themangoyogurt

[themangoyogurt]

Clementine: Chapter 4

It was a stretch, but a few long nights spread over cooling cups of coffee and far too many documents was all it took to square away Hanna Hut. You were now the legal owner of an LLC. To even say the words made you giddy. You were a business owner! It was equal parts terrifying and electrifying to know that your future was now truly in your own hands.

Just like that, you only had a short amount of time to get the doors open. It seemed an impossible feat, but having Kylo by your side gave you an abundance of confidence. He was quick to soothe the side of you that felt self-conscious for taking up so much of the man’s time. All it took was one look, and he’d silently give your shoulder a squeeze. A quiet reminder that it was his own choice to come along for the ride.

With all of the paperwork out of the way, it meant time for the “fun stuff”. Which was how you found yourself in Hell’s Kitchen on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. The summer air was stale and muggy in a typical New York City fashion. Still, that couldn’t damper your excitement as you explored a kitchen supply store with Kylo.

This wasn’t his place of expertise, but he was happy to tag along and watch you bounce from aisle to aisle. He loved getting lost in your world, listening to you gush about the different espresso machines, and how each brand differed.

Although, he did pipe up once in a while to gently remind you of a very strict budget he helped calculate the night before.

“Look at these portafilters. Oh my gosh, they’re gorgeous,” you cried out, fingers greedily reaching out for the shiny stainless steel handles. Kylo laughed and shook his head as he held out the red plastic basket on his arm. You hurried to fill it with a few accessories, eager to try everything out once the shop delivered your new espresso machine.

“How do you know so much about coffee?” Kylo asked. He wandered with you down another aisle, this one filled with gorgeous glassware of all shapes and sizes. You picked up a double walled glass cup and mused, “I used to work in a coffeeshop during college. We only ever used crappy beans since it was a college town, but I still loved everything about the job.”

You set the glass down and picked up another one - a pale pink ceramic mug. “I liked how coffee could perk people up. How it was such an integral part to their day. It was fun to see people gather in the shop, too. How it served as a backdrop to so many happy memories for people of all walks of life. I’d love for Hanna Hut to be a source of happiness for people.”

“That’s quite admirable of you,” he responded. Kylo then plucked the pink mug out of your hand and looked it over. “This one. I think it’s so you.”

Your scrunched your nose up at Kylo, secretly loving how much he towered over you. “What about that mug makes you think of me?”

He pretended to be deep in thought as he scratched his chin. “Hm. For starters, it’s small and cute.” Your cheeks pinked, and he chuckled in response. Throwing an arm around your shoulder he continued, “Come on. Let’s finish shopping, get this stuff shipped to the store, and then grab some lunch. How does Italian sound?”

You tilted you chin up to look at him and squealed, “Only if we can get tiramisu!”

Kylo shook his head, as the realization that he was so whipped for you set in.

Apparently “Italian” meant seats at an exclusive restaurant where the chef, himself, prepared your meal. He introduced himself as Pietro Fagiuolli, and ushered you directly to the kitchen, where a secluded spot was set up by the kitchen island. You realized that there was barely any space between yourself and Kylo, especially given how his knees knocked into yours.

He shot you playful smiles as your legs continued to rub and touch throughout the meal. When he finally felt you relax your knee into his inner thigh, Kylo felt a sudden swell of confidence. Surely all of your playful flirtation and gentle touches must mean something. You didn’t seem the type to flirt your way into getting someone to help you out.

It was now or never. He gently set his fork down with a quiet clink, and folded his hands together in his lap. You felt the air change, and put your own utensils down. Kylo took in a deep breath and murmured quietly enough so that nobody in the kitchen could hear your conversation.

“I don’t want to be too forward, and I don’t want you to think that your answer will affect whether or not I still help out with Hanna Hut...but...how would you feel about dating me?”

He hated how his voice cracked at the end. Despite having faced down some seriously intimidating individuals in court, he’d never done something as heart racing as seriously asking a woman out. Not like this, when he was already so invested from the get go.

You tilted your head and considered the man in front of you for a second before your lip twisted in a little smirk. “I thought that’s what we’re doing now,” you teased. You reached across the stainless steel tabletop and opened your hand up.

Kylo was quick to place a hand in yours, intertwining your fingers.

“Doesn’t hurt to check,” he muttered. Kylo was old school, but he knew better than to just assume everyone else had the same expectations. He spent the better part of his life in New York City, a place where people played fast and loose with feelings. Even if you didn’t seem the type to casually date, Kylo still wanted to make sure before investing more into the relationship.

Your eyes crinkled in amusement and happiness. “Only under one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“We’re exclusive,” you finished.

Kylo laughed, already feeling a million times lighter. Hearing that you wanted him, and only him, made the man’s day. “So I guess that would make you my girlfriend?”

You nodded and stood up on your toes to lean across the table. “Seal it with a kiss?”

He got up to meet you halfway, and your eyes fluttered shut as he pressed his plush lips against your own. It was a chaste kiss, but one filled with promise of a future you could never have imagined.

His tongue swiped forward, and just as you were about to deepen the kiss, a throat cleared in the kitchen.

“Really, guys?” Pietro groaned, his voice laced with a thick Italian accent. “Let’s show some respect for my pasta.” His tone was teasing, and he had a wide smile on his face. The man rested a hip at the edge of the island and tossed a towel over his shoulder.

You pushed away from Kylo and shyly tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. Although it was clear that Pietro was giving Kylo some harmless ribbing, you couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “Thank you for hosting us. The food is amazing,” you awkwardly sputtered.

“You really outdid yourself,” Kylo added, making a point to gesture at your empty plates. The chef chuckled and slapped a hand against Kylo’s back. “Anything for the man who kept me out of jail!”

He took notice of your shocked expression and laughed even louder. “No, nothing crazy! I was being mistaken for some sucker with mob ties. Apparently having a thick Italian accent is enough of a reason to arrest someone in this town.” Pietro rolled his eyes and gave Kylo a jab with his elbow and continued, “But this guy over here believed me. I was only a sous chef at the time, and this guy defended my case pro bono. Promised Mr. Tall, Dark, and Scary that if he kept me out of jail, he’d get free meals whenever he wanted!”

You smiled at how cute Kylo looked with shy and rosy cheeks. You asked, “By this amazing meal, I’m assuming that you won?”

Pietro tossed his arm around Kylo’s shouldered and cheered, “Hell, yes! I owe this guy my life.”

“Alright, alright. Did you come here with dessert or just to chat our ears off?” Kylo groused, clearly embarrassed from all of the praise. Pietro was unfazed though, and turned to shout some Italian over his shoulder. A young man immediately appeared balancing several plates on his hands and forearms.

There was a giant slice of tiramisu, clearly made from scratch. The cream was so fresh and fluffy, it looked like little puffs of clouds with the finest dusting of cocoa. There was also a bowl with generous servings of gelato in all sorts of colors. What excited you the most though, was a narrow rectangular plate.

Placed in a neat row upon the plate were the most beautiful and exquisitely decorated chocolates. They were like miniature pieces of art, each shaped like an iconic symbol of New York City. There was a yellow taxi cab, a skyscraper, a cute little stiletto, and an apple just to name a few. It looked like the colors were all hand painted for goodness sake!

