Chapter Twelve: Landmines

Luckily, the ride to the apartment was quiet. Kylo put the radio on, hoping the music would drown out any lingering thoughts on his end. It did, but only long enough to get them to their destination, a repurposed warehouse. The club took up the majority of the space, but Kylo noticed a couple of windows on the second story emitting warm light.

"They live where they work?"

"Yeah," Rey replied, already unbuckling her seat belt to get out. "Like me."

"Makes the commute easier," he commented, feeling as though he sounded too much like his uncle. He didn't like it.

He followed her to a side entrance, holding the door open for her once she unlocked it. They climbed a metal stair case at the back, passing a couple of doors — office, storage room — before coming to the end of he corridor where a thick wooden door was situated.

Rey knocked, while Kylo waited awkwardly behind her. He knew she trusted these people, but he wasn't about to leave her — not until he was confident she'd be taken care of. He recognized he was dragging his feet, unable to end his time with Rey. So he lingered behind her, silent and unflinching.

The door opened to reveal a Latino man with dark brown hair covering his face and hanging past his ears. His eyes were welcoming when they saw Rey. However, when the man turned his attention to Kylo the warmth turned to mistrust and he appeared unimpressed.

"Hey, Cassian."

"Come in." He responded, backing up to swing the door wide open, so they could pass.

"I didn't hear your bike. How did you get here?" The man asked, as he shut the door behind them.

Kylo could tell from his tone the man knew exactly how Rey had arrived on his doorstep. He was merely asking to be polite, while he continued to size Kylo up, over her head. It was abundantly clear to him the man was protective of Rey, probably more so than usual given the recent events within his club. What Kylo couldn't reconcile was the man's obvious disdain for him.

He extended his hand before Rey could offer up his name. "I gave her a ride. I'm Ky-."

"I know who you are," Cassian grumbled, not taking his hand.

"Cassian." Another voice entered the fray, as a petite woman with brown hair and green eyes appeared from somewhere else in the apartment. "Hi." She immediately reached out to shake Kylo's outstretched hand. "Jyn. It's so nice to meet you. Rey's told us about you."

Rey talks about me?

"It's my pleasure." He replied, hoping he didn't sound too enthusiastic.

He was pleased to know Rey had mentioned him to her friends, until his lingering doubt came and sat like a dark cloud over the statement. What did she say about him? Was he just a trainer to her or something more? Did he want her to consider him as something more?

"What happened?" Jyn asked Rey, turning her attention to the younger woman.

Kylo watched her shrug. "It was nothing. Just a small fainting spell."

Jyn glanced up at him, clearly noting Rey had downplayed the events of their morning.

"She blacked out twice. The first time it lasted over a minute, but the second time it was only a few seconds. I didn't want her to be alone until she had gotten more rest and eaten," he explained.

Jyn nodded. "You're lucky he was with you," she said to Rey.

"I know." She was responding to her boss, but her eyes were on Kylo. There was a hint of a smile there.

"The cops are looking for him," Jyn mentioned, assuming Kylo knew the cause of Rey's distress. He noticed how Rey shifted at the news. She was still afraid. "They haven't found him yet, but they will."

Or I'll find him first, Kylo thought, angrily.

"We made up the spare room for you," Cassian informed Rey. "Jyn," he gestured to his wife to show their guest where it was. His eyes had remained on Kylo the entire time, ever the watchful guard.

"I'm going to go," Kylo announced, taking it as his cue to leave. "Thank you for offering up your home."

"She's family," Jyn stated, slinging an arm over Rey's shoulders.

Kylo gave a quick nod to them and exited. He needed to get back to Coreilla before his determination to end Plutt had him driving in a different direction. Seeing the flash of fear in Rey's eyes had him thinking irrationally. His mind was already calculating the drive to Jakku, given the address he had located on his files from Phasma. It would be out of his way, but well worth the additional mileage on the Vanquish.

