#while we dream

You stare into Kylo Ren’s eyes for a long time. He keeps his expressions neutral, and you don’t know if it’s to help you or because he genuinely doesn’t feel the need to show concern. Probably the latter. It’s strangely grounding sitting there looking at him. Maybe because it reminded you that there was at least one person who could see you. Someone who knew you were there— knew you were real. 

Maybe it’s some freaky alien magic.

You count the freckles on his face, desperately trying to ignore the fact that you can’t do the other 3 things you can feel, taste, and smell as part of your calming method. Though you can still hear, he doesn’t speak. No comfort but no insults either. You’d count it as progress. 

You don’t know what Kylo sees, but after a few minutes of what felt like hours staring into his eyes, he stands, apparently deeming you fine. Or at least better than before. And as much as you hate to admit it, he’s right. Your hands are less shaky, the electricity is back to its low familiar hum, and your heart rate feels like it’s at a healthy 75 bpm. 

You look around you to see if anyone noticed Kylo crouched down talking to a ghost, but no one is around. The hallway that was so busy when you were walking is now empty, so empty and quiet it feels almost abandoned. What happened to all the people that were passing by?

When you look back up at Kylo, his mask is back on, and he’s looking down another branch of the hallway. It strikes you then, that Kylo had been walking somewhere very deliberately before your little panic attack. You were probably making him late. 

Forcing yourself to stand on wobbly legs, you manage to right yourself despite feeling like a newborn deer. A black mask glances back in your direction, and you feel a little disheartened. Maybe your panic attack had a little to do with the fact that the one person who could see you covered his eyes. 

His focus on you lasts only a few beats, and then he’s walking down the hallway he glanced at, you stumbling quietly behind.

The two of you arrive at a meeting room, this one much larger than the one he stopped you in for a little chit-chat about stalking. Well, not exactly stalking, but close enough. It’s empty, and you’re a little worried he’s going to reprimand you about your emotions or something, but instead he just sits at the head of the long table, silently observing you once more.

It reminds you of the last time you met. You don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, so you focus on something else instead;

The meeting room is a long rectangular shape, with the door on one end and five rhombus-shaped windows on the other. Kylo is sitting at the head of the table closest to the windows, at the end of a long, sleek, black rectangular slab of a table. There’s some sort of fixture or device in the middle of the table, but you have no chance at guessing what it does. There are at least eight chairs seated, though there’s room for plenty more. Guess whoever this meeting was with was for higher-ups only.

Though the room is interesting, you’re ten times more fascinated by the view from the window, walking over to it and hovering your hand in front of the glass. On the other side of this windowpane were thousands upon thousands of stars against an endless black backdrop. Though nearly everything in this room was black, nothing could rival the beauty of pure space. If you were lucky, maybe a planet would pass by. The thought alone fills you with excitement.

“Troopers.” You flinch at the sudden deep voice that interrupts your fascination. Turning to see him still sitting but facing you. You wrack your mind for any ideas of what he means, but you come up blank.

“What?”

“They’re called Stormtroopers.” You can practically feel the distaste rolling off of him. “Does your planet not have any military?”

So the men in white—stormtroopers—were military? That explains the armor, you suppose, but what kind of question was that? 

“Why do you ask? Are you planning on invading it?” He’s silent for a beat, and you grow a little anxious. Oh shit, was he?

“Is that one of your…twenty questions?” It takes a few seconds for your brain to catch up because, oh my god, was that another joke? You can’t help but smile a little.

“Is that one of yours?” you shoot back. Two can play at this game. If he thinks you’ll give up being curious just because he’s being resistant, he’s wrong. You’ll pry the answers out of him if you have to. He owed you that much. 

You can’t see his face, but you’d like to imagine he’s smirking, maybe even a little pleased at your quick comeback. He holds your gaze in what’s—for the first time—a comfortable silence before he changes the subject. You wouldn’t say you won, but, well, you kind of feel like you did.

“Your planet isn’t in this galaxy,” wait, what? “And from what I've seen of your technology and your…companions—” Shoot, he was definitely talking about the pugs. “It’s not worth seizing.” 

Really, you should feel relieved at this news, but the first thing that comes to mind is, ‘Hey! What the hell?’

“Your loss. Earth is great.” What were you even saying right now? “We may not be as advanced, but there are people working day and night to better our planet. And people who spend their whole lives pursuing their dreams and the things they love. And some people love their dogs more than they love their kids, so you’re lucky they can’t hear you; otherwise, we’d have an intergalactic war on our hands.” 

Okay, so maybe you were a little offended that your planet wasn’t worth invading to him. 

“And there’s more than just dogs too; there are cats.” You think back to your little tabby, Toast, what you wouldn’t do to be petting him right now. Kylo tilts his head at you. Of all the things you said in your rant, he tilts his head at cats? Really? Well, you can’t blame him.

“...cats?” Oh, right. Alien. 

“Yes, cats. You know the little ball of fur that tried to eliminate your feet in my kitchen?” Maybe not the best reference to go off of, but you don’t have your phone on you to show him.

“That was not a Loth-cat.” 

You blink. Some kind of air conditioning system kicks on in the background.

“Sorry, what?” It’s all you can think to say because not only does he apparently know what cats are, but he’s saying that yours does not qualify as one. Which—fair, sometimes he seemed more kangaroo-rabbit than cat, but still. How does he know what a cat is—or a loth-cat, as he called it?

He turns back to the table and taps on it; a keyboard blinks to life, hovering just above the surface. You abandon your view of the stars momentarily to get a closer look. Was that… an intractable hologram? Holo-board? Whatever.

He types into it and then swipes, and the device in the middle of the table crackles to life, a hologram shoots up, and you gasp. The teal color illuminates the room, and you resist the urge to walk through the table to get closer to it. 

The creature cast from the hologram is small and fluffy, yes, but that's about where the comparison to a cat ends. It’s got a smooshed face that looks like a mix between a pug and a monkey, talon-like feet, and two triangles protruding so straight up out of its head they look more like cones than ears. You suppose its tail resembled that of a cat’s, but the shape of it was off. Not to mention the pattern of its fur went from striped to spotted in what looked to you like an attempt to be both an owl and a jaguar at the same time. You’d never seen any creature like this before. It certainly wasn’t what you pictured when you thought of aliens, but…neither was Kylo. 

The image makes slow, stationary rotations, allowing you to see it from every angle. Dark, inky black eyes meet yours, and despite its obscureness, you do find it a little cute. Still, now you understand Kylo’s confusion. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” You are, of course, referring to both the hologram and the creature it’s casting. 

When silence once again greets you, you turn to Kylo to see him still staring at you. You don’t know why he seems to observe you so much or why he’s so quiet about everything. Honestly, it’s a little frustrating. Just when you think he’s going to speak again, his fists clench and he jerks his head back to the keyboard. He swipes his finger across it, and the hologram is gone in an instant, just as the door at the end of the room opens up.

