The time it took them to reach the place Kylo would call Rey's quarters took less then she expected, but maybe that was because of how fast they'd been moving through the base. There were eyes and ears everywhere along the way and while it was impossible for all of them to have been privy to witness the scene in the hanger, you couldn't have convinced Rey otherwise. She'd barely caught two sets of eyes chancing a look at her during the whole trip yet she felt like they were all staring. It didn't escape her notice that every time they turned down a new seemingly endless hall, anyone moving through the same area would vacate the premises or squish themselves against a wall to avoid the massive squall of a man who rampaged straight down the center.

And then there was the awkward trip in the lift; several storm troopers and even a cleaning droid had fled from the space the second they saw their already murderous Commander approach. The ride in the cold durasteel box was unforgiving, spent in tension and silence. Ren, in his explicit impatience, had literally Force dragged her feet across the threshold before pounding in the floor selection to the desired base level. Rey had turned back in his direction with the intent to give him a piece of her angry mind but when she'd seen his massive form half bent over the control panel, his back heaving from an exertion she hadn't understood, her sense of better judgment had kicked in, ultimately causing her to bite her tongue over the discrepancy.

He'd lead her out of the elevator and down two more long halls, both, like most of these nearly endless halls, looked identical and yet somehow Rey felt this place was familiar. She was certain she'd seen these brightly illuminated halls before with their unforgiving florescence stretching the length overhead and along both sides of the floors. Only the halls were ever lit this brightly, with the inlaid tracking that made the otherwise dark plated floors and walls unbearably bright by the flooding of false, harsh light. Rey hadn't been there yet but she knew the rooms and command decks were all dark. It was a recurring theme on this shuttle as with the Supremacy and the base formerly known as the Starkiller. She wanted to hate how dark the majority of the ship was, but truthfully, against the blackness of space the dark color palates of black, grey, and red that the First Order used to coincide with their insignia, not to mention their building supplies were naturally dark alloys, Rey was than thankful that most of the ship wasn't as brutally bright as these hallways would have otherwise suggested. Her eyes were use to natural lighting and the white brightness of the track lighting in these halls were straining her already tired eyes.

The deeper they moved into the belly of the gargantuan ship, the more She found herself thankful for the few precious hours of sleep the tornado of a man in front of her had encouraged her to get. This deep in the Destroyer Rey could understand how easy it was to lose track of time. There would be no sun up or sun down for her. No night and day to measure the hours of time by. It would be one long, endless night for her from here out. Even in the outskirts she doubted there was a good source of time measurement to track, unless they had entered a solar system that had a sun or two to go by. Even a moon could be used to track time so long as they had one in sight but she hadn't the chance to find out before Ren had her stomping through the slowly drifting base.

Something inside of her withered at the idea of being without the comfort of the sun. The natural warmth, no matter how harsh it could be, would always be something she craved; she didn't have much of her own body heat to rely on either. She frowned at that realization and without noticing the action herself, she pulled the length of Kylo's cloak tight around her body. There was something comforting about the material that wrapped around her. Perhaps it was the warmth it somehow seemed to inherit from its former owner, or maybe it was the scent that clung to the thick fibers which now encased her. Certainly these things helped but she knew none of those reasons were the sole of why she felt safe within its dark embrace.

Rey's fingers toyed with the ends of the thick fabric. She shrugged her neck into the comforting material before pulling it tighter still.

She knew, watching the long strides that she double timed to keep up with; watching everything from droids to soldiers and officers alike as they fumbled and redirected their paths to avoid the man she followed, that this cloak served as a beacon to those around them; she was his. Not his property, she'd never allow that, but those around them would know better then to harm her for fear of crossing him.

Even while he raged through the halls of his own massive Destroyer he'd managed to bring her comfort. She was frightened of the world around her, of those who surrounded her and yes, even of that petty man back in the hanger. And for all of her fear it was nothing compared to how quickly everyone around them fled or respectfully vacated the premises at the sight of Kylo Ren; her Master; her protector.

Part of her revolted at the idea, so defeated and angry about this that she resented him and the safety that came with his presence. She'd never needed anyone to feel safe before, but then... had she ever really felt safe before him?