He would hunt the scum down, strike fear into the coward, as the cretin had done to Rey. Kylo would ensure he felt as small and weak as he had made his foster daughter feel for years. He'd make him petty and miserable and only after he had achieved such a state, would he physically beat the man. His mind was plunging down into a dark vortex quickly, as if an old friend was welcoming him back.

He had all but made the decision to go when he heard her voice breaking through the black.

"Ben!"

He turned around to find Rey hurrying down the hallway towards him.

"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" She asked, when she reached him.

"You were busy." The excuse sounded half-assed, even to him.

Rey's face turned up towards his, her position only a foot away, causing her to crane her neck to be able to see his face. "I wanted to thank you for today."

"You already did."

She bit back her bottom lip and he could sense there was an uneasiness in her. She released a breath, before she continued. "I have been alone most of my life," she told him, as if she felt the need to explain herself. "Poe and Finn have been looking out for me the last few years, but before them, I never had anyone but myself. I'm still getting used to people being in my life, but what you did today — for me — I just want you to know I appreciate it."

"Rey, you don't-."

"No," she interrupted him. "Let me say this. I was wrong about you. When we met at Maz's, I thought you were a self-entitled prick and I wanted nothing to do with you."

He tried not to visibly flinch as he recalled how he had initially treated her and how he had initially thought of her. He was the one who had been wrong about her. It was hard to reconcile the way he had been then in comparison to now.

"I've never been so glad to be wrong." She was smiling up at him. It was that beautiful, brilliant smile that felt like it was burning through him it was so bright. It caused an ache in his chest and made him feel weak in his limbs. "There is so much more to you, Ben Solo, so much more than you let on."

Kylo felt the ache surge within him. Was this what a heart attack felt like? He was beginning to feel dizzy and he wasn't able to feel anything but the overwhelming warmth from her smile. It was almost like having an out of body experience. All he could see was Rey's shining face. All he could feel was her light washing over him. Everything else fell away. Yet, somehow he stupidly managed to defy her.

"No, there isn't."

She shook her head. "You're wrong. You underestimate yourself."

And then her lips were on his skin.

It wasn't a full kiss. It barely counted as a kiss at all. Had he been quick enough to anticipate her movements, he could have tilted his head to feel her lips against his own, but as it were, he was too shocked to have her in such proximity without the build up of their sparring. She had risen up on the balls of her feet to close the space between them. Her lips brushed across the edge of his mouth, halfway between the target he hoped she would hit and his cheek. Still, it felt magnificent and though it lasted but a second, he could barely remember what he was thinking of or what his name was, let alone how to react.

As she lowered herself back down, eyes searching his face to gage his response, he was faintly aware he needed to do something — anything — but merely stood there stupefied in her presence. Time seemed to tick by, before he was able to muster up the brain power to speak. By the time he did, she was fully covered in a pink blush across her face.

"C-can I pick you up tomorrow morning?" He asked, suddenly feeling as nervous as a teenager asking a girl to the school dance. What was wrong with him? She had hardly kissed him.

"Could we make a pit stop at Kanata Kaffeine?"

"Sure."

"Then it's a date!"

Rey chooses for Rey , he reminded himself, attempting to not get too elated by her glowing response. It wasn't really a date. It was just something people said, like 'skinny as a rail' and 'out with my boots on'. Besides, he wouldn't know a date, if he was drug into one. He'd never been on a date. Not that it mattered. Kylo knew he didn't deserve Rey — not now, not ever. Yet, it was as if he was trapped by her light. He didn't have the strength to let her go and if he couldn't let her go, he needed to be better.

"Goodnight, Ben." She said, as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. He felt the embrace, felt her squeeze him, as his last ounce of self-control evaporated.

Damn it to hell.

He started to pull her closer, haul her upwards to kiss her, to complete all the prior half-attempts, when the apartment door opened again. Cassian Andor stepped out into the hallway, a murderous expression on his face. Rey couldn't see, with her back towards him, but Kylo got the message loud and clear.

Releasing Rey, he saw her give him a slight smile before passing Cassian.

"I'll just be a minute," he told her, as she retreated inside.

