Chapter Text
“Welcome to HobbITon.”
Most mornings, Rey Jackson could at least smile when she saw the wooden sign that friends Poe and Finn had hung up over the door to the office she shared with Rose. It was the perfect combination of favorite interest and good pun to show which department they were.
This morning, she hadn't slept well and had a meeting soon, so she looked up briefly and entered her office with a harrumph.
Red streamers and plastic hearts greeted her from every corner of the room.
“I see you stole the entire contents of Hallmark, Hobbit. Always the burglar,” Rey called when she saw Rose in a red blouse, eating a pink, sprinkled donut.
That was the moment Rey realized that today was Valentine's Day. Great. She looked like a hot mess from running out the door so late, and not a speck of red or pink on her. Now all the decorations laughed at her, reminding her of her single status.
Rose barely looked up, shaking her head good-naturedly. “Good morning to you, O Smaug, Your Magnificence. No coffee yet, and running late.”
“A dragon is never late, nor is she early. She arrives precisely when she means to,” retorted Rey before gulping down her entire cup of almost-frozen coffee – she really needed to remember to drink more along the way to work instead of unconsciously freezing it in her hands – and logging onto her computer.
Said computer was decked out with images of anything and everything Lord of the Rings, similar to Rose's computer. The only difference was that Rose had lots of little hearts on hers in honor of her favorite holiday.
“Smaug the dragon no more. Now you are my fellow Hobbit, Rey. Have a donut,” said Rose, grinning as Rey gave her a grateful smile in exchange for breakfast. “You struggled drinking the coffee; it must have been a really bad night for it to get that solid.”
“It was.” Rey sighed but then pasted on a grin. “But I made it.”
Despite a rough childhood, despite struggling in school and in deciding on a career, she had managed to find this job, surrounded by friends who cared about her and shared her interests. She reminded herself often that she had made it and survived Jakku; it kept her going when the path seemed dark and unclear, like when the dwarves were wandering through Mirkwood in the Hobbit.
She had made it here, but she still wondered if there was more. If this was it.
Rose brightened. “Yes. I'm just glad you're here today; I don't want to go to my Valentine's Day party by myself.”
When she talked to Rose in these moments, she felt fulfilled. Their friendship was dear to her, and they bonded over many things.
“Never. We single ladies have to stick together. I'll blast ice from my fingertips upon anyone to ensure I'm allowed in,” insisted Rey, eating as she put on her headset. “Mm, delicious. Thank you, friend.”
“Anytime. Good luck with that meeting. Hopefully they implemented our comments for the project,” said Rose, sitting down as her computer dinged to signal a message related to an IT Request. “Duty calls.”
Rey smiled. “Adventure awaits. I’m calling it: nine emergent requests today.”
“Less because of the party. Five. Winner buys lunch on Friday,” decreed Rose, and Rey nodded her head in agreement before she announced her presence at the meeting.
After an hour, Rey exited the meeting, only to discover that Rose was on a call. Rose looked deflated as she slumped over her desk, staring at her computer screen and trying to talk calmly through pursed lips despite Rey being able to hear a shouting voice from the office phone.
Taking pity upon her friend, Rey made a cup of hot chocolate for Rose and added pink marshmallow hearts to it after holding the hot mug for one minute, long enough for all the steam to disappear.
That was the main upside to having ice/snow/cold magic: being able to cool anything down quickly. Unfortunately, it also meant that she was always cold, but since Rose liked the room warm, they got along well.
With big eyes, Rose mouthed her thanks and lasted another twenty minutes with the screaming dude and her favorite comfort drink.
He was so lucky that Rose had unlimited patience and no desire to use her metal-bending magic to get revenge on him for taking out his frustration on her.
“Yes, I will send you a text as soon as I unlock your account. It won't take long, I promise. You'll make it to your meeting on time,” assured Rose with her practiced tone reserved for the more unpleasant callers. Clearing her throat, she chirped, “Have a great Valentine's Day!”
“I don't know how you do it,” said Rey when Rose brought up the administrative login screen. “I would've been raising my voice with them.”
“That is why you handle all the meetings, so you can practice being Saruman, yelling at them to stay on track and do our bidding,” said Rose, sighing happily and finishing her drink. “A perfect team in that way. Thank you.” She glanced at Rey. “Now it's time for our favorite part of the day…”
“The One Password to Rule Them All,” finished Rey with a grin. “So satisfying.”
Rose closed out the IT Request after the password was accepted. “It always is. Another person helped; another computer issue resolved. Three emergent ones already today.”