Kylo was trying so hard not to notice the fragile looking girl at his back. He was so set at focusing straight ahead and still he'd unintentionally caught peeks of Rey here and there. The first time their eyes had made contact since they'd left the docking station had him literally Force pulling her to him as they boarded the elevator and though he wasn't proud of that, he didn't regret it either. After the display they'd made in the hanger he couldn't help but reach for her. He'd brought her here and already, the very first time she was approached, someone wanted her. The man hadn't physically touched her and yet Kylo wanted to break him. He wanted to dismember him one join at a time for thinking so grotesquely about his apprentice.

He should have remained focused ahead. Should have kept his eyes forward and continued to convince himself that Rey was capable, that she could take care of herself even when he wasn't there to scare off those who would revel in harming her but he just had to glance sideways around the last corner. It was in the final stretch to her room when he caught a full length peek at her. He had to double take what he saw but even after the third time he'd caught her in his view he couldn't unsee what his mind had. The cloth meant to play a part in an otherwise intimidating guise was tightly wrapped around her slender form and much to his dismay it now looked like a blanket or, maker help him, a towel... either, to his aggravation, were not very formidable to onlookers. The opposite if you asked him!

One half of his brain was more then satisfied that she'd not only taken comfort in what he'd provided for her, but she seemed content in snuggling with what those around them would recognize as a representation of himself. She wore a part of his armor. A part just as recognized as his mask and she was content in wrapping it around herself like it was his arms. Now that he was thinking about it he wasn't so sure he liked being replaced by the cloth...

But the other half of his brain though... the one that was always set in survival mode, was always on alert, and always ready for a fight, that part was kriffing furious.

What in the fiery center of Mustafar, was this girl doing? He'd just made it a point to make her look dangerous, formidable at the very least, and now she was— snuggling, literally snuggling— with his cloak; and where everyone they passed could witness it.

He yanked the glove free of his right hand and smashed it into the panel that would allow extremely limited access to her room.

Snuggling— He'd understood the concept while she was sleeping, but moving through the base of his Destroyer... surrounded by officers and soldiers and warriors of all kinds...

He froze at the base of the door, angling his body to allow her access to pass forward without interference. His eyes bore into the back of her head as she passed his rigid form to enter the quiet safety of her chamber. The second she was clear of the threshold, Kylo stepped in behind her. The door had barely slid shut before she turned on him and he wasn't even prepared. He'd thought he would be the one to scold her. Her hesitation in the hanger was unacceptable and then there was the kriffing snuggling... but he'd never even gotten the chance before she was lashing into him with an anger that he didn't have the resolution to deal with in his already Force bolstered state.

"I told you I wouldn't hurt anyone! And the first thing—"

Kylo stepped forward already preparing to counter her anger with reasoning that seemed obvious to him.

"—The first thing you do is order me to put on a show for your men?"

Her pupils were small in the brightly lit room and he found the rings of honey and olive staring irately up at him, to be extremely distracting. Come to think about it, everything about this situation was distracting. She was here, finally here on his ship, under his control, mostly, but she was, and as his apprentice. Typically she was fierce and eager to learn but she was also clueless and from this point of view, while he watched her small hands tug his cloak around her more tightly in response to his silent scrutiny, his brows pulling dangerously and his face shifting into a brood heavy scowl, he couldn't help but feel like she was in way over her head and she had no idea just how deep the water she waded through really was. All he'd wanted to do was keep her safe, protect her from those around her who meant her harm and he thought by now she'd be capable of understanding that.

She was so tiny in comparison to him, yet contradicting to her appearance she stood tall under the hight of him as he naturally towered over her. "I thought we had an understanding, an agreement?" She questioned in a tone that suggested he'd been at fault for something. In the passion of her rant she crept closer. "Explicitly, you said." She reminded him in a condescending tone.

It was rather high and mighty of her, the way she tilted her chin up to meet where she thought his eyes were hidden behind his helmet and all so she could stare down the length of her sun kissed nose at him.

His head cocked to one side as he watched her fume. She was passionate but there was an unfiltered spontaneity about it. She was brash and impulsive but often at the wrong times. This was something he was still learning to control himself but even he had adapted to survive amongst the First Order and his Master. It was something she'd have to learn to control.

