"We're in my private quarters."

Rey's eyes opened wide with surprise, a furious blush spreading over her cheeks as she absorbed that information. This was his room, which meant she was currently sitting on and had previously been sleeping in – his bed.

Noticing the slight smirk on Kylo's face as he watched her – Rey ducked her head just to enough to hide behind her hair as she tried to regain some composure. Wishing in that moment, that she could leap off the bed - put some distance between them so he wouldn't notice her blushing. As it was though, trying to stand on her own again would probably backfire and he'd end up holding her again – warm and protective, gentle and comforting, the thoughts came unbidden to her mind. She shook her head to clear those thoughts – No, if he held her again then she wouldn't even be able to begin to hide her embarrassment.

A soft, barely audible, rumble of laughter from Kylo told her that any effort she was making to hide was ineffective and she cringed as she waited for him to point it out – to make fun of her childish response.

Kylo had only seen the blush on Rey's cheeks for a moment before she retreated behind the curtain of chestnut hair that now fell freely around her shoulders. The pure innocence with which she had reacted served to further lighten his mood; it reminded him of how young she must be – sometimes he assumed she was closer to his age because of how she stood up to him, how they usually stood on equal ground – but reactions like this told him another story.

He decided to spare her any more heartache though, as he stood up from the bed and walked towards the door with the keypad. The steel slid away, and he proceeded into the next room, retrieving the tray laden with fruits and breads that had been left by the waitstaff. Oddly proud of himself for being coherent enough to think of such a thing as breakfast after the previous evenings debacle, he moved to return to his bedroom.

Kylo was only gone for a moment before he reappeared in the doorway, hair thoroughly mussed from the way he'd fallen asleep and a thin silver tray with all sorts of colorful objects held out in front of him like a silent offering. Orange, red, even a rich deep blue and all different sizes, Rey couldn't take her eyes off whatever was in his hands. She didn't think she'd ever seen something so bright and beautiful.

He approached her then, placing the tray beside her before retrieving a chair from the corner of the room so he could sit by her side. She was still staring at the color before her when he awkwardly cleared his throat and her eyes snapped up to meet his.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, a sort of wondering gaze in his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't touched your breakfast – in fact, you're staring at it as if it might bite you."

Her eyes flitted from his back to the tray that seemed to boast the entire visible spectrum, doubt evident in her tone as she asked,

"That's food?"

She doesn't know what fruit is, Kylo thought, realization dawning as her reaction finally made sense. She lived on Jakku, scavenged for portions – she probably only recognized yesterdays breakfast as food because of the smell. Used to water activated powders and meat supplements it only made sense that she would have no idea what he placed before her.

"Fruit," he said, "go on, try it." And he found himself gently pushing the tray closer to her, unintentionally eager to see her reaction.

She warily reached her hand towards the tray, selecting a bright red fruit, before bringing it up to her face. He could hear a light sniff as she inspected its surface like some dangerous animal.

"That's a blumfruit, they come from the forest moon of Endor." Kylo told her, awkwardly hoping that some background information would entice her to try it. He thought he should be impatient that she was taking so long to eat, but something nagged at his mind – begging patience. Normally he'd be loathe to listen, he was always shutting out rationality – favoring instinct and quick action. But this time it was instinct that bade him be silent, to let her take her time – such a simple thing, yet for Rey it was an introduction to an entire galaxy beyond her life on Jakku. It was clear in the uncertainty that painted her face as she slowly bit into the soft flesh of the fruit.

He watched, almost in awe, as the doubt quickly fled from her face; hazel eyes widening and mouth pulling up in a carefree grin as she ate the rest of the fruit.

"It's so sweet!" she exclaimed as she excitedly reached for another, this time opting for a slightly larger, reddish-orange piece.

"That ones a Muja fruit."

Her eyes were glistening with content as she continued to try the different colored fruits - never once did she reach for the bread he noted with interest.

"Aren't you going to have any?" she interrupted his analysis of her eating habits – "You said you exhausted yourself healing me…you must be starving."

