Chapter Text
There was a bad taste in Kylo’s mouth. He vaguely remembered waking up at some point during the night and stumbling to the bathroom, vomiting, and crawling back into bed. He stretched his legs and hated the stiff feeling that came with sleeping in jeans. He could kick his drunk self for not managing to pull off his pants at some point last night.
Eyes still closed he rolled over and was confused when his arm didn’t follow. He opened his eyes and looked to see what was causing his arm to be stuck. Rey was curled up next to him, tucked into his side, asleep with her mouth slightly open. Kylo blinked and scrunched his face. He wasn’t sure how this happened. He vaguely remembered climbing back into bed after the vomit episode but he hadn't thought there was anyone else there. Which was silly because he knew Rey had claimed it.
“Uh, Rey,” Kylo said softly. Rey groaned a little and didn't move. “Rey get up.”
“No,” she said stubbornly.
“Rey it's Christmas and I'd like my arm back,” Kylo said as he tried to pull his arm put from under her.
“So?” She asked.
“So there are presents downstairs and I'm sure my mother has a breakfast planned and both our presences are requested.”
“Presents?” Rey asked as she opened her eyes. She looked up at him slightly confused before the whole thing set in. “Oh, yes, presents and, uh, you can have your arm back and I thought it would have been mean to make your drunk ass sleep on the floor and-”
“It's fine,” Kylo said as he sat up and rubbed his arm.
“How are you so chipper? I switched the water halfway through dinner and still have a headache.”
“I got all the toxins out the old fashioned way. With that in mind I'm going to shower first.”
In the shower Kylo leaned his head against the tile and breathed deep. He'd liked waking up with Rey and talking with her for the past few days. He wasn't sure if Rey felt the same way or exactly what to do about it. Technically they weren't in a direct academic relationship anymore so there wasn't really any rules against it. That didn't mean Rey would want to either or see it the same way. He banged his head against the wall, already dreading driving back tomorrow.
“Stop jerking off some of us need to shower too,” Rey shouted as she banged on the door.
Kylo turned off the water, wrapped a towel around his waist and grabbed his pants. He threw open the door with a cloud of steam and “I wasn't jerking off!” Rey gaped at him and Kylo tried to ignore that she kept staring at him. “All yours.”
“Yeah, of course,” Rey said with a blush as she moved past him into the bathroom.
As soon as Rey was finished showering and dressed they headed downstairs. Han handed them mugs of coffee and, from the smell, Bailey’s. Kylo debated not drinking it but then his father opened his mouth. “You two must have had fun this morning to be coming down so late.” Kylo took a swig from his mug, not caring if he destroyed his liver this weekend.
Rey wrapped her arm around Kylo’s waist. “We did have fun this morning,” she said as she rested her head against him. Kylo downed the rest of his mug.
“Grab something to eat because Leia wants us all to open the rest of the presents as soon as possible,” Han said with a smile. “And you two are going to pose like that again because there were a few years when I assumed I'd never see Ben like this.”
“With a girl?” Kylo quipped.
“In any relationship.”
“On that note I need more coffee,” Kylo said as he moved out of Rey’s grip.
One cup of Bailey's and coffee and an improvised breakfast sandwich later Kylo was on the floor next to Rey, her Santa hat now on his head, and a present in front of him. It was from his father. There were other presents with his name on it but his mother had insisted he open this one first. Hesitantly Kylo peeled off the wrapping paper. He was expecting something plain like socks or maybe a set of boxers but instead it was a car model kit. One for a Ford Falcon, first generation. The one he’d wanted for his eighth birthday and Christmas, that Han had promised to get him but never did. He hadn’t been around a lot that year either.
“Better late than never,” Han joked.
Kylo looked down at the kit and back up at his father. “I can’t believe you even remembered.”
“Had to go on a pretty good hunt for it too.”
“Dad,” Kylo began, “thank you, really.”
Han smiled. “I can even help you put it together this afternoon, if you want.”
“Maybe.”
Leia sniffed and Luke immediately handed her kleenex. “I hate that you know me this well,” Leia said.
“We shared a living space for nine months,” Luke teased.
“That was decades ago,” Leia said. “That doesn’t exactly mean we’re in tune.”
“It’s a twin thing,” Luke said.
“We’ve never really had the twin thing. Rey, you have another present,” Leia said to change the subject as she handed the small box to Rey.
Rey took it and turned it over in her hand before ripping the paper off. Kylo shifted on the ground, worried Rey wouldn’t like the gift he got her. “It’s a jewelry box,” Rey said as she got the paper off. “With a certificate?” She asked as she opened the box and the paper fell out. “Of authenticity.” Rey pulled the necklace out of the box and held it up. “A certificate that says this is a meteorite,” she said softly as she held the the silver chain up with the tiny rock on the end. “You got me a meteorite.”
“I remembered that lecture where you got really passionate about how meteorites are the closest people who aren’t astronauts are ever going to get to space and I thought, well, you might like your own piece and-” Kylo stopped as Rey threw her arms around his neck.
“Thank you,” she breathed into his ear as she held him tight. “This is one of the most best gifts anyone has ever gotten me.” She held him a little tighter before pulling back and kissing him on the cheek.
“You’re welcome,” He said, hugging her back. Rey pulled back and put the necklace on, smile bright on her face.
She stayed close to him for the rest of the day, playing with her necklace every so often. Dinner consisted of left overs from the night before. Kylo was sure he was imaging Rey looking at him all the time.
After dinner Han dropped the model on the kitchen table. “We’re building this.”
“Rey, well, she wants some alone time?” Kylo said and wished it didn’t sound like a question.
