AUTHOR'S NOTE: Let's gooo!

DISCLAIM: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS

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Chapter 17: To Protect You

. . .

The open air outside had congested with even more traffic and a vibrant crowd of all colors. The artificial winds of engines landing and lifting from the ground made her dress ripple as she felt her arm being outstretched by Kylo Ren.

She forced an elbow in front of her eyes, shielding herself from the dirt particles that began to scratch her surface. Her feet met the ship's retractable set of stairs, she forced her eyes to close as she used her open hand to lift her skirt above her ankles, providing an easier boarding for her and her companion.

She was lead again into their previous seats, and just as before, the ship's staircase swung closed, and the violent takeoff's repercussion against Rey stood no chance against the hand that held her steady.

The engine allowed a sweet hum as they were lifted into the air, the lounge's dim lighting appropriated the room. Kylo Ren looked to the silhouetted woman before him, she began to shave off a thin layer of dirt that covered her arms and chest. Such a display should have only been seen by Rey and her own reflection, but he knew she cared little for such a minute affair.

"What a horrible, disgusting man," She remarked, her tone was aggravated and plagued with frustration, "How could you possibly do business with such a brute?"

"I'm sorry."

With those two words, the anger within her extinguished. The exasperation had rested. The bitterness had sweetened.

She turned her gaped lips towards him, his helmet was bowed, his hands upon his lap. "Tonight was a disgrace... I shouldn't have put you through that..."

Rey was unsure if this was the same man from training, or from her consistent sups, or even Commander Kylo Ren himself. She knew he'd never be one to apologize, not even when he would hit her too hard in practice or at times he was tardy for dinner.

In this moment, he was sincere and gentle...

Just like...

Rey closed her eyes, shutting off the next thought and locking it tightly.

Instead, she lifted her hand from her lap and placed it on the crook of his elbow. The fabric on his arms was made of a thick, structured material, but it was soft, nonetheless. Although he did not return the hopeful look inside Rey's gaze, he felt the surprising warmth from her teacup hand upon his elbow.

"It's all right," She spoke, trying to reassure him in her own way, "I've heard much worse on J-"

"What did he say to you?" He hissed, fixing his attention to Rey. His tone was forceful, but vulnerable as he continued, "Did he threaten you?"

She wished to see the look on his face, the troubling expression, the bare hurt in his voice. "No," She answered, "It was just nonsense, really... You saw the state of him, he could barely stand on his own..."

Kylo Ren understood her reason for hiding such a humiliating detail, he decided not to press her any further on this, "I thought tonight would be different... You said you wanted more diversity in your stay, I feel foolish for allowing you to take place in such an ordeal."

"Foolish?" She heard correctly, removing her hand from his elbow and clapping it against her leg, shaking her head, "I've never heard such words come from you, Commander. The only one who should feel foolish is that absurd, little man who couldn't seal a deal selling glasses to the blind, honestly..."

A strange sound reverberated out of his helmet, for a moment Rey thought it was a malfunction or some helmet misfire happening, but from the lack of his reaction, she realized it was hardly an impairment at all. He'd allowed a swift exhale from his lips, straining his voicebox and making his own interpretation of a snort.

She smiled again, releasing her own exhales and stating, "Did I make you laugh?"

"...No." He promptly answered, making sure the pilot hatch door was soundly secured.

"Yes I did," She beamed, "Don't lie." She caught him glancing towards the pilot's cabin and attended to him. Rey watched as his helm returned his attention towards her, face to face once again with the silver slits that once terrified her. Her smile relaxed, and she hoped he'd seen.

Kylo Ren thought of the fresh air in this lounge, how crisp and clean it'd feel against his face. He thought of what Rey's expression might have been had he followed through, would she feel uncomfortable? Perhaps even mortified or washed out by a flood of new terror, knowing her 'captor's' face and identity now...

Even by some miracle, he knew, if she were to finally look beyond the helmet and past the man... She would only need to hear him speak.

The inevitable betrayal...

His predestined act of disloyalty haunted him from the moment he woke until the moment his mind rested at night. Rey's heart was guarded with thick walls of iron built from years of the Jakku way of life, a part of him had torn down each barrier to get to its core without as much as a glance his way. It would only take a single utterance for Rey to recognize and instantly reject him, the way she looked upon him with her hopeful eyes and smile was a constant reminder of this.