“These are too pretty to eat,” you gushed. Despite your words, your fingers reached out to pick up a little newspaper shaped chocolate. There was even a tiny “NY Times” painted across the top.

Pietro’s chest puffed at your words, proud that you noticed and appreciated the details. “Go on and try it. There’s more where that came from,” he urged.

You took a little nibble and moaned, causing Kylo’s mind to wander to a place unsuitable for public consumption. It was an impossible task though, as you reached across the table and hand-fed the other half of the chocolate to your boyfriend.

He groaned, partially from the burst of chocolate and hazelnut, and partially from the feeling of your fingers gently brushing a stray crumb off the bottom of his lower lip. “These are good,” he muttered. He caught your eye and couldn’t help but share a mischievous smile.

“I’m still here,” Pietro grumbled. Before you could protest, he stuck a finger up and joked, “I’m Italian. I know what those lovey dovey eyes look like, and you two got it bad.”

Pietro signed and nudged Kylo. “How about I leave you two love birds alone before I vomit, and you tell your lady about the deal, eh?” He threw Kylo a pointed look before pressing a friendly kiss against your cheek and disappearing into the back of the kitchen.

You sat up and dug into the cake, mouth full of cream and coffee soaked cake as you asked, “What deal?”

Kylo smiled at the sight of you licking your fingers and answered, “Pietro’s willing to consign his premiere chocolate collection at your shop. Exclusively. It’ll be a great way to generate buzz and make some sales while you’re at it.”

“Consign?” Your nose wrinkled in confusion.

“It means that whatever you sell, you’ll split 50/50. If any product doesn’t get sold, he’ll take it back at no cost. It’s a way for businesses to wholesale a new product without risk.”

Lips still smacking, you wondered aloud, “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but why me? He’s on the shortlist to earning a Michelin Star!”

Kylo reached over and ran his hand along your arm. “I told him about your concept, and he loves it. He really wants to help your business take off.”

“He feels sorry for me,” you sighed. A little pout formed at your lips. On anyone else it would have looked petulant, but Kylo found the way your lips pressed together to be quite endearing.

“No. He really loves your concept and supporting young business owners. I would be lying if I said what he went through didn’t affect him, but he wouldn’t just help anyone out.”

“Okay,” you murmured, still feeling a little shocked. Kylo sensed your trepidation and immediately stood from his seat. He walked around the table and pulled you into a tight hug. Your face pressed against his chest, and you couldn’t help but sag into the embrace.

He ran his hands through your hair, and wondered when you were last held like this. It was so long ago a date didn’t surface.

“Have some confidence in yourself. You’re about to be a...uh...what is it that they call it online? A ‘boss bitch’?”

You snorted into this shirt, “Please don’t say that ever again. But I do appreciate the sentiment.”

“Only if you promise to be kinder to yourself,” he murmured, lifting your face up by the chin with the tip of his index finger.

“Deal.”

Kylo’s face softened, and he gave you a little kiss. As he held you and kissed positive affirmations into your temple, you couldn’t help but give a silent “thank you” to Poe’s stupid stereo system.

[themangoyogurt]

Thank you for the love! I’ll definitely be checking out the other recs 💖

Fic Recs

Since today seems like a day that we’re all sharing each others’ works, I’d like to share some that I really, really enjoy.

Lifelines by @mind-p0llution (Clyde Logan x Reader)

Where The Currents Take Us by @mind-p0llution (Flip x Reader)

Once Upon A Dream by @carloswilliamcarlos (Kylo Ren x Reader)

Clementine by @themangoyogurt (Kylo Ren x Reader)

A Shade of Blue by @oh-adam (Merman!Clyde x Reader)

Ashes To Ashes by @tsarinastorm (Sackler x Reader)

Show Me How by @thegreenmatt (Ronnie Peterson x Reader)

The Loophole by @steadfastmoon (Sackler x Reader)

New Years by @mariesackler (Phillip Altman x Reader)

The Toby Tamer by @desiraypark (Toby x Reader)

I’ll Never Love Again by @ellelaconi (Charlie Barber x Reader)

Touch by @han-not-solo (Adam Sackler x Reader)

Heatwave by @han-not-solo (Adam Sackler x Reader)

This Is Something New by @clydesprettybrowngirl (Paterson x Reader)

Also, @lovelyykylo, @historyandfandoms50 & @sydneyssmut are out here slaying the prompt game. There’s so much good content from them, that I just rec all the writing from them. <3

For dark!fic content, I enjoy the following (mind the tags, pals):

Love, Eternal by @clumsycopy

The Apt Pupil by @iamakiller

(I also have a list of recs over here that do feature some larger accounts’ works if you’re interested.)

[themangoyogurt]

Between 29th and Astoria: Cinder-Fucking-Ella

Chapter 6

The day sped by in a whirlwind of nervous energy. Lunch with Mr. Ren left butterflies in your stomach, creating excitement and energy as you buzzed around the office. Your mind kept drifting to the feeling of his warm hand against your lower back, and the way his eyes crinkled when you said something funny. Despite your interest in the man, a small voice would quietly remind you that you were just an assistant. Maybe Mr. Ren was only extending an olive branch, and you shouldn’t read too much into it. After all, logic would dictate that work would be a lot more productive if his assistant actually enjoyed her job.

Even if you weren’t working underneath the accomplished mogul, it wasn’t like someone like him would ever be interested in someone like you. Expectations ought to be managed. Sure, it was perfectly acceptable to harbor a small crush on your boss. But you couldn’t let it get away from you.

Yet, another more irrational side of you wished so badly that Mr. Ren would do something completely insane like ask you out.

As if.

By the time you got home, you had resigned yourself to simply admiring Kylo from afar. You really had no business going around falling in love with a billionaire. Toeing off your heels at the door, you were welcomed home with shrieks of laughter. The sounds of house filled to the brim in joy and friendship bounced against the white walls.

Rose was in the center of the living room sashaying around as she held a tulle skirt up to her chest. Finn and Poe were hooting as she pretending to wave and bow towards her adoring fans.

“What’s going on here guys?” You laughed while Poe rolled his wrists in circles as he hinged at the waist. Rose gave him a curtsey and then bounded your way. Clutching your hands in her own she shrieked, “We’re going to a ball! Like Cinder-fucking-ella!” Finn guffawed and shook his head. You collapsed onto the couch between the darker man and Poe, watching Rose as she continued to turn in circles around the room.

Poe laughed, “Close. Finn and I need dates for this yearly charity gala work makes us attend. We figured it would be more fun with our favorite gals. It’s held at the Lincoln Center, and its going to be amazing!” Finn cheered and leapt up to catch Rose in his arms. The pair began to waltz around the room as Rose sang the chorus to Beauty and Beast.

Stifling a laugh at Finn’s look of offense, you turned towards Poe. “Really? A gala? I don’t even know how to begin unpacking this.”