The man in the doorway isn’t small, but you can tell just by looking at him that he’s smaller than Kylo is, both in height and in muscle. His face is sour, and his hair is a bright ginger color. He’s looking down at a device with distaste, but the second he notices Kylo in the room, shock crosses his features. Then his eyes narrow in either disgust or suspicion; you can’t really tell. Either way, he’s approaching Kylo Ren differently than the people in the hallway did, and it piques your interest. 

“Ky-Supreme Leader, I did not expect you to be so early. I was just about to send an informant,” Ah. There it is. That slight hesitancy that people approach Kylo with. 

Kylo lifts a hand to wave him off, and the ginger flinches. Now that raises some eyebrows—specifically yours. What was the history there? 

Before you can question it or even think of asking Kylo, seven more people filter into the room, each sporting either a look of surprise or of fear. Why was everyone so shocked that he was early? Was he usually late, or was this a plot of some other kind?

If he was usually late, then why did he rush to get ready to leave? A thought strikes you suddenly: Did he leave early because you were there? A small smirk forms on your face as you revel in the fact that you scared Kylo out of his own room. You file that information away for later.

The men begin casual small talk with each other, exchanging a brief greeting to Kylo but nothing more. You didn’t know their history, but were none of them even going to try talking to him? All of the men in here—save for Ginger—looked older than him by Earth standards. Did they not respect him because he was young? Did they not see him as their boss? 

“Hux.” The room falls quiet, and even you turn to Kylo when he finally speaks. He doesn’t look at you. You felt like you were intruding on something you shouldn’t. “The report.” Gone is any lilt of teasing you had heard in his voice just minutes ago. Replaced once again by the Cold Supreme Leader. You were beginning to wonder if he had DID with how fast he switches.

“Right away, sir.” You’re surprised to find that it’s the ginger that responds. So his name was Hux? What kind of a name was that? You want to ask Kylo, but he feels too far away, and you doubt he’ll answer you when so many people could hear. So you slip your way back over to the window as Hux pulls up a hologram from the table. You’ve been through many work meetings at your previous nine-to-five, and you weren’t trying to sit through any more any time soon. 

The sound of Hux’s voice drones on and becomes background noise as you stare at the endless expanse of space. If you put your head close enough to the glass, you can see just how far the ship extends. It’s a lot larger than you thought, especially because all the hallways look practically the same. For a while you thought you were following Kylo in a loop.

Your cheek hovers less than an inch from the glass when a thought strikes you: could you…stick your head through it? You’ve stuck your head through every surface, but that was here in the ship. If you stepped out into space, could you come back? Surely it couldn’t hurt to try, right?

“And we’ve captured more Resistance, like you ordered. I can’t imagine there are many of them left. If you let me lead the search, we can snuff them out and finally end this war. The galaxy will be ours. All that would be left is to turn the neutral planets to the side of the Order.” Your head whips in the direction of Hux. You hadn’t been paying attention to what he was saying until you heard the word ‘capture,’ and now a sick feeling was growing in your stomach.

Star destroyers. Capturing rebels. War? This…wasn’t a casual space-work meeting about fuel prices and supply deliveries; this was a meeting about war. And Kylo was leading it. 

You inch a step closer as the generals debate the next course of action; your mind is racing, uncertain, and apprehensive. Your eyebrows furrow as you call out—

“War?”

Kylo’s head turns just an inch over his shoulder, just enough so that he can see you in his peripheral vision. Just enough to not arouse suspicion

“What does he mean, Kylo? Who’s the Order? What’s he talking about?” Your heart pounds as you stare into the soulless black of his mask; the room falls silent.

“Supreme leader?” 

He turns his attention back to the room.

“Capture the remaining rebels and bring them to me. I want to personally put an end to the Resistance.”

Your head spins at this newfound information. No wonder everyone was so scared of him. No wonder he was so intimidating. You want to ask questions, pray he’s not as bad as you’re beginning to think he is, but just as you’re about to, it all fades to black.

Your body is back home, but your mind is stuck in another world. Stuck on the people from another world. 

Stuck on the leader of a war.

Pt.11

A/n: Q&A is still ongoing! If you have any questions feel free to ask!~ ☆

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After what you can only describe as a mental breakdown or the world's worst alien invasion, you decided to take a walk outside, needing the familiarity of your neighborhood to remind you that you were real and awake. 

Luckily it was a warm summer evening, so you weren't freezing. By the time you got back home, the sage smell was nearly gone and the sun had long since set. Part of you was scared to go to sleep, but the other part of you…

You stared at your bed for a good while, debating pulling an all-nighter, but you weren’t sure if he’d appear back in your house, and you’d feel a whole lot more vulnerable if he showed up while you were cozied up in your PJs. 

You don’t know which situation you’d prefer—neither, maybe? But at the same time, this was the most interesting thing to happen to you in months, besides getting fired and almost dying. At least for the most part, it seemed you weren’t in any immediate danger. The two of you couldn’t touch—in his world, at least. So if he wanted to hurt you…

You shake your head and slip under the covers. Toast bounds in, and you scoop him up and place him on the bed, praying he doesn’t try to suffocate you in your sleep again tonight. If he did, would you stay in the dream world? You don't want to think about it. 

You turn on your side and sigh, shutting your eyes and waiting for the Sandman to whisk you down to sci-fi town.

~~~~~

You’re surprised when you wake up several times throughout the night to your own ceiling, Toast in various pretzel positions, each more complex than the last. You didn’t know if it was the anxiety making you toss and turn or something else, but when sunlight begins to peek through your blinds, you accept the fact that you survived the night without even a glimpse of a spaceship roof.

Surely this was a good thing? 

Or another sign you should be medicated… Either way, you were welcoming the lack of intrusion to your already new and unfamiliar schedule. You had a whole list of jobs and volunteer opportunities to try, and it would be a lot easier to do so without people looking at you weirdly because you were talking to an invisible spaceman.

You try not to dwell on it for the next three days as you print out copies of your resume and apply to numerous places and positions, but ultimately your mind always ends up wandering back to that evening in your kitchen. The smell of sage, the sweltering heat, and the stranger dressed in all black who was unaffected by it all. Surely there was more to it than this?

It’s not like that evening was a particularly enjoyable experience, but was that really it? You get a glimpse of space, and aliens question you about dogs and insult your technology, and then he just…disappears? No probing or anything? It just didn’t seem…right. Something inside of you was screaming that there was more, but you had no idea what or how to find it.

Briefly, you wonder—if that experience was real—if he’s pondering you as much as you are him. 

You tap your pen against your lips and squint your eyes at your computer screen before looking away with a huff, rubbing your burning retinas. Still no word from any of the jobs you’ve applied for. You might have to consider more volunteer options…

Clicking open a new tab, you go to check if there are any new volunteer options in your area when your phone buzzes. You unlock it and find a message from your neighbor; an obnoxiously colored invite pops up as soon as you open it. You roll your eyes but smile nonetheless, grateful to be invited to her yearly neighborhood barbeque. It would take your mind off of whatever was happening to your sanity. 

Absentmindedly you RSVP and then stand to get ready for your street-litter cleanup duty. It wasn’t really something you could see yourself doing long-term, but it at least ate away the guilt that grew in you for not immediately getting a stable job.