He'd already been fuming, his blood hadn't had the chance to cool since the hanger and she hadn't helped by locking her appreciative, if not captivated, hazel orbs onto his back as he led her to her quarters. She wanted space from him yet she stared at him like she'd been imagining him as the cloak she secured around her and somehow, as impossible as the task felt, he was managing to keep his hands off of her. And now, even as she bit his head off for something she was blowing out of proportion, she pulled that cloak tighter around her.

Those large glorious eyes shinning back at him with all of their unbridled passion and misplaced fury. Those wild eyes took him back. He couldn't help but think of how she looked the night she stood over him with the same look she had now. He was on the flat of his back while the world around them was falling to pieces. She'd had to much of his power in her then and since she'd absorbed a good amount on the way here she still had a good amount she needed to disperse of or finish sleeping off before her emotions would properly fall back under her control again. Over time he'd be able to help her with this but while untrained, she didn't know how to handle it. She didn't know how to handle his Darkness moving through her and he could see traces of his Force lingering around her, swirling behind the anger in the heat of her eyes.

Lithe fingers toyed at the edges of his cloak and Kylo knew she was aware of what that armor represented. Against her self righteous pride and independence, she begrudgingly accepted it, she was taking comfort in it. He was sure her wounded pride was fueling her anger too. He could taste the bitter edge of her tone through their line. He'd given it to her to show others what her station was... and ultimately who she belonged to. It was a blatant display of his ownership and she'd taken to it like a moth to a flame. In defense of her, his actions had scared her as much as it made her feel safe and she clearly didn't know how to cope with it.

On one hand he'd somehow managed to bring her back to the place they were at while on the island. The place where she was comfortable enough to feel safe with him. On the other, she was forgetting how he operated and now she thought she could stand here and rub his nose in it like his own nature was his fault.

Rey had sensed danger, she'd reacted to it the best ways she knew how; fight or flight, but flight was no longer a viable option, not if she wanted to survive amongst the elite of the First Order. He picked up on her retreat and dealt with it the best way he knew how; quickly and efficiently, all be it with much more ferocity then she was accustomed to. He didn't have to feel it through their bond to know that she was as grateful for his protection as she was terrified of needing it but she couldn't stop these feelings from flowing between them either.

It was her insecurities that made her so angry. She wasn't happy that he'd intervened on her behalf. Her instincts warned her about that man but she wasn't willing to risk her survival to quiet his thoughts. She wasn't willing to make the first move against him and she was angry with herself for that, he could tell. It was obvious that she was taking it out on him. She didn't feel safe enough, confident enough to accept her instincts and challenge that man. But she felt safe lashing out at Kylo. In her misguided righteous fury she was certain that something he did had broken her rules but he'd been careful to stay away from that line.

His hands found the release mechanisms on the side of his helmet and in only a few short seconds he was free from the heavy dome. Kylo's boiling emotions combined with his ragged breaths lingered within the space of his helmet. Moisture hung in the air around his panting mouth until condensation started to build up along the underside of the unforgiving confines and his hair became so heat tussled that he had to run a hand through it, his combing fingers pushing it back from sweeping along the sides of his jawline.

Rey hadn't thought she was done berating him, yet she stopped mid lecture to stare as though the simple movement of his hand gliding through the thick black waves along his scalp had entranced her.

"Are you done?" He asked through a strained composure, his dark brows lifting to reveal more of his untamed brown eyes.

"Not... not really, no." She fought to keep her focus.

"Too bad, because contrary to your beliefs not only have I don't nothing wrong but your the one at fault here." Those deep brown eyes locked onto hers and he watched until the light of what he was saying dawned back at him.

"Well you... Wait, What?" She was bewildered, confounded, completely caught off guard by this turn around.

"Nothing and no one will harm you while in my care. Those were my words were they not?" He reminded her, dared her to challenge his claim over her by denying what he'd said and she never corrected. This was a part of their deal, he was her Master and she was his Apprentice. It was his right to defend her and she'd better not even try to deny that she found comfort in that fact.

