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“Mother Hutter I’m late for work.” Niima, Rey’s white-haired cat flicked her tail in mild interest as she shoved her feet into a pair of work jeans. “Yeah I know if I stopped hitting snooze I wouldn’t have this problem.” Niima’s mouth widen into a soft yawn, “Yeah well someone has to pay the bills we all can’t sleep all day.” Rey shoved her arms into her tan work cardigan grimacing at the small stain on the hem. It couldn’t be helped Rey thought and sprinted to the fridge to grab a yogurt. “Be a good girl Niima I’ll be back by five!” Rey shouted as she ducked out of her apartment.
“Rey you’re late”
“I know I know Poe my alarm clock didn’t go off.” That was a lie, but Poe was much easier to convince than Finn was.
“Relax it’s not a big deal but can you play barista both Finn and Rose texted me they were going to be late today.”
Well that wasn’t shocking Rey noticed the way their new co-worker looked at Finn as if he could move the stars. Finn was oblivious though as far as Rey had noticed he had never once looked at Rose with anything other than a friendly smile.
“Huh wonder what that’s about” Rey grabbed one of the aprons and threw it over her head before quickly tying the back. Poe handed Rey another cup and got to work mixing the ingredients.
“Well after your shift yesterday Rose asked him out.” Poe replied as he counted back change. Rey heard the slam of the cash register as Poe continued to help the next customer.
“Really?” Good for Finn, Rose was precious and the two would make a cute couple. However, with both deciding to come in a little later that meant that Poe and Rey would be swamped covering the morning rush.
“Yeah. Oh, incoming I’ll let you handle this one while I grab more cups from the back.”
“Poe don’t you- “
But Poe had already ducked towards the storage room just as his royal highness Kylo Ren walked into the coffee shop. He was wearing his usual black suit however given the drop-in temperature over the past couple of days Kylo had decided to add a black cowl around his pale neck. Before he even got to the register Rey had already inputted his order of black coffee with just a dash of unsweetened almond milk. Rey had once tasted the concoction out of curiosity but had quickly spit out the drink because of it’s bitterness. Rey imagined it was what Kylo’s soul was like, a small amount of light that was overshadowed by the bitter blackness of his actions.
“Good morning Jedi trash”
“Morning, Supreme leader” Rey sneered quickly writing down the name Ben Solo onto the white cup along with a frowny face. Rey tried to draw a different doodle on Kylo’s cup every time she saw him her drawings usually corresponded to the expression that Kylo had on his face when he first walked in. Today his lips had already been pulled into a deep frown when he greeted her this morning.
Now that the niceties were out of the way Rey got back to making drinks. Poe reemerged then with a stack of extra cups, but the damage had been done. Unlike the rest of the customers who went to take a seat while Rey prepared their drink Kylo hovered over her to continue their verbal sparring.
“What’s it going to take for you to leave this dead-end job and come work at First Order enterprises with me.” Kylo leaned over the pastry display as Rey gathered the ingredients.
“Gee I don’t know maybe when your company stops their inhuman practices and starts treating their employees like actual human beings.” It was no secret the First Order Enterprises was notorious for covering up company slip ups by blaming their employees.
“We’re changing” Rey looks up from pouring a dash of almondmilk into Kylo’s coffee to see Ren grind his teeth something he only did when Rey managed to push his “Now that Snoke’s gone there are going to be a lot more changes in the company.”
“Sure, there will” Rey snapped a lid onto Ben’s cup and handed it to him a little too harshly causing some of the liquid to spill over the top. “until them I’ll continue to work at a reasonable profession.” Although Rebel coffee didn’t pay much at least working here didn’t give Rey any nightmares besides she was also working with her friends which Rey didn’t mind at all.
Kylo’s frown deepen as he stared at the little puddle of liquid that had collected at the top of the cup. “We could have done this together.”
“Don’t.” Rey cut him off with a harsh glare her eyes not once leaving Kylo’s form until he walked out of the shop. It was no use bringing up that night when things could have maybe gone a little differently. But Rey knew she couldn’t force Kylo to give up his vision on the company no matter how many sources she gave him. Ben would have to discover that on his own.
“Geez” Poe whistled as he scribbled another name onto another cup, “And here I thought things were starting to go back to the way they were for you too.”
“Shut up Poe.”
That evening Kylo arrived back at his apartment in a sour mood. Part of it had to do with his encounter with Rey that morning but a bigger part of his bad mood came from Hux’s own incompetence.
“Vader!” Kylo called out into his apartment summoning his black furred maine coone from the down the hallway. Kylo set his keys down on the table by the entrance and tossed his scarf onto one of the hooks he had by the entrance. Kylo walked over to his sofa letting himself drop down onto it the plush curves of the furniture felt nice against his tired back. Vader slinked into the room in a slow strut his black shoulders dipping with each stride. “Today was shit!” Kylo informed his companion who jumped up on the sofa. “Honestly how hard is it to track down old contacts if teens can do it surely a man with ten times the experience could manage.” Vader crawled onto Kylo’s lap allowing his owner to scratch a spot behind his ear.