~~~~~

You’re surprised at the excitement that fills you when you open your eyes to sleek black and grey walls. After collapsing onto your bed in exhaustion from your day, you had let your mind wander to the man in all black, “Kylo,” and had fallen asleep to delirious fantasies of him dressed in a neon orange vest picking up soda cans on the side of the highway. Now you were here.

Bolting upright immediately, you let your eyes adjust to the familiar unfamiliarity of the place. You felt like you were looking at it in a whole new light now that you knew you were in space—on a spaceship in space! Of all the places your dreams had ever taken you, this was by far the craziest. Glancing around, you notice nothing was different from last time. God, you didn’t know whose room you were in, but they were either a neat freak or never used this room. Or maybe this was just a spare. Did spaceships in this world account for guest bedrooms? Earths certainly didn’t.

The door to the diagonal room hisses open, and a small puff of steam rolls out with it, the dim space illuminating with a fraction of light. Any thought that this might be a spare or unused room flies straight out into the stars as out steps the man you were sure you’d never see again. Your eyes widen, gliding up and down his strikingly bare torso to the black towel wrapped around his waist. Well, what were the chances he wouldn’t see you?

It takes him two steps before his head whips up, his shoulders tense as one arm reaches out in a holding motion. Why was that his default defense position? What did that accomplish? The air around you is still, both literally and metaphorically, though if you could really breathe it in, you wondered if it would be humid from the steam. Or if it would smell like him. If this was his room, surely everything here would smell like him, right? Not that you could smell him even if you wanted to. Which you don't. Do space people even smell like anything? God, you had so many questions, and this silence was not answering any of them.

Slowly—and as unsurely as someone who had to endure an hour of interrogation from this man can—you raise a hand from his bed and give him a small wave, sparing him the awkward smile that usually accompanies it. His eyes widen, and he takes a deep, long breath; you’re sure you imagine the shakiness behind it as he reluctantly drops his hand to his side. You let him have his moment, already used to (and kind of tired of) this dance of silence between you two. 

His other hand tightens the towel around his waist, and his eyes narrow when he catches your eyes flick to it for a millisecond.

“What are you doing here?” His voice is rough and cold, and his jaw nearly grinds as he says the words, his hand clenching and unclenching at his side. Though you had no control over this situation whatsoever, you had to cut him a little slack—he was clearly in an uncomfortable position. In an attempt at an olive branch, you bring your hands up to cover your eyes and shrug, trying to calm the pounding of your heart and the shake of your leg.

“I don’t know…” It was the truth. You don’t know why you’re here again after so long, but doing this awkward routine again wasn’t going to get the two of you anywhere. Maybe if you started having actual conversations, you could figure out what was going on together. You tell Kylo this much from behind your makeshift blindfold, resisting the urge to peek when you hear him shuffling around the room and pressing buttons. 

“You want to…what?” His skeptical reply comes from somewhere to the left of you.

“It’s called twenty questions. We each take turns asking random questions about each other. It’s something we play on Earth to get to know each other better.” At least that was one version of the game; you didn’t think the other version would work considering the only thing he knows from Earth is ‘dogs.’ 

The shuffling has stopped now, and you wait for any indication that the last beep you heard wasn’t him leaving the room and not telling you. It takes a few seconds, but eventually you hear the quiet mutter of the word “open,” and you open your eyes to see him standing in front of the bed fully dressed. Wherever the towel went, it’s not anywhere to be seen in this room, and it makes you wonder just how many secret compartments this spaceship had—after all, you hadn’t seen a closet anywhere either, and yet….

“So? Do you want to try?” 

A small, methodical beep draws both of your attention to the one-person round dining table to your right. Something that looks akin to an iPad sits flat on it, lighting up briefly as the device beeps. Whatever that meant, it was enough to spur Kylo into action. He stalks across the room to grab the device and then makes his way back to the front door, stopping only to grab his helmet and gloves beside the bed. 

For a second you think he’s just going to leave you here alone without another word, but when he reaches the doorway, he turns to you and commands you to ‘Stay’ before the door shuts behind him and he’s gone.

You can’t help but gape at the empty space where he just was. Did he just command you to stay put? Like a dog? (which he’d only so recently learned about?) Yeah, there was no way you were going to listen to that.

You get up from the bed and pad over to the door, taking a deep breath and closing your eyes before peeking just your head through it, making sure the coast was clear. You weren’t going to listen to him, but you didn’t want him to get angry again either. 

The other door is just shutting when you peek your head out, and you catch a sliver of a billowing black cape, but it’s gone in seconds. The longer you linger in the door (literally), the more a familiar pull begins to grow in your stomach, and you nearly roll your eyes. You didn’t know what that was all about, but last time you followed it, it led you to Kylo. 

What was this freaky voodoo curse on your body? 

You step out of the room and do a pedestrian half-walk, half-jog across the white room, like you’re crossing the street and you’re in a car's way. Only you’re not on a street, and the only person whose way you seem to be in is Kylo’s. What was his deal? Was he born this grumpy, or does he have some sort of tragic childhood backstory that caused him to be this way? 

You fell into the pool in front of your crush when you were a kid; that nearly caused your villain origin story. Really, you were going too easy on the world.

Peeking through into the hallway you know is there, you’re seconds too late to see which direction Kylo went after the first left turn, but the pull in your stomach is all too enthusiastic to give you directions. You want to grumble at the newly installed Google Maps in your gut, but instead, you just follow where it leads. You had no idea how long you’d stay here and how long it would be until you came back—if you came back—and this time you’re going to take your sweet time, admiring the architecture and infrastructure of the ship. It’s nothing like you’d ever see back on earth, and damn if you weren’t going to soak it all in while you could. 

Maybe you should look into being an astronaut when you get back. You’d already had the brief stage in your childhood when you wanted to be one. Daydreaming about living on the moon, glow-in-the-dark stars scattered about the walls. But you’d grown out of it after a while. This, though, was a whole ‘nother level. If only it didn’t take three years of related experience, one thousand pilot hours, and a master’s degree in a STEM field. It’s like they didn’t want anyone to join.

Stupid space people and their stupid space cliques. Whatever. You were the one on a spaceship in another world, so who’s laughing now? Never mind the fact that you don’t know how you got here or how to get home or if this place is even real.

The hallways are surprisingly empty, and you wonder if the ship had a small crew or if it was so big there were just no people for miles in every section. Briefly, you remember the first time you were here the hallways near his room were empty then as well. Maybe people just avoided this part of the ship because Kylo Ren is a huge grump. 

You’re passing by a door when the pull tugs, and you roll your eyes, turning and phasing through it. It’s dark, none of the lights are on, and for a second you think the pull dragged you in here just for shits and giggles, but then a stark mechanical voice cuts through the quiet hum of electricity.

