the forethought to bring his own water bottle when he packed his bag that morning. However, he noted her offer. It wasn't much, considering how open and friendly she was to anyone who walked into the studio. Still, it was a step in the right direction. Perhaps he didn't need to make up as much ground as he had initially assumed.

Kylo entered the main dojo, kneeling by his bag to dig through for the black container. It had the red and white seal of the First Order on it, typical branding paraphernalia. The marketing department ensured the logo was on practically everything and anything the fighters used on a daily basis, never knowing when they would get photographed.

Rey returned a moment later, a bright teal aluminum bottle in her grasp. It made a slurping sound as she drank out of the straw. He cringed, hating the annoying sucking noise. His disgust must have been evident, because she apologized.

"Sorry, I know it's loud."

He waved a hand at her, rising from the ground with his own water in hand. "I'll have my assistant get you one of these," he replied, gesturing to his own First Order bottle. "It's better."

"This is fine," she told him, her eyes narrowing.

"It's distracting," he commented, hearing a slurp as she took another long gulp of water. She had done it on purpose. "And that was childish."

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his barb. "Are you ever satisfied? Honestly, it must be exhausting to be you."

"Why?"

"You're never happy with anything," she observed. "Nothing is ever to your liking, never meets your expectations. Kinda makes me worried about this," she swung her arm out, gesturing to the empty studio floor.

Kylo realized he may have been too harsh in his remarks. He needed to be more aware of what the girl was comfortable with, if he was going to sway her. Given her background, her perspective on this was not the same as his. In his drive to become the best fighter in the league, he had developed a high level of expectations. Perfection was an illusion. Luke had told him that. Kylo disagreed. He was perfect...at fighting. He was undefeated, ranked the highest in the league since his grandfather. He had scored numerous endorsement contracts, owned endless luxuries, and didn't need to rely on his parents or uncle for anything — not even their validation. He had fans for that. He was unstoppable. He could beat anyone.

Except the girl, a traitorous voice in his head supplied.

That would quickly be remedied. After today, she'd see it was beginner's luck. She'd be so bone tired after the work out he put her through, she wouldn't have time for her friends or her boyfriend. Kylo tried not to acknowledge how the fact she had a devoted person irritated him. He had...well Hux and Phasma didn't really count so...no one. But it didn't bother him. He wasn't a people person. Rey was. But he'd break her of that soon enough.

He had seen her dedication to training. No matter how exhausted she was after today, no matter how hard he ran her, she'd be back for more. Like him, she'd become addicted to the rush, addicted to the knowledge and would crave more and more. Kylo would make sure he'd teach her methods his uncle wouldn't, so she'd be forced to rely on him, spend more time with him one on one. Eventually her training would become all-consuming, as his had; she'd forgo her relationships, as he had. She'd be his completely — his victory.

It would no longer be about who beat who. None of that would matter anymore, because she'd join the First Order with him, she'd leave the academy. Without her as his uncle's apprentice, the business would pass directly to Kylo, the last of the Skywalker line, and he'd have everything he wanted. He'd have the girl at his side in the First Order, his equal in the female rankings. He'd have the academy, which he could repurpose as he saw fit, and he remains the best, at the top of it all, untouched.

"Not going to disagree with me on that?" Rey asked, startling him out of his thoughts.

"I have high expectations," he retorted. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"No, there isn't," she agreed. "But you don't have high expectations, Ben. You have impossible expectations."

"My name is Kylo," he reminded her, ignoring her clarification.

"I'm not going to call you that," she shook her head, before settling down on the floor to stretch.

"Why not?" He sat across from her, extending his left leg to the side to work his hamstrings and calves.

"Because it's dumb," Rey laughed. "It's not your real name. It sounds like some villain from a sci-fi flick."

Villain? She had no idea. No idea of what he really was. Perhaps she wasn't aware of how he had destroyed his former opponents, sending more than one to the hospital. Nines hadn't been ushered out in a stretched during the match, but he had afterwards. After he had-

"I mean, who even came up with the name Kylo Ren?"

"Me."

"Oh." She had to decency to at least look embarrassed by her question. But she rebounded fast. "I still prefer Ben."

"I prefer to get started," he grumbled, tossing a pair of short sticks at her. They landed at her feet, the crack of the bamboo echoing off the walls of the studio. She stared at them, unmoving. "They won't bite," he told her.

But I do.

With her hair pulled up in her signature style, he had the perfect view of her slim neck and the gentle curve where it met her collarbone. Suddenly, he had an urge to press his mouth to the soft skin there; sure she would make a delicious sound in response. The thought came unbidden. It gave him reason to pause over his bag, before reaching in for his second set of sticks. Pushing the urge from his mind, he straightened up, one stick in each hand. The girl was still observing the weapons on the floor in front of her, warily.

"Is there a problem?" He asked, considering he may have made a mistake starting her off with weapons training before they got into further hand to hand techniques.

