Consilium (Lawyer Kylo Ren x Reader)

Chapter 7

Kylo's POV:

You were here. You were here in his apartment out of your own (semi) free will and volition. This wasn't a dream. You were going to be sleeping in his bed. Tonight.

Without me , Kylo added bitterly in his head, but that couldn't be helped. Sure, the circumstances weren't ideal and certainly, nothing about this was romantic - but you were here and you trusted him. That was a good enough place to start, right?

Babu twined around Kylo's ankles as he paced around his living room, effectively kicked out of his own room (of his own doing) and unsure of what to do with himself now. He wasn't necessarily the best host historically, given that he rarely had anyone over at all. Much less a woman. A woman he was attracted to was even rarer still. Practically non-existent.

He obviously had to feed you. Women eat, or so he'd heard. And if his mother or Rey were any indications, women could tuck into some good food just as well as any other person. Maybe he should call Rey. Would that be weird?

She was probably the closest thing he had to a female friend, other than maybe Maz. Kylo wasn't going to count his mother because they weren't on the best of terms and god, that would just be the icing on the cake of embarrassment.

Kylo continued to tread a path in his living room, thinking out loud to his sole companion since that disastrous roommate situation when he was a freshman in college. Kylo shuddered to think about it, pushing it from his mind. He had a new roommate now and he had no doubt you'd be infinitely better than Snap Wexley.

"I should wait until she's done and then ask her - like a normal person. Or do you think it's better if I order and have it ready? What if I order the wrong thing? Too risky," Kylo mused trying to recall what you'd eaten during your brief lunch together and nodding when Babu chirped in response.

"You're right. I should be patient and wait. I don't want to fuck up before anything's even started," Kylo mumbled, hands gesticulating in the air as he slowed in his pacing. Babu purred, rubbing his head on Kylo's leg.

Kylo bent down and picked up the friendly cat, scratching behind his ears. "I know, Babu. I shouldn't be thinking about her this way but I can't help it. You're not wrong, though. I need to keep myself in line. This is a professional relationship only."

Babu blinked in response, licking at his paw as Kylo went to sit on the couch. "What do you mean? I'm Kylo fucking Ren. Of course, I can keep it professional," Kylo scoffed, shaking his head as Babu settled onto his lap and curled up.

"I can and I will. You'll see," Kylo sighed, slumping against the couch and running a hand through his hair - a nervous habit he couldn't seem to break. Seemed like there were a few bad habits that Kylo picked up and couldn't put back down. Problem is, would you continue to be one of them?

***

After spending some time doing the deep breathing exercises that he'd learned from those counseling sessions long ago with his Uncle Luke when he was still dealing with his teenage anger, Kylo Ren was ready to forge ahead.

First on his list had been the food, but he'd already figured out to wait for you. Kylo mentally crossed off the action item and moved on to the next: call Maz Kanata.

Kylo was dreading the call, knowing that Maz would have more than a few choice thoughts about his current situation, but it had to be done. As the social worker managing your case on the side, Maz needed to know about the escalation of Orson's abuse.

It had been something both he and Maz had expected to happen but were hoping would never occur. It was the worst-case scenario and it broke Kylo's heart to know you'd been subjected to Orson's continuing rise in cruelty.