Chapter Ten: Progress

8.6K 190 44
                                    

---Aerolynns POV---

I let out a scream behind my clenched teeth, letting myself fall to the floor, utterly exhausted. My head was pounding and I could feel my heart beating rapidly.
"Give up." Kylo Ren said, circling around me, his wooden stick outstretched before him. His mask was off, his face showing. Something I was getting accustomed to ever since we'd been training. It was too hot for him to wear the mask, he had tried one time, and about twenty minutes in he ripped it off of himself and threw it to the ground in an angry frenzy. I liked him without his mask, it made him appear more... human. Like I was fighting a person, and it didn't matter, with or without it he still repulsed and intrigued me all at once.
I glared up at him through my lashes, hopefully looking condescending. I wiped the hair that fell from my ponytail out of my face, feeling hot and irritated.
"Never." I breathed, before kicking back up to my feet, pain shooting up my shins from the sudden impact. I quickly scooped up my stick and swung it at him, but he easily met mine with his, causing a deafening crack to sound throughout the room.
We danced across the floor, everytime I thought I was winning he'd fight back on me twice as hard, and I was left breathless, stars dancing across my vision. Sweat dripped down from my face and into my eyes, temporarily blinding me, I stumbled back as Kylo whipped his stick dangerously close to my chest. He then kicked at my legs, causing me to fall onto my back, I gasped, the stick clattering out of my hand.
"Poor thing..." He cooed, making my cheeks heat up in anger.
He looked down at me, pride swimming in his eyes. I used his distracted state and suddenly kicked at his side, this startled him and he took a few steps back, I quickly grabbed my stick, and swung at his gut, causing him to fall back. I leaned over him, my stick at his throat, I straddled him with my hips. Suddenly I realized what I was doing and heat rushed to my cheeks, I suddenly got flustered, my face becoming red.
Then, before I knew it, I was getting flipped over, and was on the ground again. The roles were reversed, this time Kylo on top of me, his hands laced with mine, and keeping them down on the ground on either sides of my head, so that I couldn't use them. I shivered at the feeling of his legs pressed against mine, even though the air was warm. He was barely sweating, I hadn't even tired him in the least!
"Don't get too cocky, Aerolynn." He said. I struggled against his grip on me, trying to lift myself off the ground, but he only pushed harder, causing me to let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine, you win." I said. He grinned and sat up, wiping the hair out of his eyes, and running a hand through it, fluffing it. He was sitting close to me, our knees nearly touching. It was closer than we had ever been without me feeling the need to throw up. Some, but not all of my anger towards him had dissipated. I was starting to feel less hatred towards him, seeing him as more of a mentor rather than an enemy. But don't get me wrong, I still hated him.
"You're fast, but not strong, you should use that, become the offense. Because once you become defence you've practically lost; you'll most likely not be strong enough to fight back on the oppressor, whoever they may be." He said, his words stung, but they were true.
"Did you forget?" I said, raising my hand and summoning my electricity up to my fingertips, illuminating my face and his in a blue glow.
He looked down at me, arching a thick eyebrow. "You still need to learn how to fight, your powers will be no good if you have the fighting knowledge of a three year old." He said, sternly. He gave me a look that I imagined an adult would give a kid that just did something that they knew they weren't supposed to be doing. I looked down, a string of curse words running through my mind, I was tempted to spit them at him, but I refrained myself, not wanting to be thrown across the room.
He stood up, offering me his hand. I was suddenly at a conflict, should I accept, and show him my obedience or should I get up on my own and show my defiance?
I chose the first, not wanting to cause problems. I reached up and gripped at his gloved hand, which laced together with mine. He pulled me up with such force that I leaped upwards, nearly tumbling into his chest. He put his hand on my arms, steadying me. I felt pink rush to my cheekbones. I let go of his hand, wrapping my arms around myself.
"Today I'm bringing you to the cafeteria." He said, putting on his cape, and then his mask. I felt something inside of me deflate like a balloon at the sight of his mask on again, but I swallowed it down, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.
"Cafeteria?" I asked, fear blooming inside of me.
"Yes, some of the council members would like to meet you. They're suspicious of you, they think we should get rid of you, since the Resistance wants you." He said
"The resistance... wants me?" I said, my voice barely a whisper. At the word resistance Kylo's hands clenched tightly, I bit my lip, feeling like I said something wrong.
"Yes." He said simply, his voice mechanical.
"So why don't you just get rid of me. Send me off into space, that way you all won't be at risk?" I asked, letting some venom curl into my voice.
"Because, your powers are too important to just let you go." He said, "you could be of use to the First Order." He then sauntered off to the door, me following suit.
