Rey could hardly discern all the red around her. The lifeless lumps of the Praetorian guards, blood, saturated cloaks pooled over the floor. Snoke's body slid out of his throne and made a wet collapse on the floor. She licked her bottom lip and spun on her heel, the immediate threat was over, but they were still in the heart of the First Order. The faint crackling of Kylo's saber was a dim buzz in her ears, getting louder. He was coming towards her, residual adrenaline from their battle

There was a glint in his eyes that reminded her of their battle on the Starkiller Base.

"Here?" her lips moved, the word only whispered out.

She skewed her gaze. He's a monster, she reminded herself. It was a weak reminder, a whisper next to the fact that he had not only just saved her, but also murdered Snoke. His pull on her, their chemistry, was only a gentle tug at this distance. Enough for her to walk away, but not enough to ignore. She didn't want to ignore it.

I have to.

But why?

The Dark Prince's eyes burned with possession as he panted, sparking something new to their tension Rey hadn't yet felt. He intended to have her again.

"Stop," Rey forced the word out from her gut. The air between them became dense, like she was breathing water. One foot forced itself behind the other and she took a step back. It was like taking a drop out of an ocean.

"You keep denying it." Kylo spoke. "You know what happens when you give in-"

Their first kiss. Her body over his. The ice on her back. His body over hers. The stretch of him inside her. His wrists in her hands. Her velvet walls pulsating around him.

"-and you still resist me."

Kylo closed the distance between them too fast for her to respond, except to turn her face away.

"I saved you." Kylo's warm breath sent goosebumps down her neck and pine, turning the pit of her stomach into a pool of lead. He grabbed her jaw and forced her face towards him. She stubbornly kept her eyes fixed away. It reminded him of their first meeting, when she was locked in the interrogation room.

Rey knew if she looked, her resistance would melt away. She had to put an end to this. Before it got any more complicated.

It's too late for that.

"It's okay." Kylo said. "I'm not going to hurt you. You know that." She heard the smirk in his voice. "I haven't yet."

Rey summoned images of Han to find her purpose again, but it lost its fire. She understood his conflict, now. It made her weak. She freed her arm and slammed it into his chest, but Kylo pressed her body closer to his in response. Her legs shook and buckled. His arm wrapped around her lower back, supporting her weight.

His inner turmoil poured into her mind - the training with master Luke, Snoke's manipulation, the burning desire for the conflict to be over. Her, through his eyes, and not just their trists. Her passion, her rage, her energy.

She closed her eyes, though it pained her. She didn't want to, but she felt she must.

You can't shut me out, Rey.

His anger flared again, demanding her attention. How dare she. He had opened himself to her, he had saved her. He had shown her everything and it hadn't been enough. Even the night she came to him she needed him to resist her. She asked him to. Why did she resist him? How could she keep-

She likes me like that, he realized. As her enemy. He saw himself through her eyes, strong and imposing. Intimidating. The man who cut down everything in his path with impunity. The wayward son of Han and Leia - the legendary Skywalker bloodline. His desire for her, a nobody, made her feel like somebody. Every time he seduced her, he relieved her of the burden of choice, absolved the guilt she felt by wanting him.

Rey finally locked eyes with him.

"You owe me your life." Kylo stated.

His face went void of emotion, but she could feel his intentions bursting in her mind like a solar flare. Rey's hands pressed against his chest, to stop the crushing gravity that pulled her heart and body to his.

You're mine. He said to her without moving his mouth.

Rey caved before his lips crashed against hers. Her arms slid up his chest and tangled into his hair, pulling him closer. He reached down under her loosened belt and dove into her wetness. Rey cried out in surprise and buckled from the pleasure, throwing her head back. His fingers caressed around her clit, between her folds, invading her mind to discover what felt best to her.

She lifted one leg around his hip, grasping him to keep herself steady. He speared one finger inside of her and she moaned, her back arching enough to loosen her grip on his scalp. Kylo lifted his other hand to the back of her head so she couldn't break this kiss again. But she began to shake and lose her balance, losing herself in the pleasure he gave her.

Her hand fluttered to his belt, fumbling with it madly. He let go of her head and grabbed her wrists to stop her.

"Say it," Kylo whispered against her lips.

His hand pulled out of her, eliciting a moan of complaint. "You owe me your life, say it."