Rey hesitantly swallowed. He had said that to her and she had taken comfort in it, had accepted it. She'd never needed anyone to stand up for her, never expected anyone to either. But he had and she relished in the offering of his protection. She knew how primitive he could be. She'd seen it before. It was months ago but unforgettable just the same. The first time she'd found him with her mind he'd brutally executed a man who'd been tormenting her for as far back as she could remember, even handling her inappropriately once. Rey had convinced herself that there was no way Kylo Ren could care enough about what happened to her to go to such an extreme to avenge her honor. She'd always thought she was reading to deeply into it because in her mind she wasn't worth the effort, but in all honesty, she'd known why he'd killed that man. Since the first time he'd declared his claim on her she'd known he did it for her and for nothing and no one else.

Then there was the time they'd spent together on the island; multiple turn of events had taught her many things about just how dark and dangerous he could could be when he felt threatened and apparently the same rules applied when he felt she'd been threatened too.

Kylo was with her in her thoughts, he ghosted through her head as she warred with her feelings and his actions. He stepped forward, his helmet hanging loosely in his hand at his side. "Tell me you don't take comfort in it." He pressed, his darkness moving like lava through the canals of his tangled insides.

He was furious about how that man had thought of her. Enraged that another being dared picture her in such a way and everything in him had stepped up to the challenge. She was acutely aware of how dangerously it effected him and no matter how brutal she perceived his response, she relished in the comfort of the safety he provided. He'd seen it before glimpsing in her head. He could tell by the way she used his cloak to comfort herself. Even now her fingers tugged at the cloth she had bunched up in her hands. She knew exactly what wearing it represented. She was his and she relished in the feeling.

Rey's cheeks heated as Kylo drew closer, his calculated steps coming off more as a prowl then anything casual. Her stomach fluttered and adrenaline rushed through her veins in the most surprising way.

"You agreed not to make me hurt anyone without need..." She tried to keep her defense on track but the task was seeming too large for her fuddled mind at the moment and she unconsciously stepped back as he slowly drew closer.

"I never told you to hurt anyone." He quietly countered, his eyes darkening with each nearing step.

"A show of force—" She squeaked when he let his helmet free from his fingers to fall to the floor behind him.

"You disappoint me, little scavenger." His voice was thick with endearance and though it wasn't the sound he was going for he couldn't really help it either, nor could he control the light tug of a half smile from pulling at the side of his mouth while he cornered her.

She'd accepted him as her Master, accepted him as her protector, it was only a matter of time before she accepted him as more and everything in him rejoiced in that thought.

He was looking at her like he had on that cliff pass. With the same predatory stare. The same hungry eyes as he had when he had her pinned to the stone wall at her front and she couldn't help but remember how hard he'd been for her then. Or more recently, how hard he'd been for her on the trip here.

"M-Master," She attempted to pull at the title that would keep her safe from his advances, her careful submission was chosen to remind him of the terms they'd agreed to but the conviction was dampened in how breathy the word came out, nearly lost under the yearning of her own confusing thoughts.

His lips spread, allowing a slight part between the two full lines of his mouth. Rey's eyes betrayed her interests, darting to the nearly intangible movement and her breath hitched in her throat. He noticed and in turn his fingers twitched at his sides.

Maker, she was so close he could touch her from here. If he only raised his hand, he could reach her. His fingertips ached to feel her skin and when she called him Master like that... God's she made other places ache with worse needs.

His foot pivoted and her eyes flickered down to the shift in his stance. Ren was cornering her and she was foolishly setting herself up for the fall.

Everything in her head was screaming at her. Alarms of all kinds were ringing in her ears but they were hardly noticeable against the soft sounds of his shallow breaths through those dangerous lips. And she waited, maker she waited for him to close in on her. Anticipated the moment he sprung at her with a full sense of awareness and even more acceptance then she was wanted to admit to herself. His hand twitched at the wrist and his fist balled but he made no further movements in her direction.

Not this time. Not when he'd just got her here. She'd allow him to advance, maybe even touch her, flatten against her until her fear and inexperience alerted her to the danger she was in. Then she'd turn on him, put the weight of their mutual chemistry on his shoulders as though she were the victim and he were the only one of the two at fault here. He licked his dry lips before attempting to produce something that could pass as human speech through them.

"Force." He finally mustered.

Rey blinked blankly back at him.

