Equilibrium (Reylo)

Three: "Stand Against Me."

Rey exited the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon before she felt the tug at her stomach that stopped her mid-step. She was heading over to General Leia to inform her on the amount of ship's fuel, that there would be enough to reach their destination. But as Rey placed a hand on her stomach and another against the wall, she completely forgot all about that as she rolled her eyes in annoyance when she felt another tug. Of course, she knew why this was happening.

They talked just yesterday. And after what went down, she wasn't so sure she was prepared to speak with him again. She still had to rearrange her thoughts from what he did. From how he acted. It was confusing to say the least. What he wanted her to do. So she decided not to care. But like that would work well for her.

It's not like she had a choice whether she could answer or ignore the connection. Rey turned around instinctively, alerting Ren she knew he was near. She couldn't have him getting up close to her again. To be so close she could feel his breath when he spoke.

"What do you want?" she spat at him with gritted teeth, though she was genuinely curious as to what his response would be.

But instead, Ren answered her with a question of his own, "You're still on this airborne hunk of garbage?"

He took a step towards Rey, though he didn't seem to exactly acknowledge her. He scanned her surroundings, his face deadpan as usual. Rey couldn't distinguish if he were truly in disgust or that was just his resting face.

Rey witnessed a grin spreading from the corner of his mouth, though. Amusement spreading throughout his face. It looked similar to manipulation from the times he tried to use a Jedi mind trick on her. It would make sense for him to be amused now that he can see her surroundings since she isn't on some island anymore, hidden from him. Rey lifted her eyes back to his brown ones, lighter now that they're under the headlights from the ceiling.

Rey searched between his wandering eyes, watching him as he looked around the ancient ship which he shared a personal history with. One she sensed he didn't want to tap into at the moment with the lock of his jaw and twitch of his cheek. As his eyes looked everywhere else but her, Rey asked herself if this was better.

First of all, she knew how intimidated she could get by him occurring to every time they had one of their. . .Force bond sessions. How she could easily be affected by him and his words. But at the same time, she was mentally screaming at Kylo to look at her so he would see how angry she was at him. How angry he always made her. Why else would he be looking around the ship? He must be trying something, right?

Kylo must know himself that he has an effect on her. He must be plotting some plan to help the First Order and it must involve her. To which she spoke up, "I know what you're trying to do."

Ren locked eyes with the desert girl. He lifted a brow in suspicion and asked her, "You do?"

She could tell he doubted her, just like the time she told him she knew everything about him. But oh, how wrong was she. Rey could feed off his emotions as if they were a tangible thing from how largely they radiated off of him through their connection. "You will not find out where the Resistance is heading," Rey assured him, "not with me."

Ren tipped his chin up and that smug grin widened. "Then I suggest you figure out a way to cut off your Force signature."

Rey couldn't help but feel embarrassed by her lack of training. Even though she didn't get the formal training that any other Jedi would have, that doesn't disregard how she was already as powerful as Kylo Ren.

"Tell me, Jedi Knight. . .how's my uncle doing?"

Rey bit her teeth harder. She felt her anger boiling up inside her. He knew the answer to that question just as well as she did. He was purposely riling her up like always.

So, she changed the subject, "Did you really think I was really going to join you?"

Ren's grin fell, along with the amusement in exchange for another one of his hot-tempered glares. "Did you really think I was going to turn to the light?"

Rey's jaw dropped. She lowered her head and her eyes blankly stared at her feet. "I failed you," she said, rubbing her palms against her sides. "I'm sorry, Ben."

"As sorry as he was, I'm sure," he muttered, immediately after her apology.

Rey snapped her head up and saw he stared up at the ceiling like a coward dodging the fallout of a bomb he dropped in her lap. "Do you believe I'm fighting for a lost cause?" she asked him, trying her damn best to hold back the hope she once had for him in her voice.

Ren locked his jaw and remained silent.

She didn't wait for him to answer her question. "Well, I don't." Rey lifted a hand and jabbed a thumb in her chest when she continued, "I know what I saw, but it's on you to choose to see it—"

"You know, you're not the first person to say so," Ren cut her off, admitting this sad truth as he dropped his head down, dipping his chin so his eyes could align with hers in regard of their height difference. "And yet, you're like the rest of them. Every single person that believed in me, all of them, they all gave up on me."

"I won't," Rey promised. "I won't give up on you." Then, she lifted a shoulder. She raised her hands in the air only to drop them at her sides so they make a Smack against her thighs for emphasis. "But, Ben, you clearly made your decision where you stand."

Ren nodded a few times, his nostrils flared and his eyes ran cold as he distanced himself from her. "Yes, Rey, and you chose to stand against me. That's the moment you gave up on me."

Rey could count the number of times he said her name with one hand. And if the circumstances were different, she would ask him to say it again. To say it the exact same way he just did so her heart can do that pitter-patter beat before seizing in her chest like someone caught it by the Force and locked it in their grip. The kind of feeling that made all her blood run warm inside and not because he had provoked her. But she knew better than to give into that kind of impulse. Especially if she wanted to focus on becoming a Jedi.

But it seemed just now that Rey realized she was starting to question a lot of things.

With nothing more to say, Kylo turned around to walk away as Rey called out to him, "Ben—"

And just like yesterday, he was gone in an instant.