Cassian approached him, keeping an ear towards the apartment door until there was the tell-tale click of it closing, indicating Rey had indeed gone inside.

For a moment the two regarded one another. Unlike most, Captain Andor was not put off by Kylo's size. In fact, he was glaring at him with such animosity, one might assume he was actually enjoying giving the larger man such a look.

"I appreciate what you did for Rey last night." Kylo broke the silence first. "Had I been there, I'm not sure there would be anything for the police to search for."

Cassian's eyes narrowed at the underlying insult. "I can't keep my people safe from behind bars."

"It would have been self-defense. Instead you let her become more of a target. Now he wants revenge."

"What do you know?" Cassian nearly shouted, his own anger flaring.

"I know I would have put a stop to him instead of letting him continue to torment her."

"If you knew Rey, you'd know this wasn't the first time he's come at her."

"Believe me," Kylo growled. "I know."

"If you knew then why didn't you do something before last night?"

"Excuse me?"

"We don't all have the luxury of deciding when and where we care about something."

"You think I have a choice?" Kylo snapped. "I can't control how I feel about her."

Their voices had risen in the exchange and paired with his confession, he took a step back. He hadn't meant to announce it out loud. If Cassian was surprised, he didn't show it, but his voice was back to its calm tone when he spoke again.

"Have you told her?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Kylo ran a hand through his hair, absently. This was not the direction he had assumed this conversation would go in.

"I left my family by choice to fight professionally. I'm constantly training, looking for new techniques on how to hurt people for a living. The only reason I met Rey was because I'm on court ordered community service and weekly therapy sessions. What kind of person does that make me? I'm a monster."

"That is what is holding you back?"

Kylo nodded.

Cassian fixed him with his gaze. For a second, Kylo wondered if the man meant to strike him. Then, with a sigh he started.

"I've been fighting since I was six years old, not for an outlet or for a hobby, but out of necessity. When you grow up with the constant barrage of violence, it becomes common place. You lose some of your humanity."

Kylo noted how dark Cassian's eyes went as he continued, as if he was no longer in the hallway, but far away in both time and space.

"When I joined the Rebellion, I did things — terrible things — on behalf of the cause. I became unrecognizable, morphing into a spy, saboteur, assassin, but everything I did, I did for the Rebellion. Every time I walked away from something I wanted to forget, I told myself it was a cause I believed in."

"Then I met Jyn. I thought she was like the others, just doing what she had to in order to survive, no loyalty, no family. I wrote her off until I saw her throw herself into the line of fire to save a child. I could have done it. I was closer, but she went without hesitation. She could have died. And that's when I realized, I was the one who was dead. I was the one who had died."

"She brought me back. I hadn't treated her well. She had no reason to care about, but she showed me a life worth living, away from the chaos. She saved me."

Cassian finished, giving Kylo a knowing look.

"Why are you telling me this? It doesn't change anything."

"Doesn't it?"

"You're talking about war. Like you said, you didn't have a choice. You had to fight."

"So did you."

"No." Kylo insisted. "I choose to fight."

"I'm not talking about the MMA." Cassian corrected. "A friend once told me there is more than one sort of prison. He said I carried mine wherever I went." Kylo raised a brow at the words. "I didn't understand him then, but I do now. You are caged in, Kylo Ren."

"I'm completing my court requirements. Serving time is no longer on the table."

Cassian shook his head. "A self-imposed cage is a far worse sentence." There was a retort on his lips, but Cassian added, "You're not the only one who lost everything, Mr. Solo."

Kylo stilled. How did Captain Andor know his former identity? Had Rey shared his history with her friends? It wasn't like he had told her not to, or had asked her not to speak about what he was doing at Ahch-To, still he was surprised how uncomfortable he felt with the knowledge another had called him Ben. It felt like something sacred between him and Rey. He could only stomach the name when it fell from her lips.

Before could ask, Cassian had gone inside, leaving him alone in the corridor.

