Kylo had a shadow. He no longer roamed around the base alone. BB-8 rolled through corridors, chasing after him with electronic wails until he stopped and acknowledged the little droid. At meals, BB-8 would hide under his table and tell him random stories about his adventures.
Mostly, BB-8 seemed determined to get him working in the hangar. It was a personal goal for the droid. Kylo watched Poe and Wexley argue with the BB unit, and watched the droid roll his way with the little domed head down. “It’s fine,” he told the droid. “You don’t have to cause all this trouble.”
BB-8 spun in place, telling Kylo that he had been in worse trouble before.
Kylo flushed, remembering Jakku. “I’m sorry.”
BB-8 just swiveled around him and told him to look at one of the pilots.
“Okay?” Kylo said, confused.
He only caught about half of the story, but BB-8 was trying to tell him some gossip. It was about Poe Dameron and the pilot they were watching. Kylo didn’t want to hear this and was glad he could only hear stray words of it. Kylo did his best to avoid Poe; the man’s friendly smile always died when he saw Kylo, and it made Kylo’s stomach twist with guilt over spending so much time in Poe’s workplace, with Poe’s droid.
He forced a smile at BB-8’s expectant pause and outright question of “Isn’t that hilarious?”
“Yeah,” he said, quiet.
BB-8 practically snarled at his lack of reaction.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just—I don’t think I should be here.”
BB-8 blatted at him for saying such a thing and for not finding the story funny. Kylo’s shoulders slumped. He couldn’t even be a good friend to a droid.
Poe Dameron headed their way. Kylo turned to leave, and BB-8 beeped for him to come back.
“Hey, buddy,” he heard Poe say. “What are you doing hanging around him for, huh? You know he’s the one who sent TIE fighters after you on Jakku, right?”
Kylo didn’t hear the droid’s response, he practically ran out of the hangar so he didn’t have to know what he said.
BB-8 didn’t join him in the cafeteria that night. Kylo realized he felt worse than usual about eating alone. He had gotten used to BB-8 joining him and babbling nonsense after only two days. He missed the orange and white ball of gossip and insults.
He tensed as he saw Poe Dameron stand up from his group of friends, excusing himself smoothly after making a joke. His eyes, moments ago framed with laugh lines, pinched into laser sights on Kylo as he approached his solitary corner table.
Kylo looked up at him. Poe made no motion to sit down, but crossed his arms and glared down at him. “What’s with you and my droid?”
Kylo tried to stay calm. “I think we’re friends,” he said.
“Friends.” Poe laughed, his shoulders moving but with no smile. “Well, you’re just going to have to find a new friend, because I don’t like it. He’s my best buddy. I don’t want you throwing a tantrum and my best buddy ends up in a scrap heap.”
Kylo looked down, at his food, and nodded.
“Am I clear?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
Poe nodded, uncrossing his arms. “Good.”
* * *
Kylo stretched before his morning run around the base. He shivered in the dewy morning, the sun hovered on the horizon. The landing area outside the base was silent except for a few songbirds in the forest.
An electronic wail sounded, echoing across the landing area. Kylo saw BB-8 rolling toward him at top speed.
“You’re not supposed to talk to me anymore,” Kylo said, standing from his stretches.
BB-8 whirred a few loud squeals as if to say “Who’s going to stop me?”
Kylo started his run. The droid wouldn’t be able to keep up.
BB-8 rolled beside him, whistling easily.
Kylo scowled and pushed his pace, feet slapping the hard ground. The BB unit beeped and blooped at him, calling him “slow” again. BB-8 managed to stay just a few feet behind him. Kylo wondered if that would hurt the droid’s circuits, moving so fast.
He veered into the forest, off his usual route, crashing through leaves and bushes. He could lose BB-8 over the different terrain, something harder to roll over.
BB-8 yelled at him for getting the bright white casing dirty, but the little droid was still right behind him.
Kylo stopped, and BB-8 ran into his shins, oddly heavy. Kylo winced. “Poe said we can’t be friends anymore. What are you doing?”
BB-8 informed him that Poe could have his opinion but BB-8 didn’t have to agree with it. They could keep spending time together if they kept out of sight of Poe.
Kylo looked at the sky through the trees. He didn’t want to go against Poe’s wishes. He had already hurt Poe too much, physically and emotionally.
If there was one thing he was good at, it was pushing people away. “Go away,” Kylo said. “We’re not friends.”
BB-8 let out a series of honks, laughing at him.
Kylo flushed, his ears growing hot. “I mean it. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Leave me alone.”
BB-8’s domed head drooped. He beeped quietly.
“That’s right. Go away.”
BB-8 bleated at him one last time and rolled away, crunching over leaves and sticks. Leaving Kylo standing alone in the woods.
