Rey was more than a little confused about how he treated her now. Sure, he'd only woken her up so he could sleep, right? But his eyes when he looked at her wrists didn't seem all that cold, it almost seemed like he was lost in thought – concentrating on what he was seeing for some reason. To her it seemed obvious why her wrists and ankles were bleeding and to be honest she didn't think he could care less - but something about the way he'd looked at her had her doubting herself. Those eyes, the set of his features – it reminded her of the last time she was in this position; when she couldn't find a hint of malice or hate – only an unexpected gentleness in the gaze that returned her own.
He'd been, not nice exactly, but certainly not what she'd expected to find under the mask. Honest – telling her the truth about those she'd left behind instead of using it as leverage for her cooperation; for all she knew, her friends- Finn, Chewie, Han – a stab of raw pain in her gut at the thought of him – could have been captured along with her. Ren could've lied – said that their fate rested in her hands, that all she had to do was give up the map – but he didn't.
There was his reluctance to cause her more pain – that he wasn't happy about having to root the truth out of her mind – his assurance that he would be as gentle as possible. At the time, she'd brushed it off as some sort of sick tactic to lower her guard – his attempt to probe her mind had, after all, reduced her to tears. But then, why did he sound almost…compassionate? When he spoke of her island and the gem colored oceans that surrounded her minds only place of refuge – her only escape from the drowning loneliness and vast emptiness of Jakku. He'd invaded her most private dreams and desires, but instead of contempt she was met with what felt like, understanding – recognition even. Gone was any façade she had of being strong and unshakeable – at least in his eyes – yet she wasn't angry as she thought she should be. It was like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders, now that there was someone who knew the pain she felt, someone who saw her for what she was – even if that person was Kylo Ren.
Still, it shook her to see how easily his mood and actions could change. One-minute questioning her about BB-8, the next – oddly curious about where she came from – how she was "just a scavenger." That hurt, she had to admit; seeing the surprise on his face when he'd made that realization. It was, embarrassing to say the least – not being able to move or turn away when he discovered that she was just some abandoned girl from Jakku, living day to day salvaging tech and equipment just to survive. The only home she ever knew, an abandoned AT-AT walker – the only social interaction she'd had was with Unkar Plutt and the occasional droid.
He'd been quick to change the subject after that statement though, as if he knew that she'd been embarrassed; and maybe he did know. Maybe he'd actually been trying to consider her feelings.
Unable to come up with a plausible explanation for his seemingly sudden change in attitude, she shifted around as much as she could and tried to settle herself back into sleep. Her breathing had just begun to slow again when the audible sound of beeps from the keypad echoed through her room once more. What is it this time? She thought to herself as she waited apprehensively to see who would enter the room, and to her surprise, it was Ren; back again, but this time he carried a small white cloth case with him.
She peered at his face and asked, "what are you doing?" with a hint of suspicion in her voice – eyes searching for any clue as to his intentions.
He remained silent as he approached her, clearly, he was a man of few words. There wasn't really anything she could do about it though, so she chose to lay still and not resist – the lesions from the restraints were causing a stinging pain that wasn't exactly enjoyable.
Her eyes widened with wonder, Ren noticed as he slowly began to undo one of the restraints holding her wrists down, careful not to touch the raw skin underneath. She didn't ask anymore questions, or try to fight him off – he noted with interest – as he opened the case he had brought back with him. Pulling out an ointment and bandages he silently began to treat the wounds that she had inflicted upon herself, rebinding her wrist when he was done and then repeating the same on the other side as well as for her ankles.
Surprised by the gentle care he took as he worked, Rey found herself relaxing into his touch – the careful ministrations easing her discomfort and eliminating any misgivings she may have had about his presence.
He wasn't exactly skilled at first aid by any means, but he could tell the cuts were causing her pain and irritation. Ren wasn't even a hundred percent sure why he cared, considering how obvious it was that the wounds were from her purposely pulling at the cuffs to try and escape and not from her struggling during her nightmares. Still something in him wanted, needed to do this for her and that was that in his mind - he was just grateful that, at that moment, her lack of knowledge when it came to the Force and all it could provide, was a blessing. There would be no embarrassment or questioning about how he chose to tend to her wounds because she didn't know any better.
Rey was mystified to say the least, when she realized what Kylo Ren, the man who murdered his own father, was doing. It wouldn't have gotten her very far, but she could've fought back against him with a kick or a punch when he removed one of her restraints but, oddly enough, she found herself not wanting to. She silently waited and watched him as he worked instead; how gently he rubbed the soothing ointment on her skin and delicately wrapped the bandages before slowly replacing the cuffs.
She found herself still staring at this conundrum of a man when he finished his task and looked up to meet her eyes. Despite what he had done, despite the horrors he had wrought, she could see a kindness in his eyes that she hadn't noticed before – in that moment she didn't see him as the Sith who murdered the closest thing she had to a father, she just saw a man who had cared enough to relieve her of her pain and it scared her. She was conflicted, but deep down she still knew he was evil at the core.
He looked at her a moment more, attempting to read her feelings - a gentle probe against her thoughts - before he quietly stood, grabbed the case, and made his way to leave. Her words stopped him just as he was about to exit the cell,
"Wait." A pause and then, "Why would you help me?" she asked in the most emotionless voice she could muster.
Silence dragged on in the room and it felt like an eternity before he finally replied, back still turned toward her. "You were… in pain." It was matter of fact, four simple words, but the way they came out – his voice slightly unsteady, as if he were unsure that it was okay to admit – had her doing a double take. The vulnerability in that statement thawed something in her, at least for the moment, as she took in the way his tall frame filled her vision – less imposing than before, with a soft slouch to the shoulders that made him seem – young and perhaps a little more like her. An almost smile pulled at her lips as she spoke again.
"Thank you, Kylo Ren." The second time she had thanked him today.
She had expected him to ignore her and leave the room but instead, he partially turned around to face her. He held her gaze for a moment, dark brown tendrils of hair framing almost the same color of eyes, before he whispered,
"You're welcome, Rey."
With that he turned around again and left her room to return to his own. There wasn't much time left for him to sleep now, before he would need to be up and performing his duties, one of which included a meeting with the supreme leader on the matter of Rey. It didn't really matter though; despite his lack of sleep he felt more awake than ever, like a jolt of electricity was running through his veins – the Force surrounding him and passing through him like a livewire. The encounter with the Force sensitive scavenger girl – Rey, his mind reminded him - seemed to revitalize his energy and as he walked down the empty hallways of the secondary First Order base he felt something that had been foreign to him for many years. He felt alive; it was small and fleeting, but it was there – a slight gnawing at a consciousness that had been dormant for a long time, a consciousness that he worked so hard to keep buried.
He didn't know why, it could be that she was another force user, or that she stood up to him like no one else dared – regardless of the position she was in, or maybe, it was the gratitude she showed him despite being a prisoner in his world – courtesy in a place where it shouldn't have existed – at least not for him. At this point, all he was certain of was that it was her who managed to make him feel something again.
Dark robes swept across empty metal floors as the master of the Knights of Ren returned to his chambers, the face of a scavenger from Jakku firmly implanted in his mind. The shadows seemed to watch him as he walked, taking in his facial expressions, his reactions – everything. They seethed with an evil that had followed Kylo Ren for as long as he could remember. A constant presence always, even in childhood – whispering, prodding, teaching. They seemed a part of the background now, natural, and always there; once, they had plagued him with fear and nightmares not unlike those he had witnessed from Rey, but not anymore, not now that he had fully plunged himself into their abyss – now that there was no way out of the darkness.