"Why the cafeteria?" I muttered as we neared the doors. I was perfectly fine eating lunch in the library. Every day after training I'd go to the library, that Kylo introduced to me on the second day of training as a way to bide my time. I'd read there and my lunch would be delivered to me. I'd fall asleep there too, waking up and then hurrying off to training, this routine had gone on for three days.
"Stay close to me, don't speak until spoken to, and walk with your head held high, act like your higher up than the rest of them, you're my apprentice, not a prisoner if anyone asks." He said
But I am a prisoner. I thought, wryly.
"No, you're not, Aerolynn, you're a part of the First order, whether you like it or not." Kylo said. I stopped in my tracks, my mouth opening slightly in surprise.
"Get the hell out of my head." I said. How did I not realize it? Normally I'd feel it, the faint feeling of invisible fingers digging into my thoughts. But this time I hadn't.
"Don't speak to me that way." Kylo said, walking up to me, I backed myself up against the wall in an attempt to get away from him. "I am your superior, don't forget your place, or I'll make you remember." He said. I shuddered at his words, clenching my fists at my sides to stop myself from lashing out at him.
He stepped away from me, flicking his cape out, making me all but roll my eyes. I followed him to the cafeteria doors, he opened them and walked in, not waiting for me. I stayed strictly behind him, letting my eyes flicker up to gaze around the room. It was like most of the ship, all black, but the walls were dotted with first order posters and the room was bustling with mostly storm troopers in their white uniforms, but there was the occasional radar technicians bright orange jumpsuits, or the black of someone who was higher up on the ships food chain.
People eyes immediately sprang to Kylo Ren as he walked in, the cafeteria silencing slightly, but then their gazes shifted to me, confused at the small girl who followed around the leader of the knights of Ren like a lost child. I suddenly felt self conscious in my sweaty attire and messy hair, I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling suddenly very exposed.
We walked to the back of the cafeteria where there was a staircase, at the top of the staircase was a platform, with nice black round tables, with much nicer chairs than the ones below us. People of higher ranking were here, eating actual food and not the grey nutrition tablets that the workers were given.
We went to the front table, where five other people were. Kylo sat down, and the conversation that they were having ceased, and they all straightened. Some paled in fear, while others looked at him in disgust. Most especially a pale man, with bright hair the color of an old carrot. His hatred towards Kylo Ren was intense.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ren. Who's this?" A woman asked, smirking. She had tan skin, and steel eyes, her hair was a bright silver color, she flicked it over her shoulder, eyeing me.
"Please, like you don't already know, Syrianon." Another woman said, shoveling soup into her mouth. Her eyes were dark green, the color of swamp water, and she had pale short hair that laid in wild curls on top of her head. "She's the future of the First Order." She said, sarcastically. I suddenly recognized her, her voice, although it was changed from her helmet when I had previously heard it, but it was burned into my memory, also her silver, reflective, armor was something I couldn't forget.
"You." I gasped, everyone's attention turned from her to me. "You were there that day, you're the one that gave the order to kill my family." I said.
I'd stop speaking if I were you. A voice rang through my head, it was Kylo's. I bit my lip, angry tears sparking at my eyes. I wanted to leap across the table and go to town on this woman with my powers, to have so much power run through her body that her insides melt...
Aerolynn. Stop before they notice. Kylo said, I looked down, I hadn't noticed but I had summoned energy to my palms so that they were growing blue, my veins too, the glowing blue crawling up my arms. I cooled down, and slowly the blue faded into nothingness.
I looked up at the table, they were all looking at me with an expression of expectancy and confusion mixed into one.
"I'm sorry." I said, "I didn't mean to have an outburst like that." I said, hating every word that came out of my mouth, I felt nauseous. I should have killed her back on Tatooine...
"Anyways, Aerolynn, these are some members of the council. This is Syrianon." Kylo Ren said, gesturing to the woman with the silver hair, "Quara." He said to a woman with golden skin and purple hair, "General Peterson," He said, to a burly man with smiling eyes, he looked at me as if I was a sick puppy, "General Hux." He said, at the man with the orange hair, he eyed me, sneering, I wondered if he felt any other emotion besides disgust. "And Captain Phasma." He said to the woman in the silver gear. The murderer.
"So, what makes you so special that the Kylo Ren would take any notice in you?" General Hux said, taking a sip of an amber colored drink. Kylo's words rang through my head, I had to act like I was dignified, I couldn't look vulnerable.
"Many things, but especially this." I said, raising my hand, electric sparks danced at my fingertips, I let them gawk at it for a few seconds before I extinguished it, letting smoke rise from my fingers, it was for show, I didn't enjoy using my powers for unnecessary purposes.
"That was very pretty." Syrianon said, smiling at me.