He reached over to the coffee table and uncorked a bottle of red wine. Shoving a full glass into your hands, he replied, “Drink this while I talk. Alright, the gala is on a Saturday so it doesn’t conflict with your work schedule. Next, Rose’s sister works at that stupidly fancy boutique on Fifth Ave., and she can get you guys some clothes at a steep discount. Lastly, you deserve this sweet pea. You need to take a break once in a while. Plus, there will be important people in the room to network with. I know you miss photography. This is New York City, babe. You never know what will happen!”

The man wiggled his eyebrows and continued, “At the very least there will be tons of free fancy pants food and champagne.”

“You really know the way to a girl’s heart, Poe.” Downing the rest of the wine, you gave him a sigh and a nod. Rose and Finn burst into claps before Rose climbed back onto the couch. Tossing her arms around you, she cheered, “I already texted Paige! We’re going to have a shopping party!”

Throwing your face into her arm you moaned, “Why is everything a party with you Ticos?”

Rose giggled and squeezed you tighter. “Because life is worth celebrating!”

Wednesday rolled around, and you found yourself impatiently tapping the leg of your desk with the side of your heel. Pinching the bridge of your nose, you reminded yourself that your friends were just being kind, and that you should be gracious at their generosity.

Side-eyeing your phone, you pulled up the conversation with Rose.

Rose Tico | 4:19 PM | Okay! I confirmed the private shopping appointment for today with Paige. Let me text you the address!

Rose Tico | 4:19 PM | 754 5th Ave. It’s between 5th Ave. and W. 57th St.

The address was pulled up on Google Maps and sat mocking you from the computer screen. Bergdorf Goodman. You needed to have a talk with Poe and Rose regarding using the words “fancy” and “boutique” lightly.

There was no way you could afford anything in that fucking department store. And knowing Poe and Rose, they probably worked out some scheme to get you decked out in the most expensive shit while paying the least.

Your heart was touched that Rose and Poe wanted to spoil you. But your pride was finding it hard to accept such an ostentatious gift. You continued to debate with yourself when a familiar baritone snapped you right back to reality.

“Bergdorf’s, huh? Finally getting that Chanel?”

Somehow you managed to clumsily close the tab while simultaneously swiveling around in your chair. Mr. Ren was leaning against the wall behind your chair. Hands in his pockets, his chest rumbled in laughter as he watched you panic.

“No! I mean, yes. But no, I’m not buying a Chanel. My - uhm - friend is taking me shopping though. I need...I mean it’s not really...”

You could see the headlines now - “Personal Assistant Launches Herself Out of Forty-Fifth Floor Window”. Kylo tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. Leveling his voice, he flatly ventured, “Your friend is taking you shopping. How generous of...him.”

You heard it. It was barely there, but you heard it. Mr. Ren was trying to suss out if a male was taking you on a shopping spree. As much as you wanted to tease the man, the prospect of keeping your job was a lot more enjoyable. Your voiced lamely squeaked, “Her. My roommate’s sister has an employee discount, and I need new clothes.”

His lip twitched upwards, as if the man was trying to suppress a smile. Looking downwards, he lightly tugged at the lapel of his jacket. Flattening the fabric against his chest, he nodded as he straightened the top.

“I see. Well, enjoy the shopping trip then. Feel free to leave at 5 today. There isn’t much work left.”

With that, the man turned on his heel and slinked back into his office. At the sound of the heavy oak doors closing, you let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding.

This was unnecessary. This was so, so, so, unnecessary. You were perched atop a velvet Bergère that was more appropriate in the bedroom of an 18th century princess. Despite your general discomfort at being primped and fussed over, Paige had a disarming attitude about her that left you feeling less apprehensive about the whole ordeal.

Or maybe it was the fact that Rose had smartly plied you with three glasses of champagne before the styling session had begun.

Paige had just wrapped up going over measurements and jotting down ideas when an older gentleman stepped into the parlor. He discretely slipped a folded piece of paper to the woman before excusing himself.

Paige’s eyes twinkled and a mischievous smile spread across her delicate features. Tossing the piece of parchment aside, she sang, “Alright, I’m going to pull some garments. You ladies relax and enjoy some light bites while I’m gone.”

She blew a kiss, and skipped out the door. Judging by the boundless energy the sisters shared, you wondered if enthusiasm was genetic. Rose settled herself on the armrest and laid her head atop yours. She played with the hem of your sleeve as the two of you relaxed into friendly conversation.

“Hey, Rose?”

She hummed.

“Thanks. Seriously...for setting this up with Paige. It was really sweet of you guys, and I’m having fun. Really!”

Rose gave your shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Of course! You’re my best friend, and you deserve nothing but the best.”

Paige burst into the room with flourish as she dragged two racks along. Rose squealed at the sight of silk and feathers and immediately began to comb through the garments.

“Down, girl!” Paige teased as Rose gushed over the lush fabrics. You noticed that one of the racks was suspiciously fuller than the other. Paige caught you gaze and smiled. “Rose told me that you haven’t shopped for yourself in ages. I thought we could try on a few extra things just for fun.”

You cringed at your Banana Republic trousers. Did they do the job? Sure. Did you look good? That was up for debate.

Paige put on some upbeat electronic music, and the three of you began to go through outfits. You had a suspicion that Rose was only a decoy to get you comfortable with trying on expensive garments. The petite woman was certainly a lot more invested in what was going on your body, as opposed to her own.

“Oh my God. You need to try this on.” Rose screeched. She was holding up a black wool sweater dress with cut outs by the arm and a soft turtle neck.

You pulled the dress from her hands and took a look at it before screaming, “Rose! What am I going to do with a six hundred dollar sweater from Helmut Lang?!”

Oh no. The woman threw you her all and her best. Brown eyes cast wide open in innocence, she silently nudged you towards the dressing room. Relenting with a groan, you stomped away, but not before shouting over your shoulder, “I thought we were shopping for one dress. One!”

Your protests fell upon deaf ears. Once you emerged from the room, Rose and Paige immediately ganged up on you. They continued to ignore your objections (“No, Paige! Nobody in their right mind needs a $4,000 Akris wool coat!”), and piled outfit after outfit upon you.

One hour later, and you flopped onto your back to stare at the ceiling. Designer department store be damned, you’d make yourself right at home on their overpriced rug. Rose sat cross-legged by your face and massaged your arms.

“I’m sorry we love playing dress up so much,” Rose whispered as she gave up on your arms and began braiding your hair. You never had siblings growing up, so you were unaccustomed to the hustle and bustle that were the Tico sisters. Rolling onto your side, you propped your head up on one arm and replied, “It’s okay. I’m sorry if I’m being a sourpuss. I am having fun. I love you and Paige. It’s the reminder that I’m dirt poor that I’m not enjoying.”

Rose fluffed the ends of your hair and smiled. “Just one more dress, and we’ll be done. I promise.”

Just in time, Paige entered the room with a single black garment bag. Carefully unzipping it, she pulled a navy blue gown out. Inch-by-inch the crepe was revealed. The top was off-shoulder with crystal embellishments dotting the neckline in a floral motif. The bust featured beautiful drapes, and fell into a figure-hugging silhouette. A soft and delicate chiffon cape fell from the back and trailed along the floor.