"You looked stunning tonight," Something compelled him to say as he watched her brows lift and eyes widen, for a moment he wanted to take it back, but the words spilled out, "I couldn't take my eyes off you when I first saw you."

Rey's face flushed from this deeply conveying notion, "You and every other man in that room..." She shook her head, remembering the scrutinizing inspection she received from each male party guest, feeling even more exposed than she already was in this dress. "I felt their eyes on me with every-"

"I would have killed any of them." Was all he said, changing the aura of their conversation and twisting it into something Rey had felt when they'd first met, "Don't think for a second otherwise... I would have cut down every last man in that room to protect you."

He was still the Commander. No matter who was underneath the mask, it would always be the same man on the inside. Rey had accepted this long before this night, she'd remembered it during a few playful moments during sparring, only to be shut down by a slamming door of the First Order's boundaries against her.

There wasn't any pressure to believe him, Rey knew his hold upon her had grown stronger with each day they spent together, but he'd never squeezed too tight. Still, even he had his boundaries as the lower man on the pole, "Even that one man who despises you so, Hux?"

The thought of that man in this moment they shared was enough to make him cringe, but it would not force him to withdraw, "Even him, if it meant keeping you safe..."

The sincerity in his voice once made her cringe, now makes her cheeks redden at the thought of such a chivalrous act.

Finn...

The name came in like a gust of desert wind, blowing through and changing the course of her mind. "What happened to the stormtrooper, then?" She gravely asked, hoping for a positive outlook...

"It was your wish for him to live, so he was sent away." He assured, it seemed almost regrettably, "You won't be seeing him again."

Rey looked to him again, fearful he would see a swelling tear in her eye, but she didn't care.

You really are just a man, aren't you...?

"Good riddance," She reluctantly played along, divided by the fact her escape plan had been foiled and that she may never see her old friend again, but grateful he was still alive. She watched as he turned from her again, a silent agreement was usually his specialty.

Rey knew he was capable of being considerate, generous, respectful, and fair most of the time, but also the exact opposite with a moment of passing time. He was as much a human as any of those men in that room, but he was a greater man than all of them.

"Did you enjoy tonight?" He broke the silence, "I was hoping for less excitement but these nights are often times a gamble."

She looked down at her shoes, they rounded at her toes in a way that made them look far more feminine and appealing. Smiling, she nodded her head, "I did, actually... It's different..."

He thought about her words and chose his next carefully, the fabric around his neck tightened as he swallowed hard and in this moment, he found it extremely difficult to look upon her and ask his next question, "Would you like to do it again?" Her eyes turned to him, he felt her hot stare and managed to keep a composure inside his helm, "Privately...?"

Rey wanted to smile, her aching stomach pushing her into any answer that involved food. Her heart began to swell at this polite notion, and for a moment she had her answer sealed and ready. Instead, her stomach began to sink, and she knew Kylo Ren sensed the tension suddenly twisting inside her.

There was a man behind that mask, a beating heart... He'd expressed his integrity many times to her, memories, stories, knowledge... Their arrangement had grown stronger on his part, and tonight it had peaked above all their other encounters.

The hand she still held was black and leathery, but it was a hand, nonetheless. There was a warmth pulsating from inside of it, a warmth she longed to feel since Jakku with a man she'd never seen or even felt.

What would he think of this... She quietly thought to herself, What am I doing...

He broke her thoughts purposefully, "Just once more..." Rey looked to him, the voice coming from him sounded strained, almost desperate for an approval, "Please..."

She tried to picture his expression from the tone of his voice, worried, dark brows, a slight pout. Rey wondered how accurate she was, but it was a pitiful sight, nonetheless. He'd never begged for anything before, it was a turn of events that Rey would have played into her own hands so easily in the beginning.

"All right..."

Please tell me your thoughts and review as honestly as possible. No Star Wars FanFiction is perfect, unless it's written, sealed, signed, and kissed by George Lucas himself, but I hope this makes at least 1 person happy.

Thanks for reading! Come back for 'Chapter 18: In Death'