“What are you doing?” If you squint, you think you can see him in the corner of the room; his arms are crossed, and you can’t tell if it’s defensive or patronizing. A little of both, probably. You copy his stance, and try as you might, you’re sure you look more like a petulant child than any sort of intimidating.

“I'm on a spaceship in space, and you expect me to stay put?” Why did he care anyway? It’s not like you could actually touch anything on board, let alone break something. 

“You’re going to cause distractions.” As your eyes adjust to the dark room, you’re able to see Kylo better and take notable notice of his unwavering stare, suddenly subconscious of the fact that you are indeed still in the pajamas you went to bed in. Compared to his excessive getup, you were severely underdressed. Luckily that wasn’t an issue, all things considered.

“Distractions?” You squint your eyes at him, though you’re not sure if he can see it or not beneath the mask. “They can’t even see me.”

The silence stretches on a beat too long, and you’re confused as to why he seems adamant that your presence would be an interference. You couldn’t touch anything, and the only person who could see you was him. Surely he wasn’t implying he was distracted by your being there…right?

In a swift motion, Kylo Ren is stalking towards you and then passing by you in a motion so quick you might’ve been knocked over if he could actually touch you. It didn’t stop you from flinching at the suddenness. 

You follow after him at a normal distance this time; you know he knows you're there, and he knows you know he knows. Neither of you acknowledges this. Instead, you focus your attention on the rows of lights and panels and strange shapes and devices you’ve never seen before. This was so far beyond anything Earth was currently capable of it was almost comical. 

When you look at the far superior technology, you can’t help but be reminded of your conversation days ago, and it reignites a suspicion within you. You speed up your gait, something that feels nearly effortless without the weight of a real body, until you’re in front of Kylo, walking backwards as he doesn’t seem keen on stopping.

“Are you sure you’re not the one doing this? I mean, you obviously have the technology for it.” You try to keep the skepticism from your voice, but—well, you’re only human. And he was only…actually, you don’t know what he is.

“I would not waste the energy to elicit such an...obstruction.” He tilts his head towards you a little when he says the last part, and you frown. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle, and well, you shouldn’t be offended, but you are—just a little bit.

He makes a sudden turn you didn’t see coming—because you’re walking backwards—and you’re once again reminded of the vastness of this spaceship. Even more curious, though, is his natural navigation of the ship with seemingly no map or instructions. But maybe people from his planet are born with built-in Google Maps. Curse him and his deceptively human features. 

“Where are we?” you finally ask, after you’re over the initial sting of the jab. 

“We’re aboard my ship, the Steadfast, a resurgent-class star destroyer.” He says it in such a casual way, like you two were discussing the weather and not like he just spoke pure gibberish. 

“Wait, wait, wait—a star destroyer? What does that mean?” He gives you a look that you can feel through the mask, and you roll your eyes. “Obviously I know what those two words mean, but—it actually destroys stars? Like planets? With people on them?” He clenches his fists, and that dread you felt when he was interrogating you in your kitchen comes back. For some reason it felt so easy to forget how much of a threat this man was. Or how much he posed as one, at least.

Adamant on avoiding any outbursts or sudden whims for bloodlust from the man in front of you, you decide to stow away that information until further notice and change the subject.

You swallow, scan your brain for a new topic, and appreciate the way your ghost body doesn’t shake the way your real body would have right now. 

“So…twenty questions—” You’re abruptly interrupted by the sudden presence of the men in white armor rounding the corner towards you. They seem to freeze for a second before moving to hug the wall, their chins tall and shoulders tense. They don’t let up until the two of you have passed, and they seem to scurry away as soon as they’re out of Kylo’s eyesight.

“What was that about?” You’re not sure if he was going to answer you, but when you round the corner the men in white came from, there’s suddenly a hallway full of people. Some in white, some in some sort of uniform, and some who are…robots? As soon as they spot Kylo, they all seem to go quiet and stick to the walls, and even though you really want to, you avoid making a joke about how it feels like you’re walking with the Queen of England. 

“Wow…you’re kind of a big deal.”

You shouldn’t have said that out loud. You probably gave him an ego boost, not that you could tell since his reaction is covered by his mask. Maybe you should ask what that’s about for one of your questions. Though you desperately wanted to avoid the whole ‘fists-clenched-and-reaching-for-a-potential-weapon’ thing he liked to do when prodded for answers. So you choose a question you hope is a little less deadly.

“Who are those men in white armor?” You fold your arms and squint at him, speeding up so you can walk facing him—again. At least walking backwards is ten times easier without a corporeal form.

“You ask a lot of questions.” 

You snort, decidedly not bringing up the fact that he asked you just as many questions when he was in your world and you answered all of them. It wasn’t because you were intimidated or anything… In fact, to show him how not intimidating he was, you were going to be petty and be quiet. That’ll sure show him. 

You think you feel something deep inside of you groan and roll its eyes. Your dignity, probably.

You fall back into step with him, even walking just a little behind as your feet drag. Well, attempt to drag. You weren’t really touching the floor, but you couldn’t think too hard about that, or you might fall right through it. 

Kylo continues to say nothing, and you internally huff at his unaffectedness. It seemed like he only had two emotions: indifferent and angry. 

You pass by a few more people on your way to wherever, and when you pass one of the people in white armor who’s clinging to the wall as their head bows briefly in submission, you step towards them to get a better look.

The material of their suit is shiny and pristinely white, with a texture you wish you could feel; the urge to flick it and see how it reacts runs through you. There are only a few scuff marks, the majority of which are on the small, complicated-looking black device in their hands. If you look closely enough, you see it trembling slightly. Hmm. You spare a glance at the tall black figure who’s now stopped in the middle of the hall, then return your attention to your subject.

If you hadn’t already seen a few other human-like people’s faces, you’d assume masks and helmets were mandatory in this universe, seeing as Kylo never left his room without his and these people in white always had theirs on. By the shape of the mouthpiece, you wondered if it helped them breathe. Maybe only certain people could breathe on this spaceship? That didn’t seem fair. Then again, nothing about the man you accompany who claimed this as “his" spaceship screams fair.

“You.” A dark, robotic voice calls out, and you shiver. The other person flinches. Jeez. Either these guys were hyper-paranoid or Kylo was a bad boss. If only you could ask for the inside scoop, but alas, you’re stuck with tall, dark, and grumpy over there.

You turn to him, unsure if he was talking to you or Mr. Paranoid over here. His eyes are shielded from your sight, but somehow you get the feeling he was definitely talking to you. You throw your hands up in surrender, aware you’ve been caught, and mope your way back to his side. Really? He wasn’t even going to let you explore? Where was his sense of joy? Whimsy? Adventure?

Probably on one of those stars he destroyed, you think to yourself, though the urge to mutter it is strong. 

You spare a glance back at Mr. Paranoid to see him heave a sigh of relief, stumbling a little as he continues his walk down the hall in the opposite direction. Poor guy, you hope he works through that trauma in space therapy.

