Dinner was no longer lonely for Kylo after his talk with Rey. Like clockwork, every night at twilight, as the sun reached its midway mark before it disappeared into the horizon, he'd hear the faintest knock on his cabin door. He knew, without opening it, that it was her waiting outside.

Rey.

God...He was hopelessly head over heels for her. He was like a marooned planet in the blackest cellars of outer space and she was his sun. The brightest star in his orbit. A constant light in this murky underworld he was trapped inside. Unjustly beautiful and so far out of his league.

Life sure had a way of being cruel, sometimes, he thought.

"Kylo," Rey said softly, "are you alright?"

Ren raised his eyes from his plate. Whereas Rey had nothing but bones and bread crumbs dirtying hers, he had barely begun to put a dent in the small helpings of fruit and meat on his. Worry sprinkled her eyes as she peered across the table at him. A look so ordinary yet it was one that Ren wasn't accustomed to seeing.

Admittedly, it had been years since anyone had cared enough to ask how he was feeling.

His knee-jerk reply was to tell her no. No, he wasn't alright. Because the inside of his brain was a mirror reflection of his outward appearance: it was a total fucking disaster. A train wreck in the making and it was him who was responsible for steering one of the two locomotives into the head-on collision.

She deserved so much better than this. Better than him. A man who was cursed. Broken. Unworthy of redemption. She deserved to have someone who hadn't been so afraid to touch her. Kiss her. Or make love to her on every surface in the dwelling at all hours through the night. Someone who wasn't elbows deep in the blood of innocent lives.

But in that sense, Kylo Ren was selfish.

He wanted to be that someone for her so much that it actually hurt. Wanted to be her first in everything that a normal couple would share together. Even though she was still blind in terms of what it would take for him to be free of his curse, he'd made her a promise. Unlike her parents, he fully intended to keep it. He'd show her Ben Solo would return for her. Build a life for them. Free. Untethered.

Of course, all of it sounded a lot simpler in his head...

Ren smiled at her unevenly. "I'm fine," he assured, a fore-tentacle pushing his plate to the side. "Just not as hungry as I thought I was."

Rey was utterly appalled by the admission. "You're not gonna throw all of that away, are you?" she gasped, eyes round as her jaw dropped open.

Ren cut her a baffled look. "It's half of a poultry breast and fruit, Rey. Hardly adequate enough to send the world into famine overnight."

Snorting, she reached for the wine goblet beside her empty plate. "Maybe not the world," she groused, "but it's enough to make a difference for somebody who eats one meal a day." She took a quick sip of her wine then added, " If they're lucky."

Ren considered her bleak reply as she returned the goblet to its spot on the table. "You sound as if you know this from experience."

Her brows puckered at that. "A little bit," she quietly replied. Wetting her lips, she met his doleful gaze and folded her arms on the table. "Villagers - the upper class, especially - weren't exactly kind to orphans. Or the poor," she explained. "I learned fast that it did me no good to beg for shillings and whatnot. I survived off what I found on the beach. If it was my lucky day at the market, I'd bring home a fresh bread loaf or fruit."

Ren's stomach tightened, as did his fist on the table. It's what was unspoken of her past that had his blood boiling as Rey continued to talk. If her parents weren't already dead, they sure as hell would be if he ever stumbled across them at sea. "I'm sorry," he grimaced. "No one should ever be made to go without. Especially, children. And so long as I have a say in it, you will never have to again."

Kylo didn't realize the boldness behind his words until they had already been spoken. Hinting at a future he desperately wanted to share with her. If Rey was the least bit troubled by the aspect, she didn't say. Nor did she exhibit any signs that it bothered her. She simply gave him a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes.  

"Speaking of not going without..." she drawled, biting her bottom lip pensively. "How is it you always have an abundance of food here if you're forbidden to go on land?"

Ren smirked. "You finally caught onto that," he dryly remarked, though his annoyance wasn't directed at Rey. "You could call it a gift, I suppose. Rendered by the curse to keep the Silencer's crew sated at sea. The same goes for why the ship evolves per captain." His eyes lowered to his hand then, sneering. "A pretty fucked up way to remind us that we're still human, if I may add. That we can still feel the pain of hunger if we choose to ignore its offering."

Her head tilted askance, her voice and expression softening. "How's feeling human a bad thing?"

Ren shrugged. "It's a matter of perspective, I guess," he winced. Now wasn't the time for him to explain why his heart was absent. That being a monster was easier for him if his body were apart from his soul. Or how incredibly fucked up he was altogether. He couldn't have been more grateful for Rey sensing the tension building in the room and grabbed hold of the reins to the conversation.

