Chapter Text
Kylo Ren could feel the darkness roll over him like a tidal wave. He was alone in his quarters reading reports. It had only been two days since she left him unconscious and then closed the door to him on Crait. She had left him broken, a shell. The tight pull of the bond began to spring open. He jumped from his chair.
Rey appeared before him. She was seated on a box of supplies crying into her hands. He clenched his jaw and fists. “You left me,” he said, his voice full of anger.
She looked up at him with red, swollen eyes, her face wet from tears. She whispered, “You said I was no one, nothing. You said I was nothing.” He felt her heart break as her voice cracked.
She clenched her jaw as she began to glare at him. The darkness creeping over him was from Rey. It was slowly consuming her. He searched her mind to find it completely open to him. She was broken. He had pushed her. Her family abandoned her to a life of slavery. Luke pushed her away. She had opened herself to Ben, he called her nothing—he used her to obtain power. She had wasted her life being optimistic and hopeful. She had tried so desperately to stay the same sweet, innocent girl. So naive. But no one was coming back. No one loved her. No one had ever loved her. No one would or could ever love her.
Ben froze. What had he done? He had hurt her, really broken her. He failed her just as his family had failed him. She was slipping into darkness. His beautiful beacon of light was fading. He wanted to protect her. He needed to protect her. He would not fail her. He would protect her, he would always protect her, always stand between her and the darkness. “Rey,” he began. When he said her name, she responded by burying her face into her hands again, weeping softly.
He moved slowly over to her and kneeled on his knee before her. He removed his gloves. “Rey,” he said again, “Rey, please.” He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. He moved her hands down to her lap and wrapped them in both of his. “Rey, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was afraid. I knew you were going to leave, I didn’t want to lose you and I —I panicked. I didn’t say the right thing.”
She angrily hissed at him, “You used me. You used me to gain power. You made me believe in the vision. I’m just a fool.”
He sighed and looked down at their hands. Looking back up to meet her eyes, he said, “I made a mistake and I hurt you. I am truly sorry. I failed you just as my family failed me. It will not happen again.” He paused, looking down again. He stroked her fingers with his thumbs nervously. Sighing, he began again. “Rey,” he said meeting her eyes gain, “I wanted you to stand by me, be by my side. That was my vision, you by me. But regardless of where we stand, I want us to be together. I need to be with you. I want to be with you. Please tell me that you feel the same way. Please tell me. My sweet, beautiful girl, please tell me that I have not destroyed that.”
She closed her eyes and hung her head. After several heartbeats, she said, “I want to be with you, Ben. But that can’t-”
“Shhhh,” he cut her off. “We will figure the details out. Some way, somehow--we will find a way for us to be together,” he cupped her cheek in his hand, “I promise. I promise, we will be together. We can figure this out.” He leaned in gently to press his lips to her cheek as the bond dissolved only giving each a ghostly whisper of contact.