Turning back to Kylo, you eye him with a newfound curiosity, even greater than before. He called this his ship; people stop to let him pass, and they nearly shit themselves when they think he’s called on them. Just what was this guy's deal? Who did the universe tie you to? Why would you be connected to someone so dangerous? Were you ever going to learn why this was happening? 

Your thoughts are interrupted by the subject of your thoughts’ voice, “Distractions,” is all he says, and you snicker, but you swear you hear a fragment of teasing this time. No way. Did Grumpy McGrumperson know how to crack a joke? Somebody go tell Mr. Paranoid right now; maybe they could become best friends after all.

Kylo and Paranoid sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N–

“Are you going to do the opposite of everything I tell you?“ aaaand there he goes. Damn it, you thought you two were having a good time. He was 0.1% funny, you were 0.1% closer to not dying… You had a good thing going. Why did it feel like every time you got closer to opening him up, he shut you out? 

If he visits Earth again, you’re taking him to therapy.

Sighing, you speed walk ahead of Kylo and wave your hand in front of what looks like some sort of human captain or officer's face. He keeps walking without blinking an eye as his head goes directly through your hand. Or vice versa. You shiver at the sight of it but don’t feel any more solid than before. You didn’t actually know if that would work again.

“S-see? They can’t see me, or hear me, or…” Your eyes drift to the hand the person walked through. For some reason—God knows why because you’re certainly not freaking out—it’s shaking. “or touch me.” 

Kylo’s stopped walking again; you can feel his eyes bore into you, but your gaze remains fixed on your hand. They can’t touch you. Nobody can touch you. You practically don’t exist. What would you do if Kylo couldn’t see or hear you? You’d probably think you died and went to Space Heaven. What if this was permanent? What if you couldn’t go back home and you stayed a ghost in this world forever? What if this started happening to you when you woke up on Earth?

The shakiness in your hand increases, and you grasp it with your other hand to make it stop but it only gets worse. The sound of men in white marching blurs with the hammering of your heart until you can’t tell which is which. The low hum of electricity that had become background noise grows and grows until it becomes almost unbearable, battling with the train of your thoughts. 

Were you even… real anymore? Had you died that night the car almost hit you? The ground beneath you looks like it shifts, and nausea suddenly overwhelms you. That’s right, you were moving. Your body was moving on a spaceship. Or it would be—if you were really here. 

You wanted to wake up—no, you needed to wake up. You didn’t want to be here anymore, You couldn’t be. One of your feet phases through the floor and your body collapses; you catch yourself on your hands in a fall that surely would’ve hurt if you could feel it. You can’t feel the floor. Your vision starts to go a little blurry as panic consumes you. You feel nauseous, but could you even throw up? What… What was happening to you? 

As you tremble on the ground, you don’t even register the soft click and hiss above you. It’s not until his face comes into view that you realize his helmet is off. 

He’s crouching in front of you. He doesn’t attempt to touch you. Neither of you knows what would happen if he did. You’re too shaken to test it right now. Your eyes meet his, and even through your fear a twinge of embarrassment creeps up through you. Because as you stare at his blank face, you know the expressions he sees on yours:

Terror. 

Pt.10

A/n: I've been really wanting to do a q&a, if you guys have any questions please leave them in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them! ~ ☆

-----Taglist------

You know how in life there are those days that make you want to squeeze lemon juice directly into a fresh cut just to feel something? Well, you were having one of those days.

You’d just been laid off from your job and to make matters worse you locked your keys in your car while you were packing away your desk essentials. It would take the mechanic two hours to arrive so you could either sit there looking pathetic in the parking lot of the job you just got fired from or you could take a walk.

Yeah, you weren’t going to humiliate yourself with that first option, especially not after all your coworkers avoided eye contact with you as you packed up your belongings. 

Running your hands through your hair, you sighed in frustration, looking up at the cloudy gray abyss above you. Well at least the weather matched your mood, you just hoped it would hold off on raining until after you were back home. Maybe then you could cuddle up with your cat and a good book and forget today ever happened.

Walking in the opposite direction as your old office building, you turn around to glare at it in all its boring corporate glory.

“Good riddance” you mutter under your breath as you shove your hands in your pockets and let the sidewalk lead you to something that would hopefully brighten your day.

You’d never really gotten to explore the area around your work aside from the coffee and bagel shop you’d frequent for breakfast and the deli two buildings down where you’d get lunch. You’d miss the sandwiches at that deli but there was no way you would go back there and risk running into your coworkers. It was only noon and today was already one of the worst of your adult life experiences. 

It wasn’t like you particularly liked that job, you yearned for a creativity that would never be found behind a wooden desk in a cubicle. Still, you’d made a few accomplices and had started growing used to your routine.

You didn't know if it was bad luck or the universe telling you to finally do something more adventurous with your life but either way, you’d need to find a new job soon.

So lost in thought, you don’t even realize where you are until you stumble over a stray tree root. Only then do you notice the gorgeous park you’re in. It’s roughly the size of a large backyard but it’s filled with so many plants and tall trees that you could nearly forget you were in the middle of a city if the honking of traffic didn’t give it away.

Flowers of every color blossom all along the brick pathway and all sorts of pollinators flitter around the garden. It’s a wonder they can find their way to this place through all the buildings and construction around but if you lived here you’d probably never leave it anyway.

It would feel like a segment pulled straight out of a forest if it weren’t for the fountain in the middle of it all. It’s a beautiful circle made out of white marble with a woman in the center holding some sort of pot where the water is flowing from. 

It’s nothing but a simple statue but something about the woman's eyes is warm and motherly, whoever carved them must have spent a lot of time on them to get them to feel so inviting. They don’t look directly at you, however, they focus just to the right of where you're standing and you follow the line of sight till you notice something in the bushes.

Curious as to what could be so important that they’d face the statue towards it, you move to investigate the mysterious object and are pointedly surprised to find a coin machine buried amongst the leaves and vines. It reads:

“Wish coins. Hold the coin in your hands and make a wish then toss it into the fountain. The Universe is kind to those with pure intentions. Only one per person!” 

From the looks of it, no one’s used it in a long time and it makes you sad that humanity has seemingly given up on simple things like making a wish in a fountain. You remember doing it once or twice as a kid, although your wishes never came true- it was probably for the best that you didn’t receive 15 puppies and all the toys in the world at age 8.

It only costs a penny to get a coin from the machine so after a few minutes of digging through all your pants pockets you manage to scrounge up one dirty penny made in 2003 from your back pocket. You insert it and twist until your ‘wish coin’ comes out with a clank.

It’s bigger than a dollar coin and looks like something you’d get at an arcade or gaming festival. It’s got a star on both sides instead of anything remotely similar to real currency but it holds the weight of real metal and looks entirely made of copper. Even if you don’t throw it in it’s a pretty cute trinket to have found.

Checking your watch, you see that you still have an hour until the mechanics can get to your car so you walk over and take a seat on the fountain, admiring the greenery, you think about how you probably never would have found this place if all of the bad stuff didn’t happen. Although you didn't know if this surpassed the loss of your job you were grateful to have found such a beautiful place to rest and wait. 