Kylo’s thoughts suddenly shifted to Rey and the way she had looked in the beautiful blue dress the night he had asked her out to dinner. After many months of dropping into Rebel base Kylo had grown fond of Rey and the little doodles she left on his morning coffee. It was endearing and one of the reasons Kylo went out of his way every morning to visit her. However, if he was being honest with himself the main reason had to be because of the bright smile Rey gave to every customer after they ordered. Despite countless orders her smiled never seemed to dim. Rey had given him one of those bright smiles that day as he shyly asked her out to dinner that night. However, just as quickly as the memory had come to him it was suddenly tainted by the reminder that the same night Rey had decided to betray him. “Stupid girl” Kylo’s hand dug into the dip between Vader’s shoulder finger scratching into the soft fur, “You’d never betray me like that right Vader?”
The cat purred in response to the question and Kylo hummed with reassurance. Removing the hand from the cat’s shoulders Kyo rubbed at his tired eyes. He hadn’t gotten a good night’s rest in a long time. Things were a lot more challenging when you ran an entire company. Back when Snoke was the CEO Kylo’s duties had been limited but after the death of his former boss Kylo had been appointed to Snoke’s position. And as the new head of First Order Enterprises Kylo was ready for a change in the company’s malpractices however that was proving to be more difficult than he thought it would be. Kylo ran the back of his hand along the cat’s spine causing Vader to purr in pleasure. However, Kylo noticed little white furs were beginning to cling to his fingers where there should have only been black onea. Kylo examined one of the hairs between his index finger and his thumb. Vader was too young to be growing white hairs.
“So, is this where you go after breakfast off? To see your girlfriend?”
Vader having been caught red handed let out a confident meow.
“No? So, what are you starting a gang among the neighborhood cats?” Vader nudged Kylo’s side with his head as if to communicate what else could a cat have been up to. But Kylo was not convinced and decided to follow Vader one of these days.
The next day, Niima slipped out through Rey’s bedroom window and maneuvered her way around the building until she had reached the bakery across the street from Rey’s apartment. Niima hopped onto one of the outdoor tables where she met her beloved every morning. One of the employees who worked the morning shift always brought out a saucer of milk for the two cats. Today her special feline was already seated at their table with his head already buried deep in the bowl of milk. Her love was a messy eater despite his groomed appearance milk splashed onto the fur around his mouth but Niima didn’t mind.
When he noticed his beloved approach, Vader raised his head from his bowl of milk and gave a soft meow. Niima meowed back before dipping her head into Vader’s bowl of milk. Unlike Vader Niima savored her milk taking dainty sips from the saucer as if worried she was going to get some on her whiskers. Not that it would have been noticeable given Niima’s white fur. Vader began to lick his paw he had somehow gotten some milk between his toes, he did this slowly so as give his Niima enough time to finish her drink.
First Order Enterprises seemed to be getting better. At least that is what the media was beginning to depict however Rey was still hesitant. A company that big was bound to have their share of snakes just because the founder of the company was gone did not mean the evil was defeated. Plus, the dark circles that only grew darker under Kylo’s eyes every morning only supported Rey’s theory.
“Supreme Leader” Rey greeted Kylo as she inputted his order. Today he had forgone his usual suit for a navy-blue blazer. And instead of his usual black tie hanging from his neck Kylo wore a light blue bow tie.
“Make it a double shot today.” Was all he said as he handed Rey the money. Rey felt weird as she added the extra shot of caffeine into his coffee. Kylo was more tired than usual. He even skipped out on insulting her this morning. Must be half asleep Rey reasoned as she snapped a lid onto his cup. She scribbled a trail zzz’s near the top before handing it to him. “Thank you.” He replied before leaving.
Finn who had been attempting to look busy wiping tables mouthed a “what the hell” to which Rey shrugged. But something akin to worry was starting settle in Rey’s stomach and did not go away as Kylo’s odd behavior continued throughout the rest of the week.
Enough was enough. Rey had been right all along when she told him that there was no saving the First Order. A company that corrupt could not suddenly start changing the world. But Kylo had held onto the idea that he could prove Rey wrong. However, today Kylo had reached his breaking point and during a board meeting with First Order contacts Kylo had resigned. He hadn’t even waited for a response from members of the meeting and continued to walk out the building. To hell with them some things could not be saved.
Kylo had gotten home early that day only 2 hours since he had left Vader home alone. However, when the ex-CEO had arrived home that day his maine-coone was nowhere to be found. Luckily Kylo had implanted a tracker into Vader’s collar after he had escaped a few times. Although Kylo didn’t like the idea of Vader running off on his own he knew Vader was smart enough not to get into to much trouble. So, after locating the cat’s location onto his phone Kylo grabbed his scarf and headed back out of his apartment.
