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The bar was packed from wall to wall, which was typical of a Friday night in a college town. Even more so in a town that boasted three colleges from the prestigious Jedi University to the more local and not so prestigious Sith College. The bar wasn’t the nicest of bars in town with its beer soaked wood tables and sticky floors, but it did have billiard tables in the back and most importantly a venue for local bands to play, the closest the town would get to live entertainment, even for the most haughtiest of the Jedi University students.
The clack of billiard balls was muffled by the chatter of the individuals who populated the bar, but the lack of sharp clacking noises went unnoticed by the three individuals who stood around the pool table with stout beers in hand.
“And I’m telling you that Professor Snoke is completely right about the Rebellion of Takodana!”
“You know you’re a brown-nosing ass-kisser, right, Hux?”
The redheaded man turned to his darker-haired companion seething with barely concealed anger. “Really Kylo? So says the teacher’s pet.”
“Which you want to be, and it’s not my fault I’m just better at History than you.” The man named Kylo grinned, setting his beer down on the edge of the pool table to take a shot at a rather precariously placed ball by the black eight. The red solid slid effortlessly into the hole barely missing the black ball. “Well, better at everything actually.”
The blonde woman by the two men rolled her eyes at Kylo’s statement who threw his hands up into an exaggerated shrug.
“What? Phasma, you know I’m right!”
The woman named Phasma shook her head before burying her nose in her beer glass. “Keep me out of your childish arguments. Not interested.”
Kylo chuckled, clearly amused at his friend’s disdain whereas his other male companion seemed rather perturbed until he noticed the entrance of three new individuals.
“The girl you’ve been eyeing just walked in.”
Hux nudged his friend whose head followed Hux’s eyes to the front door where there indeed stood a girl, a girl with bright hazel eyes flanked by two men both dressed in the unofficial uniform of Jedi University, bright polos and khaki pants. She was dressed in a light gray chiffon dress which draped ever so fetchingly over her soft curves further enhancing the radiant smile on her face.
“What girl I’ve been eyeing? I haven’t been–” Kylo sputtered, but quickly trailed off at the raised eyebrows both his companions were now sending his way. “Okay, fine. Yes, that’s the girl I’ve been eyeing, she’s drop dead gorgeous. Happy?”
“You should go talk to her,” Hux suggested bringing his beer up to his lips to conceal the sly smile growing on his face.
Kylo glanced at the girl before settling back on his friend. “No way, she’s Jedi University. No way she’d talk to me much less know I’m alive.”
Hux raised an eyebrow tipping the corners of his mouth down. “Won’t know you’re alive until you talk to her. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen, she blows you off, you’re slightly embarrassed, and then she forgets you exist?”
“Well, yes,” Kylo huffed.
“Your loss then.” Hux shrugged and took a long sip of his drink.
Kylo leaned on his cue stick glancing in between his nonchalant friend and the girl who was now making her way to the bar without hers. If he was going to talk to her, this was his chance while she was away from her male companions. With a soft growl, he downed the rest of his beer slamming the glass down on the pool table’s edge.
“Fine.”
He sighed combing back his long black hair and smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in his black fitted T-shirt, and shuffled through the crowd to the bar.
Hux began to giggle like a mad scientist as Phasma turned to him brow furrowed at her companion.
“Isn’t that–” She started to ask.
“Rey Kenobi.” Hux finished for her. “He doesn’t stand a chance.”
“That’s downright evil.”
“I thought we were supposed to be evil, no?”
The redheaded man continued to laugh while his blonde-haired companion rolled her eyes for possibly the millionth time that night.
* * *
Kylo Ren felt his hands begin to clam up, something that never happened to Kylo Ren, not even when he stepped on to stage with his trusty electric guitar. Kylo Ren was never nervous. Never. Except for apparently when he was about to talk to a girl. The girl.
Taking deep breaths, the man wiped his sweaty hands on his black jeans, willing his gray Converses to continue walking towards the single ray of sunlight in the bar. She was leaning against the lacquered wood, palms pressing against the edge centering her weight on her right leg as her left toe tapped against the floor.
Kylo squeezed into the space next to her lightly jostling a bar patron to his left as he did. He ignored the glare that was directed his way, his dark eyes settling on the girl to his right. Her eyes flickered to the new presence by her side before returning to following the bartender.
