A oneshot I wrote while...can you guess? sick.

Anyways here's some fluffyish reylo because I'm a sucker for a brooding Kylo and a wounded rey.

Written with love xx

A Fever Blessing

It had been three months since Kylo had properly looked into the warm eyes of Rey.

Three months since the battle of Crait and only a handful of force-connections in that time that were abruptly ended by either party out of surprise, anger, sadness or a combination of all three.

In those fleeting seconds where their force bond was wide open Kylo never got a proper look at Rey, just a glimpse before his heart constricted painfully and he had the overwhelming urge to strangle someone or break down. He favored the former, saving the tears of the latter for the moments he found himself alone. Which had been increasing as of lately.

Rey hadn't properly looked at Kylo either, every time the force pulled them together she was confronted by painful emotions. If she had to describe it, it would be a mixture of fear, sadness, and regret.

Always deep-seated regret.

Regret for what she did not know exactly, maybe for leaving him, maybe for not taking his side as empress of the galaxy, or maybe for not forcing him to come with her to the light where she wholeheartedly believed he belonged. The only thing that Rey was sure of was also the only thing that Kylo was sure of, and that was they both desperately wanted to see each other, to talk, to embrace, to comfort, but they didn't know where to start.

Kylo's thoughts at night were always plagued with memories of Snoke and Rey, and he couldn't decipher which was more painful. Nightmares of Snoke were full of physical pain and would leave the current supreme leader shaking in bed with the faint aftershocks of pain that were once real but now a memory.

Dreams of Rey were painful for a whole different reason. Thinking of his scavenger made him mourn for what could've been. He could've been happy at her side in the light, but the darkness in him no matter how minor rose up in the throne room and took over his actions and words and he heard himself asking Rey to join him as empress of the galaxy.

At the time he wanted nothing more than Rey, clad in black robes and a burning red saber, at his side in a throne of her own…or in his lap. But now that his vision was clear of the overwhelming dark, he could see that what he truly wanted is to be with Rey. In whatever way, shape, or form that might take.

Before his mind could spiral any further he was hyperaware of the air around him. His senses were sharpened and everything went deadly quiet, like the moment before a thunderstorm bears down.

Then he saw her. Rey. The jedi. The scavenger. His jedi and his scavenger.

Kylo stood in his quarters, frozen in awe when he realized that the bond didn't close, that she hadn't shut him out.

A noise between a whine and cough snapped him back to reality. His eyes scanned Rey, she was curled up on the floor in a way that troubled him, as the only people he'd seen lying like that were the critically wounded. Her knees tucked into her chest as if preparing or protecting herself from an attack. All other thoughts escaped his brain as he rushed over to her, reaching out to her physical and mental form trying to find the source of danger.

Her small body stirred and soft eyelashes fluttered open and then widened when she realized that this wasn't a dream and she actually was just a breath away from Kylo Ren's concerned face. Rey didn't dare speak, out of fear that she would ruin the moment and Kylo would cut off their connection. Kylo was the first one to speak, surprising both of them.

"Are you alright?" he choked out.

His voice somehow between a plea and a sigh of relief. Rey blinked a few times trying to process his question when he gently put his bare hand on the side of her face. The warmth he radiated pulled her focus back to their first conversation in three months.

"Yes…yes I'm alright." She whispered and involuntarily relaxed into his hand.

But a pain in her chest reminded her of why she was lying in bed in the first place. Rey turned away from Kylo, missing the rejected flash in his eyes, and covered her mouth as a fit of coughs racked her small body.

"That doesn't sound alright to me." Kylo's voice held worry in it as he reached to rub her back in a soothing manner.

When Rey caught her breath, albeit her wheezing breath, she answered him honestly. "Well actually no I'm not completely fine. I caught a fever something or other while traveling. Chewie says I'll be fine so I'm not worried." She sat up as if to prove her point that she wasn't as sick as she sounded.

Kylo saw through her façade however and pressed his hand back to her sweating forehead, dwarfing her features with his massive hand. He searched her eyes for a moment, looking for an answer to a silent question then removed his hand and frowned.

"Mynock fever I suppose. It's common for travelers to pick up around asteroid belts. Most people are vaccinated against this but I'm guessing Jakku wasn't big on preventive medicine."

Rey gave Kylo a smirk and shook her head. "Jakku isn't even big on letting people live."

Kylo made a noise that suspiciously sounded close to a laugh but then cocked his head to the side and gazed at Rey with soft, concerned eyes. "And yet you did." His soft voice held amazement in it.

Before Rey could respond Kylo was up and rummaging around his quarters but Rey could only see what he picked up, a glass of water in one hand and a black blanket in the other. He came to sit at her side and moved to wrap her in the blanket and oh stars was it a soft blanket.

Like nothing she had ever felt before. The fabric wasn't even the best thing about it she noted as she snuggled into it, but the scent. Her senses were overloaded with Kylo, from the leather/ash scent of him on the blanket to seeing him not two feet from her.

It was all a little overwhelming for her to be honest and even though she didn't want him to go she had to do something to calm down and get some space before she did or said something she'd regret.

"Be—I told you I'm fine you don't need to do this. I know how to take care of myself." She protested. If she had the strength she would've stood up and walked around to clear her head but the blanket smelled so nice and he was just so warm next to her.

"I don't doubt you are more than capable of taking care of yourself I'm saying you shouldn't have to. At least not now. Not while I'm here. I'm not leaving so drink your water and let someone take care of you for once. And don't say you're fine." Kylo said with a no nonsense tone.

Her rattling cough returned to punctuate his sentence and he shot her a smug look. A look only a Solo could have.

She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of verbally saying she was wrong so she settled for a reluctant sigh and an eye roll. To which he responded by handing her the glass of water and curling a muscular arm around her, resting his chin on her head.

If the force bond had connected them on any other day or time she would've ended it without a word and he would have done the same. Any other day.

But today Rey was tired, and sick, and every cell in her body was screaming for some comfort. A comfort that she had never received from another person. So today Rey didn't listen to the reasonable side of her brain telling her that this is just complicating matters and she should end the connection, today she just allowed herself to be comforted in two strong arms.

Kylo rubbed little circles into her side with his thumb and thought about how he too needed this comfort only in a different way. What he wanted more than anything was to be needed by someone. His family never needed him as their lives continued after he left, the first order didn't really need him as Hux was practically foaming at the mouth with power, acting like he's in charge when Kylo isn't looking.

Kylo didn't think he was ever needed by anyone or thing in the galaxy. But seeing Rey almost helpless for the first time he felt something in him pull. This was something he could do, he could provide comfort for Rey which was something he knew she needed desperately.

So he sat on his floor, holding his sniffling scavenger for the first time in three months, letting both of them be comforted by each other. No words were needed, just shared breaths and heartbeats. Once they were relaxed enough the occasional thought was sent across their bond, allowing them to communicate without breaking the spell the silence held over them.

Where there was once pain there was now healing. Rey was sick for the next week, but for the first time she had someone else there to take care of her through it all.