"I want you-." His brain had decided that was the only message he needed her to hear, but he fought the urge to give into the obvious truth that those three little words were. It was too much too soon and placed him right on the line between upholding or breaking their terms. It was also weakness; the omission of his brazen desire for her.

Kylo was certain she knew he craved her physically but neither of them knew to what end. Both assumed the Force had its roots buried deep in his desire and hers, because whether she said it out loud or not... she did want him. He understood that emotions were greatly enhanced and effected by the Force that attached themselves to his every molecule, every atom and fiber of his being as it did with her too, but she didn't know that yet, because he hadn't taught her. His uncle should have, but it was clear by how easily she let her anger stir that he hadn't.

Rey's head still pounded but it was nothing in comparison to the thrumming of her pumping heart. For a moment, as short as it was, she thought... Gods she didn't know what she thought. But she had and it left her blood tearing through her veins. Rushing like rapids within her chest, stemming out to flush through her cheeks and pool within the sensitive flesh between her thighs.

At the escape of those honest words Kylo hadn't known a fear at the same level as what he felt now. It wasn't the like when his Master had threatened him with physical harm, that was fleeting, something that could be survived. And it wasn't a fear for his life either. Although his demise could be drawn out, it was still something that would eventually end, something he could ride out. This fear was not even the same as when Rey had been subject to stand before the Supreme Leader and that up until now had been the worst he'd known.

No. It was something he'd suffered through in the past but not to this degree. It was so very different then anything else he'd ever experienced. If she spurned him now, turned her nose and refused him or lashed out at him... he would be so completely destroyed, so permanently and thoroughly... there would be nothing left of the light that had somehow survived everything that so furiously fought to consume it, including himself.

Part of him wanted to let the three words stand. Dared him to test his strength and decimate this weakness that was his fear of her rejection, but the rest of him understood that right now, the risk was too great. So even though everything powerful and archaic in him challenged him to stop there, to let the confession hang in the already tension thick air between them, he forcibly kept his mouth moving, not yet willing to face the deepest most merciless demon that lay in the pits of his Darkness; rejection.

"—To understand..." He begrudgingly added.

Heat over his own shortcomings was already creeping up. Intensifying with every word he was adding to shield what he really wanted to convey to her. Nonetheless he wouldn't miss this opportunity to explain his new role in her life, a role he would remind her she chose to accept if he needed to. He intended to have this conversation on the first day of their training but now, he figured, was as good a time as any. The challenge lay in remaining calm and reasonable while he explained, something that he was not practiced with or feeling like he could accomplish right now.

"I will not be a Master like your last. I will not take this role lightly. My dedication to your training will not be a half commitment. I will not sift through the knowledge I have to share with you. You will learn it all, both Light and Dark and I will not shield or steer you toward one more or less, then the other. For your part, you must be as dedicated and diligent as I. To reach your full potential you will accept what I offer as your Master."

Wavering hazel orbs stared into the dark void where she knew his eyes were hidden within. For a moment she thought she could see the gleam of them shining back thought the darkness but she'd never be sure. He was silent now, waiting for something. Maybe for her to respond but she couldn't. It was like her mind went into overload and had suddenly shut down, needing time to make a hard restart before she could so much as process a response. The way he'd let those first three words hang between them, as powerful and honest as the string that bound them together... she wondered... Maker of all creation she just wanted to see his face, needed to read his eyes for the answers that from here on out, would always haunt her. But then he'd gone somewhere else entirely and much to her confusion she was left feeling... disappointed?

At this point kylo was too desperate for her. His Alpha already growling in his mind for him to end this silent debate over what he did or didn't provide for her. He'd watched her cheeks flush and he knew it was likely her response to how controlling he was sounding but there was a moment where her eyes lit up and he allowed himself to hope it was in response to his near declaration rather then in the disobedient refusal of his wishes.

"...It's not a point of negotiation. Not something you can accept or deny. As your Master, it's simply part of my responsibility. To give us both the highest chance of success, you must maintain peek mental and physical condition." His mask tilted down then back up and Rey could tell her was weighing her with his eyes. "Your last instructor -Master, was neglectful in his duties, leaving us with much ground to make up before we can really begin." He worked out as softly as his vocoder would allow.