“Kid she’s deep in discussion with Luke and won’t be able to pull herself away for the next half an hour at least. We’re making the model.”
Kylo tried to think of something he could do to get out of it and was out of ideas. “Did you get the glue?”
They sat in silence as they put together the car. Kylo routinely pulled dried glue off his hand after he put two pieces together. “Rey’s a nice girl,” Han finally said.
“I know.”
“Where’s that going?” Han asked.
Kylo shook his head. “Is this your way of asking where is my relationship going?”
“Ben,” Han said with a sigh, “yes this is my way of asking if you’re serious about this girl. We’ve never really had a good relationship but, if you’ll let me, I’d at least like to know about your life.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my kid and one time you threw up on me right before we had to have pictures taken for something for your mother.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Han pointed his finger at him. “It means you owe me.”
“I’m not sure if I want to tell you anything.”
“I know I messed up,” Han said. “And I know I wasn’t there a lot but I can be there even less, maybe a call every three months less. Which is a lot less than how much you talk with your mother.”
Kylo felt his ears heat up. “How do you know how often I call Mom?”
“I am still married to her. How else do you think I even know anything about your life?”
“I assumed your vast network of the seedy underbelly of the world that you belong to was somehow spying on me.” Han laughed. “That or you googled me.”
“I’d like to not have to google my son to know what he’s doing.”
Kylo put his head in his hands. “Fine, a call once every three months.”
“It’s all I ask for now.”
Later Rey retreated to their room first to finish packing. Kylo said goodnight to Leia who hadn’t stopped smiling since presents. Rey was already changed by the time he got up to his room, sitting cross legged on the bed. Wicket was on the bed next to her and his spare blanket was folded on the foot of the bed. “You should sleep in the bed tonight. With me. Because of the driving tomorrow,” Rey added hastily.
“Ok. I’m, uh, going to change,” Kylo said. In the bathroom he splashed water on his face and tried not to think of Rey being in bed waiting for him. “It’s nothing,” he told his reflection.
Rey was in bed, curled away from him. He slid under the covers and made sure to turn away from her.
“Kylo?” Rey asked.
“Yeah?”
“I love my necklace.”
“Good night Rey.”
~*~*~
Leia hugged him for a good ten minutes as she said good bye the next morning. “Call me when you get in. A proper call and not a text,” she warned.
“Yes Mom,” Kylo said as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “It was good seeing you.”
“Maybe I can come down sometime,” Leia offered.
“Maybe.”
Kylo turned to Han. They stood awkwardly in front of each other. “Every three months,” Han finally said.
“Every three months,” Kylo parroted.
Han huffed before leaning in and giving Kylo a one armed hug. “I miss you, kid.”
“I know, Dad,” Kylo finally said.
“Can I get the first call after your mother’s when you get home?”
“Unless you’re leaving after me you’ll still be here,” Kylo said.
“Fair point. Tell Rey she’s welcome to call any time too.”
“Will do.”
Kylo hugged the others before putting their bags in the trunk. Rey hugged everyone before getting in the car.
They drove off in silence. Kylo kept trying to think of something to say but nothing sounded right. He had no idea how to broach the subject of wanting to get to know Rey more. Of wanting to maybe, possibly, go on an actual date.
“Pull over,” Rey said abruptly.
“What?” Kylo said.
“We’re not on the freeway, we’re still on back roads. Pull over,” Rey demand.
Kylo pulled off to the side of the road and turned off the car. “Ok, pulled over. What’s the issue?”
Rey bit her lip. “Look you can’t speak until I say so. Nod if you understand.” Kylo did as he was told. “For the majority of the last semester I thought you were an ass. An intelligent ass but an ass. Until I saw you help a student during your office hours. You were actually nice, still frank, but nice. You took time to explain the problem. I knew you couldn’t be all bad because of that. And this past week has been, well, eye opening. You remember things about people and have feelings-”
“I obviously have feelings,” Kylo interrupted.
Rey pointed her finger in his face. “I said no talking. I did this because you asked and because you really aren’t bad looking at all. In fact I kind of like the way you look. And I know you only picked me because I was there and a girl and you really aren’t interested in me but I wanted to say you’re not as bad as everyone thinks you are and I like spending time together. There you can speak.”
Kylo took a deep breath. “You like the way I look?” Rey nodded. “And you like spending time with me?”
“To the surprise of everyone in the world yes.”
“Do you want to go on a date?”
“I’m sorry what?”
“A date, you and me.”
Rey shock her head and scrunched her nose. “I...what?”
“Look you can just say no if you don’t want to go on a date!” Kylo shouted.
“I didn’t say that!”
“Then what was that reaction!”
“I poured my heart out and had told myself not to expect anything and here you are asking me on a date which was the last thing I was expecting so I have no idea how to respond!”
“Well yes or no would be a good start!”
“Six days!”
“What?”
“The time for the date.”
“So you’re saying yes?”
“Yes, I’m saying yes. Finn and Poe are having a New Year's’ Eve party and I thought it would be a good date but you can suggest other options if you’d like.”
“That’s a good date.”
Rey nodded. “Good.”
“Good.” They sat staring at each other. Then Kylo leaned in and kissed Rey. “I didn’t want our first kiss to be at midnight.”
“You do realize there are plenty of opportunities between now and then to kiss me, right?”
“No.”
Rey rolled her eyes. “And people think you’re smart.”
Kylo laughed. “Well you still said you’d go on a date with me.”
“If we don’t get home we can’t go on the date.”
“Starting the car again.” He grinned at Rey before turning on the road. Rey was grinning right back. Maybe it had been a good idea to lie to his mother about having a girlfriend because he might have just found one.