Sitting up, you gasped, “Wow. That’s not for me, right?”

Paige reached a hand out to help you stand. She slowly eased you into the dress and carefully zipped up the side. You looked like a modern-day princess. How could something be so sexy and elegant at the same time?

Rose rushed to your side and began to coo alongside her sister. The three of you faced the mirror in awe. Fingers shaking, you tentatively reached underneath your arm to look at the price tag.

Paige immediately slapped your hand away. Eyes twinkling, the woman smirked, “That’s for me to know, and you to never find out.” Winking, she gingerly unzipped you and whisked the dress away alongside your very full rack of garments.

You began to protest, but the sisters would hear nothing of it. Thirty minutes later, and Paige returned with a mountain of bags and boxes neatly stacked together. She beckoned you towards a marble desk with a singular black box resting in the center.

“Paige. I don’t understand...”

She grinned and made playful eyes with her sister. Leaning forward, Paige whispered, “Before you came in, a VIP called and insisted that we outfit you in a new wardrobe. They already have an account with us, and insisted that we charge anything that looked good onto their card.”

Words escaped you as you turned to look at the ridiculous amount of clothing expertly packed away. “But...I didn’t even...”

Waving her hands, Paige laughed, “Don’t worry! I only picked practical things you’ll get use out of. I am a personal shopper, after all. I’d never send you home with something you’d hate!”

Mutely nodding, you mentally calculated just how much everything cost. You were pretty sure that there wasn’t a single garment in those bags underneath $500.

Holding up a finger, Paige caught your wandering eyes and motioned towards the black box. Pulling the lid off, she cautiously peeled back layer after layer of tissue paper to reveal leather hidden underneath.

A rectangular bag made of calfskin sat nestled in between paper. Pearls gracefully dotted the perimeter, and the middle featured tweed with classic quilting running across the bag.

Two “C’s” interlocked at the center.

Paige pulled the bag out, and pushed it into your shaking hands. She whispered, “Our VIP insisted that we choose a Chanel Boy Bag for you.”

💖Masterlist 💖

[themangoyogurt]

Clementine: Chapter 3

Kylo had to hand it to you. Despite your questionable business sense, you had a fantastic eye. The space you found was in a prime location, neighbored by a trendy womenswear boutique on the left and a hot new restaurant headed by a celebrity chef to the right. The space itself was a perfect mix of industrial and bright, with open white washed ceilings and a modern concrete flooring.

Watching you gush as you stood outside staring in through the window only steeled his resolve to help make your dream come true no matter the cost. After spending the entirety of his life stepping on the “little guys” to make his bottom line, he felt it was appropriate to atone for his sins.

The fact that you had a million-watt smile and an infectiously bubbly personality only sweetened the deal.

You continued to bounce between the left and right floor-to-ceiling windows flanking the front entrance. As you hopped back and forth, you rambled off all your ideas to transform the space into a warm and inviting neighborhood spot.

It was going to be equal parts trendy and homey. Shelves filled to the brim with new and old books alike, ready to be borrowed or bought. The scent of freshly ground coffee beans would permeate the air, causing a heady mix of warmth and relaxation. There would be nooks and crannies with the coziest chairs and sofas for patrons to gather, sip coffee, snack on freshly baked pastries, and catch up on reading.

Kylo admitted that even to an anti-social recluse such as himself, the concept sounded like a dream. If he had still been working, he would have enjoyed a little escape from the office to focus on work.

Despite his pleasant daydreams though, nothing could stop his spine from stiffening as soon as the landlord made his presence known. He was a sorry looking man, equal in width and height. The balding man had beady little eyes that narrowed into slits as soon as he caught sight of Kylo.

Kylo’s hackles rose even higher as the landlord completely ignored him and turned to give you a very lewd look.

“Hi Plutt,” you chirped, completely oblivious to the tension between the two men. “This is Kylo. He’s my friend and lawyer!” You gave Kylo an extra little eyebrow wiggle at “lawyer”, a silent tease at how different he looked today.

He had rocked up to your meeting far more dressed than he was the previous night. Gone were the fuzzy slippers. Instead, he was clad in a black suit with a matching black dress shirt that struggled to contain the man’s wide chest and thick arms.

Who would have thought that the slobbish raven haired man could clean up so well? While you weren’t really one to judge a book by its cover, even you couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when he had proclaimed himself to be a retired, yet fearsome, corporate lawyer.

It was adorable how the more disbelieving you looked, the harder he fought to convince you that he really was a big, bad, lawyer. You giggled at the memory of how he was so focused on the argument that Kylo didn’t even notice a drop of lukewarm tea dribble down his chin and land between his pecs.

His very defined and firm looking pecs, if you had to say so yourself.

You shook your head out of the memory, scolding yourself for getting distracted. It was time for business, and you were prepped to fight for the storefront of your dreams. During your walk over to the shop, you had divulged as much info as you could to Kylo. Things like your budget, business plan (although, business “plan” would have been more accurate), and even your credit score.

You probably shared way too much info, but Kylo didn’t indicate that he was bothered or overwhelmed. The man merely nodded while typing quick notes in his cellphone. He probably had enough info to steal your identity, but something about him just made you trust the man.

Maybe it was in the way his eyes always looked soft, balancing out his perpetual scowl. Or maybe it was how he hung onto your every word, and was one of the few people who seemed genuinely supportive and interested in your dream.

Or, maybe it was in how he defensively postured himself between yourself and Plutt, chest puffing out and stance ready for a fight.

Kylo stuck his hand out and impressively didn’t flinch as Plutt squeezed back with his own moist and grimy hand. Kylo didn’t miss a beat as he harshly dived right in.

“Kylo Ren. I’ve taken a look at your offer, and we are not happy with the upfront terms and conditions. A fixed lease would only...”

Kylo completely transformed within seconds. Years of working with the worst of the worst in the corporate world made him ruthless and unshakable when it came to business dealings. Someone like Plutt didn’t phase Kylo. He was ready to threaten, growl, and glare his way into getting you the best deal possible.

Plus, the caveman portion of his brain beat its chest and flexed at the chance to impress a pretty lady. And if your look of tender awe only spurred him on more... well, that he’d keep for himself.

The entire exchange was a blur to you, the two men exchanging barbs and threats so fast, you could barely keep up. Acronyms like “CAMS” and “TI” were used, and before you knew it, two hours had passed. Kylo was triumphantly squaring away notes in his phone while Plutt sputtered, red in the face.

Apparently the entire situation had gotten away from the man.

“Send over the contract by midday tomorrow,” Kylo lazily commanded Plutt, before leading your stunned body away from the building. His hand was warm in the crook of your elbow while he steered you towards the nearest Starbucks.

He seemed tense during the short walk over, letting out a huge exhale as he slumped into the closest empty seat. You felt concerned as his pale complexion somehow became even paler. Without prompting, you darted away to find some water.

“Are you okay?” you asked upon returning. He seemed calmer, but received the cool plastic cup with gratitude.

“Yeah,” he croaked. “It’s been a while since I’ve had to do that.”