Rey bit down on her bottom lip, struggling to free her hands.

"You- I… owe you my life."

The truth of it weighed down on her, though she barely recognized her own voice.

"You're mine." Kylo pressed. "Say it."

"You're mine." She glared at him, lust boiling under her skin.

Irritated, Kylo Ren picked her up. Her legs latched around his waist as she cried out and bit into his shoulder, nails clawing madly at whatever parts of him she could grasp. She dug into his scalp and drew blood. Each swipe she made only solidified his resolve to soothe her conflicted conscious.

He dropped Rey onto Snoke's throne, still warm and slick with the master's blood. Kylo sunk on his knees, unfastening his belt. Rey tried to get up but Kylo Ren held her down with invisible arms. He pulled her pants down halfway to her knees and lifted her ankles up next to her face, holding her down with his weight.

"You're mine." He repeated. His body trapped her legs between them. Rey didn't have the strength to shove him off, even if she wanted to. Just like that time in the snow, he gave her no warning before he plunged into her. But she had been long ready, anticipating it, and she opened for him willingly. Her gasp gave him shivers. Her nails clutched his arms for dear life as he lingered there, savoring her. He pulled out and her body shook, begging him to fill her up again.

Each thrust built upon the last, sucking her into a vortex. She couldn't get out, and the longer she stayed, the less she wanted to leave. She needed to hurt him. To fight him. She needed him deeper inside of her. To stretch her body out, to wrap herself around him and hold him there. She needed him to know she could help him.

Kylo ignored her struggles easier than he had in the past. She was tighter in this position, and how she moaned when he entered her trapped him in the rhythm. He couldn't take the time he wanted with her, not here, but he didn't know when they'd be together, really together, again. And if she needed him to be her enemy right now, he was okay with that.

Their union was inevitable. There would come a day when they'd have nothing but time.

Rey had started pushing back, and suddenly he was flung from her, down on his back at the foot of the throne. Rey had pulled her pants off and set both of her legs down on the floor in time for Kylo to reach her again, punishing her with another deep kiss. She pulled him on top of her, locking her ankles together around his back. Her head pressed against the back of the throne but she ignored it as he held her there, plunging himself as deep as he could get, as fast as he could.

"Cum for me, Rey."

"Ben," she gasped, panicking. It was too soon, she didn't want it to be over. Not yet. She sensed his panic of getting caught, but it was whisked away with memories of their previous encounters, and the new understanding that stirred between them.

"Look at me when you cum." He put his hand on the side of her face to stare into her eyes, invading her mind again to feel what she felt. To do what she craved for him to do. She feared being too loud, so he clapped his hand over her mouth and she screamed into it.

Her eyes met his in that pivotal moment.

Kiss me.

Kylo did, slowing his pace to savor each convulsion of her body until she dragged the orgasm out of him. She kissed him back, her hands in his hair lovingly this time, without violence. He froze deep inside her, emptying into her all of his agony and love, leaving her writhing, her legs shaking, surrendering to the torrent of ecstacy.

Rey's eyes slid closed, then opened again, this time welled over with tears and bloodshot, staring away from him.

Kylo sunk back down onto the floor, resting his head against her belly as he caught his breath.

"Join me." He pleaded. "Be my queen. We can rule together."

Rey shook her head and bit down on the inside of her cheek, angry at him for bringing it up so soon. Loving him despite it.

He was bare to her, vulnerable, by his own choice. She caressed his head in a weak attempt at comfort.

"Don't take this path, Ben. Please."

He steeled himself from her. A door began to close between them as he pulled away, hurt by her rejection. He got back on his feet and began making himself decent again. She did the same, grasping her irritation for protection now that he had cut himself off from her.

The quickness with which he did stung her.

He was just as hurt.

"Do we have to do this now?" She muttered, sensing him slipping farther away, wanting him to come back.

"You're still holding on!" Kylo erupted in a rage. "It doesn't have to be that way anymore. No more Jedi, no more Sith, just-"

But Rey had already grasped her resolve and threw her hand out towards Luke's lightsaber where it had rested on the floor. Kylo saw it floating towards her and let out a cry of anguish as he fought for the weapon.

Neither of them looked at the other, all their focus was on the weapon until it snapped in half, flinging them to opposite sides of the room.