stars shining bright above you [kylo ren - 365 days based au]

prologue

"I turned and ran to save a life I didn't have."

__prologue__

           IN THE TEN YEARS THAT BEN SOLO HAD KNOWN DRUSILLA CAINE, he had always had a strange fascination with the young woman's chocolate hair. He loved how its length symbolized subtle rebellion against Luke's wishes. The older Jedi had warned her about the liabilities that came with it; it was a clear disadvantage during battle. An enemy might grasp it to their advantage and pull her to the ground or worse, to her demise. Ben was outraged at the thought; he saw how caring she was about it. She took great lengths to make it shine and look healthy. She managed to be victorious in her trainings and missions, resulting in lenience towards her hair.

           But Drusilla would never cut it. Under Ben's admiring gaze, she'd always tie her hair up at the top of her head with a light ribbon, creating the longest and most luscious ponytail the young man had ever seen. He often pondered about its softness, wanting to run his fingers through it – to feel it beneath his touch. Even with her hair held up in such fashion, it still reached far below her back. Often enough, Ben caught himself watching in wonder as she'd train, her long mane flowing almost magically behind her, trailing behind her every move. His eyes would be glued to the ponytail as it whipped around her while she practiced spinning kicks during training. Of course, his fascination didn't go unnoticed by the other padawans. They'd often mock him for being evidently attracted to her; to the unattainable princess that was so out of his league.

           He never let their words get to him. Unbeknownst to all; his relationship with Drusilla – Dru,that nickname only used by him – was much more than training partners. It started out innocently enough; they would stay behind after Luke's training to practice with one another.

"You're pulling your punches," Drusilla remarked as she blocked a hit to her side. Her focused eyes met Ben's; he seemed way too relaxed for hand to hand combat training. She took notice of his distraction and managed to swipe a hard punch to his side, dodging his immediate retaliation.