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Rey lasted all the way until classes started again on Monday before texting Kylo. Ben? He hadn't mentioned his birth name until they got to his parents, so it didn't seem like he used it elsewhere. She left him as Kylo in her phone for the moment.
She'd told herself she'd wait, maybe let him text first, but her Monday classes dragged, and as she listened to her professor explain a problem she'd understood weeks ago, she kept turning her phone in her hands until she finally gave into temptation.
"Hey :)" she sent, then winced. 'Hey'? She put her phone down and made an effort to take notes to distract herself.
She only had to wait a few minutes for a response. "Hey." Then "Rest of your break went okay?"
She smiled and replied. "Yeah! Roommate came back yesterday, that was nice. You?"
"Good. Got some work done, so it wasn't a total waste." She frowned, about to take offense, but his next message came just as quickly. "Not that spending time with you was a waste. Just busy."
Slightly mollified, she responded. "I get that :/ next couple weeks gonna be 😬😬😬." She hesitated, then followed up with what she really wanted to talk about. "Been thinking abt what you said abt meeting up?"
His response was almost instant. "You think you'll be too busy?"
"No!!!" She texted quickly. "Gonna be busy but want to see u"
"Oh." A second later. "Good." Then, "I've been thinking about it too."
"Yeah?" she messaged, feeling a spark of hope.
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing you again."
She felt like she should have known, but Kylo was almost more awkward in text than in person. She didn't mind though. "Me too." He didn't respond as quickly, so she took the initiative. "U free anytime this week?"
"An hour on Thursday." Her heart sank, but another message followed. "Could try for Saturday morning if you don't mind getting up early?"
Her smile came back. "My early or urs? 😄"
"Good point." He replied. "Probably mine. 10 sound okay? We could get lunch after if you're not sick of me by then."
"10 is not early lol! Sounds gr8. Lunch after what?"
"I was thinking I could take you to a spot downtown?"
"Cool!! Should I meet u there?"
"I was thinking I'd pick you up, if you don't mind?" he offered.
"Kk. Sounds like a plan! 😁"
She waited a few minutes. She still couldn't pay attention. The class only had ten minutes left, and it felt so much longer. She texted Kylo again. "So what are u doing today?"
"Teaching freshmen in twenty minutes."
She grinned, almost hearing his frustration through the screen. "Should I feel sorry for them or u?"
"Likely both." She almost laughed aloud.
"Only 2 weeks until finals!! I believe in u 🙌"
"That's an inspiring thought."
"I thought so 😁 it gets me though"
He didn't answer immediately, and she didn't think he was going to. Then: "Only five days until Saturday."
She caught herself biting her lip like a middle schooler. She'd never looked forward to a day out more. "Can't wait!!"
"Me either."
Grinning, she finally put her phone aside to pay attention to the last five minutes of class.
Saturday came both faster and slower than she expected. With all the extra work her professors piled on leading up to finals, every minute of each day was packed. In addition, one of her resumes finally reached someone, and they offered her part time work for the holidays, starting the next week. Retail around Christmas was sure to be hell, but it was better than nothing.
With everything going on, it felt like Saturday morning came before she realized. She and Kylo had ended up texting throughout the week. She'd never have expected that from him, but he'd messaged her to rant about some idiot in his class that had written his paper on the Great Depression about current mental health challenges in America. She'd laughed and told him about her lab partner freshman year who'd tried to work into their physics report how their experiment proved the Earth was flat, and from then on they'd begun a pattern. She'd started looking forward to his dry quips throughout the day, but it felt different to see him in person again.
He pulled up in front of her building a few minutes after ten. She'd gotten a start on some homework that morning before getting dressed and waiting outside, and she pulled open the passenger door and hopped in after he came to a stop.
"Hey!" she said cheerfully, looking across the car at him. He looked like he'd tried to seem awake and put together, but hadn't quite managed it. The collar of his button-down shirt sat slightly off with an extra button opened. Not that she minded. Not seeing him for a week had taken the edge off her memories of waking up in bed with him, and the glimpse of his chest and his sleep-ruffled hair brought them roaring back. She realized she was staring, but he was too. She hadn't gotten dressed up like Rose or Jessika might; she didn't know how. But she'd pulled out a favorite pair of jeans and a t-shirt that fit her well.
"You look nice," he told her, and her heart skipped a beat. The deep warmth of his voice was another thing she hadn't remembered as clearly as she thought.
"You do too," she said quickly, then grinned. "Have you had enough coffee, or do you want to stop?"
He reached between then and pulled an insulated coffee cup out of the cup holder that looked large even in his huge hands. "This should get me to noon," he said, straight-faced.
She raised her eyebrows. "Do grad students get health insurance? I'm suddenly very worried about your heart. Should I have learned CPR?"