“And still a couple hours before lunch at the office party. Be ready to pay on Friday,” said Rey as she opened the next IT Request in their main queue.
“Nope! I predict smooth sailing from here,” said Rose, making a wave motion with her hands. “The magic of Valentine's Day and looooove.”
Two more emergent requests later, Rose and Rey left their office, stopping at the bathroom first.
“Rey, you should leave your hair down for once,” said Rose as Rey hid the tangled mess in three messy buns. “You look so pretty with your long hair flowing out.”
“Thanks but another day. I'm just happy I'm wearing my brown skirt suit today,” said Rey as she adjusted her white blouse.
“Yes. It matches your hair well. Now you just need this scarf, and you're set,” stated Rose as she looped a pink scarf around Rey's neck. “I can't have my best friend not fit the dress code for today's party.”
Relieved, Rey slid an arm around Rose and leaned her head on Rose's shoulder. “Perish the thought.” She looked up and smirked at Rose's horror-stricken face at not wearing pink today of all days. “Thank you. I feel ready now.”
“I got a feeling that tonight's going to be a good night. I think this is the year for us,” said Rose as they left the bathroom.
Rey nodded enthusiastically and fingered her necklace that she kept hidden under her blouse. The pendant was a vial that contained special snow of hers that could heal her chosen partner. One day, she wanted to give it to someone.
Since friendship had always been a balm to her soul, she wondered if finding love would make her feel less restless and lost as she wandered around in life, trying to make the most of work and friendships.
“I hope so.” Rey patted her skirt one more time. “We did have everyone from the corporate office move in six months ago, and it's been chaotic handling all of their moving issues. I've set up more cables in that time than I have for the rest of my time in IT, all five years of it,” she groaned as they stopped before the door to the party. “Wow. You outdid yourself, Rose. You really did steal all the decorations from Hallmark…several of them.”
Rose's desk and their office space was only a foretaste for what Rose had been doing all day yesterday. Even before entering the room, two thick, metal bars were bent in the shape of a heart, with red ribbon wrapped around both. A heart hung from the center point, those two hearts only the beginning. A net of red streamers held up countless pink balloons, and red streamers with hearts hung on each wall and along every table, contrasting with the pink lights and tablecloths.
“Nonsense. I used the party budget to pay for everything,” tittered Rose, throwing out her arms. “Doesn't it look wonderful?”
Wonderful wasn't the word that Rey would have chosen, but the shades of red and pink went well together, even the ones for the random candies, plates, and bowls on the tables, or the ribbon-bedecked shrubberies and big, heart-shaped cake.
“It looks lovely,” said Rey, patting her friend's arm.
“Thank you. I'm so happy with how it turned out,” gushed Rose, beaming.
“It just needs another heart to be a little extra,” joked Rey, pointing at the hanging heart.
“You know, that's a good idea! And I have some pent-up energy I need to use,” exclaimed Rose, walking up to the metal creation and loosening the red wrapping slightly.
At that, Rose placed her hands on each bar, and after closing her eyes, the metal wilted like lettuce until it went from door height to Rose's chin height. With a light touch, she lifted up the right loop of metal in two spots and pushed down with another finger, using her other hand to pinch in around her other hand to create a heart. Once she made a matching heart on the other side, she laid her hands on the loops again, causing them to lift up to their former height.
“Wow. I am always impressed by your ability, Rose,” said Rey, tracing the metal and finding it solid.
“Thanks! It's so satisfying and fun to work with my hands. The perfect hobby and now the perfect entrance,” stated Rose contentedly before she faced her masterpiece of decorating. “Let's go in and eat.”
Rose started to walk in until Rey put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “Wait. One does not simply walk into the office party that you organized…you strut proudly and own the place.”
Giggling, Rose straightened up and struck a pose, and Rey mirrored her actions.
“Of course. How could I forget? C’mon, Rey. Finn and Poe are waving at us,” said Rose, strolling beside Rey.
“I think you called them by their wrong names,” teased Rey as the pair approached their friends. “Their names are Merry and Pippin, troublesome Tooks that they are.”
“Hey now,” said Poe as he hugged each girl, “you two nerds live in Hobbiton because you’ve got the stature and love Lord of the Rings so much. I'm not the one who included po-tay-toes as a part of the meal today in at least two forms.”
“Potatoes are cheap, okay?” defended Rose, cheeks turning pink to match the decor. “And everyone loves stew or mashed potatoes on a cold day.”