Taking a deep breath in, you flip the coin in your palm over a few times, staring at it in consideration. It couldn’t hurt to try…could it? 

Truth be told, you don't know why you’re putting so much thought into it but maybe there was a small part of you that still believed in silly things like this. The little girl in you that held out hope that things like magic actually exist somewhere in this world.

Standing up, you turn and face the fountain as you clutch onto the coin with both hands and think of the perfect wish. What is it that you really wanted anyway? 

A job? No, that was something you needed, and it didn't feel like something worth wasting a wish on. 

A partner? Now that would be nice, someone to come home to and cheer you up on days like these, but even that didn’t feel right and you didn’t want to end up in one of those shitty genie situations where they take your words literally and end up screwing you over.

What was it that you truly wanted? Adventure? Excitement? Something to look forward to in a world that makes you constantly look back? That felt like the right direction but you had no idea how to phrase it so you just poured everything you were feeling into the coin and then flicked it into the clear blue water.

As it sank to the bottom you held your breath as you waited for something to happen. You don’t know what you were expecting, it’s not like everything you wished for would just magically appear out of nowhere…

You waited a few minutes, shifting anxiously on your feet as you stared at the coin at the bottom of the fountain. There were no other coins in the water and you wondered if someone came to clean it often, even the water was flawlessly clear despite the area being so secluded. You wondered if your coin would soon be cleaned out and debated fishing it out of the water. 

It was pretty cute but maybe you could just grab a second one from the machine? You fisted your pockets for another penny but came up empty so you resorted to searching the surrounding dirt for any lost change. Much to your luck there was a single penny underneath one of the within-reach bushes and you quickly inserted it into the slot and tried to twist.

The machine didn’t budge. Was it broken? You tried twisting again, taking the penny out and putting it back, and even lightly smacking the machine but nothing worked. The “only one per person" sticker staring at you tauntingly. Perhaps that was your sign to stop trying. 

Sighing, you glance at the time and decide you should probably start to head back if you want to make it to your car before the mechanic people do. Before you go though, you take one last look into the statue's warm eyes, letting the tiniest ounce of hope spark through you.

“I don’t really know what I wished for but… I hope it comes true.” You turn to walk away but then hesitate, taking in the scenery one last time “And I hope it makes me happy.”

Pt.2

After maneuvering around the brick wall of a man in your kitchen, you finally manage to grab yourself some water to hopefully help cool your nerves. At least the kitchen island managed to put somewhat of a barrier between you two, though the constant feeling of eyes burning into you has you rubbing your temple with a sigh. The scent of sage is still lingering through the house, and your eyes glance at the closed windows one too many times. Your hands tap restlessly against the smooth glass of your cup. You clearly had much bigger problems.

So much has happened in the past thirty minutes that you have no chance of understanding, but you’re by far the most confused by what you’ve just been asked.

You ask… Kylo, as he told you to call him, to repeat himself. 

“What is a dog?” 

Oh, good. Okay, so you weren’t imagining that absolutely absurd question coming out of his mouth. You bite your lip in apprehension. Having forgotten for just a second that this man was not from Earth, no matter how human he looked. You fight the shiver that climbs your spine, a question forcing its way from your throat before you can think. 

“Where did you say you were from again?” Uncertainty laces the question, the taste of it metallic and hard to swallow. Certainly unrelated to the open wound you’ve managed to tear into your lip.

It feels like a bucket of ice has doused the small flame of confidence you had stoked. You had no idea how dangerous this man was or what his intentions were. The scar on his face certainly told you more than you wanted to know. This man… was not from here, and just because the door couldn’t touch him doesn’t mean he couldn’t touch you. He probably had all kinds of otherworldly technology if the weird rod on his hip was any indication.

He barely twitches, and you’d have assumed he hadn’t heard you if it weren’t for the way his eyes sharpen. 

“You told your neighbors I was a stray dog.” You try again to swallow the heavy lump in your throat that you’re beginning to suspect might be your heart. You didn’t know he heard you. “Is that an insult?” His tone is final; you get the feeling if you tell him the wrong answer….

His hand twitches at his side, and with every second you don’t answer him, you can feel his patience waning. Your heart pounds, but your throat refuses to work. The glass of water trembles only slightly as you bring it to your lips. You were in no position to explain that fact, that it technically could be an insult, but that you certainly hadn’t meant it that way.

You get the feeling he might not believe you.

Before he can get more irritated or attempt to use the metal rod on his hip, you fish your phone out of your pocket and fumble to unlock it.

“I’ll… I’ll show you." 

Maybe he couldn’t touch you, but you had no idea if the thing on his hip followed the same rules. Either way, this man exudes intimidation like he’s a cop and you’re a teen that just got caught trying to rob a bank. Even his posture seemed to scream, ‘You’re out of your league.’

What was it he had called himself earlier? ‘Supreme leader?’ Yeah, whoever this guy was, he definitely had experience in doing… Whatever it was he was doing to you right now.

You Google ‘dogs’ and click the images option, sliding the phone across the kitchen island counter as far as you’re willing to reach towards him. 

His eyes hone in on the small device, and your hands fidget. His view is limited to only six images on your small screen, but his eyes drink them all in. You’re certainly not going to try reaching over to scroll down for him. 

You hope he enjoys the pictures of what looks to be a golden retriever puppy, a German shepherd, and… You cringe—a pug. Well, life was good while it lasted. 

Honestly, you’re a little surprised he’s not asking you to take him to your leader or stealing all your cows like you thought was standard alien protocol. No, instead he wanted to make sure that you hadn’t insulted him in your frantic attempt at grasping your sanity. Maybe you should’ve let your neighbors call the police on you…

Toast comes up to play with your foot, and you flinch at the unexpected presence. At the very least, you had enough self-control to not accidentally dropkick your cat. It wasn’t his fault; he didn’t know you were holding your breath that the 6-foot-something man across from you didn’t find a way to strangle you without hands.

The silence stretches on for an almost unbearable amount of time, and you shift on your feet, taking another sip of water and glancing at all the windows once more for an entirely new reason. 

Kylo stares at your phone long after the screen goes dark, and you bite your lip again, tearing at the soft flesh that’s already becoming a little raw. Maybe one day you’ll kick the nervous habit, but right now it was all you could do to ground yourself in reality.

“It was an excuse!” You blurt out when the tension becomes too much. His eyes snap to yours, and you figure now is as good a time as any to try and explain yourself. Before you gave him any more time to contemplate how to kill you just by glaring at your phone.

“My neighbors couldn’t see you—which I don’t know about where you’re from, but here something like that could get me locked away for years.” Avoiding eye contact in favor of your half-full glass of water and a singular glance at Toast as he saunters away from you to the other side of the island. “I didn’t want them to think I was… I was crazy.”

You cringe again as you say it; maybe you weren’t helping your case by admitting that people would think you’re crazy for seeing him.