"You said that the ship evolves?" she curiously asked.

He nodded once. "Yes."

"How so?"

The narrow breadth of Ren's bronchial tube deflated as the captain drew in a sharp breath and turned to the enormous instrument occupying the rear sector inside the cabin. "Well, for example, the organ wasn't here while the Silencer was under Snoke's command. One day it was like a throne for a king, then an organ the next."

Rey bowed her head, assuring Ren she understood. "I hear you when you play at night," she conceded in a feathery voice, casting a smile in his direction. "You're very good."

Ren was glad that she couldn't see his face was flaming red. Yet pride was blooming inside his chest knowing she had also enjoyed his music. "Thank you," he said. "My mother shoved me into piano lessons when I was a boy. Took them for several years, afterward. If I wasn't engrossed in school with private tutors, there was music practice." Pausing, his forehead creased. "There's just something about it that puts you at ease whenever you feel a need to disconnect from reality."

Rey mulled over this a few moments, her thumbs massaging her elbows as she surveyed the organ. "It is magnificent. Sometimes, while I was passing by the saloon on Jakku, I'd hear the piano playing but I never went inside to watch." Biting her lips, her hazels reverted to the captain then. "May I?" she eagerly asked.

He nodded approvingly. "Of course."

Rey beamed at him. Scooting her chair away from the table, she rose to her feet and began pacing toward the instrument. But realizing she was alone, Rey stopped and threw a glance over her shoulder at Kylo. "You coming?"

Wonders never ceased to amaze the captain how quickly their relationship had budded within such shortness in time. The stolen prolonged looks while one thought the other wasn't watching. The staggering touches on the other's hands, arms, or shoulders as a silent means to express their longing for companionship. She never blanched or shuddered at the deformities in his skin underneath her fingers and palm.

She made him feel wanted. A man rather than a creature. More Ben Solo than Kylo Ren.

As she claimed half of the organ bench, Ren occupied the available space beside her. Her left shoulder in line with his left bicep. His back facing the tiers of ivory keys. And he listened blithely while her slender fingers began scaling the octaves, note-by-note, one key at a time, echoed off his cabin walls, from the middle-range to the highest pitch. She looked happy. Carefree. He wondered if anything had ever given her as much pleasure on Jakku.

"What about you?" he lightly probed, memorized by her elegant digits floating over the keys. "Has anything ever piqued your interest?"

Her brows knitted, holding the sharp trill of a high key as she pondered a reply. "I like fixing things," she admitted. Releasing the note, Rey clasped her hands loosely in her lap, focus centered on Kylo. "Every morning, on Jakku, I'd look for items on the beach to trade for the essentials. Sometimes I'd find stuff to tear apart and see how it worked, then fix it. A couple of things I indulged and kept for myself. But usually, everything went to Maz."

Ren squinted pointedly. "Maz?"

"Yeah! She was actually the woman who gave me the compass."

"Maz Kanata?"

Rey blinked. "Yes," she replied, treading with caution. "You know her?"

Ren grunted caustically. "You could say that." His better half wanted to thank Maz for having literally delivered Rey to him; his darker persona was tempted to snap the old woman's neck the next time he saw her. "She's the witch responsible for cursing the Silencer."

Rey gasped. "W-Wait a second! Maz? " Unable to restrain her enthusiasm, Rey swiveled in her seat, facing him, a hand clutching his bicep. "Kylo, do you know what this means? If we can go back to Jakku, I could go to her and get her to lift the spell!"

Ren begged to differ. "As wonderful as it sounds, that's unfortunately not how it works."

Hearing those words slowly eradicated the grin on her face. "And I suppose you won't ever tell me how it works, will you?" she grumbled. Tilting her chin, she leaned into him closer. "Even though you agreed to let me help you."

"You are helping." His mouth teased a smirk. "It's been a while since you last called me an asshole. So whatever it is you are doing, it must be somewhat effective."

Rey rolled her eyes. "You're still an asshole," she deadpanned.

Ren snorted at her brazenness; however, he couldn't deny that her fiery attitude was completely turning him on. Knowing the reason for the smoldering passion in her eyes was for him sent his blood rushing southward. "Has anyone ever told you you're incredibly beautiful when you're upset?"

Pink immediately colored her cheeks, put off by his compliment at first but she hastily recovered. "You're deflecting," she scoffed. "Buttering me up won't help you get off the hook here."

Ren regarded her with a look of mock disappointment. "So you're saying I should try harder then?"