“Like me,” chimed Rey, raising her hand before eyeing the large spread. “But I like all warm food.”
“You always have, Peanut. Come here,” invited Finn, putting out an arm, allowing Rey to stand next to him after they hugged.
“Gladly,” said Rey, grateful that Finn had slightly more body heat than most others.
There were benefits to being a werewolf, and he didn't mind how cold she was most of the time since he always ran warmer than non animal shifters like her. It had made them best friends early on at the non-human orphanage where they met.
It was a carefree, mindless thing to lean against Finn, and after she warmed up a little, the group of four filled their plates and bowls with food. Rey strategically moved the group so she could stand under the heater, and as they shared office gossip, Finn eventually stood next to her. When his arm brushed against hers, she smiled her appreciation to him, and she felt eyes upon her.
The sensation passed, though, as she became engrossed in the conversation.
“Did you both get better bonuses this year?” Poe whispered to the girls, who both nodded excitedly. “Good. I was shocked that I got so much this year, as much as last year, despite not bringing in as many new clients as past years.”
“I'm not surprised,” replied Finn dismissively. “The best part of being in accounting is that I see all the numbers, so I know exactly how many new clients you bring in and how much money you make for our company. You're the best performer in the business department.”
“Agreed,” said Rey and Rose with matching grins, and Poe smiled at all of them.
“Thanks. Only because Snoke isn't here anymore; he was the best. He may have been the creepiest dude ever, but he brought in the most customers and threw the best parties. He knew everyone,” said Poe seriously. “Sometimes I wish he was still here, but now the rest of us have a chance to make a name for ourselves.”
“I never liked him. He gave me bad vibes,” said Finn with a shrug. He glanced at Rey and Rose before noticing Rey's hands in her pockets and rubbing her shoulder. “You two should be glad you never had to interact with him personally since he was only at the old corporate office.”
Rey had heard many stories about him from Poe and Finn since the moment Finn started working for Empire Industries and met Poe. Finn got her into the IT department later when she started job hunting again, and thankfully, she never had to work with the man known to hold extravagant parties every Friday night.
“I am,” said Rose, and as the guys kept on chatting, she leaned into Rey's ear to hiss, “Don't look, but there's a guy sitting in a chair, looking dark and forbidding as he stares at you. What's his deal?”
Rey froze in place, now aware again of eyes upon her. The urge to look was strong, but she resisted, turning away from Rose's direction.
“Who?” Poe asked, glancing toward Rose quickly and grimacing. “Oh, him. The Great Deceiver himself.”
Rey's ears perked up at that, and she chanced a look at the dark, mysterious guy, too curious for her own good.
The first thing she noticed was that Rose hadn't been kidding about calling him dark. His hair was jet black, and with his head bowed down, it almost looked like he was wearing a dark hood to go with his all-black outfit as he lounged in a chair next to a wall and column.
If only she could see his face. In that moment, he almost reminded her of Aragorn in the Prancing Pony before he met the Hobbits. She wanted to know why he chose to look at her, so she studied him for a few moments, her eyes finally resting on a chain necklace that was partially hanging out of his button-down shirt. In that moment, he reminded her even more of Aragorn.
Not wanting to appear rude, she turned around and asked, “What's his actual name? Sauron?”
Rose laughed as their friends shook their heads.
“No,” responded Poe with an eye roll. “His name's Kylo. Kylo Ren.”
“He's scary,” murmured Finn, keeping his eyes averted away from Kylo.
The two men had very different responses to Kylo from what Rey could tell. Where Poe with his elven good looks seemed unruffled if annoyed by Kylo's presence, Finn was looking away and shuffling awkwardly, his normal signs of being afraid and his inner wolf submissive to Kylo, indicating that Kylo was bigger or stronger.
“I hear he's got an eight pack and is shredded, but he's a heartless, dishonest lawyer and is the reason why Snoke left the company, so I don't like him,” declared Poe loudly.
Rey checked out of the corner of her eye to see if Kylo heard Poe, but he didn't react. Ah well. Perhaps he was not her Aragorn.
Her attention was drawn away from Kylo when Rose said, “Regardless of what he is, I hope all of you are ready for some games. I found the least awkward ones to play to try to help fix our single situations.”
Three games later, Rey had no prospects for dating, but she put aside that pursuit to focus on her other love: food. More people had showed up to play the games, to the point that they ran out of sheets for participants. After scoping out the bevy of people, she found the most open section of the refreshments table.
