Tethered

11: True Fear Lives in the Heart

You wanted to say that, since that night Kylo gave you your name, a mutual tolerance if not a sort of friendship had kindled between you and him. His visits to your cell became more frequent as did the number of nights when he would just come to visit and withhold training from you. It irked you that you never knew the agenda for the evening, but you couldn't deny that the spontaneity was exhilarating. It was the most stimulation you'd had in a while, but it seemed that he made you rest on nights when you wanted to work and work on nights you wanted to rest. You'd have to have a talk with him about that.

You liked the nights when there would be both training and rest. The night would begin normally, short exercises to reinforce your previous skills. You would connect your minds, take a block from his hand, experience the Force around you, before moving on to the lesson of the night which usually entailed expanding on previously learned skills. You could now reach out to a Force signature five levels above or below your cell and make connection with Kylo almost effortlessly. Though the progress was small, it was significant to you and to your own personal perception of your growth. You were proud of yourself and your progression. And you were proud of your progress with Kylo.

A sort of friendship began to form-a mutual understanding if nothing else. Student and teacher worked together, your objectives in sync. You wanted to learn and grow; he wanted to teach and enrich. Both of you had something to gain from the other in what seemed to be an endless loop of give and take, push and pull; a balance that filled your waking moments.

You waited for him in the night, weeks after you'd been given a name. He said he would be coming this night and you could only assume it was the evening because you had been given your final meal hours before. He would be arriving at any moment. You sat at attention in your cell, tapping your fingers against your leg, resisting the urge to begin warm-up exercises already. He'd left a small ball in your cell the last time he'd left so you could practice even if he couldn't be with you. It was small enough that you could hide it easily from the guards that brought your meals but big enough that you could make progress with it when you wanted to.

You were learning fast.

Though you had no real grasp or concept of the time you'd spent with Kylo, you knew it hadn't been long at all. The skills you already possessed-forming mental bridges, emerging yourself in the Force, moving and manipulating matter-were not supposed to come as easy as they did. He didn't actually say it, but you knew he was just as shocked as you were by your progress.

Once more, you felt him before you heard him. The aura he gave off grew stronger as he neared you and slowly came up to your cell.

He was fully dressed in his robes, his face covered by his mask. His voice was distorted as he said, "Good evening, Lux."

"Kylo," you breathed out, pushing up on your knees to greet him. The smile that took over your face when you saw him split your lips.

"Are you ready for training tonight?" he asked as he pushed the cell door open, walking in and stopping in front of you. He lowered himself to his knees, reaching up and removing his mask.

You nodded. "Yeah... Why are you so dressed up tonight?" you asked, gesturing to his suffocating robes. In weeks most recent, he'd all but abandoned them, opting for comfortable clothes that were easy to move in.

"There are more people awake tonight," he said, unhooking his cape and depositing it on the ground beside his helmet. "They would find it suspicious if their commander was seen walking around without his mask."

"Yeah," you agreed. You couldn't see the cause for suspicion, but then again you only ever saw him without the mask. You saw his face for what it was: a powerful, beautiful face that you supposed was reserved for only you. "So what are we doing tonight?"