He wasn't trying to fight with her or insult her but he knew from experience how sensitive she was about Luke Skywalker and the progress he made or didn't make with her as his student.

His hand turned and his thumb stopped a breath away from her skin. The tiniest exhale could move him just enough to make contact, or if she chose that moment to lean slightly forward... Not that they needed to touch. Their Force signatures sparked into spiraling currents which visibly crawled between them as though traveling along two tightly bound coils.

Kylo sucked in a tight breath and pulled his hand away, quickly closing it at his side. Rey rocked forward, her balance tipping in his direction as her Force pulled her along the path of his fleeing hand. For once and to her immediate surprise, when she squeezed down on her power, it listened, halting in its seeking tracks. Her insides twisted in response. She immediately felt nauseous from the loss of him and she wondered if he felt the same every time they pulled back from one another.

"The bare essentials." Rey rasped out before clearing her throat and continuing. "I don't need much and I don't expect more then I need." But her overwhelmed voice still came out a raw whisper

"Un acceptable." He replied stiffly, desperately trying not to sound as pissed as he was currently feeling.

Hadn't she even been listening? The bare essentials may have been adequate for her in the past, but it wasn't good enough here. Not for the physical requirements of her future training and not for him!

It had been months since he'd visited her "home" on that rat hole of a planet, Jakku. After interrogating an entire trading post he'd finally discovered where she resided. Kylo had been impressed by just how private she'd managed to keep her life. What he hadn't been impressed with though was the conditions she'd been forced to consider acceptable. In truth, for what she had going against her and what she was willing to barter with, Rey had done exceptionally well for herself. At the time he hadn't known that Rey had never used her body for trade though he always expected that she hadn't; in no way did she seem the type, not with her stubborn resolve and how prideful she was, for a scavenger. Hoth, if he'd never know her past, just by her pride alone, he'd have thought her royalty.

But through hard work and making quite the name as a spitfire not worth the trouble of messing with, she'd managed to secure a fallen At-At for herself. Finding herself suddenly an enemy of and already being perused by the First Order, Rey had left the planet and her home in a rush. Upon entering her dwellings he'd realized she'd probably never even made it back to collect what little, very little, belongings she owned. The sight had disturbed him, rocked him to his cold, solid core. She had a make shift hammock made of many scavenged ropes, tarps and blanket/clothes scraps and she'd likely woven it together with her own two hands, small as they were he imagined how effective and skilled they must be at such tasks. There were no real rooms in the hollowed out space, not even a door or wall to really protect herself from onlookers or the elements just a large brown hide she'd likely bartered weeks worth of finds for.

Her main quarters lay in the gutted belly of the structure. She had so many nicknacks and scrap heaps waiting to be used for one thing or another but nothing of real value as singular parts. Lots of scavenged equipment and robotics from the old war, panels and cloth pieces she'd been working on, wires and parts stuffed in every nook and cranny and hanging all over the place. There were only a few things that really stood out to him. A tiny, time warn, bell and a small bundle of dried flowers were about the only feminine touches to the space. An old Rebel helmet and a straw stuffed doll which donned the familiar orange jumper suit of a resistance pilot, this item probably fueled her imagination and dreams as a child.

The most startling of his finds, the thing that really brought his growing possessiveness over her to a head, were the walls of tallies that stood from floor to ceiling. When he'd first discovered them he wasn't quite sure what they'd been used to measure. He knew it was for some amount of time. His glance into her mind back on the StarKiller had confirmed that much and when he'd run his hand along the wall he'd been graced with an overwhelming amount of sadness and longing, abandonment and self loathing, a feeling he was all to familiar with. Loneliness.

But it really hadn't clicked until he'd been left alone in that cave on Ach'To; after her friends had taken her from him. Then he'd known without a doubt that each mark had been a tally for everyday since Kira had been taken from him. Since she'd been stolen from his side at Luke's temple and abandoned on Jakku, condemning her to a life as a scavenger on a junk heap planet. She though she was a nobody, Hoth, she still thought she was a nobody and it carved into him deeper then the saber strike she'd left across his face.