"I told you to use the Force; make a display of your power." He continued.

He'd found his composure. Resisted the urge to bask in the little contact she'd undoubtably allow him now, in hopes of creating a safer way to have more of her in the future. If he were the one of the two to break one of their set rules, she'd hold it over his head, wrap it around his throat and hang him with it.

"I..." She stupidly blinked at him as though confounded.

"You," he agreed. He paused a moment, his eyes drinking up the uncertainty in her face. Just beyond that was a dark curiosity that he instantly recognized.

Now more then ever she wanted him to advance. She desired an encounter like the one they'd shared in his shuttle and kriff he wanted to oblige her but he refrained. Instead he baited her thoughts with his eyes, just an innocent glance at the floor and her own followed. The second her line of vision hit the ground she blushed. Her eyes flew back up and he was already staring at her, already aware of what she was thinking. Rey shut her thoughts down as quickly as she could but it was to late. The image of their bodies intertwined and writhing against one another had already flashed between them.

"...Hesitated." He finally finished as though nothing had just happened between them. "I told you we had to be of one mind." His mental trap had completely worked in favor of his case and his voice confidently strengthened in the aftermath. They were already more of the same mind then either of them realized. He'd led her with a glance at the ground and she went rolling down the rest of the path without any further help from him. Satisfied, and enjoying her nearness too much, he stepped back from her.

Admittedly Kylo was enamored. He'd frazzled her. He hadn't even touched her and she was to lost to focus on her own argument. His hand opened and his helmet flew into his curled fingers. Her shoulders pulled in response. In an attempt to seem less intimidating, or perhaps just less invasive of her personal space, Kylo leaned back.

"Take it as your first lesson." He said and he turned to leave, offering her his back as though she were a scolded child being left to sulk.

That rattled Rey back to her senses. "My first lesson!?! You were going to kill that man!" She angrily reminded him.

"Yes I was." He calmly agreed.

Astounded at his blatant admittance, her eyes widened at such an inhuman response. "You can't just go around killing people, Ren. If that's what you're going to be teaching me then I don't want another lesson." She threatened as though she had some say in how he decided to handle his affairs or could back out of their arrangement and it sent ice shooting up his spine.

He spun on her as she approached and she reared back in surprise. "As your Master and as his Commander I was well within my rights to act." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "I should have cut him down where he stood!" He growled. He was being protective of her, territorial to say the least and though he realized it, it wasn't something he could just turn off.

"He's not the first man to have those types of thoughts about a woman, Ren." She bit. "Certainly not about me." She eyed him accusingly. "And it's not likely that he'll be the last either. You can't just go killing everyone who thinks inappropriate thoughts about me."

Rey hadn't meant to anger him, it really wasn't her intention, though she did want to slap the air of superiority off of his face when he pointed out his new title to her like she hadn't been the one to agree to it in the first place. Everyone else around here feared their Commander but she wouldn't. She wasn't going to cower every time his feathers got a little ruffled.

"You already forget your place." He started, but she freely cut him off.

"How can anyone forget their place with you around to continuously remind them."

"Treason, Scavenger! Treason gives me the right to execute at will. You'd do well to remember that because had that man gotten you alone—"

"Are you serious? Me sleeping with someone who isn't you makes it treason?" She brazenly closed the space between her and his retreat. "In the first place, what makes you think that I'd let anyone have me in that way. I'd never agree to—." She was fuming. Having her dignity in question, and by him of all people. The one man she'd be willing to test her limits with was openly questioning her morals...

Kylo stepped into her anger. "Agree... Rey, he wasn't imagining your reciprocation. Wasn't hoping for your compliance when he imagined how he took you." Her mouth snapped shut as he stepped forward. "What, you thought I was going to kill him because I was jealous of what he was hoping to get from you?" His eyes darkened as his awareness of her personal space diminished. "Ha! You think I felt threatened by him?" Kylo asked contemptuously. "A man like him could never hope to have a woman like you with out taking her by force, but then, that's what he was most enjoying about his fantasy!" He yelled as though exasperated.

Rey found herself back peddling again. He was irate and she could feel the heat radiating off of him but it was the Darkness that was floating around his upper body that gave her alarm.

