Save Me a Spark | Reader x Ben Solo / Kylo Ren

Ch. 14 | Arsonist's Lullaby

When I was a child, I heard voices
Some would sing and some would scream
You soon find you have few choices
I learned the voices died with me
When I was a child, I'd sit for hours
Staring into open flame
Something in it had a power
Could barely tear my eyes away
When I was 16, my senses fooled me
Thought gasoline was on my clothes
I knew that something would always rule me
I knew the scent was mine alone
When I was a man I thought it ended
When I knew love's perfect ache
But my peace has always depended
On all the ashes in my wake
All you have is your fire
And the place you need to reach
Don't you ever tame your demons
But always keep 'em on a leash

Hozier - Arsonist's Lullaby

******

You cradle Ben's face with both hands, close your eyes, and try to focus on him. Luke knows what you're about to do and grabs your wrists to stop you.

"It's too dangerous for you while Snoke's in his head," he says sternly. His eyes glance between you and his nephew, who is still writhing in pain underneath you.

"What's too dangerous?" Finn asks.

You roughly shake off Luke's hand and look at Finn. "Long story short, Luke taught me a technique that helps put up a mental barrier to prevent people from getting into your head."

"That would have been a neat trick to know," Poe mumbles.

"Not the time!" Finn scolds Poe.

"Ben's been hearing voices since he was little and he started hearing them again the first week he was here. I dropped enough hints that he figured out the 'voices' he's been hearing for as long as he can remember, have been Snoke's doing. Just another way he's been manipulating him."

Leia covers her mouth with her hands. Although the voices were mentioned in Ben's book, she didn't realize he was still dealing with it as an adult.

"I tried to teach Ben the technique Luke showed me and I went too far and bridged our minds. I saw a bunch of his memories and he saw mine but he was trapped in his own head, reliving the worst possible memories until I managed to snap him out of it. The voices have been gone since then and he hasn't heard or felt Snoke at all."

You turn your attention to Luke. "I've done this before, and I can do it again. I'm not letting Snoke hurt him anymore, Luke."

Your eyes leave Luke and meet Leia's, hoping she'll tell Luke to shove it so you can help her son. Too busy trying to keep Ben's thrashing to a minimum, the three men don't notice the conversation you and Leia are having with looks alone.

When she gives you a small nod, you smile and nod back. You turn your attention back towards Ben, and place one hand on each of his cheeks. Luke tries to intervene again but Leia pushes him aside to keep him from interfering. Finn and Poe know better than to interfere and merely hold his arms down. He stops thrashing once his face is in your hands.

"Ben, fight him. You're not alone," you whisper against his lips, as you lean closer to him. Pressing your forehead to his, you do your best to block out everyone hovering around you. It's just you and him, no one else.

When you're focused enough, you reach out and access Ben's mind. You expect to be in the hallway with the locked doors once you open your eyes, but that's not where you are. His defenses are completely down so there's no hallway, and no doors. You're falling head first into his subconscious and you have no idea where you'll end up this time.