“But you were so cool,” you gushed in response. You instinctively reached out to hold his shaky hands. Giving him a light squeeze you continued, “I’ve never seen someone talk like that before! Or...or stick up for me so fiercely. Like my knight in shining armor!”

Your eyes twinkled in excitement, so filled with joy that Kylo couldn’t help but be affected. He smiled and flipped his palm upwards so he could lace his fingers with yours. He squeezed back and laughed, “Well, you don’t seem like someone who needs saving. Just someone who could use someone in their corner.”

“Then I’m glad you’re in mine. Even if we don’t know each other very well.”

His heart fluttered at your shy smile, and Kylo replied, “Why don’t we start, then? Getting to know each other that is. Let me buy you some coffee?” Now significantly calmed by your touch he added a flirtatious eyebrow waggle and added, “Maybe even dinner afterwards?”

You playfully smacked him in the chest and argued, “I thought I was the one buying coffee.”

“Alright. You buy me coffee and we’ll go over the terms and conditions of your new lease. Then, I take you out for dinner.”

It was definitely a deal too good to pass up, so you happily bounded to the counter to buy his S’mores Frappuccino (the man really was full of surprises, wasn’t he?). You decided that it would be cute to match, and ordered one for yourself as well.

A few minutes later, and you were returning to the table with two icy and teeth-rotting drinks. Kylo was all but recovered, and lawyer man was back in full swing. You happily noticed that while he was all business while going through your lease, his expression and tone was far softer than what he had used earlier in the day.

You were shocked at how Kylo had cut such a favorable deal for you. The man was kind in explaining why certain things were more beneficial for the tenant, and even helped you understand places where Plutt was trying to take advantage.

The initial offer was apparently horrible, and would have surely trapped you into some serious debt. Kylo made sure that your lease was fair, and that you would have enough money leftover to help your new business flourish.

Kylo sipped on the last of his drink, unaware of some leftover whipped cream resting on his top lip. Without thinking, you reached across the table and wiped it off with your thumb. You instinctively sucked the digit between your lips, earning a blush from Kylo.

“Ah,” he stuttered. “All that’s left is to sign. If you could send me your business license and some tax documents, I could help you file everything.”

A little furrow appeared between your brow, causing Kylo to frown. He had a bad feeling about this.

“You do...have a business license, right?” he tentatively pushed.

“Depends on what you mean by ‘business license’...”

He groaned, dropping his face into his palms. You felt sheepish, and ridiculously uneducated. Just as you were about to die from embarrassment, Kylo finally looked up.

He cast you a small smile and calmly replied, “Alright, this is what’s going to happen. I’m going to take you out to dinner as promised. Then, I’m going to take you home. You’re going to change into something comfortable, grab your laptop and personal documents, and then we’ll hammer out the final details of starting your business.”

“You...you’d seriously do that for me? At the risk of sounding totally ungrateful... why?”

Nobody had ever been this kind to you. If even your own blood could laugh away at your grand dreams of opening a business in New York City, then how could a stranger be so supportive? Not only was he gentle with you, but the man went out of his way to help you in tangible ways.

Retired or not, what kind of high-powered lawyer took an entire day to go fight a small-time landlord like Plutt on behalf of a new neighbor?

Kylo asked himself the same question. Growing up as an only child and then going into a field like law didn’t exactly foster selflessness in his personality. He was used to putting himself first and stopping at nothing to achieve his goals.

Something about your bright eyes and hopeful smile made him pause. He spent so many years of his life tearing things down - people, places, relationships. Perhaps, he saw this as a chance to redeem himself. To finally use his skills to build.

And hey, if the object of his newfound efforts happened to be a very pretty and very sweet woman, then that was just a bonus.

He gave you a smile and replied, “Honestly, I don’t know. But something about you tells me that I won’t regret it.”

That was good enough for you.

💖 Masterlist

[themangoyogurt]

The Grand Mesa, Colorado, USA by Chris Ford

[themangoyogurt]

Misguided Youth: The Air Clears

Chapter Five

“Ow! Let go!” You shouted as Kylo continued to drag you down a hallway. So focused on the fact that you were being manhandled by the brooding man, you were completely unaware of how many twists and turns he had pulled you through. How big was this fucking Willy Wonka factory of a home anyways?

“I said, let go you fucking psycho!” You cried as you shook your arm out of his grip. Somehow he had corralled you into a study, and despite your agitation and confusion, you couldn’t help the first response to spill out of your mouth.

“You actually read?”

Kylo spun around and slammed the door shut. Still facing away from you, he had one hand flat against the door, while the other laid balled up at his hip. You could tell that his chest was heaving up and down, and instinctively stepped away until the back of your thighs hit a sturdy oak desk. Looking around in silence, you took notice of the floor to ceiling bookcases filled to the brim with books and journals.

Judging by the worn through covers, it became clear that this was a functional office and you were immediately hit with a pang of guilt. Sure, Kylo might be a rockstar who ran around chasing tail while destroying public property, but that shouldn’t imply that he was stupid. There was more depth to the mysterious man, and you reluctantly admitted that you might have judged him too quickly.

But then he had to go and open his mouth and make you hate him all over again.

“Yes, of course I fucking read. I’m glad to see that Brooklyn’s finest waitress has deduction skills.”

“Excuse me? You know what, fuck you. Fuck you and your judgmental pompous attitude. Where’s my friend. I’m leaving right now.”

Kylo turned around, but stubbornly refused to meet your icy stare. Your eyes slowly narrowed into slits as you took in his expression. Was that...guilt? Stepping forward, you cautiously ventured, “Kylo. Where’s my friend?”

He ran a large palm through his locks and replied, “There wasn’t exactly a friend looking for you...per se...”

“Then why did you drag me away from Poe?”

Kylo finally met your glare with one of his own. “I was doing you a favor, you know. Poe would never actually be interested in someone like you. He’s a total player who...”

Your jaw dropped in incredulous anger. “What? You have no right to dictate who I can or cannot talk to! Who the hell do you think you are? Besides, who said that I was interested in him?”

“Fine! Go back to Poe or your friend Jim then. See if I care who you waste your time with. I hope you and Jim had fun fucking around in my house drinking up my booze.”

Without missing a beat, you threw both arms out in exasperation as you shrieked, “WHO THE FUCK IS JIM?”

Kylo’s brow furrowed as he took in your genuinely confused expression. Stepping back a little, he stuttered, “I thought...I thought you were here with a guy named Jim. Phasma...”

Throwing a palm up to your face, you tightly pinched the bridge of your nose as you hissed, “Oh my God, you are such an idiot. My friend’s name is Jyn. Ji-nuh. And I can assure you that while we have indeed been drinking up your expensive booze, I’m not dating her.”

A realization suddenly dawned on you as a coy smile slid across your features. Slowly, you began to advance towards the man - all fear and concern lost. Now standing close enough to touch, you tilted you head upwards and teasingly asked, “Why would it matter to you who I date? So what if I liked Poe? Or if I had a boyfriend name Jim? Or even if I was together with Jyn?”

Kylo turned his head to avoid your shit eating grin and muttered, “I don’t care. Get over yourself.”