Rey could feel the beginnings of a cold inhabiting her system. A sneeze started tickling her nose as she wiped down tables at the base. She had felt fine that morning nothing but some light sneezes that made Niima jump up from her perch by the window. However, when she arrived at Rebel Base she could feel her nose start to become stuffy. Normally the smell of coffee was so strong but today it had no odor.
“Achoo!”
“Rey go home!”
Poe had sent her home that day with strict instructions to get some rest. Normally Rey would have protested but she didn’t want to risk sneezing into anyone’s order. Kylo was just going to have to hold in his insult for her when she was feeling better.
Although when Rey had gotten home not even an hour after leaving her apartment she noticed that Niima was missing. And after taking one look out the window Rey noticed her ivory colored friend basking in the sunshine that hit the bakery’s sidewalk around this time. Slipping on her shoes Rey headed back outside to go get her cat. Once Rey was outside Niima had started walking down the sidewalk towards the side of the bakery.
This must be where she goes everyday in the morning when I’m gone. Rey thought as she trailed behind Niima as discreetly as possible. Rey had a feeling that Niima might be slipping out of the house while she was gone. When Rey came home during the evenings to feed her Niima merely sniffed at the food instead of diving in. When the cat had finally stopped walking, Rey had followed her to the park by Rebel base. Niima slinked towards a small patch of grass in front of a small pond and settled down on the grass watching a small cluster of ducks’ dive for fish. Well Niima’s small adventure was over Rey couldn’t be worrying about Niima while she lay in bed trying to get better. Rey was just about to go scoop Niima up into her arms when she noticed another cat walking towards Niima. This cat had jet black fur and maine of extra fur on his chest that made him resemble a lion. Rey smiled.
So, this is who Niima has been running off to meet every morning. Rey couldn’t blame her that black Maine-Coone was gorgeous. The cat settled down next to Niima his tale gently overlapping onto the white cat’s back.
Vader’s tracker had led Kylo to a small park just a short walk from First Order Enterprises. He passed by this park every day and wondered about taking his lunch breaks here instead of in his dusty office. However, Kylo never got the chance too. When Kylo finally spotted Vader laying in the grass watching the ducks he wasn’t surprised to see his cat curled up next to a smaller white one. He was, however surprised to see Rey sitting on a bench just behind the two cats. She had her hands in curled in her lap and a small smile on her lips.
“Rey?”
“Ben?’
“What are you doing here?” she asked as Kylo sat down beside her.
“That’s my cat.” He pointed in the direction of Vader.
“Really? That’s my cat” Rey pointed at the white cat currently snuggled into Vader’s side.
Ben let out a tired laugh at the coincidence. “This is so…weird.” Ben noticed Rey’s nose turning red from the chilly weather outside and briefly thought about handing her his scarf. “How long have you been out here?”
“An hour or so. I went home early today.” Rey suddenly let out a sneeze. “Poe told me to go home because I’m starting to get sick.”
Without thinking to much about it Ben unfolded the scarf from around his neck and began to wrap it around Rey. He was shrugging out of his own coat when Rey started to protest.
“Ben I’m fine really.”
“Shut up. You shouldn’t have been out here for so long without warmer clothes. This weather is only going to make your cold worse.”
Rey rolled her eyes but didn’t protest as Ben handed her his outer coat.
“What are you doing out of work so early?”
“I quit.” Ben gazed returned towards the cats. He saw Vader’s tail flick in interest as a duckling got a little too close to where he was currently laying. The mother duck quickly shooed her child away from the two cats and gave a warning quack to both them before hurrying back into the water.
“You what?! Did you really Ben?”
“Yes.” Ben let out a deep sigh “You were right Rey things could not be changed. Even though I tried. Maker knows I tried.”
Rey smiled “I always knew you would.” Despite their daily insults over coffee Rey always knew that Ben would not last as the acting Supreme leader of the First Order he had too much compassion. “Well if you need a job. Rebel Base is always hiring.”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” Ben snorted, “I think I’m going to take some time off before I plan my next move.” There was silence between them as they both watched over their cats.
“I’m sorry” Rey spoke, “About what happened that night.”
“Everything you said was true.”
“Yes, but I should not have said it like that. I hurt you and I didn’t mean too.”
“It’s okay Rey I understand now.”
“You do?”
“The First Order was a failing company from the start. I would have seen that if I had gotten past my own denial.”
“So, friends?”
Could they be friends. Kylo didn’t think so. He though back to that night so long ago with Rey. They had gone out to dinner and Kylo remembered being stunned by how beautiful Rey had looked in that blue dress that hugged her curves just right. How unfortunate that night ended up ruining any sort of relationship that could have happened between the two of them.
Kylo turned to look at Rey with her red nose and her flushed cheeks. Despite wrapping herself up in his clothes she was still falling victim to the cold weather. However, he couldn’t seem to break away from her brown eyes. She had that look the same look she had that night when she had called him Ben. It was hope.
“Friends.” For now, at least.