Not wanting to linger another moment longer, Kylo returned to his vehicle. The drive back to Coreilla was quiet. His mind was full of chaos. The pros and cons of continuing down this rabbit hole with Rey continued to wage war in in his head. Back and forth he went with how wonderful it had felt and how terrible it would end, because he knew, deep down, that ultimately it would end. He turned up the volume until the radio was blaring, but the noise couldn't drown out the words he kept hearing over and over again in his head.

There he is…

…the real you.

He saw Rey's special smile and felt the ghosting of her lips on his skin.

I like him best of all.

Rey struggled to sleep that night. After Cassian had gone out to talk to Kylo, Jyn had shown her around the apartment and helped her get settled into the guest bedroom. While her manager's main motive was to get her comfortable, that wasn't to say Jyn didn't have an ulterior motive behind helping her. She had also come to impart some advice to Rey. Now, lying alone in this foreign room, her conversation with Jyn was all she could think about. One phrase in particular kept running through her head.

Trust goes both ways.

It wasn't a surprise Rey hadn't been trusting of Ben when they had met. His arrogance alone had made her recoil. When she recalled the first time they had met in Kanata Kaffeine, she giggled to herself. He had been so intimidating, so cold, and covered from head to toe in darkness. If someone had told her she would be willingly taking lessons from him which would lead to her developing feelings for him, she would have done more than giggle. She would have laughed outright in their face.

So much had changed in the last couple of weeks. He could still be intimidating at times, though Rey was not the type to back down. His coldness towards her had disappeared and while he continued to wear a mostly black wardrobe, she was sensing a lightness to him, a peaceful calm settling in where before it was only conflicted chaos.

Her training session with him had been the only thing she had been looking forward to after her run-in with Plutt. After she had received his wake-up call, she had been mortified for keeping him waiting. In her rush to get downstairs, she had failed to grab anything to eat, not even a quick handful of cereal and after her late nights and limited amount of food all week, her body finally took control, forcing her down.

She hadn't expected Ben to be as attentive as he had been. The stubbornness was in character, but there was a protective quality to it that had made her feel as though he cared, more so than he had ever let on before. The way he had watched her, how insistent he had been she not move, and how he had held her — those were all the actions of a man involved, not a cold-hearted loner.

After making light of the change to him in her living room, she had half-expected him to revert to his former scornful self. Yet, he had seemed shocked, almost perturbed by her observation.

Rey hadn't expected him to walk her inside Rogue One or to the door of her managers' apartment. It was another anomaly. What was more confusing was Cassian's reaction to meeting the famed fighter. Rey had known he was not impressed to learn the 'great Kylo Ren' was her trainer, but she hadn't seen a reason for him to be so callous. Then again, Cassian hadn't been her biggest fan when she first arrived at the club either.

His wife had convinced him to give Rey a chance and once she had earned his respect, he had become as close to her as Chirrut, Baze, and Jyn. He was, by nature, a standoffish person, usually keeping to the edge of the crowd, watching. Rey had witnessed him join in on a handful of occasions, usually once Jyn prompted him. It was comical, in a way, since Jyn had her own rough personality, at times. They were each fighters in their own right, dangerous, but when they got together they were a lethal combination.

It made her wonder more about how they had finally come together, how they had gotten over their skepticism long enough to take a chance on one another, to see where their attraction could go.

Trust goes both ways.

As Rey thought about it more, Jyn's advice made sense. Ben was guarded in the same way Rey was. If she wanted to explore the feelings she was developing, if she allowed herself to admit she had feelings, she would need to remain open with him. It was the only way they were going to be able to move forward.

Grabbing her phone off the bedside table, she pulled up his name.

Rey: Thanks for today. Hope I didn't keep you from anything important.

Ben: You should be sleeping.

Rey: So should you. It's late.

Rey: I slept all day.

Ben: You also blacked out. You needed the extra rest.

She wanted to argue with him, the survivor in her not willing to give an inch or let anyone have the upper hand. Rey reminded herself she was trying to be less guarded. She may be the younger of the two of them, but if she wanted to get to know Ben Solo, the enigma, she would have to be the mature one, by letting her walls down first. She deleted her original rebuttal and shot off a new response.