He laughed and pulled the car away from the curb. "I thought you engineering students understood. Didn't Five Hour Energy set up shop in the quad one year?"
"True," she admitted. "I learned my lesson after mixing those things and three am coffee though. Turns out, if you stay up longer than two days or so, you start to hallucinate."
"Unfortunately, I did know that," he deadpanned.
"I shouldn't even be surprised," she snorted. "What did you see?"
He grimaced, his hand tightening on the steering wheel. She was about to take the question back when he answered. "My advisor."
She winced. "That bad?"
He shrugged. "The funniest part is, I didn't even question it at first when he appeared in my apartment and started lecturing me. At that point, it just made sense that he'd have figured out where I lived and come to tell me how disappointing I was and everything I'd screwed up."
"Holy shit, Kylo," she said. And she thought her thermo professor was bad.
He shrugged again. "It wasn't a great week."
She struggled for words. "Does he actually do that though? Your advisor? Lecture you on everything you do wrong?"
Kylo frowned. "It's grad school, he's supposed to be tough. It's all to help me anyway." He cast a sidelong look at her. "I guess your hallucinations weren't about your professors coming after you?"
She wanted to pursue that concerning line of thought further, but she considered that maybe that wasn't something to deal with so early in their friendship. Kylo's parents worried for him, but she didn't know that much about the situation. She let him shift the topic away from himself. "No, mine weren't nearly as realistic. There was this talking penguin or something that was helping me with my work. My roommates forced me to sleep when I got convinced I could control time."
He nodded sagely. "For the best. Once you've reached that point, you can't really get anything done besides staring at the clock."
"Yup," she agreed. "I looked back at what I'd written in my lab report after I slept for half a day, and it was entire pages of nonsense. Had to start over. So, I learned my lesson and the beauty of power naps."
"An important thing to learn," he said as he guided the car through a turn.
"That and how to live off ramen without getting scurvy have gotten me through so far," she said cheerfully.
He cast an alarmed look at her. "Did you actually get scurvy?"
She laughed. "No, but I heard about some other guys that did. And I've probably come close before. The trick is to time your visits to the food courts."
"To get your fruit?"
"Exactly. You stock up."
He hummed in agreement, though she thought he still looked slightly unnerved, which felt ironic considering his own admission. They made quite the pair, she thought with a half-smile. He drove in silence for a short while before she spoke again. "So where are we going?"
He pulled up at a stoplight. "I thought we could walk around the archeology museum downtown. It's open early on Saturdays. I've been there a few times, it has some interesting stuff."
She squinted at him suspiciously. "This isn't a work thing for you, is it?"
"No! No." His lips twitched upward. "Though I can see why you'd think that. I genuinely like the museum though. And it's even better when there's not many people, which there shouldn't be this early."
She shook her head. "You really aren't a morning person, are you?"
"Not even a little," he said seriously. "This is as early as I can wake up without an extra hour of alarms." He glanced over at her. "I bet you are though."
"Guilty," she said with a shrug. "I got used to it when I was younger, and it just feels natural. I can get plenty done in the mornings, and I've always loved the sunrise."
"Horrifying," he said, smiling. "I'm more likely to see the sunrise from the other side before I go to sleep."
She laughed. "I guess we'll have to meet in the middle somewhere."
He looked at her, almost missing the stoplight changing to green in front of them. "I think we can manage that, " he said as he pulled ahead.
He turned into the parking garage the next block down and found them a spot easily.
"See what happens when you're out before everyone else?" she teased.
He gave a melodramatic sigh. "True, but think of the cost."
She rolled her eyes and laughed as they got out. He locked the car, then turned and frowned at her when he noticed her pulling her coat shut with a shiver.
"Still not used to winter here," she explained.
"You're not from here?" he asked as they walked towards the stairs.
She shook her head. "Grew up in Arizona."
"Ah," he said in understanding. He paused on the landing and looked up as she caught up with his long steps. His gaze fixed on her balled hands shoved in her pockets. "No gloves?"
She wiggled her fingers, always the first part to freeze. "Forgot."
Hesitantly, as if waiting for her to stop him, he slid one hand into her pocket with hers. His fingers curled over her fist, somehow still warm in the chilly December morning. "I'll have to keep you warm then," he murmured.
Rey felt heat suffuse her from more than his warm hands. She didn't answer but opened her hand to tangle her fingers with his. They left the garage like that together and crossed the street to the museum. Rey immediately missed the contact when he let go to pay for their tickets.
"I can pay," she said, fumbling for her wallet, but Ben shook his head, already taking her ticket from the woman behind the counter.
"I have a membership, some deal with the school for students. Besides, you're my guest."
"I'll pay for lunch," she insisted, taking the offered ticket.
His eyebrows raised. "You told me you live off ramen and cafeteria fruit."
She glared at him. "I can still pay for myself."
