Rey took her time getting ready the next morning. She pulled on her clothes slowly and laced her boots at a leisurely pace. Brushing and arranging her hair normally only took a few minutes, Rey made it last fifteen. Though she rarely made her bunk, Rey took the time to smooth down the covers and fluff her pillow. She wandered down to the mess and nibbled on some fruit, making sure to eat as slowly as possible. After all, the longer she took with her morning routine, the longer she could put off meeting Master Luke. And, more importantly, the longer she could put off meeting Kylo Ren. Today was the day they were to begin their training.
Finally, Rey could put it off no longer. She left the base and found Luke waiting in their designated spot, beneath a large tree. Kylo Ren was nowhere to be seen.
"Did he go back to Snoke already?" she asked.
Luke smiled, ignoring Rey's cheek. "Not that I'm aware of. My guess is he's doing the same thing as you this morning, dragging his feet. He didn't seem any happier about this arrangement than you. But he'll be here. He knows it's part of the deal."
As if on cue, Kylo approached the pair. He was dressed in his usual robes but wore no mask. Staring at his feet, he shuffled awkwardly and said nothing. Luke was right, Kylo didn't look particularly thrilled to be there either. The thought irritated Rey. The monster should be grateful for whatever deal he was given.
Finally, Kylo cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, here I am Uncle. I understand you and the scavenger are going to be babysitting me."
"My padawan's name is Rey," Luke said firmly. "You'll address her as such. And we aren't just here to watch you. Coming back from the dark is incredibly difficult, you'll need to be retrained. Think of this as a sort of rehabilitation."
"Don't lie," Kylo snapped. "I know my other put you up to this. She doesn't trust me."
"And why would she?" Rey snapped. "You've proved so trustworthy in the past. It's not like you killed your father or anything."
"Rey," Luke warned.
"No," Kylo interrupted. "Let her speak. I want to hear what she has to say."
"You shouldn't even be here," Rey began. "After all the shit you've pulled, you should be awaiting your fucking execution. But instead, your mother and uncle showed you mercy and you aren't even grateful. No, instead you complain about people not trusting you." Rey gave a short laugh. "As if you've given them a reason to."
"I came back, didn't I?" Kylo snapped. "I left the First Order. You all act like that means nothing."
"It's not enough," Rey snarled. "It doesn't make up for what you've done. You nearly killed my friend!"
"That's enough." Luke said. "None of this is helping. Let's get to work." He began to talk, rambling on about some kind of meditation technique. But Rey didn't hear a word, she could feel Kylo's eyes fixed on her. They bored into the back of her skull, making it impossible to focus on anything else. She finally turned, expecting to see him glaring at her with hatred. He wasn't. Instead, he was gazing at her with something like admiration. Maybe even respect. There was something else too, something she couldn't quite figure out.
"Rey," Master Luke said. Rey snapped back to reality. "Are you with us?"
"Yes Master," Rey answered. Just forget about it, she scolded herself. It doesn't matter. Who cares what he thinks? The scary part was, she was beginning to think she might.
When training finally finished for the day and Rey walked back to the base, Kylo followed closely behind. He seemed to want to say something, opening his mouth, then closing it repeatedly. Then, when it came time for them to part ways, he finally spoke up.
"I like you Rey," he admitted. "You just might be the only honest person on this base."
Rey was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Everyone here hates me, just like you. But do you think any of them are going to be honest about it? No, they're going to talk behind my back and complain to their superiors. No one has the guts to confront me." He smiled, the first time Rey had seen him do so. "That's why I like you, you're not afraid to be honest. You say what's on your mind." With that he walked off, leaving Rey with plenty to think about.