Each little tally was like a slash along the underside of his flesh. Internal scars that if stretched across his hide would mar him from head to toe. Every single line since she'd laid claim to that At-At and probably more hidden where she'd lived before that, would permanently be carved into the marrow of his bones. And to make it worse, he'd found the marks on the same night he'd discovered their binding Force  connection.

Even before he'd found their bond or her dwellings he'd already felt like she belonged to him. After their snow fight... after she'd marked him with the largest tally she'd ever struck, he'd decided then, maybe even before then... in the interrogation chamber... or the woods... or in his dreams and vague visions, that she'd belonged to him. Discovering she was Kira had merely confirmed it and he'd only gotten more possessive of her since. He'd decided the mark on his face should be the last tally she every struck; he was her belonging and she was finally home.

He tried not to take her lack of willingness to immediately adapt to the new lifestyle she was offered too personally. He wasn't offended or ignorant of the fact that she was conditioned to live on as little as possible but that didn't make him any less angry over it either. She was going to hate him implementing the change to her life but she was so stubborn that she'd never give herself the chance to live beyond the minimums if he didn't.

In a whirl wind of quick movements that told her not to bother protesting his words, Kylo strode past her, brushing his own shoulder against hers just slightly as he cleared the space between her and the built in closet on the opposite end of the room.

"You will not wear the same set of clothes everyday." The heel of Kylo's palm smashed into a button along the wall and a second later a flat black panel slid open.

If the metal had been polished and brushed like the rest of the room, there would be no way to even tell there was a moving panel there. Snatching a new uniform from one of the racks of neatly pressed and hung sets of standard issue recruit gear, Kylo turned back in Rey's direction. "You're not a scavenger stuck on some junk heap planet anymore, nor are you living off the land on some remote island. I expect you to wear a fresh uniform every day." He tossed a small pile of black cloth at her and so focused on conveying her own brooding scowl, Rey barely and quite clumsily caught it in her arms. "The laundry shoot is in the wall to the left of the wash chamber." He ignored the glare she was giving him before she'd turned her attention to the clothes he'd tossed at her.

Rey eyed the new material in her hands. It was the same as she wore now but the size of them was a near perfect match to her own requirements. Then she saw them on the shoulders of the top and the right thigh of the trousers. With her scowl deepening the instant she saw the insignias stitched into the fabric, Rey transferred the towel to her left hand and still clutching the new uniform set in her right fist she stretched her right arm back out to him disdainfully.

"I'd rather keep what I have. If I wash it nightly—."

Kylo stepped forward, his helmet tilting and his hands moving to rest at the base of his spine, one cupped under the other. "And what will you wear while your washing the only set of clothing you're willing to accept?" He sarcastically questioned.

Even cloaked behind the helmet Rey could feel his eyes narrowing at her. His pace had slowed from the one he'd kept since he'd entered her chamber earlier but the stand-off way he strolled towards her highlighted the signals her instincts were already warning her of. Kylo was in a dangerous mood. Still, he was testing her... challenging her. Defiance rose in her chest and she stepped up to his domineering attitude.

She was never afforded the luxury of having multiple sets of clothes and it made her uncomfortable to be given that option only after being inducted into one of the largest floating war machines she'd ever set her eyes on, and coming from someone who's job it was to pick through fallen fleets on a ship graveyard covered planet, decorated by the hands of war and time, that was saying something. Truthfully it wasn't even about whether taking the help from the enemy was right or wrong, anything less her enemy had was a good thing, really it just hurt her pride to do so.

She wasn't one to have many things and what she did have, she worked hard for. Back on Jakku she owned two pairs of pants, one top, two different cowls, multiple sets of arm wraps, a set of warn gloves, and a single pair of goggles. She was also proud to have had a classic Rebel flight helmet from a fallen X-wing fighter pilot. She'd scavenged that on one of her first times out and had never been able to part with the thing. It belonged to a Captain by the name of Dosmit Raeh of the Tierfon Aces and when she was younger, waiting for the lie of her family returning to come true, in the little free time she had she used to day dream about what it would have been like to fly and fight and have a real purpose. Though she took a different spelling for herself, it was even the inspiration for the name she eventually gave herself; Rey.

Lifting her chin as he strode forward, Rey answered his challenge with her own. "Sleepwear." She answered smugly, feeling like she'd finally one upped him at something since the StarKiller.