Rey: I know. Thanks for looking out for me.

Ben: You're welcome.

Rey: What did Cassian say to you?

Ben: Nothing you need to concern yourself with.

She tried to not read too much into his cryptic response. A few lines of text messaging weren't going to break down his walls. She needed to remain constant in her efforts, stay open, and above all, she needed to be honest with him. If she wanted him to trust her, she needed to show she trusted him Too.

Rey: He didn't like me at first ether. Jyn was the one who convinced him to hire me, but he was the first one to jump into action when Plutt came after me.

Ben: He's not afraid of much, is he?

Rey: He's ex-military. I'm sure he's seen far worse.

Ben didn't respond to that. It made her wonder if Cassian had alluded to the fact of his past history. Jyn hadn't given her many specifics, but Chirrut had often mentioned how tormented Cassian had been and how the shadows of his sins followed him about even now, like ghosts staking claim to their permanent haunt.

Rey decided it was best to change the subject before she ended up waiting until morning to speak with Ben again.

Rey: Can you see the stars from where you are?

It was a rather intimate question, making her think of how he looked wherever he was, stretched out on black silk sheets or seated at a lush leather couch sipping an expensive glass of bourbon. Either option seemed realistic to her and rather enticing.

Ben: Not unless I open my curtains. How about you?

Rey: The guest room faces out into the desert. I can see everything for miles. It's beautiful.

Ben: All I can see is other buildings. It's nothing special.

Rey: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?

Ben: You first.

Rey: I asked you first, Mr. Solo.

As soon as she hit 'Send,' Rey realized her mistake. Ben was estranged from his parents. While calling him by his birth name was tolerated, she wasn't sure how he'd receive being called by his surname. Luke had made some remarks, leading Rey to believe the relationship between father and son was far more strained than the relationship between mother and son. Quickly, she typed out another text.

Rey: Sorry.

Ben: Why?

Rey: I know you don't like that name.

Ben: I don't, but I'm used to you saying it.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry at his reply. Without being able to see his expression, she was left to imagine how he was staring at his screen. She pictured his lips turning up in a half smile, half smirk. It was one of her favorite expressions he wore. When he did, she could see all of him, both the light of Ben Solo and the darkness of Kylo Ren. Then her phone dinged and she saw he had sent another text.

Ben: Naboo.

Rey: You have expensive taste, not that I didn't already know from your car and your sunglasses and basically everything you own.

Ben: You make me sound like a snob.

She couldn't resist poking some fun at him, mostly because she was all but laughing in bed and it was the least stressed she had been all week. Talking to him was getting easier and she was glad she had taken Jyn's advice.

Rey: Well, if the shoe fits...

Ben: And where would you live?

Rey: I'm happy where I am.

Ben: Tatooine? Or New Jedha?

Rey: Both. They feel more like home than Jakku or Coreilla ever did. Must be the company. :)

She held her breath then, not sure if she had been far too obvious or too subtle for him. He had to know she cared about him, even if she was still trying to figure out in what context she cared.

Before he had left, she had wanted to kiss him. After their near kiss a week earlier, the moment had seemed equally perfect, primed for a release of the magnetic energy which had been building between them since they met at the coffee shop. But at the last second, she had chickened-out. She had landed the kiss on the edge of his mouth, almost close enough to her original target, with just enough of a boundary to be seen as a friendly thank you, if he protested.

He hadn't.

In fact, he had seemed in awe of her when she had pulled away. Rey was still working through what his expression had meant, when her phone dinged.

Ben: You have great friends. They all love you.

From the way he worded it, she knew he didn't include himself in that statement. In her imagination, the Ben she saw was sitting in his apartment, alone, on the couch, typing away, as if her previous text hadn't alluded to the fact she cared. She wondered why he didn't think anyone could care about him, when he had so many I adoring fans. There was an entire world of people who loved him. Was it so difficult for him to believe she would care for him in spite of his fame and fortune?