When she noticed that it was the area nearest to Kylo, she couldn't help wondering if that was a coincidence, or what kind of non-human he was. It wasn't polite in their culture to ask someone, though, so she would likely never know.
Putting Kylo out of her mind, she filled her plate with wrapped candies and chocolate for her and Rose to enjoy, to the point that things would fall off if she wasn't careful. Once she had everything, she looked for her friends.
“Rey! Over here,” shouted Rose, waving to show where her body was hidden amid the crowd.
“Thanks!” cried Rey, eyeing the people between her and her friends. Path found back to them, she focused on keeping the items on her plate and looking for feet in front of her.
Once she was three layers of people away from the food, the crowd thinned out, and she checked her food again before she struck out quickly across the room. Music and raised voices clamored around her, and she tuned them out until it was too late.
It was as she gripped her plate tighter that she heard her name, and when she looked up, a random person backed up into her side, knocking her down. Wrapped candies and chocolate flew in every direction as she looked to her side and dropped her plate to brace for impact, putting out her hands.
But she never hit the ground.
Instead, Kylo from his seated position surged up, and in slow motion, she watched him stride toward her until his broad shoulders and long arms caught her, cradling her against his black sweater. Face buried momentarily in his chest, she let out a breathy exhale of relief, becoming very aware of the man who saved her.
“Are you alright?” he rumbled from deep in his chest.
No, she was definitely not alright. A very strong, fast, attractive man had just saved her. Right now, he was her Aragorn, or better yet, Strider, because he had been so quick and smooth in striding toward her. His voice was low and rich, and she had never felt so small and secure in all her life. He held her so easily, one arm around her shoulders and the other near her wrists, his grasp gentle yet firm, and he smelled like campfires and earth, his scent filling her senses.
She was almost afraid to speak, lest the spell be broken, but then his fingers rubbed the inside of her inner right wrist. All at once, a spark of something rushed through her, and she realized that she had never felt so warm. Jerking her head up, she gazed into his eyes as he moved his fingers back to her sleeve, and her breath caught.
His eyes were dark, the brown-almost-black tinged with concern, and he was leaning in, full lips parted. He didn't look heartless at that moment. In fact, he seemed distressed, and the depth of feeling shown in his eyes was deep enough to appear bottomless, encouraging her to press closer and understand him better.
“I think so. Thank you,” she replied, glad that her voice wasn't shaky.
She gave him a warm smile, and he responded with a half one of his own, making her yearn to see his face when he fully smiled. Any concern in his gaze left, and in its place, something unreadable entered. All the same, his grasp became just the slightest bit tighter.
“You're welcome. I'm glad there was no one between us. Don't move,” he requested, straightening his legs to stand and lifting her as though she weighed nothing. “There. Better.”
And yet, he didn't let go of her. Could he like her? Was he even real? She didn't care if he was the Great Deceiver when he looked that hot and was that strong.
Her face felt warm, which was a first. When was the last time a blush had been accompanied by heat? For that matter, her whole upper body felt toasty, so she was almost certain that he had some kind of magical ability involving heat that could overcome her abnormally cold body.
Aware of the awkward pose he was staying in for her, she wiggled her shoulders. “Thanks for that, too. I think I'm flat on my feet now and won't fall, so you can let go.”
His eyes sparkled. “Good. But what if I don't want to let go of you?” he said, loosening his grip.
Her heart beat just a little faster as she hoped that he was flirting with her. Without thinking, she tented her hands together with a playful look and asked, “Oh? Am I your Precioussss?”
As she drew out the last syllable, she realized that she had managed to out herself as the biggest geek to ever live, so she cleared her throat and scurried out of his grip, avoiding his gaze lest she die of embarrassment.
Well, that was the last time she talked to him. Her flirting game needed serious work.
“I, ah, I need to pick up everything I dropped, so I'll–”
“So you're a big Lord of the Rings fan, I take it?” Kylo interrupted, making her pause.
He didn't sound disgusted. Rather, he sounded conversational, or possibly intrigued. Risking a peek, she looked up and discovered that he was smiling at her.
Relaxing her shoulders, she nodded. “Yes. It's my favorite book and movie series ever. I've loved it since I was young.”
He blinked in surprise. “Really?” She nodded again, smiling wider, and he gave her a full smile in return. “Same here!” he exclaimed, stepping toward her. “I'm not used to others admitting it, especially women. This is a nice change.”
She beamed, suddenly happy that she had made such a reference. “I'm very vocal in my unabashed love of everything in that universe,” she admitted, and feeling brave, she added, “That's why my whole computer area is covered in all things related to the Silmarillion, the Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings. How about you?”