Looking at his attire she was certain that unlike her, there was no way he wore that much armor to bed every night. Judging by the amount of uniforms and structure Rey had seen since she'd boarded this star ship she was certain that the First Order was so structured it had to have assigned sleep wear to go with every other color coded, labeled, rule the organization was comprised of.

Probably a simple matching top and bottom set. She decided. Hopefully without insignias, though she was sure she could rip a few more off if she had to. If she left holes in sleepwear no one would be the wiser.

Kylo continued to casually make his way back into her space, "Sleepwear?" He calmly repeated, stopping nearly to close for comfort.

Surprised that he needed further clarification, Rey began to wonder if maybe she'd assumed incorrectly. "Yes, you know, clothes that you wear to bed. Surely you don't sleep in all of that?" She mindlessly thought out loud, waving her uniform filled hand up and down the length of him in reference to the multiple layers he donned, including his helmet.

Kylo bit the corner of his mouth and leaned in so close that the grill of his mask almost brushed along the surface of her temple. "Would you like to find out?" He asked in a dangerously deep tone that wouldn't have registered through the vocoder of his mask had he not already been leaning in so close to her ear while he spoke.

Rey's brain nearly shut down. She felt like she was hearing him from under water, like she knew he was speaking but couldn't quite make out what he was saying.

"Wha-what?" She said in her clamored stupor.

Kylo was careful to keep his hands at his side. He left ample room between them save for the space his shoulders and helmet occupied above her, but even locked down under his tight control he couldn't keep their Force from reaching out between them. Still, he did his best at trying. As far as invading her space, trespassing where he didn't belong, it was easily the most enticing form of temptation he'd even been faced with. Verbally she'd accidentally opened a door that he was all to willing to step right through.

"What I wear or don't wear in my bed... "Kylo spoke slowly, languidly dragging the words out between them like sensual hands down her spine. "...Would you like to find out?" He offered seductively.

It was a tease for himself just as much as it was to her, maybe even more for himself actually. His sense of self control was wearing extra thin lately and there was no way in Mustafar that his imagination was getting away unscathed after goading her on like this. His words were meant to taunt her but he was going to regret putting more ideas in his own head later and he knew it.

Rey swallowed down air that suddenly seemed so thick in her dry throat. She licked her lips but shook her head offering a silent response while she gave her voice time to speak with reason and not on impulse. It was a lot easier keeping her head on straight while he wore that mask but still she had to blink several times to stop a medley of interesting images and scenarios from rolling through it.

Kylo leaned marginally closer. "Then wear the damn uniforms!"

Angry that he'd baited her and more angry that she'd nearly dove head first into his trap, Rey spitefully jerked her hand back towards her stomach, now protectively fisting the uniform at the hight of her abdomen. If she refused something as simple as training gear and rations or use of the medical and hygienic facilities, then she really wasn't going to last long. It's not like she could scavenge to provide herself these things. And Ren was making it crystal clear that failing to comply as an Apprentice, would break their terms... If she was certain about nothing else it was this.

"Fine! I'll use the Kriffing uniforms." She grumbled in defeat.

He was disappointed that she'd chosen to play safe. By omission of choosing the uniforms over reprising her end of the taunt with one of her own she'd displayed an understanding of the minimums that were expected of her. Silently, Kylo straightened his posture, pulling his upper body tight and retreating from her personal space in what should have been a victory march that felt like anything but. He nodded once, a cheap acceptance from his end but all she was gonna get in his current state of mixed emotions. Both acknowledged where their stood with the other. Kylo wanted more from the arrangement between them and Rey wanted less, at least where his control was concerned. The rest of it was just frustrating self denial that worked against both of them.

Now was as good a time as any to further push her understanding of what he expected.

"And should you need anything else, you'll come to me." He states it like the fact he expected it to be and it left Rey frowning again. If he wasn't already so pent up it would have been adorable, another taunt was already coming to mind because all he wanted to do was bait her into either fighting him or fucking him where they stood.

First her eyes narrowed, then suddenly having a cheeky idea, Rey rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She arched a brow and spoke candidly. "Fine, I'll need menstrual suppressors before the end of the month." She challenged.

