Pothos and the Neikea

28. The path to the lonely side

The moment Chalandria was visible from the airplane window, Kylo started silently crying. That was it; gone and never going back. There was an 80-year-old man next to him who looked at the 6 foot 3 grown ass man weeping with a distaste. Kylo almost picked up a fight with him. He couldn't possibly know what he was going through! Plus, it's not that hard for people to mind their own business every now and then.

But perhaps the old man was a bit right; there were so many reasons for Kylo not to cry. He was moving to a nicer city. He had a better job with great pay and the ability to take his career to the next level. He was away from everyone he disliked or caused him trouble. A new, clean start. But dear God did Kylo not care about any of that!

All he cared about was her.

He owned very few things and so moving into his new apartment didn't prove to be a huge challenge for him. He was done by the evening and had nothing better to do than take a walk through the famous roads of Chalandria since the University would already be closed. But… had there always been so many couples on the streets or did they only just appear to taunt him? Was this what Chalandria was beside the city of sciences? The city of lovers? Scoffing at every girl that looked the slightest like Rey, Kylo wandered the city center until he ended up on a bench, seriously fighting off a new urge to bawl his eyes out. How long was it supposed to take until he was filling okay again? Days? Months? Years?

Probably forever.

If he had only- oh, if he had only talked to her before leaving, this would have been a lot different. He had asked her to see him but she never showed up anywhere. Apparently, she just didn't return the interest of seeing him. He had this plan, this speech prepared in his head. He would tell her everything. About Hux, Plutt… everything. Tell her he loved her a million times. And that if the road ever took her to Chalandria he would be doing nothing but waiting for her.

How had he reached this point? All because he got drunk one night and kissed a girl that got on his nerves.

And now he had two choices: either go back to his new home-ugh, he couldn't even call it that- or go pay the visit he needed to. Considering that in the emotional state he was in it was extremely dangerous for him to be alone in his apartment, perhaps he should get this over with the visit first. So, Kylo found himself taking the subway and then walking right outside the door. He took a couple of deep breaths. Perhaps it was stupid of him to just show up like that. He knocked. Perhaps the only stupid thing was that he hadn't done it in years.

The door slightly opened and-

"Ben!" his mother cried out, falling right on her son's arms. It was impulsive, she knew he wasn't fond of hugging. Yet she acted before she could think strategically. She pulled away. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so happy to see you here! Come on in, come on!" Placing her palm on his back, Leia led her son in the hall. She turned her head and looked at the open door for a few seconds without closing it. "Is anyone else coming?" she asked.

Kylo gulped. He looked at his mother over his shoulder, fully aware she was talking about the young girl she had met during New Year's Eve. He shook his head. The look Leia gave him… well, it wasn't exactly disappointed. But it was close. She motioned to him to keep going until they reached the living room.

Kylo looked around the room realizing he didn't recognize it. So many years had it been since he stood where he did on that moment. His mother offered to make some tea and informed him that his father was out for some business and would be back later. Not that Kylo was dying to see him. Wasn't it obvious enough who was his favorite parent of the two? Then they sat together and talked about what Leia thought were general things, avoiding asking about Rey. What she didn't know was that apparently everything had to do with her. How was work? Rey… How was his friend, Hux? Hmm… Rey. What was he doing in Chalandria? Rey, Rey, Rey.