Rey made no effort to comment as she stared back at him, doe-eyed. Save for the dry swallow he'd perceived while his eyes panned down to her lips. Her nervousness bleeding outright yet she never attempted to resist him. He knew she wanted this. Yearned for him as much as he had been yearning for her. It excited him as it also terrified him.

The tentacle he coiled around her wrist anchored her palm to his arm, drawing out the smallest gasp from her lips as the oxygen caught in her throat. Her eyes fluttered shut as his hand cradled her cheek, wholly allowing herself to melt into him as Ren bridged the cleft between them. Warm air softly fanned over her lips as he breathed, "Rey..."

BOOM!

**

The impact of the cannon fire jolted the Silencer violently, rattling the cargo inside. However fleeting it was, a powerful tremor from the blast nearly sent Rey toppling from the bench. She would have fallen if it hadn't been for Kylo quickly grabbing her hip. "Shit, Rey!"

"Kylo!" Rey cried out fearfully, alarmed by the unforeseen turn in events. Her right hand fisted the captain's coat sleeve, the other grasping its thick material on his chest. "What's happening?"

"We're under atta—."

BOOM!

Again, the Silencer was struck by another round from the enemy cannon, striking somewhere close to the stern's lower deck. Too close for comfort.

"Fucking hell," Ren seethed. "We're being attacked!"

Rey's heart was sprinting in her chest. Scrabbling to her feet, she turned to the captain. Gone was the tenderness in his gaze, a thunderous glare appearing now in its place. "By who ?"

Wordless, Kylo stood in precession and rushed to the door. At the same instant, Poe came barging into the cabin. "Captain, the artillery is being readied, sir!"

"What the hell is happening out there, Dameron?"

"It's the Supremacy," Poe panted. "Looks like good ol' Armitage is wanting to play with the big boys."

Rey felt the color drain from her cheeks. Her mind cutting to the fact Finn was onboard that very same ship. "You're sure it's the Supremacy?" she queried to Poe.

Poe nodded confidently. "I'd recognize those black sails anywhere."

Ren sneered. "Then we mustn't disappoint," he snarled. "Fire when ready. And for fuck sakes make him stop blowing holes in my ship!"

"Aye, sir," said Poe, acknowledging Ren's orders from over his shoulder, exiting the cabin.

As Poe was taking his leave, the captain's searing gaze flashed to Rey. "I want y—."

"I'm coming with you," she affirmed before Ren could voice his order for her to stay. Not that she had the intention to fight Hux and his crew. She wanted to find Finn.

Ren blinked. "Absolutely not!"

"I can handle myself!"

"God damn it, Rey, no!" he barked. "This isn't like your usual saloon brawl on Jakku, or whatever the hell you think this is. I can't protect you out there!"

Crossing her arms in defiance, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't need your protection! I'm perfectly capable of handling myse—."

"I will not let you put yourself in a position that'll get you killed. I can't and I won't lose you!"

BOOM! BOOM!

Yelping, she flinched at the closeness of the Silencer's cannons firing. Men hollering from both ships resonated in the background, amidst the chaos. While the commotion was clearly indicating that the war between the Silencer and the Supremacy was rapidly progressing, Kylo was seemingly unphased. As if there was no battle unwinding between the immortals and men, just him and Rey.

I won't lose you.

I need you.

Something else was buried in there too, but he didn't say. Reckoning it was too dangerous for a rapport so shiny and new. Something which burrowed deep into unknown territory. For the life of her, she couldn't pin the moment she'd begun manifesting these emotions for the man who was the creature, Kylo Ren.

Seeing him this way hauled her back to the prior moments where they had almost kissed. What it felt like to have butterflies in her stomach for the first time in her life. That whatever was happening here with Ren wasn't unrequited.

In spite of her current avid frustration with him, she still wanted him to kiss her.

His hand carded through the unkempt tresses hanging in her face, coaxing them behind an ear. Lingering at the base of her skull, tips stroking her neck, he tilted her chin up just right so she was forced to meet his gaze. "Stay here," Ren commanded, firmly but gently. "Keep the door locked and stay out of sight. But if anyone gets in, do not let Hux or any of his men get a hold of that compass."

Scowling, she heaved a sigh. "Ky—."

"That's an order, Rey."

It was fruitless for her to protest. Ren would probably have Poe drag her back to the cabin kicking and screaming if she defied him. And considering she was already well acquainted with Hux and his crew, the single-shot pistol Chewie gave her could only get her so far before she was sighted by the unsavory red-head or one of his pirates. She'd just have to hope and pray that Finn wouldn't be among the casualties...

Shifting the weight on her soles, her eyes moved to the door. "You're incorrigible," she muttered surly. "There, you happy?"