“It wasn’t an insult.” You finally clarify; a drop of condensation rolls down the glass in a way you can relate to. Your clothes on the precipice of being a little too glued to your body. It was summer, after all, and you hadn’t had the chance to turn on your AC. Your eyes slide over to your windows once again for an entirely third reason. You’d never again underestimate the power of an open window.

Your attention is pulled from your thoughts at the slightest crumb of movement in front of you, the most you’ve seen from the man in what’s felt like hours. 

His chin has dipped an inch, and his eyes are cast downward at something far enough down you can’t see it from where you’re standing. The look in his eyes shifted from a daunting glare to something a little more…curious.

It sparks a human need in you to see what has drawn his attention, and you briefly consider rounding the corner just to get a glimpse, but you know what they say: curiosity killed the cat.

Your eyes widen, darting around your living room for any sign of a tiny fluffball bounding his way around, but there is none. Your cat is very likely on the other side of the island doing who knows what to Kylo’s feet. Now you really wished you could round the corner to see what was going on. You push onto your toes as subtly as you can, straining just a little, but it’s no use.

Questions race through your mind: Can your cat touch him? Was he currently trying to gnaw off Kylo’s ankles like he does to you? God, you hope this man doesn’t kill your precious, brainless son for lacking environmental awareness.

“This creature…” he starts, his head tilting a total of 0.2 degrees, and you reach for your phone to Google ‘cats,’ stopping short when his scrutiny turns back to you, both of you tensing.

You have no idea why he’s so on edge; sure, the circumstance was unfamiliar, but he clearly had all the power in this situation. His presence alone made you want to shrink in on yourself, and you were in the safety of your own house!

A car drives by outside, and he turns his head to it; you, as subtly as you can, grab your phone and place it in your pocket.

“Your technology is outdated.” You squint your eyes at him, taking in his expressions and posture, and only when you’re sure he’s not on the verge of manslaughter do you shrug. There’s not much you can say to that. It’s not like you were in a position to give a five-hour lecture on how humanity has come a great deal from Flintstones-level technology.

Compared to what this guy has seen, it was probably nothing anyway, which reminded you—

“That place I saw in my dreams,” his eyes shift from the view of the street to you, and you suppress a shiver at the eye contact—this man could hold a gaze like he was an emperor. “That’s where you’re from? “Your world?”

Absent-mindedly, you rhythmically tap the glass of water once more, wishing for the sound of rain or anything to drown out the recurring silences between you two. Unfortunately, the universe hated you and liked to see you suffer.

The nod of his head is almost imperceptible, and he doesn’t provide you with any more information than that, which is rude considering you answered all of his questions so diligently despite being freaked out of your mind.

Foregoing a sigh for fear of irritating him, you nod your head in acknowledgement and take a sip of your water, your throat suddenly dry.

Somewhere outside, you hear your neighbors talking to one another, the birds chirping and singing, and the trees rustling in the gentle summer breeze. The sun shines through your windows and brightens the whole house. It’s hard for you to imagine living your life without these kinds of subtle pleasantries.

You remember watching a documentary that explained how space was completely silent. Had Kylo lived his whole life in that silence? Instead of birds and trees, was all he had the low hum of electricity aboard a spaceship? It all seemed so…cold.

Was that why he was being so silent? Was this new to him? Were the birds and sun too much for his senses? After all, you had no idea how long he’d lived in space—his whole life? Only part of it? 

Still, it doesn’t explain why he’s being so cryptic about everything… unless—

“Are you the one doing this?” You eye him with a newfound skepticism; you had no idea what his technology was capable of, and he certainly wasn’t keen on telling you about it. 

This time, when he shakes his head, his brows furrow, and for a second you think you see a hint of genuine confusion, but then it’s gone. 

And so is he.

One second he was standing in your living room right across from you, and the next it’s like he was never there. The rudeness of it is so abrupt it takes you a second; you blink dumbly at the empty space he was just occupying before rounding the island. The only thing that greets you on the other side is Toast, your precious cat, who swats at the place where Kylo used to be and then turns triumphantly to go take a nap. Having concluded that he vanquished whatever was there.

