Negotiations (Kylo Ren x Reader)

Nightbrother Village

*TW: very brief instance of dubious consent. Three asterisks (***) at the beginning and end.

Your body was still reeling from finding your release, twice, when Trudgen and Vicrul burst through the entrance of the tunnel, chests heaving and weapons raised. At least you'd just pulled your shirt back on. You snuck a glance at Kylo out of the corner of your eye, finding the planes of his face bathed in the red glow of the moonlight, his dark waves hanging down to his shoulders. You had the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch him, to hold him, even if it meant that everything you'd worked so hard to build would come crashing down around you. As though he sensed your attention, his gaze snapped up to yours. You looked away quickly, swallowing and sucking in a breath. It was a welcome reprieve when the Knights reached you.

"Thank the stars you're alive." Vicrul breathed, grasping your shoulders and assessing you from head to toe, turning you to the side to see the extent of the three large gashes. "And with minimal damage." He turned you back to the front and then noticed your tattoos. "And some new ink?" Trudgen stepped up, taking your hand and holding your arm out into the moonlight to admire it. Kylo tracked his movement, simmering, and Trudgen stepped back immediately.

"Maul branded me like a piece of property." You huffed, but the truth was that very deep down, you were proud to be deemed worthy. After so long, so many people labeling you as second best, someone finally made you feel like you belonged.

"You saw him?" You relayed the story to them, striding over to the still corpse of the Nydak Alpha with a hand on the hilt of your saber, the jagged bone still sticking out of its mouth.

"Badass." Trudgen grinned at you, giving you a high five. You couldn't repress a small smile, glowing at the compliment.

"We need to set up camp." Kylo interrupted, looking out over the horizon as the moon rose higher in the sky.

"What, here?" You stared at him incredulously, gesturing around at the crumbled slabs of stone that surrounded you. "In the Nightmare Ruins?" Vicrul straightened, taking a place at Kylo's side.

"Well, where else would you have us go? Back through the tunnel and into the forest to run into a pack of bane back spiders?" Vicrul shuddered as he spoke, and you snorted.

"Scared of a little spider, Vicrul?" You smirked.

"They're not little." He shot back, shaking his head and retreating into some unspoken and horrible memory.

"Alright, fine. Can we at least get away from all of these Nydak corpses?" You hiked about a half hour more, finally settling on a building that looked like it was semi-intact. Vicrul took his pack off his shoulders and set it on the ground once you'd climbed the stairs, kicking a few stray bones and insect shells off to the side. The floor was not riddled with holes like the other building, and offered a decent lookout over the whole area from the top step.

"Does anyone else still have their pack?" Vicrul looked around at all of you, who shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I was a little busy running for my life." You'd left your pack sitting on the ground where the first Nydak had attacked you.

"Then we only have one tent and one bedroll." Vicrul took them out and tossed them on the ground. You avoided looking at Kylo, something twisting deep in your abdomen.

"It's fine. Let her have the tent. I'll take the first watch." Kylo said gruffly as he swept past, his back to you as he lowered himself slowly onto the top step, resting his elbows on his knees as he looked out over the dark red haze.

"Commander, you're injured." Trudgen called to him as he and Vicrul pulled the tent from its canvas bag and fit the flimsy poles together.

"You're injured?" You said it so softly that you barely heard your own voice. Kylo picked up a stone that was lying next to his feet and threw it out into the abyss.