Re: [FILL]: Short Circuits, 2/3
Kylo had a shadow. He no longer roamed around the base alone. BB-8 rolled through corridors, chasing after him with electronic wails until he stopped and acknowledged the little droid. At meals, BB-8 would hide under his table and tell him random stories about his adventures.
Mostly, BB-8 seemed determined to get him working in the hangar. It was a personal goal for the droid. Kylo watched Poe and Wexley argue with the BB unit, and watched the droid roll his way with the little domed head down. “It’s fine,” he told the droid. “You don’t have to cause all this trouble.”
BB-8 spun in place, telling Kylo that he had been in worse trouble before.
Kylo flushed, remembering Jakku. “I’m sorry.”
BB-8 just swiveled around him and told him to look at one of the pilots.
“Okay?” Kylo said, confused.
He only caught about half of the story, but BB-8 was trying to tell him some gossip. It was about Poe Dameron and the pilot they were watching. Kylo didn’t want to hear this and was glad he could only hear stray words of it. Kylo did his best to avoid Poe; the man’s friendly smile always died when he saw Kylo, and it made Kylo’s stomach twist with guilt over spending so much time in Poe’s workplace, with Poe’s droid.
He forced a smile at BB-8’s expectant pause and outright question of “Isn’t that hilarious?”
“Yeah,” he said, quiet.
BB-8 practically snarled at his lack of reaction.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just—I don’t think I should be here.”
BB-8 blatted at him for saying such a thing and for not finding the story funny. Kylo’s shoulders slumped. He couldn’t even be a good friend to a droid.
Poe Dameron headed their way. Kylo turned to leave, and BB-8 beeped for him to come back.
“Hey, buddy,” he heard Poe say. “What are you doing hanging around him for, huh? You know he’s the one who sent TIE fighters after you on Jakku, right?”
Kylo didn’t hear the droid’s response, he practically ran out of the hangar so he didn’t have to know what he said.
BB-8 didn’t join him in the cafeteria that night. Kylo realized he felt worse than usual about eating alone. He had gotten used to BB-8 joining him and babbling nonsense after only two days. He missed the orange and white ball of gossip and insults.
He tensed as he saw Poe Dameron stand up from his group of friends, excusing himself smoothly after making a joke. His eyes, moments ago framed with laugh lines, pinched into laser sights on Kylo as he approached his solitary corner table.
Kylo looked up at him. Poe made no motion to sit down, but crossed his arms and glared down at him. “What’s with you and my droid?”
Kylo tried to stay calm. “I think we’re friends,” he said.
“Friends.” Poe laughed, his shoulders moving but with no smile. “Well, you’re just going to have to find a new friend, because I don’t like it. He’s my best buddy. I don’t want you throwing a tantrum and my best buddy ends up in a scrap heap.”
Kylo looked down, at his food, and nodded.
“Am I clear?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
Poe nodded, uncrossing his arms. “Good.”
* * *
Kylo stretched before his morning run around the base. He shivered in the dewy morning, the sun hovered on the horizon. The landing area outside the base was silent except for a few songbirds in the forest.
An electronic wail sounded, echoing across the landing area. Kylo saw BB-8 rolling toward him at top speed.
“You’re not supposed to talk to me anymore,” Kylo said, standing from his stretches.
BB-8 whirred a few loud squeals as if to say “Who’s going to stop me?”
Kylo started his run. The droid wouldn’t be able to keep up.
BB-8 rolled beside him, whistling easily.
Kylo scowled and pushed his pace, feet slapping the hard ground. The BB unit beeped and blooped at him, calling him “slow” again. BB-8 managed to stay just a few feet behind him. Kylo wondered if that would hurt the droid’s circuits, moving so fast.
He veered into the forest, off his usual route, crashing through leaves and bushes. He could lose BB-8 over the different terrain, something harder to roll over.
BB-8 yelled at him for getting the bright white casing dirty, but the little droid was still right behind him.
Kylo stopped, and BB-8 ran into his shins, oddly heavy. Kylo winced. “Poe said we can’t be friends anymore. What are you doing?”
BB-8 informed him that Poe could have his opinion but BB-8 didn’t have to agree with it. They could keep spending time together if they kept out of sight of Poe.
Kylo looked at the sky through the trees. He didn’t want to go against Poe’s wishes. He had already hurt Poe too much, physically and emotionally.
If there was one thing he was good at, it was pushing people away. “Go away,” Kylo said. “We’re not friends.”
BB-8 let out a series of honks, laughing at him.
Kylo flushed, his ears growing hot. “I mean it. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Leave me alone.”
BB-8’s domed head drooped. He beeped quietly.
“That’s right. Go away.”
BB-8 bleated at him one last time and rolled away, crunching over leaves and sticks. Leaving Kylo standing alone in the woods.
It was for the best.