“Ahem.” Kylo cleared his throat awkwardly, shoving a hand into his pocket and thrusting the other forward. “Hi, I’m—“
The girl glanced at Kylo’s hand, but made no move to accept it in a handshake.
“Kylo Ren of the First Order,” she interrupted him, face passive, but a cheeky twinkle dancing in her eye. “I know.”
Kylo let his hand drop back down to his side and into his other pocket. “I take it you’ve seen our shows then.”
She turned to face him leaning against the bar, a ghost of a smile flitting over her lips.
“Don’t have much of a choice, entertainment’s a bit limited in Jakku.” The corners of her lips flickered up at Kylo’s awkward silence. “Your band is pretty good, I’ll admit that. I look forward to nights you play.”
The poor boy’s face brightened at the compliment, his hunched shoulders straightening although his hands remained in his pockets. He cleared his throat again. “This might seem a little forward, but I was wondering if I could get your number, maybe call you sometime.”
The girl’s lips parted ready to answer, but her attention was quickly stolen away by the bartender who placed three drinks in front of her. She laid some change down on the bar as a tip and went to grab the drinks with her hands.
“I don’t give out my number, but I do give out my name.”
“A name, then?” Kylo asked, eyes a bit more eager than he intended.
She turned to go, but paused, turning her head to look back at the boy. “Rey Kenobi. See you around, Kylo Ren.”
With that she disappeared into the crowd making her way to the small table her friends found to the side of the bar.
Rey Kenobi.
Kylo Ren felt a gigantic goofy smile bloom on his face. He had a name, a deliciously delicate name.
Rey Kenobi.
His smile soon faltered.
Rey Kenobi. He’d heard that name before. She was Rey Kenobi of Kenobi Consolidated.
There was no shot in hell he’d have a chance with a girl like that. No chance at all.
* * *
“Was that Kylo Ren talking to you at the bar?”
Rey placed the pale ale in front of her friend who asked the question and the lager in front of her now confused other friend.
“What kind of name is Kylo Ren?”
Rey took a dainty seat on the open stool sipping on her whiskey based cocktail.
“If you must know, his actual name is Ben Solo, son of the infamous pilot Han Solo and politician Leia Organa and lead singer of the First Order,” she answered her confused friend’s question first before turning to answer the other male of the group, “and yes, Dameron, Kylo Ren was the person in question speaking to me at the bar.”
“Why do you know so much about Kylo Ren anyway?” Poe Dameron, heir to Dameron Industries, peered at his female friend, scrutinizing the facial expressions that were to cross her face.
Rey coyly smiled at the man. “I’m a fan of the First Order.”
“Alternative rock music?”
Rey shrugged. “What can I say, I like their music.”
“Wait, wait.” The third member of their group put up his hands to halt the conversation. “Who is the First Order?”
Poe chuckled at his friend’s confusion, patting the man’s shoulder sympathetically. “Finn, do you remember the band that was playing about two weeks ago?”
The man named Finn nodded.
“That’s the First Order.”
“But they’re so… evil.”
“Yes, that’s the reason why I don’t understand how our dear Rey can be a fan of their music.”
Rey crossed her legs and slightly leaned back on her stool, arching her eyebrows at her male companions. “And I don’t see how it’s any of your business what kind of music I prefer.”
“It’s not, but I– we care about you, and that includes your mental well-being.” Finn emphasized the ‘we’ heavily.
“That group is bad news, Rey. They go to Sith College, a bunch of degenerates with no futures ahead of them. I mean case in point, Ben Solo attends Sith College precisely because he wasn’t able to get in anywhere else,” Poe pressed. “I’d stay away from them.”
Rey simply gave Poe Dameron an unamused glance and checked the time on her cellphone. “Well, gentlemen, it’s been fun, but BB-8 is home on his own, and I need to head back.”
“What? We just got here!” Finn protested at his friend’s sudden announcement of departure.
“Sorry fellas, but I promised BB-8 I’d be home by ten, and it’s already ten before.”
“Rey, as much as I too adore BB-8, BB-8’s a dog. He doesn’t know the meaning of promises,” Poe said, placing his now empty glass down on the table before him.
Rey rolled her eyes and leaned forward to half hug Poe. “He may be a dog, but he’s my dog, and I keep my promises.”
She moved to wrap her arm around Finn who pulled her into a full hug instead. Rey lightly pressed the palm of her hand against his chest and pushed herself away.
