A Star Wars Reylo AU: The Taming of the Professor

Twenty-Nine

By Friday the swelling had receded, and Rey ventured out of Rose's apartment. She had borrowed a huge pair of sunglasses, which did a reasonable job covering the bruising around her eyes and across the bridge of her nose. She thought she looked like a bug, but Rose assured her nobody would look twice at her.

Dr. Hux was ready to see her. He actually closed his office door after she arrived. When she self-consciously removed her sunglasses, he was polite enough not to stare.

"You look like death warmed over."

She'd looked worse in the past, but kept it to herself.

"How does the other guy look?"

She shrugged. "I aimed for more fragile parts. But I doubt they look good."

He laughed. "Have you spoken to your former adviser since this happened?"

"Technically, yes. My friend Luke took me to Dr. Solo's mother's house directly after, and he was there at some point, but I don't remember much of it. I was in a lot of pain and I had hit my head pretty hard."

"I'd like you to go down and talk to him now if you're up to it. He's been bothering me all week about you, and it's annoying. Then we'll get back to work."

She stood and replaced her sunglasses. Not many people walked the halls on the third floor, but she didn't want to chance it. Dr. Solo's door was opened just a crack, and she knocked.

"Come in," he called.

When she entered, he nearly jumped out of his chair. She closed the door behind her and stood there, feeling a little awkward.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi. Dr. Hux asked me to come down and speak with you."

He approached and stood in front of her. Then he reached up and carefully removed the sunglasses. He studied the bruises.

"What else hurts?"

She touched her hip where she had landed after hitting her head. "Just bruised. I think I was pretty lucky."

"Not lucky. You trained for that very situation."

He led her to a chair in front of his desk, and she sat. He leaned against the desk, his arms crossed.

"I didn't do a single thing I was taught."

"It's never going to look like it does in the studio. There are too many other factors to account for. The point is that you reacted, and you defended yourself. Do you want to hear what happened to the man who did this to you?"

She shook her head.

"I will tell you this much. They found ketamines on him. He won't be around for a long time."

That did make her feel better.

"Now, can we talk about what happened between us?"

Rey closed her eyes. She felt him move. He cupped her face in his hands, and tugged her bottom lip out from between her teeth with his thumb. She opened her eyes and found him kneeling on the floor directly in front of her.

"That particular habit of yours drives me to distraction," he said, his thumb still pressed lightly into her bottom lip.

If hearts could burst from beating too fast, she was sure hers would. She sat very still, watching him. Waiting.

"I left because I was a coward. I couldn't handle the way I felt about you, and I couldn't stop it, no matter what I tried. It took every bit of my concentration not to touch you. I was trying to do the right thing, to be the professor, but it kept getting worse. I thought if I left, it would subside. That by the time I got back, this infatuation I have with you would have fizzled out."

She nodded. She understood running away from trouble, real or imagined.

"When it didn't, I asked Snoke to transfer you to another adviser. I told him that you were perfect for the program, but that I wasn't able to guide you. That it was my deficiency. I knew I couldn't keep you with me, even if I somehow figured out how to get control of myself. For appearances sake, at the least, there could be no confusion about our relationship. And I wasn't sure I could keep myself within appropriate boundaries until you finished your studies."

He dropped his hands to the arms of the chair, and she missed the contact.

"I wanted to be here to explain this to you before he delivered the transfer notice. But I didn't make it back in time. And then you were so very angry, and I couldn't blame you. No matter how this turned out, I couldn't advise you anymore. It wasn't fair to you. And it would compromise your studies. Do you understand?"

"Dr." Before she could get the rest of it out, his index finger came up to her lips.

"I am not your professor any longer."

After that explanation, she finally understood what he meant. She took a deep breath. "Ben," she said, her voice very soft. He nodded. It felt strange to use his name, to roll it around in her mouth. "I understand. But I don't understand why you didn't just tell me this before."

"As I said. It was poorly done. I thought it in your best interest. I still do. Which is why you ended up with Hux. I had no intention of sacrificing you. He is an excellent adviser, and will help you through this program in a way I couldn't."

"Don't I get a say?"

"As far as who advises you? I'm afraid not. We make choices that are in the best interest of the student."

"And this?" She motioned between them, unable to give it a proper name.

"You have the say."

She studied him, on his knees in front of her, so vulnerable and honest. This was not the same man who had scared her so badly at the beginning of last semester. And she was not the same person, either. They had grown into this new state together.

"I know you think I have power over you, Rey. And I understand why. But if you only knew how reversed the situation actually was. You hold all of the power here. If you want to crush me, you have that ability. And I wouldn't blame you, because I deserve it."