“Sure, sure. Because it’s totally normally to go dragging people away from potential love interests, right?”

Shuffling forward so the tips of your toes were gently nudging his feet, you carefully swept his bangs out of his face. Moving your hand downwards, you barely grazed his cheek as your fingers rested against his chin. From this distance, you could feel his breath stutter while your nimble fingers danced down the column of his neck to rest at his sternum.

“Are you jealous, Kylo?”

Kylo reached up to grip your wrist in his palm as he pushed your hand away from his chest. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He still couldn’t look you in the eye though, and that only made you smirk.

Tugging your wrist out of his grip, you moved to brush past the man as you sauntered towards the door. Pausing just before exiting you turned to murmur, “You’re right. I don’t know what I’m talking about. But I don’t think you do either.”

With one last gaze, you stepped out into the hallway and the door loudly shut behind you. Kylo remained rooted on the spot as he stared into the space you once occupied.

The rest of the party went by in relative ease. You caught back up with Jyn, and immediately gave her an earful about ditching you. Afterwards, you found your way to Phasma’s side, and the blonde drummer insisted on clearing the air. She had only meant innocent fun when keeping you in the dark about who she was, and hadn’t meant to offend you. There was nothing to apologize for though, and you admitted to being too quick to anger. The two of you enjoyed a shot of liquor together - promising to continue exploring your budding friendship.

By the time you ran into Kylo again, you were well and truly wasted. Stumbling out onto this balcony, you tilted your chin up to take lungfuls of the crisp autumn air. The moonlight gently cascaded against your features, creating a halo behind your profile as you closed your eyes to bask in the peace. The sound of shuffling caught your attention, and you opened your eyes just in time to catch Kylo attempting to slink back into his home undetected.

“Is the big bad rockstar suddenly shy? No mean retorts left?”

He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face you. “Mean?”

Crossing your arms in anger you seethed, “Yeah. You’re a bully.” Kylo gave a dry laugh and crossed the balcony to stand next to you. “What, are we in middle school? I have no interest in ‘bullying’ a waitress. I’m a fucking millionaire with shit to do.”

Turning to jab a finger into his chest, you spat, “See! There you go again. Do you even know that I’m in grad school? All you’ve done since we met is talk down to me, when you don’t even know the basics of who I am. You don’t know anything about what I’ve been through.”

Too drunk to care about how you looked, your jaw quivered as you continued, “Do you think I like waitressing? Do you think I enjoy wearing a fucking costume at work literally doing a song and dance just so I can get shitty tips from haughty hipsters like yourself? Some of us don’t have a support network, and I’m doing everything I can just to stay afloat in this city without losing my goddamn mind. So I’m sorry if I’ve been too busy juggling a budding career as a 50’s impersonator along with an impossible workload to not have known who the fuck you were when we first met.”

Turning on your heel with a huff, you were stopped when Kylo reached out to grab your hand. Slowly tugging you back towards him, he quietly whispered, “It’s...it’s not like that. I don’t look down on you, and I don’t care that you’re a waitress. I’m a shitty person, okay? I don’t make friends easily, and every fucking time you open you snarky mouth I’m put off my game. Everyone acts like I’m a character in a movie, and you’re the first person to treat me like I’m a real person. I guess I wasn’t ready for that.”

He let go of your hand to turn so he could lean against the balcony. Carefully stepping up to his side, you mimicked Kylo’s posture by resting your arms against the cool metal bar as well. Soft wind swept through the air, picking up strands of your hair to dance against his arm. Playfully nudging his shoulder, you asked, “So...should we start over and try and be friends then?”

Kylo laughed and turned to meet your eyes. For the first time that night, your gazes were amiable. Nodding, he gently replied, “Yeah. Friends.”

You leaned a head against his shoulder and murmured, “But I can’t promise that I’ll stop the teasing. You make it way too easy for me.” He let out an honest chuckle as he returned to staring out into the night sky.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

[themangoyogurt]

Between 29th and Astoria: The Appetizer

Chapter 5

It was always the same story after a night of hard drinking - waking up with regret, plotting your own death, and revisiting misdemeanors committed under the influence of alcohol. To make matters worse, you had fallen asleep on the commute resulting in missing your stop. By the time you went above ground, back down on the other side, and hopped on the right train - you were hopelessly late.

Not only that, but you had been drunk enough to make stupid life decisions such as feel up your freaking boss, but not blitzed enough to have forgotten what had happened. You stepped off the executive elevator and onto the forty-fifth floor completely ready to die of embarrassment.

Only, you didn’t.

Ren’s door was closed, but you heard gentle murmuring behind the glass. His morning conference call must have begun earlier than scheduled. At least that took care of any awkward A.M. confrontations. If you had any doubts that your job was on the line though, they were immediately cleared as you stepped up to your little glass fortress.

Sitting neatly in the center right between your monitor and keyboard was a cup of coffee. A sticky note was stuck to the sleeve with two sentences scrawled in surprisingly beautiful penmanship.

“May I suggest a different addictive substance? Perhaps one that won’t kill you?”

The smell of hazelnut and spice wafted up from the lid, enveloping the area with a warm scent. The caramel liquid inside was still hot, and burned deliciously as it was consumed. Seeing that he bought you coffee, perhaps Kylo’s hypocrisy regarding smoking could be ignored. For now at least. You reclined into the leather seat underneath and began your typical morning rituals.

The computer fired on with a half-hearted beep. Next, physical memos were sorted as the screen slowly loaded. Some papers were shuffled into the trash. Others were filed away for later use, and a select few were organized into a folder to hand off to Mr. Ren. As soon as the monitor pinged to life, e-mails were next on the list. Similar to the memos, you organized and sorted the digital mail. Once in a while, you’d be interrupted by a phone call.

Most of the time it was a frantic Mitaka in search of one thing or another for Hux. The poor man was clearly stretched far too thin, and you always spent the latter half of your conversations giving the assistant a pep talk. By the time everything was catalogued and dealt with, it was usually lunch. That was almost always taken alone at your desk. First Order certainly didn’t encourage friendships, that much was for sure. If you were lucky and Mr. Ren had an outside appointment during the hour, you were able to eat elsewhere. Even then it wasn’t very exciting. You’d usually just grab a sorry excuse for a salad from Hale & Hearty, and eat it in the break room.

Today was different though. Twelve o’ clock struck, and Mr. Ren emerged from his office. Dark hair coiffed backwards, he slowly ambled towards your desk. Your name slid from his lips like oil and you looked up in surprise.

“Mr. Ren! I thought you had a lunch appointment today.”

He tapped his fingers along the smooth surface of your desk and nodded. Reaching over, he plucked your purse hanging from the back of the chair. Smiling, the man responded, “Yes, I do. You’re my appointment.”

You mouth slackened in surprise, and Kylo smirked at your reaction, filing away the image along with others he had collected over time. Twirling the leather strap of your bag in one hand, he turned on his heel and marched over to the elevator. You immediately jumped up from your chair and hurried a step behind the man.

