Work Text:
Prompt: "Don't you dare die."
Grunting with effort Rey dragged herself upright, her blunt fingernails tearing as she clawed at the rough bark for support. She crumpled to the ground as her knees buckled, her bloodied hand clinging to the splintered wood as she tried once more to stand.
A blaster bolt sizzled as it collided with the old oak, scorning the bark centimetres from her face. Rey turned to face her attacker, her hair plastered to her face with sweat and blood whilst tear tracks dried upon her freckled cheeks. Fractured wood scratched at her spine as she slid to the ground. Defenceless.
Her hand clutched her throbbing side, scarlet oozing from beneath her fingers. Her blood painted her robes crimson, splattering and staining the canvas that was her Jakku garb. Life's masterpiece.
Her mind was hunting for peace, her thoughts preying on her fear with bared teeth as they sought for meditation. There was desperation in her eyes and she knew it, she could feel the weight to her shallow breaths as they fell from her beaten lips. A blaster aimed at her chest. Rey let her heavy eyes fall shut, exhaling her fear as she felt the energy course through the force. Red and burning it hissed through the air. Rey choked on the taste of copper. She did not fear death.
Death was afraid.
His hands shook as he clung to his weapon. His breath caught in his throat as he shattered one bolt of light with another. Sparks stung as they rained down on his bare hands; skin blistering from the intensity. Death lunged forward with fury in his charred heart, the fire coiling in his soul as he slashed and sliced and stabbed at the stormtrooper who dared to pull the trigger.
A worthless heap of glorified plastic dropped to the ground, it's mutilated form smoking softly as Death turned to face the young Jedi with a flicker of concern deep in his eyes.
His steps were cautious as he approached her, his weapon tucked into his belt. A twig snapped under his heavy boot and Rey's swollen eyes cracked open. Death tilted his head curiously, his eyes trailing across her broken form as he took another step closer. Rey's heart was pounding in her ears, the vibrant greens of the forest blurring across her vision as she fought for consciousness, twisting her bloodied mouth into a snarl as he boldly approached. Power rolled through the force, his rage brewing like a storm around him, energy crackling through the air. He was dangerous, volatile.
She knew him.
"Go... Away." She spluttered, blood trickling down her chin.
Death only shook his head slowly. He crouched down beside her, biting back his anger as she spat blood in his face. "I'm not here to hurt you." He murmured, voice strangled through a mask.
"That's... What I'm aff-afraid of." Rey sucked in a pained breath, her hands slick with her own blood as she clutched onto her wounds. She tried to lean away from the monster but her body protested, her head spinning from the blood loss. Her nerves refused to be subdued by the force as they ignited with agony which only grew stronger with every attempt to smother it.
Consciousness slipped through her slick fingers, her mind heavy and sluggish as she tried to force herself awake, to run, to fight.
She was flying.
She no longer felt the ground beneath her as she stared up at the canopy above. Trees whispered around her as the breeze caressed her tear stained cheeks. The sound of birds singing beautiful melodies drowned out the rattling of her dying breath as she flew, the scenery around her blurring as she bobbed gently through the sky. Her bloody lips cracked as she forced the corners up, a dazed smile haunting her face as Death looked over her.
He held her tightly in his arms, his stomach clenching unpleasantly as her hot blood trickled down his wrist. She was sticky, scorched with bullet wounds which looked like comets streaking across her skin. He marched towards a metal fortress, shifting the girl in his arms to hold her closer as he stormed through the twisting halls. He slid open his door, a bloody handprint glistening against the steel. It slammed shut behind him.
Death was afraid to let her go.
So he kept his hand on hers as he placed her onto his bed. She turned to face him as he clicked open the medical kit. Her eyes glistened with tears before they shut once again. A heavy breath forced itself from her broken lungs and she was still, a single tear falling down her cheeks. Death felt his heart leap into his throat, choking him with emotion he didn't understand.
"Don't you dare die on me." His voice was a broken, pitiful sound as it stung his ears.
Rey squeezed his hand.
Blood pooled under her robes.
Death was afraid.
He didn't know how to save life. He only knew how to take it.
"Take off... Mask." She wheezed, her shattered chest trembling with the effort. Her light was dimming and he swiped for it, recoiling as his touch left shadows scarred into the dying flame. He fumbled with the bandages, hands shaking as he poured ointments and gels across her torn skin, wiping away the blood with a damp cloth. He stared at her flickering glow obsessively, the longing burning a hole in his chest as he stitched up her wounds with a frantic urgency.
He felt a smack against his helmet, raising his eyes to her clammy face. Rey weakly tapped it once more, her fingertips squeaking against the metal as they slid down it.
It opened with a hiss and he dumped it onto the floor; empty eyes burning into his own.
"Kylo Ren." Rey breathed, her outstretched hand brushing lightly against his cheek before she dragged it away to prod her wounds instead.
"Don't touch it." Kylo scolded as he pulled her arm away, she was so cold she stung his skin. He clasped her wrist tightly, her pulse sluggish and faint under his fingertips.
"Why did... Y-you help...me?" He wiped a streak of blood away from her mouth, frowning as his eyes trailed over the bruises and cuts stamped across her delicate face. His thumb lingered on her lips and his eyes followed, his heart straining against the cage of his ribs as he recoiled; hungry for her.
Kylo didn't answer her question, leaving the mask forgotten on the ground as he swiftly marched into the 'fresher without a second glance. His hands were stained with her blood and it made him gag. Kylo watched the pink water go down the plug as he scrubbed at his large hands, gulping back the bile and the rage and the desperation rising in his throat before it had the power to defeat him.
He had just saved a life,
A Jedi life.
He looked back at her curled up in his bed, wounded and dirty. A little scavenger. Her skin was all shades of purple and blue as she stared back at him, her eyes fluttering shut as exhaustion won the battle. He approached her quietly, brushing her sticky hair from her forehead as he wrapped the sheets around her.
"I'm going to keep you safe, Rey." Her name sounded foreign on his tongue. "You still need a teacher." He added, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kylo Ren didn't leave her side for the rest of the night. He sat beside her on the bloodstained sheets, holding back a smile when she snuggled closer to him. He gently stroked her hair, experimenting with some force-healing techniques with every soft touch.
Death was afraid.
Afraid of a thing called love.