"It was adequate, nothing too special." Phasma said, I glared at her, clenching my hands so tightly that my fingernails bit into my palm, drawing blood. But General Hux looked even less interested than he had before I did my little show.
"Really Ren? Wasting all this time and resources on this girl who's only talent is to do a little light show?" Hux asked.
Kylo Ren raised his hand up in the air, like he was holding a cup of water. Suddenly Hux's face became red, almost as red as his hair. He clawed at his throat, choking and letting out tiny whimpers. Then Kylo Ren released his force hold on him and he slammed back into his seat.
"The Supreme Leader won't be very happy to hear about this." Hux said, massaging his throat.
"Go ahead, tell him, but he does favoritize me over you." He said. I couldn't help but roll my eyes, they sounded so much like Kaito and Baden whenever they bickered.
We ate in silence after that, Kylo didn't eat, because that meant he'd have to take off his mask. But I enjoyed a salad that had these tasty little red triangles with seeds on it, Quara told me later that they were strawberries. She was surprised that I had never had them before.
Kylo stood up and I followed him out of the cafeteria even though I wasn't done with my salad. We made it out into the hallway, I was about to turn down the corridor that would lead to the library but Kylo stopped me.
"Where are you going?" He asked me in his automated voice.
"The library." I said, like it was obvious.
"Aerolynn you need to get some rest." He said. I furrowed my eyebrows at him, since when had he even remotely cared about me?
"That's why I'm going to the library." I responded, leaning against the wall.
"No, you're not sleeping there again, follow me." He said, and I did, knowing I had no other option. We came to a familiar door, Kylo punched in a code and it slid open, revealing not any room but his room.
"But aren't these your quarters?" I asked.
"Yes, you can sleep in my bed." He said. I stayed in the doorway, staring at his bed, and then back up to him.
"No way." I said.
"What did I say about knowing your place, Aerolynn, now go and get some sleep, I have to go attend to some business, but I'll be back soon." He said, and that was all he said before he left.
I moved to sit on the edge of his bed, stunned. I did sleep in this bed once before, but I was unaware that it was his room at the time, and he wasn't even there, so it was like it wasn't. But now, we were going to be sleeping in the same bed? The thought made me shiver. I swallowed the fear that rose inside of me, what if he wanted to do something to me? I shook my head at the thought. He wouldn't, right?
I quickly showered, changing into a plain black shirt of his that I found in his closet. Thankfully since he was so tall the hem went down to my knees, acting like a nightgown. I rung out my damp hair and then went back out to his room. He wasn't there, I let out a sigh of relief, and then crawled into the bed. It smelt like him, like mint and something else I couldn't quite recognize.
I fell into a restless sleep almost immediately, only awakening when I felt someone else move next to me. My eyes flew open, I was facing the opposite way of him, facing the wall, I felt my heart start to pound inside my chest, and I prayed he didnt hear it. I was suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that my shirt had risen up and was now all the way up to my upper thigh. I was completely vulnerable if he wanted to do something to me.
But instead, I felt his hand caress my still slightly damp hair, moving it off of my shoulder. He then removed his hand and stirred slightly pulling the covers towards him. I let out the breath I didn't realize I was keeping in, relieved.
"Aerolynn, I know you're not asleep." He said, my eyes widened in disbelief, I silently cursed under my breath.
"Yes...and?" I asked.
"What's on your mind?" He asked, his voice even though it was a whisper was loud in the darkness. "That's keeping you awake." I didn't want to tell him the actual truth, the actual truth was much too embarrassing. So instead, I told the partial truth.
"This. This reminds me of sleepovers I used to have with my brothers." I said, I bit at my lip, tears started to drip down my cheeks, and I wiped them away hastily, sniffling quietly. "I still have dreams about them. Nightmares." I said, "they'll wake me up at night." I said. I had no idea why I was telling him this, it just felt like it was coming out of my mouth in an unstoppable stream.
Then I felt his hand wrap around my waist, pulling my against his chest. My mouth suddenly became dry, and I couldn't breathe.
"Is this okay?" He asked, I nodded, and then realizing he couldn't see that squeaked out a yes.
"If the bad dreams come, I'll be here when you wake up." He said. I didn't know why, but I felt a blanket of calm come over me at hearing his words. I felt safe in his arms, my eyes started to droop, and I felt just how tired I was.
"Thank you." I muttered, he said something else but I was too far gone to hear him.

I don't know why but that chapter was super long. I think it's because I haven't updated in so long, sorry about that! But I have been super busy with track and school and I'm recovering from strep throat so that's awesome! But expect more and more frequent quotes from me in the next couple of weeks because schools coming to an end and tracks season is over. Which is super sad, but good for you guys. Okay until next time, friends.

Taken by the First Order -A Kylo Ren fanfiction-Where stories live. Discover now