Technical Error

Chapter Thirteen

Confusion: It Continues to Grow

Kylo Ren remained staring at you for longer than you felt comfortable with. You shifted in your chair, lifting the food to your mouth and taking another bite while meeting his gaze. "You still have not left," he said. You furrowed your brow. He had told you not to leave! And now he was accusing you of— "Your protests are meager at best." You set down your food, crossed your arms over your chest, and waited for him to grow bored of you. "Given your heavily medicated state, and the flirtatious mannerisms you thus acquired, it was deemed best that I did not visit you. Furthermore, you had implied reconditioning would be preferable..." He once more had your attention. Kylo Ren's face was rather impassive. "There is already a note of sexual harassment in your file—I being the recipient."

"So, what...it was to protect me?" you asked quietly. As usual, the man chose not to answer yet another of your questions. And, as always, you suddenly did not know how to feel about him. That he had voiced, in a roundabout way, that your comment regarding being sent to reconditioning if you did not have sex with him—that he had just implied it had stung only furthered your confusion. Whiplash... So much whiplash... "I still... This isn't... If you intend to...for a date... Both parties need to... This isn't a date, sir."

In a certain way, the two of you were quite similar; he took a sip of his drink while watching you. Not arguing, instead being passive. You decided to not bother to continue the disagreement. You knew what this was and wasn't, and that was good enough for you. Plus, you had to admit, the food was delicious. It was not often you were able to eat such a meal. There was also the fact that you were aboard the Limo. You rested against the pillows and blankets.

For a man who so often made you squirm—stars, he had only a few minutes ago made you cry—Kylo Ren had done what he could to ensure that you were comfortable sitting there with him. General Hux had laughed at your discomfort, though not cruelly. The man beside you, on the other hand, had caused you discomfort. One kind act could not erase the pain he had put you through.

The quiet that was between the pair of you was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. You each ate in that silence, putting your trash into your respective bags. When you were finished with the meal, you licked your lips, drained the last of your drink, and rested your head against the back of the chair. Your eyes were scanning the technicians and officers that were visible to you through the windshield. So many individuals freely doing their job, doing work you wished you would be allowed to do.

Your attention then traveled to one of the stormtrooper transport ships. A scowl distorted your face, and you winced at the memory of the incident that had left you injured. While bacta had healed the majority of the wounds, the slight pain that remained reminded you that only time could erase the entirety of the result. General Hux had assured you that you would still be allowed to work on a shuttle, however he had never stated when this would occur.

"Why did you want to know if I wanted you to kiss me?" The words were out of your mouth before you realized you had even been thinking about them. You blinked, wondering how your train of thought had gone in that direction at all.

Kylo Ren chuckled, perhaps to himself, maybe at your expense. His head lolled to the side, tilting as his gaze swept over to you. "I know that you do." You felt your cheeks heating up in both slight embarrassment and mild frustration. He was right, and you hated it. The Force user rose from his seat. Your hands flew to your knees, gripping them to steady yourself. To keep yourself from springing to your feet, which would aggravate your injuries. His legs hit against your knuckles. The man towered over you, leaning and gripping the headrest on either side of you. Your breath hitched.