There was an earnest look in her eyes as she looked back at him and it sated some unknown emotion within him to see her concern for him. He knew it was just her compassion speaking, but it temporarily filled an ever-present void, so he shrugged it off and reached for the tray; they'd picked it clean within a couple of minutes, silence reigning in his room as they sat, her on the bed, him beside her in a chair, partially facing each other – neither really knowing what to do or say next.

It was an awkward silence but Kylo was oddly content just to be in her company – without the usual hatred or loathing clouding her vision. The events of yesterday temporarily forgotten, Rey was relaxed and surprisingly comfortable despite his proximity. A slight grin still pulled at the corners of her lips, evidence that she'd fully enjoyed their meal as she leaned back against the headboard of his bed, settling into his sheets.

Kylo barely even noticed the blood that still crusted along the covers, as his eyes flitted over the scavenger before him. No…Rey, he mentally reminded himself, her name is Rey. It wasn't that he didn't notice it before, rather he'd had his mind elsewhere - but now, in this peaceful moment, he couldn't take his eyes off her. The chestnut locks that, despite the blood-stained ends, still fell free and loose around her shoulders. Her skin, even under the bruises – smooth and tanned from years under the Jakku sun. Everything about her figure was lithe and graceful, the muscle built from tireless work hidden just beneath the surface. And the eyes, he couldn't get enough of their hazel depths; as much as he tried to shove the thoughts away, the little flecks of gold and green kept drawing him back in every time he looked at her.

Beauty, the word came unbidden to his mind as he mentally fought with himself to drag his eyes away, to look at anything else – but she was looking back at him, holding his gaze, and it might as well of been a trance for all the power he had. Her lips parted slightly as she drew in a breath, and he immediately focused on them – soft and pink, a slight split still marking the lower, Force how he'd like to –

A sharp intake of breath interrupted their silent reverie as Kylo's face contorted in pain and he grabbed at his skull with his hands. It was so sudden that Rey couldn't help herself as she quickly leaned forward, hands reaching out to steady him. She trailed her eyes over him, looking for some indication as to what was causing him pain.

"What happened?" she couldn't help the note of fright in her voice as she questioned him.

"It's nothing."

He was quick to brush off her hands as he stood up and walked towards the door as if nothing really had happened. She watched him closely, but he seemed completely normal again, cold, and reserved like he'd been in the beginning – like she kept expecting him to be. Her mouth settled into a frown at his sudden change in mood; he'd been open and gentle, but whatever that was – it took no time in reverting him back to his former self.

Maybe it was all just an act, she thought as he turned around to face her, features set in stone – giving absolutely nothing away.

"I have to go out."

"Where?"

His gaze fell for just a moment, a slight twitch in his jaw before he schooled his features and answered,

"It doesn't matter."

His tone said there was no discussion to be had, but the slight lapse in his mask was enough to tell her he was hiding something. Rey wasn't even sure why she cared – yes, he'd saved her life and taken care of her, but that wouldn't have been necessary if he'd never taken her in the first place. Still, his response left an unsettling feeling in her gut and she found herself not wanting to let him go. Something happened that caused this shift, she'd seen the pain flit across his features before he grew cold. Why was he in pain? –

Snoke. Clarity came as she remembered how the ghoulish figure had rooted around Kylo's mind in the vision he'd showed her – how, even though he wasn't present, he'd manipulated the very air around him to cause Kylo pain. That revelation fueled a fear for him that she didn't think herself capable of.

She'd been silently staring at him for longer than he was comfortable with, multiple unknown emotions flitting across her features as she obviously struggled with what to say next. He was just turning back to leave again when her voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"You can't go! He'll kill you!"

A cold shiver travelled down his spine and at the same time, a warmth bloomed in his chest at her concern. How she figured it out so fast was a mystery to him – he'd tried to keep his face blank, give nothing away – he didn't want to frighten her any more than he already had. But it was too late to hide the truth, no matter how much he wanted to; Snoke had sent daggers into his mind from systems away, anger tangible in his mental presence as he'd summoned Kylo to him. There was no choice, while he didn't regret his actions, there was no escaping the atonement that awaited him for defying his master.