"Menstrual suppressors... right..." The word suppressor stuck out in his mind first and admittedly he had to back track to figure out just what it was that she was asking for. Luckily for him he'd already repeated her request out loud because once it clicked he found himself a little hesitant to say it again.

It was strangely emasculating to feel embarrassment over something so natural. Kylo knew she was a woman. Obviously she was a woman, and as such she physically had to deal with womanly things, but it wasn't something he'd ever had to think about before. The very few woman in his life handled their business in private and had access to anything and everything they required to keep themselves in top condition. He decided that she'd probably meant this to be a cog in his confidence, a way to knock him down a peg or two.

Unfortunately for her he was not only quick to figure this out but he also didn't seem to be shying away from a topic that only proved her to be more desirable to his alpha. As inexperienced as he is, he should be intimidated by this woman whom he so often called a girl but the truth was, with this one, the more she proved herself on his level the more he wanted her and after so recently remembering her as little Kira, he relished in the reminder that this was absolutely not the same child that he'd known in his youth. This was the woman who'd put him on his ass for being just that.

"Anything else?" He confidently asked a silent challenge of his own shinning in his almost arrogant tone.

Realizing her ploy to bring his ego down a notch had failed caused the smug gleam in Rey's eyes to dim and the upward tilt of her mouth fell into a soft frown. That was all the proof Kylo needed to see that she had in fact hoped to trip him up.

"Some droids came in earlier today, cleaning the room I guess," She shrugged as though she cared less about the intrusion or their purpose but Kylo was certain that the second they'd entered her space she'd been like a wild animal guarding her territory. "I requested a few simple things while they were here..." She shifted uncomfortably before he stopped her.

"Consider it taken care of. Tonight or by morning, you'll have whatever it was you wanted." He said tersely and for once Rey actually appreciated his militaristic approach.

"It's nothing to extravagant." She quickly explained, feeling the desire to defend her need of anything from him. "Just some fresh...undergarments." Her cheeks flushed as she realized what she was saying.

Why did she just blurt that out? She should have remained silent. Rey chastised herself for brining on her own embarrassment.

Ren hadn't moved, hadn't even flinched. If he were smiling Rey couldn't tell. If he were looking at her like he could devour her in one bite, Rey couldn't tell. The steel and carbon mask that glinted back at her gave nothing of his thoughts away, and she hated it! Since he'd entered her quarters he'd had that abhorred helmet on and by now she'd have thought he would've removed it. He always did when he spoke to her...

She'd been nervously toying with the uniform in her hands. A sign Kylo recognized as Rey in contemplation over something. Was she going preparing to fight him over something else? Refuse him something? Maybe she was working out another way to tip toe around his demands again, maker she was annoyingly good at that. Another reason he should never had let her have her terms...

"That mask, are you ever going to—" She started.

For the second time tonight he cut her off. "No." He angrily clipped, his shoulders coming up aggressively and his voice alarmingly low. He knew it was the only thing keeping him from advancing on her. The only thing keeping his mouth from hers— and damn it if he didn't keep some kind of barrier between them he'd be the one to break their terms and she'd throw it in his face like acid.

Rey lowered her gaze to the floor. "It doesn't suit you." She mumbled in a near whisper.

Kylo bit his cheek in anger. She refused to accept him as anything but her instructor! Refused to admit her own weaknesses for him. Refused to accept anything but hostility from him! She had an awful lot of audacity to claim she knew anything about what suited him and what didn't. Repeatedly she assumed or expected him to physically hurt her, always proving her ignorance over what or who he was.

What did she know about him? Nothing! He seethed over that ignorance.

"You've made it clear you know nothing about me." He defensively snapped.

A chill similar to that which she got when he prowled into her room ran down her spine again. She suddenly had the feeling that anything playful or mildly challenging between them had just taken to the corner of the room— and died. She swore the temperature around them dropped just as quickly as the change in his demeanor happened. She instinctively softened her voice and as a result of the chill in the air, Rey began rubbing her left arm with the fabric of the uniform she still had bunched up in her right hand.

"On the Island..." She started reminiscently but when his hands crushed the air unfortunate enough to be caught by his palms and his Force cracked between the space of his clenched fists, Rey stopped herself from delving into any further explanation.

