Twelfth Night | Reylo AU

Three

The aching in Rey's skull ebbed and flowed like a cold tide, yet the pain was constantly there. She understood at once why they call it a hangover, for it felt as if the blackest of clouds were looming over her head with no intention of clearing any time soon.

Rey was more aware of her cracking headache than the layer of dehydrated saliva that coated her cracked lips. Even as she sat down in her seat, the classroom swayed.

How the smell of the wine on her clothes last night was intoxicating, yet this morning it added to the nausea.

"Alright, class." Came Professor Robson's voice as a considerably loud echo, bouncing around in Rey's skull. "Today I have some rather exciting news."

Rey's fellow students erupted into scattered groans, since most of them had also attended last night's party.

She began idly playing with the hem of her miniskirt, her headache distracting her and causing her to completely zone out of the lesson.

She felt her mind wander to the events of that very morning. How she had woken up with no memory of the previous night in a bed that was completely unfamiliar to her. At first she thought she had been kidnapped, or raped- or both. Not once did she think that it was Kylo Ren's bed she had woken up in.

She sucked in a sharp breath when he entered the room shirtless, holding a glass of water that looked very small in his large hands.

The conversation she exchanged with Kylo flashed through Rey's mind. She felt herself cringe when she remembered what he told her about how she behaved at the party, and how she ended up in his bed. She didn't usually act like that, it was simply her inner party animal getting the best of her- ripping her apart and unleashing a personality that was completely alien to who she was on a regular basis. She made a mental note to never go to a party with Audrey ever again.

"And now for the exciting news!" Professor Robson's loud voice interrupted Rey's train of thought and brought her attention back into the room. "Today we will begin auditions for a new production we are doing!"

Rey jolted up straight in her chair, feeling herself liven up slightly at the exciting news. She absolutely loved school productions. Especially school productions where she was the lead, which was virtually every single one. At this point, no other girl should even bother auditioning for the female lead, it was always Rey who got the part. Every. Single. Time. She didn't even need to prepare for the audition, she knew she already had it in the bag.

"I will be putting you into pairs, and I would like you to rehearse a scene from the play The Tempest, which is the play we did last semester. The play we will be doing this semester is a surprise and won't be revealed until I have fully decided on the cast list." Professor Robson said, handing out sheets of yellow paper. "These are your scripts. Please remain seated so I can sort you into pairs, and then you can all split up and rehearse."

Rey wondered who would be assigned as her partner. She hoped it would be Eliza, since she was definitely the best actress in the room, apart from herself.

However, what Professor Robson had in mind was very, very different.

"Rey! You can be with..." He said, scanning the classroom with his eyes. "You can be with Kylo! I'm sure you two will work very well together."

Fucking great.

Rey watched out the corner of my eye as Kylo came and sat in the chair beside her. She felt embarrassed and refused to make eye contact with him, staring at his feet instead. She noticed the dried vomit on his shoe, which was the remains of her breakfast, leftover from this morning.

"You really shouldn't come to school hungover." Kylo said, turning his body to face Rey.

"And you really shouldn't tell me what to do." She retorted. "Now either get me a coffee, or shut the fuck up."

Kylo chuckled. "I'm being serious. You look like a fucking mess. And now I'm the one who has to get up on stage with you."

Rey huffed. "Let's just get this over with."

"Whatever you say, Miller." A small smirk tugged on Kylo's lips. "Where shall we begin?"

Rey skimmed through the lines of the script. She was already familiar with this play since she was the female lead in last year's production, and decided this audition wouldn't be anywhere near challenging for her.

~

"Ay, with a heart as willing. As bondage e'er of freedom. Here's my hand." Kylo said (in character), rushing to kneel at Rey's side.

"And mine, with my heart in it. And now farewell. Till half an hour hence." Rey said, clinging onto Kylo's shoulders. They were currently performing their audition, and it was all going pretty smoothly. He had to admit, after getting the chance to perform with her up close, he couldn't deny that Rey was a phenomenal actress. The way she could get into character at the bat of an eyelash and the way she performed with so much passion was truly something special. When she spoke those words to him, it almost felt as if she meant everything she was saying and when she stared up at him with those warm chestnut eyes, he found himself wishing that none of this chemistry was fake.

In that moment, he didn't see the snarky version of Rey he had grown to know; he saw the real her. Even though she was only acting, he felt as if he had managed to delve deep enough to reach under her thick facade and reveal the real Rey. And she was nothing short of beautiful.

Even though Rey only a few centimetres away, Kylo felt as if they weren't close enough. He wanted to reach out to her and hold her. He wanted to touch her everywhere, not in a sensual way, but in a way that would make her feel safe and loved and protected. If only he could feel her, If only he could...

Kylo was quickly snapped out of his thoughts and shoved back into reality by the sound of loud applause erupting from the crowd that he didn't even realise was watching.

He watched as Rey stood up and his eyes darted from her to the crowd. She extended a delicate hand towards him, helping him to his feet. They both took a bow, relishing the attention of the crowd as their claps and whistles echoed around the small theatre.

Then, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. Kylo sunk into the warmth of her body pressed up against his, appreciative of the simple gesture. Her touch made the room warmer somehow.

——————————————————————

A/N: Hii guys! I know this chapter was quite short, but I got super bored so I wanted to update. I kinda feel like this chapter seems a little rushed... but let me know what you guys think :))