“I’ll see you guys in Chemistry on Monday?”
“Yeah,” Finn glumly answered, downing the rest of his beer.
Rey turned to make her way to the door pushing past the pulsating crowd. Reaching for the door, she glanced back one last time searching for the man who had been making a regular entrance in her dreams. She found him by the pool tables leaning on his cue stick, laughing at something his friends said. His eyes met hers by chance, and the girl shyly smiled, eyes peeking at him under her lashes. The boy smiled back, and then she was gone, out the door to join her dog for the remainder of the night. Kylo Ren’s smile grew even bigger that night as he ran his fingers through his hair.
Back at the small table to the side of the bar, a very dejected Finn Trooper stared glumly into his now empty pint glass.
“She’ll come around,” his friend patted the boy’s back. “How could she resist the charismatic Finn Trooper?”
“Yeah, sure,” was his only reply.
Poe Dameron sighed, retracting his hand. “I’ll go get us another round.”
He’d need a couple of rounds to deal with his friend’s puppy crush whining tonight. On that note, what was going on with Rey Kenobi and Kylo Ren?
* * *
“And in other news, The First Order will be in town come this Christmas. Tickets are selling out fast so make sure you buy yours today for a chance to see this hometown band play live.”
The small TV in the corner quietly blared, mostly forgotten by the inhabitants of the cozy coffee shop, forgotten by all, but three individuals sitting in armchairs in the corner opposite of the television.
“Who would’ve thought that The First Order would become so big?” Finn pondered, squinting at the TV.
Rey raised her eyebrows, but said nothing as she took a sip of her steaming cup of cafe au lait, a cheeky twinkle in her eye
“I mean, their music isn’t even that good.” Finn continued oblivious to Rey’s amusement.
Poe’s eyes flickered between his two friends and the TV screen, which had now moved on to the next scheduled program, an obscure sitcom of some kind. It had been a year since they’ve graduated from college. Rey had gone on to study Mechanical Engineering under the prestigious Luke Skywalker who had come out of his sabbatical. Finn was taking a gap year doing some soul searching for his life’s purpose. Poe went on to work for his father’s company, mostly in the aviation center engineering planes when he wasn’t learning the business. They were all busy, but still found the time to meet once a week for coffee or dinner or drinks. Whatever caught their fancy.
The First Order, it seemed, was discovered by the record label, Galactic Empire, and once they debuted their first record, they blew up overnight suddenly becoming a global sensation.
Rey uncrossed her legs and placed her ceramic mug down on the side table. “Speaking of The First Order, I have three VIP tickets to their concert if anyone is interested in going.”
“You still listen to this crap?”
Rey frowned at Finn’s outburst. “Yes, and they’re not crap. I think they’re rather brilliant.”
Finn opened his mouth to protest, but Poe shushed him with a wave of his hand. Finn still pined for Rey’s attention and insulting her choice in music was probably not the best strategy in winning her affections.
“We’d be happy to go.” Poe smiled and leaned back into his armchair crossing his own legs.
“Wha–” Finn furrowed his brows at Poe who only raised both his eyebrows at his friend silently imploring the big, lovable oaf to follow along.
“I– Yes. We’d be happy to go,” Finn backpedaled, giving his companion a strange side glance which disappeared at Rey’s beaming smile.
“Great! I’m so excited,” Rey squealed, bouncing up and down in her own armchair. She glanced at the clock on the wall of the shop. “Oh, BB-8 awaits. Got to go. I’ll see you boys at the concert.”
“The dog, again?”
Rey turned to Finn. “Yes, the dog again. Dog daycare closes in an hour.” She placed her scarf around her neck. “All right, I’m off.”
The two boys watched Rey float off still giddy at the thought of attending The First Order’s concert.
“You know, sometimes I think she cares for that damn dog more than she does me.”
Poe chuckled and clamped a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “Buddy, if you want a chance with Rey, you’re going to have to love that damn dog. And The First Order.”
Finn groaned, burying his head in his hands. “Why did you agree to go to that stupid concert?”
“Because she likes The First Order, and liking what she likes will get you in the door, mate.”
Finn mumbled out some response Poe didn’t quite catch. Poe Dameron simply sat back in his chair sipping his white chocolate mocha and watching his friend squirm with much amusement. Although, as he sipped, he mused on how long Rey Kenobi had been a fan of the alternative rock band.