"No… he won't kill me." He said with his back still turned towards her, so she couldn't see the pained expression on his face – death might be preferable to what he knew awaited him; it would no doubt be much worse than all the times that came before.

"You'll be safe here." He added as he moved into the living quarters and towards the outer door.

"Will you be all right?" Rey's voice came soft and low from his bedroom and he was slightly grateful that her leg hadn't fully healed – that she couldn't stop him or make him turn around to face her. He could hear it in her voice, the fear, and he knew that if he looked back he'd be lost in her large hazel eyes – the bright flecks of green and gold reflecting care and concern he didn't deserve.

"Don't worry, I'll come back… I promise."

With those words he stepped over the threshold, disappearing from view as the cold steel slid back into place and a low, monotonous ring sounded throughout the room – signalling that he'd locked the door again.

He didn't answer the question, Rey thought – he didn't say if he'd be okay.

Guilt clouded over her. Somehow, she'd gone from hating Kylo Ren to feeling irrevocably culpable for the pain he endured at the price of keeping her safe. A few days ago, she would've shrugged it off, said that he deserved it – because he was a monster. Kylo had killed people – his father – Han - but even then, all she could see when she thought of that moment on the catwalk was the intense, lost look that clouded his features, the hurt and loss that were clear in his eyes.

In the space of days, she'd come to realize that there really was a human behind the mask, and, that he was a lot like her – lost, confused – he felt abandoned by his parents who were never there, and with no one to rely on, he was manipulated by Snoke into thinking that physical and mental abuse were proper constructs of education. It sickened her to see how much the 'Supreme Leader' twisted his mind and beliefs.

But even under the influence of the Dark Side, even with all the whisperings and 'guidance' from Snoke – he managed to show her kindness. A girl that was supposed to be his prisoner, a subject for interrogation, yet he protected her, started to train her – he even killed for her. A heavy sigh escaped her lips at that thought – he'd killed allies to save her life and now… she could only imagine what horrors Snoke had in store for him – and it was all because of her.

A few silent tears made their way down her face as she violently tugged at her hair, frustrated at her lack of ability to do anything. The vision of Snoke torturing Kylo for not retrieving the map kept replaying itself in her mind – that had been bad enough, and now he would face repercussions for the deaths of General Hux and a swath of stormtroopers. Kylo was facing punishment for saving her life and she found herself unable to quiet the raging emotions within.

She wasn't just afraid for him – there was anger too; a seething, hateful emotion directed towards the monster who would put so much effort into twisting and corrupting the mind of a lost boy. It was clear to her that Kylo Ren was more than his mask professed – so much more, and, after seeing Snoke's methods, there was no doubt in her mind that he was responsible for every awful thing Kylo had done. Rey didn't know much of anything about his past, but she knew that the eyes that looked at her with eager anticipation as she tried fruit for the first time did not belong – could not belong, to someone wholly evil. She wasn't naïve enough to fool herself into thinking he was innocent, of course he was ultimately the one making the decisions – carrying out the acts – but she found it wasn't to hard to understand why.

Images of endless sand and heat filled her mind as she thought about it. If anyone, anyone at all, had shown some interest in her, pretended to care – she would've jumped at the chance. It was painful to admit to herself that she could be so weak, even after all those hard years spent alone – but that was just it – she didn't want to be alone. She would've done anything, would still do anything, to know her family – to know belonging and acceptance – and she was sure that Kylo Ren thought he'd found that with Snoke, and maybe he still did. She couldn't deign to know what was truly going on in his mind, all she knew was what he'd shown her – a man willing to endure torture if only to be acknowledged – recognized – by the being he called his master.

Rey hadn't tried to keep track of the time as she let her thoughts and emotions roll around in her mind, but it must have been for the better portion of the day considering she didn't snap out of it until a service droid appeared with a tray of food. She watched from her position on the bed as it carefully placed the tray on the small dining table and moved to exit the room. There was a spark in her mind as she contemplated jumping the droid to escape; clearly Kylo had given it clearance and it would be all too easy to slip out the door behind it. It seemed ironic then, that the muscles in her leg chose that moment to throb slightly beneath the skin, it wasn't overly painful – but it was enough to remind her of how 'easy' an escape would be right now.