She shook her head, the unnamed emotion clouding her eyes disappearing before she retrieved the sticks. "Not at all," she responded, the defiant grin from earlier back on her face. "What are we doing?"

"I am going to teach you, Heaven Six or Sinawali, as it's called in some styles," he informed her. If she noticed how he distinguished his role versus her own in the exchange, she didn't react. Instead, she watched him carefully, as he came to stand before her. He got into his starting position and she nodded, mimicking his stance.

"It's a six count pattern. I suggest you count out loud or in your head until you are comfortable with the pattern," he suggested.

She nodded, again, surprisingly silent for a change. Determination was written in her face, a clear sign she was ready to begin. They fell into a rhythm as he showed her each of the six positions and how each transitioned into the next. He demonstrated each piece separately at first, having her practice mirroring him, then completing the motions by herself in front of the mirror on the wall. Next he had her work through the first three moves with their transitions, slowly.

The girl had fluidity to her form, picking up the pattern as quickly as she had adjusted her fighting stance when they had sparred. Within a half hour, she was going through the entire pattern, only requiring minor corrections from him. Kylo was impressed with how gifted she was, convinced her talent would be applauded at the First Order. They hadn't had a female champion since Phasma's retirement.

"Now we spar," he told her, watching her eyes flash with the familiar gold flecks at his words. She moved to place the sticks down, but he tapped her stick with one of his own. "We are sparring with these."

The gold sparked brighter in her eyes, but the green was advancing, swarming over. He recognized the look. The claws were about to come out. His little bobcat was going to play his game.

"We'll go slow, at first," he said, though he figured they both knew it wouldn't last. A simple parry back and forth would hardly serve his goal. If he wanted her to be ready to put before Snoke, he needed to challenge her. He needed the ferocious warrior he had coaxed out last time.

He went through the first round slowly, then noting how effortlessly she completed the pattern, he quickened his pace. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. The bamboo stick against bamboo stick checks were increasing in tempo and Kylo realized he wasn't the only one speeding up his movements. Rey had caught on to his acceleration.

He took a step, walking in a slow ring around her, as she kept up with the new flow they had both set. Kylo noticed her hesitation, unsure of having him circling her, as if she were prey. He reflected on her use of the word villain. Perhaps it wasn't so far from the truth. In his uncle's opinion, Kylo was attempting to lure Rey to 'the dark side.' The mere thought of how absurd it sounded in his head made him want to chuckle, but he retained his composure.

The girl began to pivot around, never turning her back to him, and never giving him a clean opening to strike her with. It was remarkable. Her self-defense instincts were extremely well-crafted to the point, where if he hadn't known what demons existed in her past, he would have suspected. She was far too assertive, far too observant for a normal girl her age, though she did appear rather trusting. He was convinced it was part of her mask; her happy smiles and optimistic personality were to keep others from knowing the truth she kept hidden, the skeletons in her closet, so to speak.

If he was being honest with himself, a part of him was excited by the fact they had that in common. It gave him an advantage in how he could pursue her.

Kylo stopped walking clockwise, his lips curling into a smirk as he watched Rey still, back into starting position, awaiting his next move. He pushed. Stepping forward into her space, he pressed each strike down harder, forcing her back. Her eyes hardened into a deep emerald green, her lips squeezed together as she concentrated on him. He was about to revel in his ability to bring out the fighter in her, when she broke formation and moved to strike his side.

Improvisation was not a lesson he had considered teaching her. She needed to master far too many skills before it would be sensible to have her break the rules to enhance her own combat signature. Kylo found himself being pushed back, as she continued weaving her sticks before him. The glint in her gaze was practically murderous and he had an unhealthy attraction to the shade he found there.

If you want to play dirty, little girl, let's play dirty.

Her footwork was good, but it was far from perfect. He dropped to one knee, coming level with her torso. One rapid shot to the back of her knee had her careening backward, while he slid forward, angling away from her fall. She didn't land on her rear, as a lesser skilled opponent would have. Instead, she ducked her chin, rolling backwards until she found her footing and jumped back up.

Not graceful, but not too bad either, he had to admit. Though, if he had thought she looked savage before, he was wrong. There was no gold left in her normally speckled eyes. Now there was only a deep forest green, so dark it could have been black.

"Tired yet?" He mocked, unsure how long they had been at it, but guessing she had to be winded by now.

"Not a chance."

And then they were at it again.

This time, Kylo didn't hold back. She had come after him again, ever the eager one, but he was not going to let her have it so easy. His uncle may have saved her last time, but he was not about to let her score another hit on him. He swung through the pattern as fast as he normally did when he was training at the First Order. To her credit, the girl kept up. Her form was not perfect and she wasn't aware of how far back he was driving her, but she kept in time with his hits, not providing him with a chance to strike her again.

He backed her up against one of the kickboxing bags, her eyes widening when she realized she had run out of space to retreat into. Kylo slapped his stick down hard against hers, before locking it against her knuckles and wrist, using the pressure against her small features to force her weapon from her hand. The stick dropped to the mat and he quickly kicked it away from her reach. He had to distance her from any possible edge. He needed to secure the upper hand.