Kylo silently waited for her to continue and when she didn't he'd guessed that she'd figured out what his answer to that statement would have been even before he had to say it. Simply put; they most certainly were not on the island anymore.

Rey nodded in silent defeat. Something about his reluctance to remove the helmet while with her hurt... but it felt entirely warranted. Why should he be vulnerable with her when she was clearly unable to return the courtesy?

His continued silence was all of the confirmation she needed to know she should let this go but when she thought back on the way he was with her while instructing her in the ways he used the Force, how open and excited he'd seemed, she just couldn't fathom him being the same trapped behind such a dark persona. A cage of personal confinement. It was hard to imagine him as the same man who only a few days ago so easily taught her. Rey knew from personal experience that he wasn't always what that mask represented. She peeked through her lashes, once again eyeing the blank mask. kriff she hated it!

"...You really never take it off?" She continued to pry in a somewhat sad wonderment that neared to closely to pity for his liking.

"My own men wouldn't know who I was if I did." He responded flatly, honestly.

Rey's eyes, beautiful glistening stones of moss and honey colored agate grew wide— sad.

And there it was, the look he was hoping she'd be smart enough to avoid. The same look she'd given him last night when he'd released her friends and the pilot had opened his mouth about his father. Sympathy, condolence, regret, no matter what word he chose to hide it behind, it was still the same emotion by definition; Pity.

It took a moment that felt infinitely longer then it was for him to get past those eyes and the swelling feeling they left in his chest. His own had widened in response to the sudden sadness that filled hers. His jaw shifted and the fingers of his right hand twitched. He already wanted to appease her, make her feel better.

And then it was over. He wouldn't baby her over her own confusion. She'd said she wanted space and his patience with her indecision was growing dryer then the desert planet she once called home. Kylo drew his walls up. His concern for how she felt regarding things she didn't understand turned to bitter anger and he scoffed at her.

"What do you care?" He viscously berated. "You asked for space. Think of it as a permanent safeguard. A wall by which you can hide behind." He'd been blunt and bitter, but she deserved nothing less then truth.

She openly refused contact between them and then she acted like she cared about whether or not she had to face him, really face him. Likely her problem wasn't with the withholding of showing her his actual face but more about how uncomfortable the masked visage made her feel. And damn him to Mustafar's fiery molten core for already wanting to oblige her.

Rey shifted uncomfortably. Though she couldn't tell why, it was obvious to her that she'd struck a nerve and Rey couldn't help but feel she should apologize for whatever she'd done to set him off.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to-."

"Of course you didn't!" He said for the second time tonight, only in this instance his voice and frame harbored animosity and resentment. "Don't patronize me, Scavenger." He spit the words out angrily and they came out much harsher then he'd have liked. Specifically he heard how cruelly he'd said the word scavenger, like it was a weapon he could use against her. He hadn't meant it like that but when she recoiled and withered in on herself, he could tell that it had been taken as such.

Why did she have to look at him the way she did? Why'd she have to pretend to give a Kriff about any aspect of his life. Repeatedly she'd made it clear about how she saw him; at worst he was a monster in the tempting guise of someone she once loved. A man she couldn't trust, a killer and a turncoat who would carve through his family at the mere request of his Dark Master. He couldn't imagine what the at best scenario would be, but he was sure it wouldn't be a pretty picture either. Probably something along the lines of a Dark side seducer who's only goal would be to convert her to his side so he could use her power for his or his Master's own gain. It would be so easy to give in to the churning Darkness in his head, to act the way she and everyone else expected him to. The thought of having her so completely at his disposal was absolutely tempting but he wanted so much more of her then her power or her attention at the cost of her will.

Didn't she understand that he was trying? That he wasn't good at any of this?

It was a stupid move, turning and leaving her like that. He could see that he'd hurt her and yet he couldn't stop himself from reaching the door fast enough.

Why the Hoth had he allowed himself to come here without a justifiable purpose anyway? They always ended up fighting. Always! He berated himself.

"If you need anything else—" He paused, uncertain if he could handle himself around her anymore. "—pass it on to the droids that flitter about throughout the day." He barked out while irately marching towards the exit.

