Light Up the Dark

GR-8 Plans

Rey and Kylo finally arrived on a snowy planet so remote that it didn't have an official name. They gathered everything they had packed, which wasn't much, and started the trek to a cottage Kylo used to sneak off to during his early years with the First Order.

There was an actual fireplace that burned real wood, and the walls were made of giant wooden panels. The furniture was off white, plump and ready for sitting. The kitchen was small but adequate. There was a bathroom big enough to fit the kitchen inside of it, and it contained a beautiful ivory tub surrounded by body oils and bath salts. Everything was pristine and ready for use.

"How do you keep it so clean when you're not here?" Rey asked, setting her bag down on the floor of the living room.

"I have a cleaning droid on a weekly schedule," Kylo replied and gestured toward a closet door. Rey opened it and saw the funniest looking droid.

The head was shaped like a trapezoid, and it sat on a thin pipe neck that attached to a fat, cylindrical body with wheels. It was almost taller than Rey. Sporting a bright shade of red, it had all kinds of gadgets stored in its body's compartments. The "eyes" were yellow, and it was missing a mouth. It beeped happily as it came to life at the sight of Rey and held up a retractable broom as if to say "I clean!" Rey laughed at the spectacle rolling around in front of her.

"His name is GR-8. I thought it was a funny name when I programmed him...," Kylo confessed, turning red with embarrassment.

Rey stared at Kylo with the widest grin. "I love it. Pleased to meet you, GR-8!"

GR-8 let out a staccato string of beeps letting Rey know it was excited to meet her too. The peppy droid rolled over to their luggage and carried it to the bedroom to unpack for them.

"I could get used to that," Rey joked as she wearily sat down on one of the plush couches. Kylo sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he laid his head back on the back of the couch. They were both quiet for a few minutes as they tried to accept their new reality.

"Kylo?" Rey said softly.

"Mmhmm?" He hummed a response while keeping his head back and his eyes shut.

"What are we going to do?"

Kylo groaned loudly and rolled his head back down dramatically to face Rey. She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

"Tomorrow," he stated. "Tomorrow we will figure it out. We need to rest tonight, and I have made plans for us this evening."

Rey let out a long, tired, frustrated breath. "What kind of plans?"

She saw Kylo's eyes begin to sparkle and burn, hungrily. Rey's stomach muscles clenched in excitement as he leaned in close to her face. His voice was soft like black velvet.

"The physical kind."