let go ☽ reylo

"Flames."

Rey stepped into the white, brightly lit room as Luke's lightsaber fumbled around in her bag, which hung heavily on her shoulder. Black synthetic fabric clutched onto her body, her brown hair in one tight knot instead of three. She was ready for training with Kylo.

She placed herself in the middle of the room, the floor a sea of polished red, and an immense space ready for fighting. Kylo hadn't arrived yet, so Rey set down her bag from her shoulder and looked around at the array of training weapons. They were stacked up neatly, each shining and sharp, silver plated and illuminated from the harsh, white light held by the ceiling. Rey's fingers gently trailed against the weapons, she was careful not to slice herself; she noticed an array of small knives, swords, hammers. They looked deadly. Rey caught herself on the reflection of the shiny metal of a sword when she saw a glimpse of another figure's reflection drawing close to her.

Kylo Ren was dressed in solid black fabric, tightly wrapped around his arms and legs, enhancing his broad, muscular build. His dark, wavy hair was tousled and fell down softly to his eyebrows, his eyes tired but aware of Rey and prepared to train.

Rey figured he must of had a rough night of sleep from the dark circles under his eyes.

"Shall we begin?" Kylo's voice echoed in the room, but instead of a cold, somber tone there was warmth and guidance. Rey nodded, walking towards him.

"Will we be using lightsabers?"

"No."

Kylo frowned as he felt Rey's surprise; he gathered weapons from the stacks, a range of knives, daggers, a hammer and a sack to punch all heavily huddled in his arms. His eyes darted to the corner of the room, where there were wooden lightsabers to practise with but he didn't want to use them. Not today, at least.

"No lightsabers?" Rey lifted her eyebrows, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance. "Kylo, you told me we would be training." She walked over to him, and saw the array of weapons and training resources he held tightly in a bundle. She took a few of the weapons on the top of his pile, and placed them in the centre of the room.

Kylo walked over to the centre, bent down and dropped the weapons by Rey's feet.
"You will be training," he said cooly, as he stood straight, "with these."

Rey sighed, her tone soaked with sarcasm. She picked the first weapon she saw, a long, beautiful silver plated sword, and tossed it around in an effortless, playful manner, "With these old things?"

Kylo's soft eyes fixated on Rey. Her ability to almost use anything, do anything effortlessly was an impressive trait of hers. Her artistry with the force, her strength and willpower, even they way she addressed a person was powerful- and he was in complete awe of her.

"Kylo? Should we start?"
Rey's gentle, soft spoken words brought Kylo's focus back.

"Yes. Is that," he pointed his chin towards the sword in her hand, "the weapon you've chosen?"

Rey's eyes fell to the sword she held tightly; it was light, sharp and was the most similar to a lightsaber out of all the weapons. She nodded.

"Okay. Let's begin first with your stance."

Kylo directed Rey from a distance, and spoke very softly with her even when she was beginning to get agitated.

"Okay, okay, my feet are a shoulder width-apart, my hands are both on the sword but it doesn't feel right!" Rey burrowed her eyebrows in frustration, her sword beginning to waver. "I'm not doing something right, I know I'm not just-"

Suddenly, she felt Kylo's large, slender hands on her waist, her back to him. Her breathing hitched and she froze as a tense, red wave flushed over her.
"Your core." Kylo's gentle voiced tickled Rey's neck, "You need to stand with your whole body, build tension right here."
His soft hands lingered for another moment around her waist, as Rey felt warmth rising from where he touched her up to her neck and cheeks.

Kylo stepped back to allow Rey to re-adjust her stance, his palms warm from her touch. He tensed his fingers, his hands already yearning for her touch, the slight curve of her waist, the strength of her stomach, the arch of her back. He nervously looked back to see Rey, but she wasn't faced towards him.

Rey attempted to suppress the warmth burning in her cheeks, and her waist and her body. His touch, the sound of his voice against her neck encapsulated her to a flush of pink flames.

"Rey?" His voice brought her back as she regained her previous composure, "why not choose a different weapon?"

Rey slowly looked at the pile of daggers, knives and hammers and then to her bag she had abandoned in the corner of the room. Luke's lightsaber. She could train with that. And she might even get Kylo to use it. She envisioned the blue light of the saber reflecting on his face- she ran towards her bag.

"I did bring something with me," her fingers stumbled around her bag in search of it, "that I thought I could train with."

Kylo's raised an eyebrow but wondered with curiosity at what she would reveal to him, to which he noticed she had hurried so fast to find.

Rey stood up, Luke's lightsaber gripped in her hand. She presented it to Kylo, the harsh, white light of the room illuminating it in the dark corner to where he was standing, frozen.

"This."

Kylo stared at his Luke's lightsaber. His hands clenched into tight fists, slightly shaking at the wave of memories and fights and love that struck him.
Through clenched teeth, Kylo spat-
"Why did you bring that with you?"

Kylo walked towards Rey as she clutched Luke's lightsaber in her hand, a precious thing wrapped around her fingers.

"Rey, I thought you let go of the light! Yet you still cling to his lightsaber! You said you would join me!" Kylo's anger seeped through his words, his voice deep and booming, echoing against the walls of the room which seemed to be getting warmer to Rey.

"I did join you!" Rey couldn't keep quiet any longer, her head held high in defiance. "I'm with you, Kylo! I'm right here! But I will not let go of the light. And neither will you!."

Kylo's eyes darkened as he turned into a monstrosity of emotions, his veins and heart, blue and red, pulsating heavily. Flames of red burnt through his body, his head hot with heat.

"I feel nothing for the light! And nothing for Luke either!"

He pointed his finger towards the tightly held lightsaber in Rey's hands.

"Don't forget, Rey. The legend you cherish so much tried to kill me with that. The light side is all lies."
And with those cold, hurt words that echoed and etched itself in Rey's mind, Kylo stormed out, his heart burning, his mind in dancing, red flames.

Rey didn't realise she was holding her breath the whole time. She fell down to her knees as the tension of everything, Luke, Kylo, the dark, the light, pulled and tugged at her. She was strong for so long, letting her emotions run free released her mind. But her heart still ached with pain. She let the lightsaber drop to her side, it's thud to the floor echoing like heartbeats against the solid walls of the room, which seemed to close upon her as she clutched herself tightly, letting the harsh light of the room burn into her.