"You'll get over it," said Ren, pressing a chaste kiss to her temple before he left. She tried to center herself more on the knotting resentment she was feeling towards him as she locked the door instead of the flittering butterflies that reappeared in her gut.

Now, it was merely a waiting game.

Cannon fire gradually withered to gunshots and clashing swords. Guttural roars in agony replaced bellowing threats. And she prayed none of them were Finn's. Occasionally, from the quarterdeck outside the cabin, she'd overheard the pirates' crude banter. Although thankfully no one ever tried breaching the wood barrier to her not-so-secret hideaway.

Having trusted in her incessant pacing to busy her thoughts, she froze upon heeding the sound of a jiggling door handle. Believing it was Kylo initially before it grew adamant. Determined. Apparent her visitor was purposely trying to get inside. Surely, if it were the captain, wouldn't Kylo have announced his presence to her by now?

She ducked behind a table chair, out of the direct line of sight from the entrance, before the perpetrator burst open the door. Rey clapped a clammy hand over her mouth, muffling her scream. Ignoring her heart pounding in her ears as she tracked her company's lazy footsteps scuffing across the floor, striding closer and closer, merrily whistling a tune.

Reflecting on Kylo's earlier warning, she knew what she needed to do. She could make a run for the door, assuming that her visitor wasn't armed with a pistol and search for Kylo or Poe. Or settle for the alternative. She chose the latter to be safe.

Still crouching, clutching the chair seat beside her with a hand for pillar her other reached for the flintlock holstered at her backside, tucked in her belt. She winced at the harsh click the hammer made when it was fully cocked, ready to shoot. Her visitor had to have heard it too. The halting footsteps and whistling confirmed she'd presumed correctly.

"I know you're in here," hissed the masculine voice, a familiar click splitting the silence in the cabin. "Come out, come out wherever you are."

Do it, Rey...

Grinding her teeth, she rose and found the pirate cautiously examining an area opposite of where she was hiding. She aimed the gun and fired, causing the pirate to collapse, leaving a hole in evidence of the bullet piercing his back. Smoke billowed from the barrel's end, wavering as a cool gust of air gushed through the open doorway.

Her body started to tremble after she saw blood emanating from the wound. Shame and mortification taking over. Even though circumstances had lucidly asserted that she kill or be killed. Her conscience failing to segregate murder from self-defense.

As the panic started casting her into a downward spiral, Rey felt the dire need to escape. Curl herself into a ball someplace below deck and hide in the shadows till this nightmare ended.

She discarded the gun and fled the cabin, beelining toward the bow to the Silencer's stairwell for the lower decks. Spotting the Supremacy cruising parallel to the Silencer at a miniscule distance along the way.

The air felt thin and crisp, reeking of a hearty mixture of rain and saltwater and death. All evidence pointing to a victory that'd teetered heavily in favor of Kylo and his men. On the floor, where there wasn't debris and bodies of those who'd loyally served Armitage Hux scattered about, was a dark crimson caking the wood. Blood. So much blood had been shed that night. The morbid stench was quickly turning the pit in her stomach sour.

Quickly, Rey cantered across the deck, her awareness trained on her destination ahead. She practically skidded to a stop the second she perceived the shape of a figure striding out from the dark stairwell. A man who was average in height but compensated for his size in muscle and the single-edged cutlass he grasped. No doubt he had been a part of the Supremacy crew and was accidentally left behind. Pity.

Except Rey was now weaponless. Defenseless. Not a single member of the Silencer's crew in her view.

She shrieked when the pirate advanced, narrowly dodging his blade, his strokes vicious and sloppy, slicing nothing but air. Relentless in his pursuit. A one-time successful attack awarded him a laceration on her right bicep. However, it was because of Rey stumbling clumsily over a corpse that allotted her attacker the advantage. Neither aware of who was approaching the pirate at the rear until the sword had already been plunged through his backside, protruding from his chest.

"Kylo," she wheezed, her eyes turning misty as her attacker slumped forward and fell to the ground. The captain's sword lodged in his sternum.

Not caring about the scarlet blotches staining Kylo's undershirt, Rey threw her arms around his neck, gently, minding his tentacled-beard. Her tears drenching the fabric covering his shoulder long before the raindrops cascaded from above. Ren's arms circled her waist, his claw pressed into her back, his hand cupping her underarm. Desperate and unwilling to let go.

"Please tell me it's over," she pleaded.

Ren kept quiet. His silence was all she needed to hear to understand this battle wasn't over. Yet she was still comforted by the response he settled on. "For now."