The door closed behind the droid, locking with its signature sound, and any chance she had slipped away. It didn't bother her though, not really – she didn't think she'd be able to leave without knowing what happened to Kylo. She was slightly disappointed with herself for feeling that way, but there was no one here to point it out, to judge her, so she chose to accept it as fact, resolving to wait patiently for his return – she was always waiting anyways, what would a little more change?

She'd pulled herself from the bed, slowly and carefully this time, to pad into the other room to retrieve her dinner. Now she was sitting silently in one of the high-backed chairs, ebony wood like most of the furnishings in his room, marvelling at the knowledge that he'd taken the time to consider her needs – again – despite the fact that he was walking towards who knows what. Kriff, how am I supposed to hate him when he keeps showing me this compassion? – Rey thought as she took in this extension of his, what had he called them –

"We're in my private quarters."

Right, private quarters – she coughed as his voice, amused and a little too confident, echoed through her mind. She shook her head to try and rid those words from her mind. This room was much like the one that housed his bed – another cough escaped her lips at that thought – the walls, cold and dark, another viewscreen set into one of them and the majority of the furniture made of the same dark wood.

At a loss for what to do with her time, she found herself slowly inspecting his quarters, putting as little weight on her injured leg as possible. There wasn't anything interesting or out of the norm until she reached the podium in his bedroom that she'd noticed earlier. Up close the object wasn't any easier to identify – it was mangled and melted into an unrecognizable shape and she wondered why Kylo could possibly want such a thing. She dismissed it quickly and proceeded to the other door leading off his bedroom, wondering what she would find.

"Oh." Escaped her lips as the door opened – she thought she might discover some deep dark secrets, after all, he had left her alone in his room without so much as a warning not to go snooping. So, while it should've been obvious, she still found herself semi surprised and a little disappointed to discover that the only thing hiding behind the door was a 'fresher.

She'd been wary, to leave herself vulnerable in this room, but ultimately the realization that, under her new clean clothes her skin was still stained with dried blood, convinced her to make use of the facilities.

Stepping out of 'fresher, her hair hanging damp and loose around her shoulders, the first thing she noticed was the bed. The sheets and covers had been replaced and the bed was now neatly made – someone had been there.

"Kylo?" she found herself asking the empty room, a flickering hope in her chest that he might've returned so quickly – that maybe his punishment wasn't as bad as she'd imagined.

Her face fell, and the heavy weight replaced itself in her chest after a few moments of silence had passed and she realized he wasn't there. It must have been another service droid she thought as she noticed the stack of clothing on the edge of the bed. She approached cautiously, as if it were some sort of trick, and held up the items to inspect them.

There was a light-colored pair of sleeping shorts and a loose shirt to go with them, a few pairs of leggings, and multiple tunics. She didn't know how or when Kylo had the time to prepare this, but she knew without a doubt that it was he who, again, took the time to consider her – making sure she'd be comfortable while he was gone – as though it were his responsibility.

A small smile tugged at her lips, temporarily erasing the dread that had been eating away at her, as she slipped into the sleepwear. Exhaustion weighed on her mind despite the fact that she'd practically sat on the bed the entire day. It was more mental than physical anyway and she hoped that sleep would bring a reprieve – for a little while at least.

Her eyes trailed to the bed, now devoid of any evidence of what had happened to her, but she still couldn't bring herself to use it. There was no one there to see to see the furious blush that stole onto her cheeks as she thought about sleeping in his bed – she'd been unconscious and incoherent before, but now she was fully awake and the idea of sleeping where he slept thoroughly unnerved her. She'd never been in a situation remotely like this before and it didn't matter that she was alone, embarrassment still clawed at her.

Stealing the covers off the bed she made her way into the living space and curled up on the spacious divan that was set beneath the viewscreen. It wasn't as nice as the bed but she deemed it a much safer choice.

It wasn't long before sleep took her, the gentle starlight soothing her mind, as her eyes closed, and her breathing deepened.