Rey: You know, I consider you part of the reason I feel that way.

Ben: You shouldn't.

Rey: Why?

There was no response. After a minute, Rey considered asking again. She didn't understand why Ben was arguing with her on this point. She couldn't control the fact she cared about him anymore than she could control the weather. He had come into her life by chance or fate or whatever people believed in, but now he was a part of her life here. Despite their first impressions, and regardless of their different pasts, they had bonded over their passion for fighting. Now he was as constant as Rose and Jess or Finn and Poe. It was unexpected — unexpected and encouraging.

Her phone dinged, signaling he had responded. It wasn't encouraging.

Ben: Goodnight, Rey

Rey: Wait! Answer my question, Ben. Why?

He never did.

The next morning, Rey woke to her alarm, a series of chimes alerting her that she had to get up to be ready in time for Ben to pick her up. She was conflicted about seeing him after their conversation had ended so abruptly the night before. Her anxiety must have shown on her face. When she exited the guest bedroom, Cassian was in the kitchen, pouring coffee into a large mug.

"Morning. Caf?"

"Please." Rey nodded, walking over. She normally didn't bother with coffee, but after her rough day, she figured a boost would help her get through her classes. He retrieved another mug and filled it up for her. "So what did you say to Ben last night?"

"Only what he needed to hear." She quirked an eyebrow at her manager, but he provided no additional details.

"Must have been some talk. Neither of you are willing to tell me. Part of the bro code?"

Cassian smiled. "Something like that."

Rey took a sip of her beverage, wincing at the bitter quality. She hadn't had coffee since her last finals week back at the university. She hadn't missed the taste of the drink, but she had missed the added lift the caffeine was able to provide. She'd need it for this morning's class, so she took another long sip.

"Do you need a ride into work?"

"No." Now it was her turn to smile. "Ben is picking me up."

"Of course he is. I'm going to go wake the missus. See you tonight." Cassian gave her a nod and took his coffee with him as he retreated back into their bedroom.

Rey didn't have time to ponder over his response before there was a ping on cell phone, signaling Ben had arrived. She finished the rest of her mug in one large gulp, before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. With her bag in tow, she rushed downstairs.

She met him out front, feeling her earlier uncertainty come back as she moved to climb into the Vanquish.

"Morning," she said, cheerily.

"Morning," he replied. Putting the car in gear, he pulled away from the curb in the direction of Tatooine.

Rey bit her lip, the silence between their greetings dragging on as they car made its way toward Kanata Kaffeine. Ben had the radio playing softly, but she couldn't concentrate on the song playing. All she could hear was her thundering heartbeat in her chest and how suddenly the coffee felt like pure acid in her stomach.

She tried to focus on the scenery passing behind her window, or the lessons she needed to provide today, but her mind kept wandering back to the text conversation she had shared with Ben last night. She had thought they had made progress. She had thought he was beginning to open up to her the way she was opening up to him.

Whatever walls they had managed to get past yesterday were now up again. Rey sighed. Maybe she had imagined Ben's tenderness. Perhaps she had seen only what she had wanted to see yesterday and any chance he wanted to get to know her better was only a fleeting illusion. After all, he had been the one to say she didn't belong at the academy. Two weeks was hardly enough time to change his mind, considering how stubborn he was.

By the time they had pulled into Maz's, Rey was more than ready to be out of the car and it's deafening silence. She practically bolted out of her seat to go inside where her friends were. She didn't even glance back to make sure Ben was following.

As with all weekday mornings, Rose was at the front, taking orders, while Maz went back and forth in the space, helping out wherever she could.

Her eyes found Rey almost immediately, but then focused higher, on something behind her.

"Ben Solo!" Her voice boomed across the cafe and everything stilled. All eyes went to the new person of interest.

Rey turned to see Ben visibly blushing under the scrutiny. He waved sheepishly at the older woman. "Hey Maz."

