A Star Wars Reylo AU: The Taming of the Professor

Thirty-Two

***Hi guys! I'm going to add a disclaimer at the top of this chapter. 😁 The views of the characters in this story do not represent my own. They are their own people, flawed and all. For example, if you ever feed me, please do not make scallops. They are slimy and gross. (My opinion, not Rey's). Thanks for reading! ❤️

"Who taught you to cook?"

Rey finished her last scallop. She had never eaten them before. Every time hers ran out, he would slide some onto her plate from his. She couldn't object because they were so delicious. Ben had showed her how to remove the tiny muscle on the side and sear them. They were quite possibly the most amazing thing she had ever eaten. 

"I taught myself. I don't do it as often as I would like because it's not much fun cooking for just myself. I enjoy sharing it. Do you mind if I drink a glass of wine?"

"I'm not in recovery. Please, go ahead."

She took the cork pull from him and opened a red blend. She poured him a glass and handed it over. He raised his glass in solitary toast.

"To more meals here, with you."

She picked up her water glass and tapped it against his wine glass.

"That sounds wonderful. Maybe you could teach me to cook."

"As you wish." 

The kitchen looked just as they had found it not long after dinner. Rey finished wiping up the table and peered out the window over the sink into a small stand of trees. There was a tiny deck behind the town house, but it was covered in snow. 

"What are you reading with your adviser?" 

"We just finished Tolkien - his pick. I made the next selection." 

He took a drink of wine and waited expectantly. When she didn't answer, he looked puzzled. 

"Is it a secret?" 

Of course it wasn't a secret. But she wasn't sure she wanted to tell him, because she wasn't sure how he would react. She caught herself chewing on her lip again and stopped. 

"It's not a secret. I'm just not sure if I want to tell you." 

"Why?" Now he looked amused. 

She blushed. "Well, it's not like what you assigned." 

"I would hope not. If Hux gave you a choice, I would expect you to choose something lighthearted. My selections were dry and academic." 

"Then why did you assign them?"

"Because they were beneficial to your education." 

"You shouldn't do that to your next advisee. It was too hard." 

"And yet you survived." 

She scowled. "Barely." 

"I will take your opinion into consideration. But I don't think I'll be advising for a while. The Chairman wants me to focus on the project in Ireland."

"Oh. Will you leave again?"

"This summer." 

She tried to imagine him gone for another month, which made her sad. "That sounds nice." 

He took her face in his hands and kissed her. "It's a long way away and not worth worrying about."

"OK."

"So about your book selection." 

Of course he hadn't forgotten. "You won't judge me?"

"If you picked Twilight, I'm going to judge you. I'll just be really honest."

This made her laugh. "What's your problem with those?"

"That they spawned fanfic that eventually became the drivel about Anastasia and Christian Gray. Nothing good comes out of Twilight. Besides, vampires are supposed to scare the hell out of you, not sparkle." 

"Maybe I picked a fanfic story." She tried her best to keep a straight face, but failed.

"Hux would probably humor you."

"Not all fanfic is terrible. You should read some."

"I'd read more of yours." 

That surprised her. "Maybe when I'm done. Right now, I only let Rose read it."

"Rose! I am objectively more qualified than Rose."

"No, you're not. Rose loves Planet Wars, and she ships my main match."

"I don't think that match is going to happen. I read up on it last semester."

"Oh, you read up on it, and now you're an expert? Yes, it will happen. It's Disney! The "prince" and "princess" always end up together and everyone lives happily ever after. The End."

"But it's not canon."

"It's not canon YET. Just you wait."

"We'll see. So, what series did you select?"

She sighed, and said quietly, "Harry Potter."

"And you haven't started yet?"

She shook her head. He grabbed her hand and led her down a straight flight of stairs into a finished basement. She had no idea what he thought of her pick, because his face hadn't moved at all in reaction. She assumed he'd think it childish. Hux had simply nodded when she told him. Though she had read them before, it seemed like a good opportunity to revisit.

In the basement were the walls lined with books she had expected. He turned on a lamp beside and oversized armchair, and motioned for her to sit. She did, and watched him walk straight to a shelf and pull the familiar red covered Book One.

He returned to her, and motioned her to slide over. Then he sat right beside her. It was chilly in the basement, and she didn't mind his warmth. Or his closeness.

"I haven't read these yet," he admitted.

"But you own them?"

"They're on my list. I spend more time reading student work than I'd like. The list grows and the time doesn't. I've heard good things about them."

He wrapped an arm around her and tugged her against him. She pressed in close, her ear against his chest and her arms wrapped around his middle. He tapped his thumb against the cover.

"May I read to you?"

"Yes." 

She couldn't remember the last time someone had read to her. The experience was sweet and intimate, and she wondered if he would read her the entire series. She could sit and listen to him read for hours. 

He read through chapter four, and stopped to drink some water. 

"You know, you have a lot in common with Harry."

"Sure. Orphan, hungry, living with people who don't want you. Oh, and then there's the magic."

He chuckled. "You're hiding a curious ability to communicate with snakes?" 

"We haven't been attacked by any yet, have we?" 

Rey fell asleep somewhere in Mr. Olivander's shop, feeling more at peace than she had in a very long time. And that was a kind of magic in and of itself.