Kiddo | Kylo Ren

X. Awaited Presence

Today marks your eleventh day on the Finalizer. 

The days following your first visit to Shiloh's hospital room had gone by in a flash.

After Akira's apology, you decided it would be best to forgive him for the time being, seeing as you don't have anyone else to hang out with besides him and the Knights. 

It irked you at first that something seemed off about Akira- but you kept that observation to yourself while you spent the rest of your day with Shiloh. Keeping him company was the most you could do for him while he was still detained.

Kylo stayed there the whole time, sunk away in the far corner of the hospital room, observing you and Shiloh's every move.

That night, you slept in Kylo's quarters again.

He asked you to stay this time around so he could tend to your wounds one last time after your first shower in the past few days.  

Though disappointed there was never a second kiss or a morning cuddle session, you still enjoyed your stay. He made you feel welcome- especially when he had given you yet another set of his pajamas to wear and let you shuffle through his large collection of books.

Reading while he doused your back in rubbing alcohol did not ease the pain at all, but you told him it did. You knew it'd be best to lie about it if it meant he wouldn't be so worried about you.

The next morning, his bed was empty and there was yet another shitty, confusing map waiting for you on the nightstand.

It was a sign to head back to your quarters and take care of yourself- maybe even wear clothes that actually fit you- but the only thing on your mind was visiting the Knights again.

You wanted to see them- to hold them in your arms and tell them you're okay. Tell them that you don't want to bring up the Akira situation again and that Shiloh was going to be fine. 

But you avoided doing this until day seven came around.

You decided to give them some space after what had happened with the Resistance. Even if that was the exact reason the Knights were on the Finalizer- for protection purposes- you knew the sudden attack had rattled them to their core.

One full week on the Finalizer base, however, deserved to be celebrated. You knew your two days in solitude had to come to an end at some point, so you went back to the worn down cantina with the Knights- not questioning where Kylo was or why he hadn't come with you. 

This was the night you pestered Akira more and more about why he was acting so strange. 

He hadn't taken his mask off since the apology. Nor had he payed much attention to you at all, even when you were standing right in front of him.

It took a lot of convincing and a harsh tackle to the floor to get him to remove his mask.

And once he finally did, you immediately regretted it.

His face was beaten and bruised in every way you could have imagined. Two black eyes, a busted lip, bruised cheek bones, and even a large slash through his right eyebrow that seemed to have been done with some type of blade. 

He had been beaten to a pulp, and he was hiding it from you. 

This was the night you finally connected the dots.