She approached them, where they had stopped halfway between the exit and the counter. Maz took Ben's hand's in her own. The size difference was comical, but Rey didn't laugh. There was nothing humorous about the way the two were regarding one another. The old woman stared long and hard at Ben, silent for a time, before she let out a long breath and gave him a nod. He didn't do much as flinch.

"I was about to ask where your boyfriend was." Maz commented to Rey, who mirrored Ben's earlier flush, at the woman's assumption.

"Ben picked me up for work, Maz." She explained. "We aren't together."

"Right, right," the cafe owner waved at them both, chuckling at their blush tainted faces. "Well, come in then. If you're here with him, you must need a drink, desperately."

Something stronger than tea, Rey thought to herself. This morning was not shaping up the way she thought it would.

As directed, they followed Maz to the counter, where Rose proceeded to make one green tea with honey and a black coffee, without requiring the order from either of them.

"Thanks, Rose." Rey flashed a grin at her friend, reaching over to grab hers.

"You look better today," her friend commented, "You have more color in your face."

"I feel better." Rey thanked her for her observation.

"Thanks for taking care of her." Rose said to Ben. He was staring at Maz, whose back was turned to to the group, as she spoke to another customer, seemingly unaware of Ben's attention.

"Ben?" Rey placed her hand gently in his arm.

He barely acknowledged her touch, but when she spoke his name, he glanced down at her, fixated on her hand. She felt the flush returning to her face and pulled back, just as his hand came up to wrap over her own.

"Can we go?" He asked her, quietly, his face unreadable.

"Sure," she nodded. "Thanks for the drinks, Rose. How much do I owe you?"

Before her friend could reply, Ben was handing over a hundred dollar bill, which surprised Rey but had little to no affect on Rose, who responded with, "You've got to stop doing this. You're making me and my roommate way too happy."

Ben didn't bother to comment on her words, instead moving his hand to Rey's lower back to guide her out of the cafe. She wanted to wave goodbye to Rose and Maz, but he was already maneuvering her out to the car.

"Are you alright?" She asked, as soon as they were seated in the Vanquish.

"I haven't seen Maz in years." He admitted, hand hovered over the ignition. He hadn't started the car yet and he appeared to be torn over staying and leaving.

"I can walk to the academy, if you want to talk to her." Rey offered.

The expression on his face altered dramatically. The same protectiveness he had shown yesterday came to the surface instantly. "No. I am taking you to Ahch-To."

"Ben, you've done so much for me already. If you need to talk to Maz, you can stay. I'll be fine."

"I can come back later." He decided, the engine roaring to life, as he spoke.

Rey didn't push it further. Ben was obstinate, nearly as obstinate as her. She understood there was no fighting him on this topic, so she picked a different one.

"That was some tip you gave Rose."

"You told me to be nice." Her reminded her with a smile in her direction.

Rey scoffed. "Nice? Since when does being nice mean handing over a month's worth of tips in one transaction?"

He shrugged, as if the money didn't matter to him. She supposed it didn't. He had enough to spare. He could afford to give Rose a hundred dollars for two beverages costing a little more than six dollars.

"She's your friend and she provided us good service. She earned it."

Rey tried not to think too hard on the way he said 'us' when he answered her. She was already trying to make sense of his mood swings this morning, she didn't need to go down the rabbit hole about what her feelings for him meant. Right now, she was only focused on being open with him, earning his trust. She couldn't think beyond that, at least not right now.

"Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"You took care of me all day yesterday and now you're taking care of my friends."

"I only tipped her."

"That tip will help feed her and Jess all month."

"Jess?"

"Her roommate." Rey explained. "She works at Alliance."

"I imagine she would appreciate the tip then," he smirked.

Rey swatted at him. "Hey! Don't be rude."

"Hey!" He yelled back. "I'm driving."

Rey crossed her arms over her chest, noting how he didn't seem at all mad. If anything, his tone was playful instead of scornful. She liked this side of him, the side which challenged her but not in the usual verbal spat or physical altercation way. This side of him was mischievous and a bit snarky. It was part Ben Solo, part Kylo Ren — all the best parts with none of the bad. It was her favorite 'Ben' because it felt the most genuine, the most real.