“I'm not as showy as you, but I have many fond memories and a wide selection of quotes I keep at the ready,” he said, leaning in with a conspiratorial wink. “All I need is the correct opening.”
“Then you shall have one,” she replied, smirking. “I am no Oathbreaker.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Then I summon you to fulfill your oath,” he said, causing her to grin and him to look pleased. “That's actually one of my favorite lines to mutter while on the job,” he said, and she giggled at the image.
“It makes total sense for you, the big, capable lawyer that you are,” she said, waggling her eyebrows.
He gave her an assessing look. “You already seem to know who I am, but I don't know you,” he said, stepping toward her so that he towered over her. “We need to fix that.”
Inwardly she celebrated. He just wanted an excuse to talk and flirt with her, and she couldn’t have been happier.
“I agree,” she replied, putting out a hand to shake. “I'm Rey. Rey Jackson. And you're Kylo.”
“Yes, I am.” He looked her up and down appreciatively. “And yet, you're still talking to me. I thought your boyfriend would have come over here by now.”
“Boyfriend?” she repeated, confused until she remembered how he had been staring at her when she had been close to Finn. Laughing, she added, “No. I'm single. Finn is my childhood friend, basically my brother. Why do you think I'm at this party?”
His eyes widened before they turned darker, more predatory. He leaned in, his voice lower. “For the chocolate,” he said, pointing at her empty hands.
Perhaps the ones in his eyes. Putting that flirtatious comment out of her mind, she decided to emphasize her relationship with Finn and shook her head. “Secondary for me. While I am fond of good food like all Hobbits–”
“Forgive me, but you seem a little tall to be a Hobbit,” he interrupted, folding his arms across his chest with a challenging look. “Assuming that they really exist.”
Laughing, she waved him off. “A Hobbit in spirit then.” Just as she was about to add more, she saw Rose dash across her peripheral vision, and she realized that her friend was trying to grab her attention.
“With the way most treat me, I feel like Sauron at the office, a monster, even if I don't identify most with him from Tolkien's world,” said Kylo, causing her to focus on his face again as she realized that what her friends said of him likely reflected how everyone else treated him.
His eyes were sad, and his voice was resigned. He was used to thinking this way of himself, and she hated to see it. Tipping her head up, she shook her head.
“Just because they might doesn't mean you have to meet their expectations. You can still be yourself and be different, be much better than that. Because, even if they don't know, I do,” she whispered, glad when his eyes grew softer. “I know that you're good.”
“And selfish. Don't forget that,” he said with a wry look. “Especially when it involves a fair maiden like you.”
“Then I hope you'll contact me sometime, or at a minimum when you need IT help. That's my department,” she explained, and he nodded, eyes brightening at learning the information. “As much as I want to continue to chat with you, I need to clean up my mess so I can rejoin my friends–”
Her right hand grazed his bare skin, and the same spark of earlier returned, this time even stronger. It felt as though the spark ricocheted through her body, and then the feeling disappeared as fast as it appeared.
Looking down, she noticed him snatch away one of his hands, and she was a little surprised and sad to lose him so quickly. Not just to lose the spark, but the warmth that had accompanied his touch, making her feel normal for once.
“Don't worry about cleaning up. I'll take care of it,” he said in a choked voice, as though pained, eyes looking down at his folded hands. “Just have fun with your friends.”
“Thanks. You are very sweet. You better message me; I am very intrigued to know with whom you identify,” she replied, earning one last half smile from him.
“I will. Very soon,” he promised, and she put her hands on her hips.
“Good. Don't be an Oathbreaker, and I'll talk to you later,” she said, waving at him before she found Rose. When with her friends, she asked, “What happened?”
“What happened? You talked to Kylo, the office pariah. Didn't you hear what I was saying earlier about him?” asked Poe, confused.
“I was trying to save you from him,” said Rose, shaking her head.
“Yes, I heard, and no, I don't need saving,” said Rey, shrugging her shoulders. “Even if he saved me from falling. I am no man, and I'm capable of holding my own. Besides, he actually is a huge fan of Lord of the Rings.”
“Is that what you were smiling about while talking to him?” asked Rose, raising her voice. “We were very confused.”
Rey couldn't help smiling. Oh, if only they knew how much she enjoyed talking to him and flirting with him. They'd think her absolutely bonkers, and she wouldn't mind at all. Kylo was hot, had a great smile, and shared her favorite interest. That was all the reason she needed to go after him.
It was all a matter of when.