His jaw tightened. "I didn't mean -- " He huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know you can take care of yourself, Rey, I didn't mean to say otherwise. But I'd really like it if for our date you'd let me take you out and feed you because you deserve that."
She blinked. There was a lot to take in there, and her chest squeezed, but her thoughts fixed on one word. "This is a date?" She hadn't known exactly what he'd meant when he'd asked to spend time with her. It was possible he'd just wanted to get to know her better, but she'd hoped--
His hand fell away from his hair and he looked at her wide-eyed. "I--I thought -- It doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be, I--"
She reached out and grabbed his hand, entwining it with hers. He looked between her face and their hands, mouth still slightly open. "You can pay for this date, and I'll get the next one," she said, taking a step into him.
His mouth opened and closed a few times before he settled on squeezing her hand in his. "Okay. The next one."
She grinned and pulled him along with her to the first exhibit. "So what's this?"
Letting him tell her about the pieces displayed throughout the room worked even better than expected to ease things between them again. She felt the rumble of his deep voice as he explained which ancient civilization had created the artifacts he showed her. It made her skin tingle and pulled her to listen.
"I didn't think you'd know so much," she told him, impressed.
He shot her an amused smile. "It is my field."
"Yeah, but didn't you say you were studying like the nineteen-twenties or something? Not--" She looked at the informational plaque and her eyes widened. "500 BC. Wow, that's crazy to think about how long ago that was."
"Twenty five hundred years, at least," he agreed.
“Wow,” she breathed, eyeing the artifact with new respect, then looking back at Kylo. “Buy yeah, that’s quite the difference.”
He gazed at the ancient relics behind glass. “When I first started and decided I wanted to major in history, this is the kind of stuff I was interested in.” He paused, seeming to think his words over. “I used to love reading about ancient civilizations as a kid, not that I called them that then, but just the idea of learning about people who lived so long ago from the stories they left behind… I still have a lot of my old books, mythology-type stuff mostly.”
“That sounds so cool,” Rey said, watching the conflict in his expression as he spoke. “What made you change?” She thought she could guess the answer.
His lips pressed together. “Once I started seriously getting into my studies, and had to choose where to focus, my advisor talked me through it. We decided it’d be better if I went into something less oversaturated, something that I could find more use for.”
She hummed noncommittally. “But you still remember all this?”
He started walking to the next display. “When I have the time, I still read articles and such. It’s nice to take a break from my research when I can.”
She caught up with him and took his hand again. “I’m glad,” she said, smiling up at him.
Kylo proved to have at least a passing familiarity with all the rooms they went through. Rey wondered how much time he spent there on his own. She couldn’t complain though; somehow the pleasure of listening to his voice never wore off. She tried to explain it to him as they explored a room of broken statues.
“I never really liked history in school,” she said, then winced as she heard how that came out. Kylo turned back to look at her with a stricken expression.
“We don’t have to--” he started, but she tightened her grip on his hand and cut him off.
“No, wait. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant…” She struggled to find the words. “Everything in school was always all these names and dates and stuff I couldn’t remember because I didn’t care. It’s not like that when you talk about it.”
Kylo cocked his head, brow furrowed. “No?”
She shook her head. “You make it sound like a story, like I’m hearing about these people and their lives and I want to hear more. The way you tell it makes me think about everyone who left these behind, and it’s like I can feel them.” She gestured around the room, not sure if she’d made things any clearer.
Kylo stopped, pulling her to a stop too with their clasped hands. She looked up at him curiously. “That…” He cleared his throat, and her heart pounded. “Thank you. It means a lot for me to share that with you.”
She bit her lip, then leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his jaw. “Thank you,” she said softly, “for sharing it.”
By the time they finished touring the floor and made their way out of the museum, it was nearly noon. Kylo looked at his watch and winced as they stepped out into the bright day outside.
“Do you need to get back?” she asked, trying not to let her disappointment show. She didn’t know when they’d be able to have more time together like this.
Kylo glanced between her and his watch, finally settling on her. “No,” he said, injecting the word with resolve. “I’ll have enough time later to get everything done. Let’s go to lunch.” He took her hand and led her down the street. She smiled as she lengthened her strides to keep pace.
“So do you come down here a lot?” she asked, as he took them to the next block over without checking his phone or the street signs.
“I guess,” he said. “I don’t get out much, but I like it here.” He stopped in front of a small restaurant and turned towards her. “Is this okay? They have burgers and sandwiches and stuff, but they should still have brunch if you want.”
“Sounds perfect,” she assured him. He pulled open the door and followed her inside.
Mostly white linoleum tables filled the room with chairs the tile floor. A variety of customers occupied most of them, and the buzz of conversation washed over them as they stepped inside. A sign just inside the door told them to seat themselves, so Rey found them the last pair of seats at the matching bar that ran down one side of the restaurant, in the same scuffed white with metal accents as the tables.