"Driving doesn't give you a get out of jail free card, you know."

"No, just putting up with you and my uncle for the next five and a half months."

"Putting up with?" Rey's smile fell away.

She knew he was court ordered to teach at the academy. He had made it quite clear he didn't appreciate the sentence or his uncle, however, Rey had thought he was beginning to open up to her. The way he had been acting yesterday, paired with how he was teasing her just seconds earlier had made her think she was seeing him, the real him. Apparently, she had assumed too much.

Like her parents and Plutt, Ben Solo didn't care about her. She was only fooling herself. All he cared about was finishing up his hours and getting back in the ring.

Kylo pulled into his normal spot aside of Rey's Triumph in front of the studio. She had become rather quiet on the ride back and it was beginning to worry him. They had been talking and joking when the subject of his punishment came up. The joy had left her eyes and suddenly she turned away from him to look out the window. Neither of them had uttered a word the remainder of the drive.

When she slammed the door of the car, hurrying inside the academy without a word to him, he got the distinct impression something was wrong. He assumed she had been reminded of how he ended up at Ahch-To. It wasn't pleasant. The media had made a point to highlight his temper and some had even compiled a timeline of all his transgressions since he had been ranked isn't he league. To a normal person, it was off-putting. To someone like Rey, someone who had seen violence in her home, he couldn't imagine how horrifying it was.

Once again, he reminded himself why he wasn't doing her any favors by trying to make things work between them. As much as he wanted to be her friend or more than friends, he couldn't permit himself to go that far with her. Rey deserved a better person in her life, someone who hadn't been in court numerous times or had never had a serious relationship in his life. He was trying to be better — God, was he trying — but at the end of the day, he was still damaged and broken. Kylo wasn't a good man, but he wanted Rey and Rey deserved a good man.

Grabbing his bag, he locked the car and followed her inside.

"Rey?" He called, stopping at the doorway to the dojo to peer in. She wasn't there. The lights weren't even on yet. He flicked them on, before trying the office.

"Good morning." His uncle was seated at his desk, the chair angled toward the doorway, as if he had been expecting Kylo to barge in.

Kylo scanned the room, ignoring his uncle, and the smaller studio from where he stood. There was no sign of Rey.

"Looking for something?"

"Have you seen Rey?"

"She ran upstairs to her apartment. What do you need?"

Though his uncle didn't mean for it to be, the question had multiple meanings for Kylo. First and foremost, he needed to know Rey was alright. He needed to know he was making the right choice by staying close to her, which he was fairly certain he wasn't, but he continued to disregard that fact. He needed to hear her laugh again and see her smile. It all boiled down to one simple thing: he needed Rey.

But he wasn't about to tell his uncle that.

"Just tell her I can take her back to New Jedha before my first class tonight."

He moved to leave, when his uncle stopped him.

"Where are you going now?"

"I have something I need to take care of in town."

Before his uncle could ask any further questions, he left his bag by the teacher's counter in the main studio and went back outside.

Rey wasn't the only person who was upset with him this morning. His earlier encounter with Maz Kanata had been abrupt and confusing, though less violent than he had anticipated. Kylo hadn't been sure how she would receive him when he walked into her establishment. He had not been expected her to act as welcoming as she had. Her actions still baffled him. Still, he knew he had to return and clear the air with his former babysitter.

It was a conversation long overdue.

A/N: Come say hi on tumblr or instagram to see the fan art and moodboards for this story (links in my profile). And now for a couple of shout outs:

First and foremost to my beta AbyssalSpark for continuing to wow me with her constant support. I lost the first part of this chapter while on vacay and she was kind enough to deal with my rewrites and constant edits and going back and forth to try to get it right. Thank you!

To my constant supporters who have been with this fic since the beginning a HUGE, HUGE THANK YOU. You have been with me through the early chapters and are still along for the ride. I wouldn't still be writing without your love.