He brought you to a swanky restaurant somewhere uptown. Just like at the club last night, you felt incredibly out of place. It was the type of establishment you’d only read about in magazines alongside the words “so-and-so celebrity spotted at”. It certainly wasn’t the kind of venue a failed photographer turned personal assistant ate at. And it definitely wasn’t the kind of place a boss should be taking his assistant just for kicks.

Regardless, Kylo still placed a warm palm on your lower back and ushered you through the large doors and into a marble waiting area. The hostess immediately recognized the raven-haired CEO and lead the way to a private dining area secluded in the back.

The lithe blonde’s eyes darted between the two of you and then to Kylo’s hands before asking, “Mr. Ren, would you like me to check your - uh - friend’s bag?”

Oh my God. Kylo Ren was still holding your purse.

Your face colored in embarrassment as you thought about how this woman probably checked Birkins worth six figures. Your little flea market find of cracked leather definitely had no business being checked anywhere. Panicking, you snatched the purse away from your boss and awkwardly tittered that you’d be fine holding onto the handbag.

Did the woman just give you a look of sympathy?

If she kept up that attitude, you’d give her something to be sympathetic about. Your eyes squinted ever so slightly, and Ren let out a snort. He waved the hostess away and pulled out your chair before settling in across the table.

“If you’re ashamed of your purse, you could always buy a new one.”

“Excuse me?! Just because I don’t enjoy being judged, doesn’t mean I’m ashamed of my purse! And what do you expect me to do? Go out and buy a Chanel with the zero dollars in my savings account?”

Kylo’s head tilted backwards as he chuckled, “You looked ready to choke the hostess with your mind.”

��My purse has character. Something she wouldn’t understand,” you pouted.

“Yes. I’m just finding out about how much character you possess.”

Heat spread across your cheeks and your face bloomed pink at your boss’s teasing. Fiddling with the hem of the tablecloth you whispered, “I’m so sorry about last night, Mr. Ren.” He dismissed your apology with a wave of his hand and chortled, “I’ve seen Phasma do worse on a better night. Don’t worry about it.” He slowly drank in the sight of your flushed skin and the way your lashes shyly fluttered at his words. Yes, he could definitely get used to this.

Thankfully the waiter arrived, and provided some relief as he went over the tasting menu. Who on earth ate five courses at twelve thirty in the afternoon?

Apparently, Kylo Ren did. The man didn’t even flinch as the waiter rattled off various dishes and accompaniments. You blushed again as Mr. Ren ordered a whiskey neat for himself and a gin and tonic for yourself. He ignored your protests that it was too early to drink, and opted to lean back and watch your fruitless objections with mirth.

“Are you done?”

Your ears turned red, and Kylo grinned with his full set of teeth. He was beginning to discover a new hobby - making his assistant blush. Once again, the waiter came to the rescue as he set down a white oval porcelain dish with two oysters perched atop a hill of ice with caviar scattered about. Ren expertly fed himself the appetizer and watched you struggle in amusement. Compared to Ren’s effortless elegance, you looked like a pelican choking down sardines.

He quietly placed a palm on the table and asked, “So, tell me about yourself. What do you do after work?”

An eyebrow raised on its own as you studied Mr. Ren with some suspicion. Just a few days ago, this man was one missed memo away from flipping over your desk and booting you out the door. Now he wanted to know what you did for fun? As if sensing your apprehension, Kylo teased, “Isn’t this what friends do? Get to know each other?”

The memory of Kylo’s massive hands gripping your slight wrists was enough to make you gag on your drink. Were gin and tonics always this difficult to stomach?

Clearing your throat and wiping the edges of your lips, you replied, “Well. Honestly, I go to work so early and stay so late...there isn’t really much time for me to do anything. My friends are pretty understanding though, so we spend most of our time at my apartment or theirs. We - uh - you know, talk. Sometimes we play board games or just watch Netflix. We do other things together, too.”

Kylo arched a brow and joked, “You do ‘other things’ with your friends? How conveniently vague.”

Coughing again, you sputtered, “No! No. I mean, we’re all single, but we don’t - you know - do weird things. Uhm, Rose is a mechanic and she works on these crazy fancy private planes that come in and out of the city. Sometimes her clients invite her to cool things, and I’ll get to tag along. Poe has a really sweet job, and he’ll hook us up with tickets to events, too. And, uhm, Finn also works at Poe’s company, but only part time. But he’s trying really hard to be an actor and he just wrapped up a really great show. We’ll go see him in different performances, and it’s really fun!”

Kylo ran his bottom lip along the edge of his glass as he took in your response. The name “Poe” sounded oddly familiar to him. It was a rather archaic sounding name that not many in your age group had. He’d have to look into that later, rather preferring to settle on one key fact he was surprisingly happy to learn - you were single.

“What about you, Mr. Ren? Do you have any hobbies? Or - uhm - date?”

You were going to be the death of him. If he could die via cuteness, he would choose you every time. He watched your throat bob as you swallowed, almost as if you wished you could push the words back down. He thought for a moment: no, what he did with the fairer sex certainly wouldn’t be considered dating. As for hobbies?

“Sure. I enjoy calligraphy. It’s a nice marriage of art and the written form. I also like taking my cars out to the speedway from time-to-time. As for dating? No. I wouldn’t say I have the time to date...per se.”

You nodded along, thinking the entire time that Mr. Ren sounded lightyears above you. Of course someone like him wouldn’t play fucking Cranium in his free time. You continued to eat and chat until the meal wrapped up. Kylo was even suave enough to take care of the check while he got up to use the restroom, saving you the embarrassment of having to act like you could even afford to split the $700 bill.

Walking out the door, you stopped to turn to the man. Rocking a bit on your heels, you meekly murmured, “Thank you, Mr. Ren...”

“What was that, little mouse? I didn’t quite catch that.” A quirk of his lip indicated that he was teasing you again.

Clearing your throat, you spoke up, “Thank you, Mr. Ren. For the meal. And the conversation. I - uh - quite enjoyed spending time with you.”

He gave you a warm smile. The most genuine one you have yet to witness. He carefully patted your back - high enough to be professional, but low enough to leave you confused.

Looking up into the sky, he replied, “I’m glad. Perhaps we could making spending time together a habit.”

[themangoyogurt]

Girll that CEO Ben hc killed me, can you give us fluffy hcs with him?

If there’s one thing and one thing only that Ben loves about being at work, it’s when you swing on by to surprise him and bring lunch. It doesn’t matter if he’s got meetings or calls schedules, he drops everything and blocks his calendar out for the hour while you spend time with him in his office, the two of you laughing and chatting over whatever your meal of choice is for the day.

On the particularly difficult days where everything seems to be going wrong, he’ll ask that you stay with him for a while following lunch. You oblige, of course, and more often than not you’ll find yourself perched up on his lap, head on his shoulder while he pushes through his teleconferences and other mundane tasks.

It’s in those moments that he’ll ask for your opinion on things, wanting your approval as to whether you think he’s making the right choices for the betterment of the company and its employees. Sometimes you’ll throw in the odd joke at the expense of whomever he’s on the call with, and he’s thankful that he’s had the wherewithal to mute the line, his hearty laughter following immediately after your quips.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve spent all day with him or haven’t seen him since he’d left the bed in the early hours of the morning, he always wraps his arms around you the moment he steps through the door when he gets home. He’ll ask about your day, wants to hear all about it regardless if you’ve spent it with him or not. He just loves hearing you talk; loves everything about you.