A bored waitress dropped a couple of menus in front of them as they sat, and Rey opened hers eagerly. An enormous plate of eggs, potatoes, and sausage sounded ideal, and she was relieved to find that the prices weren’t outrageous. She may have agreed to let Kylo pay for this date, but she wasn’t about to take advantage of that. She quickly found their combo plate and decided on her sides. She set her menu down at nearly the same time Kylo did.
“Know what you’re getting?” she asked.
“I’m not creative,” he said with a self-deprecating smile. “I usually get the same thing.”
She laughed. “It’s like you’re the grumpy old regular. Do you get the newspaper and try to pay the bill with a check too?” she teased.
He snorted. “I get the news on my phone, whippersnapper. Found out about this great new invention called the online. Can even send messages without going all the way down to the telegraph office.”
She laughed harder just as the waitress came back around to take their order. Kylo gave his, then she gave hers, still grinning.
“What, no avocado toast?” he asked once the waitress walked away to get their drinks.
She sniffed. “I’m saving all my avocado money to buy a house someday, obviously. Like the responsible millenials do.”
He grinned in return. “Of course, my mistake.” He spun his stool towards her and leaned an arm on the bar. “So. Finals coming up?” She groaned and dropped her head to the bar. He laughed. “I see you’re getting in the proper spirit. How many do you have?”
They fell easily into conversation, only briefly stopping when the waitress came with their food. Rey dug in with a groan. She wasn’t a connoisseur by any means, but everything tasted delicious, and her plate was just as packed as she’d hoped. She noticed Ben watching her mouth as she moaned over her first bite, but decided she didn’t care what he thought of her table manners. He knew what he was getting into.
They picked back up on their conversation when she asked him about the article he’d been reading and he started explaining how much of an idiot the author was, gesturing with his fork. She dug into her own food, listening with a smile. She enjoyed talking to him so much, she hardly noticed when she got to scraping the last of the food from her plate. Before she could make a last attempt to pay for her half, Ben took care of the bill, passing it back to the waitress without a break in his story.
The diner had only gotten more crowded while they ate, and Rey felt bad taking up their seats while they talked. She stood, and Kylo slowly copied her.
“I really should be getting back,” he said reluctantly as they stepped outside.
She sighed. “Yeah, me too.” She looked up at him. “I’m guessing your next couple weeks are looking as bad as mine?”
He winced. “Probably. Not a lot of time before break.”
“That’s what I figured,” she said, dragging her feet along the sidewalk.
“There is something though,” he said, and she looked up to find him running his hand through his hair. “My mom’s been talking about doing something over the holidays. Would you mind coming down with me for a day or two? She’s been asking about you.”
She brightened immediately. “Of course!” Then she remembered her new job and her heart dropped again. “I might be busy though. I picked up some seasonal work over the break.”
His massive shoulders bobbed. “It doesn’t have to be a specific day. Mom’s on break, and Dad does what he wants. I don’t have plans after grading finals. Whenever works for you.”
“Really?” She had a hard time believing that they’d all base their plans on her. She wasn’t even part of the family, no matter what Han and Leia thought.
He nodded. “Yeah.” He scuffed his shoe on the concrete. “I wouldn’t be going if it weren’t for you.”
Her breath caught. That was a lot to take on. She let the breath back out slowly. “I’m not sure what my schedule’s going to be like yet,” she admitted. “I’ll text you?”
“Sounds good.” They’d nearly made their way back to the parking garage, and he seemed as reluctant as she felt to let their date end.
“And you can keep texting me about your students while I complain about finals,” she said, and he smiled sheepishly.
“I think I can do that.” They climbed up the stairs to his car, and he let her in.
They spent most of the ride back to campus in comfortable silence, and she watched the streets pass by through the window. He pulled up outside her building and hesitated.
She took the initiative, leaning over the console to press a brief kiss to his lips.
“I had a great time today,” she told him as she pulled back.
He blinked slowly, as if still processing what had just happened. “Me -- Me too.”
She looked down at his lips again, lush and pink, and considered abandoning the rest of her work for the day to makeout in his car. In his dazed state, she didn’t think he’d mind.
A loud group of frat bros passed by on the sidewalk outside, breaking into their moment. She sighed and, unable to resist, leaned in for another quick kiss before pushing open her door.
“Text me!” she reminded him. He broke out of his stupor and nodded quickly.
“Yes, of course. Rey--”
She turned back. “Yeah?”
His mouth worked for a second without saying anything before finally ending up on, “Good luck on finals.”
She nodded. “You too. Remember, freshmen are people too,” she said with a grin.
“Says you,” he grumbled.
She laughed. “I’ll see you!” she said, walking back towards her building. He waved, and she watched as he pulled away.
Pulling out her phone, she sent a quick text. “Can’t wait until next time :D”