Rey struggled against him, her other stick still raised up where he had pinned her other wrist against the bag. He stepped between her legs, checking his hip against her abdomen, to keep her there.

"Yield."

Her nostrils flared as she glared up at him, face flushed and eyes full of fire. "No," she hissed.

Kylo shook his head, before pressing his thumb against her wrist, where he had her pinned. The pressure on the correct point forced her compliance and she dropped her second stick to the ground. Angrily, she let out a sound, as she raised her leg to knee him in the hip. He chuckled, as he brought his own leg up, before stepping on her foot to keep her from trying it again.

He glared down at her, so unwilling to give up and possibly even more obstinate than he was. Hux had often remarked about how difficult Kylo was. He hadn't ever given it a thought, until now, standing there staring down at the girl who was seething beneath his hold. Her stormy attitude should not have been so alluring, but in that moment, his head tilted down toward hers, Kylo Ren was convinced he had never seen anything as beautiful as her.

And like any opponent would, fair fight or not, she took advantage of his pause to throw a head-butt.

Bobcat, I may need to change your name to Minx.

He angled his head away just enough for her attempt to miss, before he brought both her arms down in front of her, so he could wrap his hand around both of her wrists. With his free hand, he cupped her face, forcing her to look at him.

"It's done," he had a warning tone in his voice. "Yield."

Stubbornly, she shook her head.

Kylo chuckled, lowly in his throat, aware of how the flush from their activities was now spreading across her tanned skin. This was the closest he had ever been to a woman before and absolutely the most compromising of positions, as well. Apparently he was not the only one who thought so. There was a flicker of something in her features, which hadn't been there before. It wasn't fear. It was more primal, more alluring. As much as the realization sent him spiraling back towards the awkward days of his youth, and his earlier urges, he still had a point to make.

"Not bad," he told her.

And he meant it.

Even when Phasma had been in her prime, she hadn't had the endurance Rey was exhibiting. It was as if she was feeding off the fight instead of exhausting herself. She had so much spark, so much fervor in her, yet she was poised and ready to strike at any moment. He would need to keep his guard up around her. She was as unpredictable as any wild animal . His little minx.

"Rey." He spoke her name so softly, he wondered if she had even heard him.

Apparently, she had, because the next second, she blinked and the normal hazel color of her eyes returned, all green, brown, and gold tones. Her body, so taut with frustration and anger, relaxed against his hold and her gaze softened.

"You win," she sighed, her breath running down over his lower arm, causing the hairs to stand on end.

If he had thought she were beautiful before; he was about to melt from the satisfaction of hearing her yield to him.

Kylo couldn't tear his eyes away from her, or his body for that matter. He let his hands fall down to rest on her hips, releasing her wrists as he did. He should have stepped away. He should have given them both room to breathe after her submission. Instead, he stayed rooted where he was, watching her, as if at any moment, she'd disappear from his life, just as unexpectedly as she had emerged.

"Ben."

She started to say his name — his real name — and he decided he didn't mind. For once, it sounded right, it sounded like the person he was, because for once he was who he had wanted to be back when he still lived at Ahch-To with his uncle, back when he had been a scholar and interested in the history of martial arts more than the success of the sport. For once, he was just a boy with a girl who was returning his stare with as much hope and longing as he felt.

If he just leaned down another inch or so, he would feel the softness of her lips, have a taste of her mouth, and —

BEEP

Kylo and the girl both jumped apart suddenly, at the loud horn honking outside. He instinctively looked up at the clock over the center of the room, shocked when he saw it was after one.

"Sorry," Rey apologized, sheepishly. "That will be my friends."

She scrambled to pick up her water bottle and his short sticks, holding them out to him. He barely registered taking them, as she scurried past, pausing by the door to wave at her ride, before disappearing upstairs to the apartment. Kylo stood stock still for several more seconds, unsure how to process what had nearly occurred, before his curiosity got the best of him.

Keeping off to the side, he peered out one of the studio's windows to see two girls in a beat-up old truck. It was an ugly rusty, orange color, but he had a feeling Rey loved it. He was surprised to see these two faces, one of whom he recognized from the Maz's, instead of her boyfriend and his male counterpart. Suddenly, Kylo felt incredibly insignificant. Any lingering sensation of being at peace, of having feelings towards the girl, or of being Ben Solo vanished.

"See you tomorrow?" Rey appeared in the doorway, having traded in her workout gear for a pair of sweats, a beat up pair of Converse, and an old T-shirt that had seen better days. He tried not to grimace at the sight.

"Sure," was all he managed to mutter in reply, before she shot out the door, a huge smile on her face as she greeted her friends.

Kylo Ren was alone once more.

A/N: Comments keep me going and urge me to get the next chapter finished and posted. Thank you to AbyssalSpark for beta-ing this chapter! She stepped up and offered her services so graciously. Bonus points for the one who reviews first telling me where the reference for Kylo's cafe outburst came from :)