You supposed that meant the coast was clear… for now. Maybe you should still book an appointment…

~~~~

Kylo awakes to the sound of an officer outside his door, the knocking having roused him abruptly from his sleep. Although he’d hardly call what just happened a dream.

“Supreme Leader, your presence is requested for an urgent meeting.” 

He sighs out a response, hardly fazed by the interruption. He was lucky to get any amount of sleep after taking on his position as Supreme Leader. 

He sits up, rolling his shoulders, and is surprised at the lack of heaviness that usually follows. Was this a result of the interaction that transpired while he slept? This… This was something different. Entirely different from his dyad connection with Rey and yet so similar.

He stands and begins to get ready, pausing when he gets to his gloves. His mind drifts to that cold night with Rey, when their hands touched through the bond—then it shifts to you. He slips the gloves on and clenches his fists. He wills the thoughts of last night far from his mind as he slips on his helmet. He had work to do. An empire to crumble. His mind could not be swayed by yet another distraction.

No matter how intriguing she and her world are.

Pt.9

A/n: Guess who's baaaaaaaaack! ~ ☆

-----Taglist------

The room you’ve stepped into is large and wide, with ceilings stretching far past the expanse of any of the other rooms you passed. There’s various mats strewn along the floor and a few racks with weapons fastened to them.

If you had to guess you’d say this was a training room.

In the middle of the room is a group of people in white armor all standing stock-still in a box formation as one of them with a strange orange shoulder pad talks to a man in all black.

The man in all black immediately radiates power and you figure that's where the intimidating feeling is seeping from. From what you can see, he’s wearing an all-black outfit with a long black cape and a hood. You can’t see his face from this angle but you can hear what he’s saying and it doesn’t sound good.

“Commander, if the only time your troops are properly disciplined is when I’m the one doing it then perhaps the problem lies with you.” The white armor guy with the orange shoulder pad nods, although you’re sure he’s probably trembling under his suit. You know you would be if you were in his position, the man in black's words are a clear threat.

“I understand, Supreme leader, I will double their training and punish them accordingly if you give me the chance” You can hear the slight quiver in his voice as he answers, and it makes you curious as to how one man could cause so much fear. You wonder if he’s some sort of alien or horrifically scarred monster. Or if the mask in that room belonged to him and his whole face was practically burnt off. That would garner the type of reaction the ‘Commander’ is having.

Unable to resist the need to see what he looks like, you take a tentative step closer when the man in black's head whips in your direction. You freeze, the black soulless eyes of a mask stare directly into you. 

You want to turn and run but you remember the other people couldn’t see you so you stay put, turning your head, you check to see if there’s anyone behind you but there’s not a soul in sight. Creepy. Maybe he just heard something outside the door? 

“Dismissed.” His voice is deep and absolute, it leaves no room for hesitation or questioning, and at his command every single man in white files out of the room. You unconsciously step out of the way despite knowing they would probably pass through you. The man in black never turns his gaze away from you. There was no way he could see you? Right?

Once every other person has left the room the place becomes deathly silent. You can’t feel the air but if you could you’re sure it would be suffocating. Your heart is nearly pounding out of your chest and you’re sure you’re going to wake up from this nightmare any minute now. 

“Droid.” You almost flinch, furrowing your brow in confusion as you assume he’s addressing you until a small black and gray ball in the corner springs to life and rolls over. “Detect nearby lifeforms” His hollow eyes still never leave you even when commanding the ball.

The small thing beeps a few different notes and various colors flash on its tiny head before a robotic voice exclaims;

“No other lifeforms detected, Sir” With a wave of a hand the ball is dismissed and it rolls away back to its corner and powers off. The man in front of you tilts his head.

“You again.” This time you’re certain he’s speaking to you. You don’t know how or why he can see you but more than that his words catch you off guard.  

It’s your turn to tilt your head as you whisper out “Again?” in confusion. You don’t recall ever meeting this man in real life or in any of your dreams, and you would remember a man like him.

He takes a single step forward and you follow with a single step back. The others couldn’t hurt you because they couldn’t see you, but he might be different. You were beginning to wonder if this was really a dream after all. To try and test it out, you pinch yourself and are surprised when the pain blossoms on your arm. 

Shit. Where were you? How do you wake yourself up like last night? You needed to get out of here. You stumble a few steps backwards and the man reaches out with his hand. You’re not sure why, there was no way he could reach you from where he’s standing. 

For the first time in what feels like hours, his gaze drops from you to his hands like he’s confused about why he couldn’t reach you from several feet away and you take his moment of distraction to make a run for it.

You immediately turn around, flinching as you pass through the door you entered through and trying to remember the way you came. If you could find your way back to that room maybe you could wake yourself up again. 

Much to your advantage, in this weird dream-like state your body seems to have endless stamina so you’re flying through the corridors with ease. The solace you feel is short-lived, however, as a glance behind you shows the masked man hot on your heels.

His long gait is almost equivalent to your run and you’re a little irritated at how slow he’s making you look by walking that fast. You don’t know if you’ve ever seen anyone walk with that much purpose and power. 

After what feels like a million left turns and one right you finally make it back to the door you first passed through, barely noticing the fact that the closer you got to it the more scarce people became. Wasting no time, you dash into the blindingly white room once more, ignoring the mask as you pass it and phase back into the familiar bedroom you started in.

The doors at least managed to slow your pursuer for a moment and you take advantage of his delay. Shutting your eyes tight you try to imagine your bedroom ceiling but your chest is heaving from pure adrenaline and you can hear his footsteps getting louder and overall it feels impossible to focus. 

You back away from the door as it beeps from the other side, frantically looking for someplace to hide but the chance slips away from you as the door slides open. The man's frame takes up practically the entire doorway and now that he’s only a few feet in front of you you experience the full expanse of his height. 

What were the chances that this guy wouldn’t kill you? Probably pretty low right?

He steps into the room and the door shuts behind him, leaving the two of you alone in the low fluorescents of the room. 

The low fluorescents that turn on when he enters the room because in this crazy world you were in he’s the one who’s actually real despite it all feeling otherwise. 

You stare at the blood red cracks that run along this stranger's mask. Your heart is pounding so loud you’re sure even he can hear it, and you attempt once more to force yourself awake to no avail. When you open your eyes again his head is tilted like he finds your actions to be incredibly intriguing. Or perhaps he just thought you were crazy, even you wouldn't rule out the possibility at this point. 

At least on a positive note, the incessant tugging in your chest has gone away, replaced by a small but soothing warmth instead. It only made you more confused. Your mind and body were at odds; your head was full of fear, imagining all the different ways this man could mutilate you- while your body was at ease, a content lull thrumming through your ghost-like veins.

He reaches his hand out once more, this time in more of an E.T.-like gesture and though you’re tempted to reach out and complete the gesture, your fear is stronger than your nerdiness and you take another step back accidentally phasing through the small loveseat at the foot of this bed. 

The image is just as weird for you as you’re sure it is for him, not that you can see his expression behind that intimidating mask. You don’t know what to do or how to get back home but the silence is becoming suffocating even for someone with no real lungs. 

When the man retracts his hand and makes no attempts to get any closer to you your body releases a small amount of tension. It’s as if he realized how trapped and scared you felt and was making an attempt to -at the very least- seem civil.

The small gesture gives you enough confidence to finally find your voice and though you’re not sure if he’ll hear you, you try anyway-

“Who- Who are you? Where am I?” He doesn’t move a single inch and you’re beginning to think he can’t hear you in this state but your panic and frustration begin to shine through anyway. Even if he can’t hear you, you think it might help you to voice your problems.

“Do you know why I-” You look down at the part of you that’s phasing through the loveseat and then look at your hands. To you, they look completely solid but that doesn't explain the fact that you can still walk through things like they don't exist. Even if all of this wasn’t real the fear you were feeling still was.

You look back up at the man, confused and scared as tears prick the corners of your eyes “Do you know why I'm like this?” You’re sure he hasn’t heard you this time either until a small but firm robotic “ No” slips from his mask. 

Releasing a frustrated laugh you nod as you wipe the forming tears from your eyes, the low hum of electricity being the only sound that bothers to comfort you. You don’t want this random man to see you cry so you turn away from him, pursing your lips as you stare blankly at the perfectly made bed against the wall.

“I’m guessing you don’t know how to get me home either” You state, taking his prolonged silence as an answer. Whoever this guy was he sure wasn’t one for small talk. Or any talk it seemed. 

It’s then that you remember what he said when he first saw you, ‘you again’. He’d recognized you from somewhere. He knew you. 

You turn to him abruptly, suspicion and confusion seeping into you, nothing about him seems familiar to you but the word “again” spirals in your brain. Your brows furrow and your tone turns accusatory as you begin to question him.

“You again?” It’s your turn to take a small step towards him and you’re thoroughly surprised by the way his shoulder tense. Maybe this guy wasn’t as scary as you let yourself believe. When he makes no move to explain himself you continue “When you first saw me you said ‘you again’. What did you mean by that? I’ve never seen you before in my life.” 

You glare into the dark abyss of the mask's eyes as you gather up as much confidence as you can, trying to mask the underlying fear that still hangs in the back of your mind. If you could turn your fear into anger it would make things a lot easier.

“Who even are you?” 

Stiff air and the small rise and fall of his chest are quickly becoming a familiarity to you and you sigh once more, turning away from him. You wrack your brain for another way to get him to talk when you hear a click and a hiss behind you, whipping around just in time to catch him sliding the helmet off of his head.

The sight in front of you instantly replaces every other emotion with a rush of cold shock, because despite what you thought before you do recognize this man. Although he’s not quite as blurry as he was before, you know for certain that this is the man who saved you in the rain.

You don't get the chance to acknowledge this, however, as everything around you goes black and your body begins to wake up in the real world.

Pt.6

A/n: Sorry for no upload last week I was out of town!~Starry

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