Rey closed her eyes and tugged on her bottom lip. She'd somehow started it and now they were both hurt. He was hiding behind his wrath just as he'd done last night after Poe mentioned his father. And Gods only know what he went off and did to burn through that hurt fueled anger, but she didn't want him to end his day like that because of her, to feel this way because of her. Her Master, Kylo, or Ben, she didn't want him leaving with the way it was between them right now.

"Or..."

Maker what was she thinking? This could be bad... this could be sooo bad! She second guessed her own decision even as she made it.

"I could utilize the connection between us. Save any requests some travel time..." She chided weakly, hoping to turn the severity of the mood between them to a much lighter one.

Kylo Ren spun abruptly. His Force rose around him like a wave about to crash against the rocks below and Rey just knew she'd be in between the water and the jagged peaks. She'd made the wrong choice and now he was going to crush her. When he strode forward she began to retreat, her own Force rising around her in a pathetic excuse for a shield. In one mental push he tore through those defenses and before she could dart away he froze her in place. Personal space be damned in his mind right now, and he closed in on her, his Darkness hissing in his ears and his Alpha howling with it's infernal need to retaliate over his self inflicted scathing on behalf of her feelings. He was at his wits end with this emotional tug of war.

"Why— why do you do that?" He yelled so fiercely that the modulator of his helmet barley distorted the voice behind it.

Rey was stunned, so shocked by fear and uncertainty that she couldn't respond.

Audibly releasing his frustration with her, Ren let out a loud howl from behind his mask. A growl that came with a sudden pulse of his Force around them. She could feel his anger vibrating around them. Under her feet as it traveled through the steel floor and over her arms as it moved through the molecules around her. His power was terrifying and the wavering control over his fiery temper was even more so.

It would be so much easier if she would just make up her mind. Much less a threat to his sanity if she would only look at him one way or the other, a man or a monster. No in between. No uncertainty. But when she wavered it gave him hope. When she faltered he'd start imagining what ifs. What things could be like if he'd fled with his father instead of killing him or if he'd stopped hunting for her and ultimately never found Luke because of it. If he'd just let Rey go she possibly could have had a life away from he and his Master. Away from the darkness that threatened to consume her. But even in his imagination he knew he could never let her go. He could never let her exist with out him. She belong with him, to him and the bond between them more then confirmed that for him. What if she could just choose to accept that?!?

"I'm sorry, I'm- I'm not good at any of this." Her voice was barely audible, yet he was certain he'd heard her correctly.

He was positive that she was apologizing, that she was confessing that she'd felt just as confused by everything between them as he was. So much so that she was repeating words he'd privately thought to himself only a few short moments ago. And he was sure his thoughts were private, he'd been very in control of their connection since he'd closed it last night and the private moment between them in the overlook, so it wasn't just a play on words.

The red burn of his temper was slightly dimming and while he had the mental reasoning to do so, he released her from the Force hold he'd placed her in.

Rey shifted slightly but she didn't retreat. Instead she peered up into the void of his masked eyes. "I've never been so confused in my life. Never felt as much anger or resentment towards some one as I do you..." She paused, mustering up the courage to continue to speak as brazenly honest with him as she could. She stared as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, the muscles in his forearms locking tightly as he once again balled his fists in an attempt to restrain himself emotionally.

Her head dipped and her eyes searched for anything to distract them from the large intimidating man before her. "I've also never been so inexplicably drawn to someone. I'm as excited by what's between us as I am frightened, and honestly... that in itself is terrifying." She barely forced the words out.

She was looking down at the mixture of cloth that filled her hands, the silvery colored towel and dark uniform now scrunched together in one wrinkly mess.

"I don't always mean to be so confrontational, but you don't really make it easy." She looked up, gazing at the blankness of his mask again and Ren expected her to appear confrontational but he found there was a quirk of a smile riding along her lips and her eyes shined up at him with a sweetness that was as honest as it was insecure.

If this was her attempt at somehow appeasing him, it was working. She appeared to be letting her own walls down or at minimum, she was at least attempting to.

