So bright.
The light that flooded Rey's eyes when she opened them was enough to make her squeeze them shut again. Her head felt thick, as though filled with Bantha fur and when she sat up it pounded furiously. Rey groaned, her hand coming up to cradle her face.
Her touch brought back a memory from the night before, not of her friends, but of him, of their tender interaction.
Rey let herself fall back on the pillow with another groan. What had she said to him last night? She felt as though she might have overstepped the mark, and she knew for certain that she had been far too caring towards her enemy to be labelled anything but a traitor.
Rey turned her head to look at the clock and her eyes became wide, ten fifteen! She was supposed to be at the training yard by nine! Rey rolled into a sitting position and closed her eyes, desperately trying to clear her head and fight back the nausea that coursed through her body. "Never again" Rey muttered, knowing somehow that that was what everyone said when they woke up like this. Difference was, Rey meant it. She didn't have the luxury to act like this, she had training to complete and studying to do.
By the time Rey reached the training ground Finn and Rose were busy sparring and parrying with the new recruits, using sticks taken from the nearby trees. Rey stood awkwardly at one side, watching the movement around her, willing away the thudding behind her eyes and the choking dryness in her mouth.
Halfway through a swinging attack Finn saw Rey, flashing her one of his brightest smiles before whipping his stick down and tripping up the man in front of him, sending him crashing down onto the leaves. Rey watched him help the man up before jogging over to her,
"Ooh you look rough!" He said laughing, the stick twirling in his grip. Rough, nice, Rey thought, lifting her eyebrows at him in an attempt to look cross, but then giving up when she realised that it made her head thud even more. Finn laughed again, "Poor you, hows the head?"
Rey groaned, "Bad. How come it's just me that's like this?"
Finn glanced across at Rose, who was still busy sparring, "Not our first times I guess..."
"So what you're saying is, I'm a light weight?" Rey managed, before sinking into a crouched position, her hands gripping her head. It was Rey's turn to laugh now as her eyes moved back up to Finns face, "And you'd be right"
Finn laughed, coming to crouch in front of Rey, "Look, we got it here, things are going well. Go.."
Rey shook her head, wincing as she did so, "Finn no, I can't...I.."
Finn touched her messy hair and laughed again, "Rey you look terrible, go get washed and rested and I'll catch up with you later".
Rey did as he said, heading first to the empty mess hall where she forced herself to eat bread and drink Nerf milk, on Finns recommendation. Apparently it would line her stomach and get rid of the deep, rumbling that kept happening every few minutes. To a certain point it worked and Rey felt well enough to head to the lake to wash.
The cool water soothed her further and she took her time, washing her hair, floating on the smooth surface, looking up at the sky, the treetops and thinking about him. She hadn't asked him about the Dyad, did he know about it?
Once she was dry, Rey walked slowly back to her hut, feeling much better, but also insanely guilty for letting down Finn and Rose. Not half as guilty as you will feel when you betray the whole resistance, a little voice in her head whispered. Rey shook the thought free, right now she just couldn't deal with that thought. It was a thought for another day.
Rey sat at her desk and flicked through the Jedi text book again, pausing at the page about Dyads, letting the pages fall through her fingers, letting it settle in her lap. Force bonds. Lifting the book onto her desk, Rey began to read:
Most Force bonds happen between Jedi Masters and their apprentices or relatives, although other force sensitive beings may also share a Force bond. Through this connection, beings are able to communicate their feelings, thoughts and images to another.............
Rey's head snapped up as a faint hum began and she pushed back her chair and stood up.
"How do you feel?"
Kylo Rens voice filled Rey's ears and she turned to find him stood behind her, helmet on. Rey straightened, immediately missing unmasked Kylo Ren. This version seemed much more like a monster.
"I've felt better" Rey said softly, "How about you?" She added, gesturing to his arm.
Kylo Rens masked gaze traveled down to look at his arm as if only now remembering about his injury, "It's nothing" he said bluntly.
Rey, remembering that the Jedi text was open in front of her, suddenly felt protective of it and she turned, lifting the book momentarily so as to close it.
"The Jedi texts" Kylo breathed, Rey turned with a gasp, clearly if she held something then he could see it too. She hugged the book to her chest, afraid that he would try to take it. "I haven't seen that since......" he trailed off.
Rey went to place the book on the floor and out of sight of him, when suddenly he stepped forwards, "Wait. Can I see it?"
Rey hesitated, bent at the waist, the book dangling just above the dusty floor, she didn't suppose it would hurt to let him look at it, she had wanted to ask him about the Dyad anyway. Rey straightened and held the book out to the masked figure. He moved forwards eagerly, his steps wide and his gloved hand lifted the book from hers.
Rey watched Kylo as he walked back across the room and sat down on what looked like her bed. He set the book on his knees and lifted off his helmet, placing it at his feet. Rey breathed in a sigh of relief, much better, she felt that she could trust him, could reach him more like this.
He studied the book, flicking the pages, stopping occasionally to read something, "Ben?" Rey tried softly,
"Mmmm?" Came Bens distracted response, his eyes on the pages in front of him.
"Ben?" Rey tried again, slightly louder this time.
Bens eyes rose to meet hers, round and questioning. Rey looked at him, wondering the best way to word it. She couldn't just go, "Oh by the way we're a Dyad...." or could she?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her name being said in that ridiculously appealing, deep voice and she swallowed hard, twisting her hands in her lap before she looked at him.
"Have you heard of a Dyad?" Rey asked timidly, afraid that he might laugh at her incompetence.
He didn't laugh, just nodded his head, "Yes. It's the connection we share"
Rey hesitated, he seemed so sure. She nodded, "I had wondered" she admitted "Where did you learn about Dyads?"
Kylo Ren shrugged, his eyes dropping to the book on his lap, "Just something I was taught a long time ago"
Rey leant forwards, her elbows resting on her knees, "Did Master Skywalker teach you?". She feared that asking him might make him cross, but so eager was she to find out exactly what his relationship had been with the legendary Jedi that she risked it and asked anyway.
The man before her scoffed, "Luke, just Luke, he was no master and yes he did teach me, right before he subsequently tried to kill me". Kylos face had become flushed and his breathing uneven and Rey watched as he made attempts to calm himself before continuing. "Where did you learn about Dyads?"
Rey pointed to the book on his lap, "There's a whole section on Dyads". Without thinking she stood and walked over to him and then leant down, turning the pages of the book which rested in his lap until she found the section on Dyads.
It was only as she stood back up that she suddenly became aware of his eyes on her. Not just her face, but her body too. She glanced at him and found him looking not at the book, but at her. "Rey, I offered you my hand once, I offered you the galaxy, everything, and you turned it down. Why?"
Rey looked back at him, taking in the large, soulful eyes, the scarred skin, strong nose and soft lips and suddenly she herself couldn't answer that question.