* * *
The crowd in the stadium was restless as they waited for the last song of the night. People were packed shoulder to shoulder, and the air buzzed with excitement. In the VIP lounge, three individuals stood at the railing, two of the individuals looking slightly morose, and the last was fixated on the band on stage.
“Go dance with her or something. It’s their last song of the night,” Poe whispered into Finn’s ear gently pushing him in Rey’s direction.
“I tried, but she’s only interested in the band,” Finn whispered back, resisting Poe’s efforts. “She’s been staring at the stage for the last two hours.”
“Well, yes, that’s what people at concerts do.” Poe reassured the man, but he knew that Rey’s intense concentration directed towards the stage was not solely because she was attending a concert. Her focus was just a little too directed at the band’s lead guitarist and singer, Kylo Ren, and poor Finn knew it too.
“Thank you! We wanted to thank you all for the great turnout tonight. It has been our pleasure having a chance to play for you all here at the Illenium Stadium. You have been a great audience!”
Speaking of the devil, Kylo Ren spoke into the microphone, and as he did, the crowd went wild erupting into a loud cheer. The dark-haired singer raised his hands both in thanks and to quiet the crowd.
“For our last song tonight, I would like to dedicate this song to someone who is very special to me, someone who is in the audience tonight.”
The two boys gawked at the leader of The First Order’s declaration. Kylo Ren did have a soul apparently. In their shock, they missed the growing radiance of their female friend’s smile.
“She has been the source of my inspiration, the sun to my moon, the light to my night, and tonight I’d like nothing more than to let her know how I feel.”
Kylo Ren softly strummed his guitar into a song the crowd had never heard before.
What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time
Poe Dameron felt his mouth drop. He slowly pulled his eyes from the singer and guitarist over to his equally shocked friend. Finn Trooper did the same, meeting Poe’s eyes. Was The First Order actually playing a love song?
Cause there's you and me
And of all people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And there's you and me
And of all other people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
The First Order was indeed playing a love song. Neither of the two boys in their confusion noticed the absence of their dear Rey who was now being escorted to the stage.
What are the things that I want to say
Just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here
As Rey made her way down, a spotlight switched on bathing her with light. Poe and Finn followed the light to the intended target.
“Hey Poe, is that… Rey?”
Poe, who had never closed his mouth, squinted to get a better look. “I think that is.”
Cause there's you and me
And of all other people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And there's you and me
And of all other people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
The boys watched Rey’s descent without a word.
Something about you now
That I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
The escort gracefully ushered Rey onto the stage from the side, the spotlight never once leaving the beaming girl. She walked slowly to the band, her eyes focused only on the man before her. Kylo Ren didn’t stop singing, but his eyes flickered to hers as she approached.
Cause there's you and me
And all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And there's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you and me
And all other people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And there's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why
I can't keep my eyes off of you
Rey blushed, bashfully peering up at Kylo Ren through her eyelashes. They kept their eyes on each other unaware of the crowd before them.
What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive
The music faded, and Kylo slung off his guitar before handing it to Hux behind him. He reached for Rey’s hands, and in one swift motion, dropped to one knee his eyes never once leaving hers in the process. One hand fumbled for the ring box in his pocket.
“Rey Kenobi, you are the love of my life, and the best thing that has happened to me. It would give me great pleasure if you were to become my wife.”
Kylo opened the box revealing a simple diamond ring, big enough to sparkle in the stage lights, but small enough so that it wouldn’t hinder Rey’s hobby of tinkering with droids. Rey wiped away the tears forming in her eyes where she could barely contain her glowing smile.
“Yes,” she whispered. “A thousand times, yes.”
The boy jumped to his feet pulling Rey into an embrace. He tenderly placed a hand on Rey’s cheek looking deep into her hazel eyes with his own. Kylo closed the gap between them placing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss.
The crowd exploded into cheers. Even Hux and Phasma, who were quite skeptical of Kylo Ren’s plan, cheered for their old friend, encouraging the crowd to grow even louder.
Kylo Ren pulled away from Rey Kenobi stroking her soft cheek with his rough thumb, lost in the warmth of her gaze. For a boy who was assumed to never amount to anything, he had found the kindest and warmest person in the galaxy. Kylo Ren had everything.