For some unknown reason, even after he'd just shouted at her... she was trying. Trying to create a peace between them, so Kylo remained silent. This is the part he wasn't good at. He'd been successful in calming her through his nearness, through his taunts and hopes of what he wanted for their future. It was clear he wanted a close partnership between them and it was also clear that while she was affected similarly by him, she wasn't certain about anything past her need to be near him, taught by him... he could work with that.

He towered above her but was careful to keep still, to remain unaffected by their nearness or her glib mouth and the way the curve of the slight smile she wore there was muddling his brain again.

"Still..." She continued. "I should have thanked you sooner— immediately really. And for that I'm sorry."

He stepped back from her then, silent but clearly puzzled, his head cocking to one side as he leaned back from her like she were about to combust at any moment and he'd been afraid to get caught up in the explosion.

"For last night, when you released my friends. When you arrived here today— thank you should have been the first thing out of my mouth."

"You already thanked me." He quickly dismissed her sentiment but the words and the sincerity with which she said them already had his heart pound loudly in his ears.

Rey shook her head refusing to accept his attempt to brush off how important this was. She was still so angry at him over Luke... over being imprisoned and cuffed... over everything! This was a big step for her to get passed that and it needed to be done properly so she continued.

"Not in person and some things should be said in person. So Kylo Ren, Master, thank you."

Kylo awkwardly nodded. Her words sunk in and he was reminded of how weak this girl made him feel. There was a warmth rushing through his chest and though the feeling was just as powerful as his rage, it was definitely not of the same nature.

He found himself in need of a retreat again. The way he felt, the fullness in his chest... he wasn't sure why it made him so uncomfortable but it did and he needed to separate himself from her in haste. This was worse then being drawn to her physically... it was dangerous to become emotionally affected by her. Rage was ok, it was expected... but not this. His Master would know!

"It was a part of our deal. You kept your word and I kept mine." He coldly reminded her,  his feet already moving him towards the door again.

"Master?" Her sweet, tremor filled voice called out to him and he closed his eyes, savoring the sound of it.

His hand hovered over the panel that would open the door for his escape. He only needed to press his hand into it and the door would open for him to disappear behind, yet he waited to hear her finish, needing to hear how she would follow that word.

"You said if I needed anything, I should just ask..."

And there it was, of course she was playing him, using his weakness for her to get something she wanted from him. He wondered bitterly what it could be that she would ask of him next. Maybe to surrender the whole First Order over to her General Of three days. Or maybe for his head on a platter—

Rey took a deep settling breath, she'd already begun so she may as well see this through. She really couldn't take another day with nothing to do. Nothing but time to pass her confusion and thoughts through like a poorly constructed filter that constantly let visions and memories of him slip though. Thoughts of their time spent on the island, even as confusing as it was she decided she'd made the correct choice in accepting Kylo as her instructor and visions like the one she had while washing up shortly before he arrived. After seeing him before her in the mirror and then his arrival shortly after, Rey wondered if there was any connection between the timing of the vision and his surprising visit but ultimately unless she out right asked him, she'd probably never know.

Rey could see his agitation building as he waited for her to continue. As his impatience grew her back bone was weakening. Every second she let pass where she didn't speak she felt her spine compressing, her own hight shrinking as her courage dissipated like sand through a time glass. Each passing second left a larger gap between her boldness and her cowardice.

Finally Rey's nostrils flared and she scrunched her left fist at her side, suddenly emboldened by the thought of waiting this out another day, left alone to the torturous picking of her boredom and confusing emotions. "Could we start my training tomorrow?" She blurted out before she lost her nerve.

Kylo's shoulders turned and his feet remained planted firmly in place, but his helmet followed the direction of his upper half. He took little to know time to answer her, his own eagerness leading him forward in his decision. His hand smashed into the panel it had been hovering over. "Until tomorrow then, Apprentice." The door slid open and Kylo marched forward at a determined pace.

      *So I know it's not the character development you wanted (because we all want them to throw down in the sheets) but we have had some serious character progression for these two. This was a very important chapter for these two as a couple and as individuals. Even though there was no kiss or more here (I'm so sorry, I know you all really wanted it but I have to keep these characters real to me.) I really think we had a few honest Reylo interactions here and I hope you liked it but the bottom line is Rey really needed this!*

  ~⭐️Vote⭐️, comment and Happy Reading!~

   -DarkGuardian-