"Because of who you are now, just the thought of him hurting you is treasonous. Contrary to what you believe deep down, you're not some lowly little scavenger anymore, Rey." His words were harsh but she didn't interrupt to deny them and he gave her no pause to do so. "Perhaps I wasn't clear enough on that until now, so let me spell it out for you." He took one more large step in her direction but this time she didn't back away from him. This time she merely bent backward, arching to allow him to loom over her without really retreating. "You are my Apprentice. The only Apprentice to the Commander of the First Order, who is seated below only the Supreme Leader at its helm."

His head tilted and his Darkness purred to life above her. His eyes traveled from left to right, his line of sight sweeping over either end of her shoulders as his words and his Force breezed over her.

"And for the record, in case there was any doubt or question left in your mind,"

The clasps he'd fastened to either end of her shoulders clicked free one invisible stroke of his manipulative Force at a time. Her head flew to each shoulder as the heavy cloth fell free, hanging at the hight of her chest only by her gripping hands. Though Rey was thickly clothed up to her neck, she shivered under his intense gaze like her shoulders had been bare for his scrutiny.

"If any man touches you," he bent over her, his eyes raking over the length of her width from shoulder to shoulder before dipping down to the hands that held his cloak protectively around her heaving chest. "Consensual or otherwise." He paused, letting her stew in the stance she found herself frozen in. He enjoyed keeping her on edge. Her eyes were locked on his mouth as though she were waiting for him to advance and he relished in her disappointment when he pulled away. Mustafar, he'd made it half way across the room before she even blinked.

"Even if it's just in their thoughts..." He turned back around to face her, his wide frame blocking her view of the door to her new quarters and he pulled his hands up to his chest, each one grasping at one side of his helmet. "I'll dismember them piece by piece." His slow words dragged languidly over each threatening word. He covered his face with the emotionless armor and the door slid open as though on cue. Two steps later and Kylo Ren had completely disappeared behind the mobile durasteel wall leaving Rey behind in a lustful haze of anger and confusion.

She couldn't even process why her insides were alight from anything but the anger she undoubtably had every right to feel.

When she'd glimpsed that man's mind it had been a shallow and unpracticed peek into what he had envisioned between himself and her. She hadn't the skill to really go deeper or to get a better picture, but Kylo had and it had infuriated him. He'd handled the man in the way he thought he deserved and while Rey understood he'd meant to use her, she'd couldn't imagine what Ren could have possibly seen to send him so far over the edge.

Afterwards she plunged deeper into the place where she felt safe with Kylo, but then he had to go and push that protectiveness into possession. He'd practically threatened any future endeavors that she could ever hope to have, not that she was thinking of looking for an attachment to drag through the dung storm she was stuck in but it pissed her off to know that he thought he had any control over whether or not she took that route in her life.

Who the kriff does he think he is? Just because she agrees to train under him doesn't mean he owns her...

Her treacherous stomach fluttered at the memory of his threat. Those dark eyes burning into hers with a heat that made her want to look away, or cover herself in more layers. The way his chest seemed to grow as he leaned over her, a tilt of possession in his broad shoulders and the unexpected tactfulness of disrobing his cloak from around her without so much as touching her. Maker, he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew just how it would effect her and she wasn't prepared for it. She wasn't prepared for him.

"I'll dismember them piece by piece."

His words should have enraged her. The threat against anyone that wasn't him should have been unacceptable. It was inappropriate at best yet her heart beat lecherously in her chest. A feeling of lightheadedness swept through her and she found herself sinking to the floor where she stood. His cloak pooled around her. She should have thrown the damn thing aside. Let it free from her hands and discarded it where she sat, instead she pulled it in closer. Wrapped it back over her shoulders and brought her mouth to the edge of the cloth until her lips brushed against the roughly textured fabric.

So much for telling him off. She thought on a defeated sighed.

*well my freaky darlings, I really hope you like Kylo finally getting the upper hand, I know I did😆. Tally Kylo 1. Rey... not so much ! 🤣 I'm looking forward to some training soon but until then, let's see how this plays out shall we?*

~As always please ⭐️⭐️Vote⭐️⭐️ comment and if you want toss me a follow.~

-DarkGuardian-