[themangoyogurt]

Clementine: Chapter 2

You cursed yourself as a ridiculous love ballad blared from Poe’s overpriced stereo system. All you had wanted was a night of relaxation. The marble tub in the master ensuite was already filled with hot water and a bath bomb that was so overpriced it was practically criminal. Next to the tub, a chilled glass of white wine patiently waited along the latest novel you were gobbling up.

You had stupidly decided that some calming music was the final piece to your self-care puzzle. Except, you had never used something as high-tech as what Poe’s place offered. One wrong button later, and you were ninety-percent sure that only twenty-percent of your ear drum would be functional after this fiasco.

To make matters worse, there was angry knocking at the front door. The aggressive sound was so furious that it somehow cut through the music, causing you to flush in embarrassment as you ran to get the door. You were so frazzled from breaking the sound system and subsequently upsetting your neighbor that you even forgot to grab a robe on your way out.

The door flung open to reveal a man so large and imposing, you lost your breath.

He was in nothing except a single pair of boxers and fuzzy slippers. Despite his distinctly disheveled (and frankly, sloppy) look, he was handsome. Handsome, built like a refrigerator, and angry. Ogling your neighbor would do no good if he murdered you.

Except, one moment he looked furious and the next, perplexed. Normally, you’d bristle if any man so obviously gave you a once over, but the way his mouth comically hung open made you less offended.

“Clementine,” was all he uttered.

The two of you stared at each other in silence, when the start of yet another pop song interrupted the moment. You startled to attention and rushed to explain, “I am so sorry about the disturbance. I can’t figure out how to work Poe’s stupid stereo and now the thing won’t shut off!”

The stranger peered around your shoulder and a hardened gaze returned to his face. He gritted out, “And where’s Poe to help you out?”

Your brow furrowed, and you could have sworn that he almost looked bitter at the statement. Deciding not to get into it with a stranger, you politely replied, “He’s flying right now. I’m just housesitting while he’s gone.”

The man softened ever so slightly at the response and straightened up. “I think we have the same system. I could help you turn it off.”

“Oh thank goodness,” you breathed in relief, quickly stepping aside to let him in. The stranger seemed to know his way around the gigantic apartment, and you assumed that his layout was either the same or he’d been here before.

Awkwardly shuffling behind him, you timidly supplied your name in an attempt to start a conversation. He merely grunted out, “Kylo.” He didn’t even spare you a glance as he busied himself with tapping at a seriously sci-fi looking box.

After a few minutes of strained silence, the music finally cut out. The sudden quietness was so strong your ears nearly rang from the lack of sound. “Uhm, thank you! Can I make you a mug of tea or something?” you ventured, politeness outweighing the sheer awkwardness as you realized you were two half-naked strangers staring at each other.

He shuffled a bit before giving a terse nod.

Jeez, nobody’s forcing him to hang out with me, you thought in response to his frosty reaction.

Speaking of frosty, you noticed his eyes zeroing in on your rather pointed chest, causing you to turn pink at the neck. Thankfully, you had left a sweatshirt thrown over the couch. Snatching up the thick fleece garment, you tugged it over your head and led Kylo to the kitchen.

Kylo followed with heavy steps, and made himself right at home as he settled on a stool pulled up against a bar area facing the kitchen. Two mugs were pulled from a cabinet and quickly filled with steaming hot water. The liquid reminded you of the bath now gone to waste, but one look at the handsome man gazing at you made it all worth it.

A mug of chamomile was slid across the marble top and into Kylo’s hands before you joined him on the stool to his left.

“Sorry again about the music,” you muttered.

Kylo ran a hand through his hair, dark locks falling like Fall leaves. “It’s fine. It was an accident. So...you’re a house-sitter?”

You laughed, “Unofficially. I just moved to town, and I don’t have a place yet. Poe’s an old friend from college, and he just started some sort of travel show that’s gonna keep him busy for at least four months. I get to stay for free, and he doesn’t have to worry about his house going to shit.”

Kylo nodded, not surprised that the dashing pilot somehow landed himself a deal to host a travel show. He also came from money and had already made a name for himself jet-setting around the globe piloting his own private jet.

You gave him a cute little head tilt and asked, “And what about you? What’s your story?”

For the first time since he left the First Order, Kylo felt embarrassed. Deciding to fall back on vagueness he replied, “Ah, early retirement.” Women liked mysterious men, right?

He was surprised as you let out a low whistle. “Retiring in a place like this? You must’ve had one hell of a job to retire from.” You blew the steam away from your mug and took a long sip.

Kylo frowned and folded his arms across the tabletop. “And what about you? It’s a Wednesday and you’re blaring Taylor Swift near midnight.” You knew that he wasn’t being defensive, despite a slight accusatory tinge to his voice.

You turned to face Kylo, propping your head up on an elbow. There was something gravitational in your exchange, and your bodies had slowly inched closer and closer as you talked. By now, your knees were lightly touching, and you found yourself feeling electricity at the subtle touch.

He laughed as you playfully jabbed a finger in his chest. “I’ll have you know that I do, in fact, have a job! Have you ever heard of Hanna Hut?”

Something about you riled Kylo up, and he felt more alive than he had in the past month. Some teenaged boy part of his brain refused to admit that he had no idea what Hanna Hut was, hoping to impress the pretty girl sitting next to him. Instead, he rolled his eyes and scoffed, “Of course I have. And what’s it to you?”

His resolve slowly dissolved as a silent minute ticked by. He groaned as you finally broke the silence with a loud laugh. “A grouch who can see into the future. Amazing!” Kylo furrowed his brow, and bit back, “What are you talking about?”

“Hanna Hut doesn’t exist. At least not yet.”

Kylo furrowed his brow and pinked in embarrassment at being caught. You patted his thigh, ignoring how muscled it felt underneath your touch. His bare skin was warm and deliciously corded and taut. He stuttered out a non-reply, only earning a louder guffaw from you.

“Don’t worry. It will exist. Hopefully very soon! I’m opening my very own coffeeshop-slash-bookstore combo right here in town!” You couldn’t help but gush in excitement at your very new business venture.

It had taken years of careful planning and budgeting. Years of forgoing mimosas with the girls and squirreling away every dime. Literally. Years of accepting overtime, and years of enduring doubt from friends and family alike.

No more though. You had finally gathered together enough money to launch your dream business. The moment your bank account looked healthy enough, you threw up digits and peaced out of your tiny good-for-nothing town.

Finally, after years of grit and sweat, things seemed to be looking up. With free lodging for the next few months, you didn’t even have to stress about finding an apartment. Your deal with Poe worked out perfectly so that you could spend all of your time and energy looking for the perfect space to launch Hanna Hut.

Your excitement was infectious, as Kylo couldn’t help but flash a wide smile matching the one on your face. “And where can I visit this newfound ‘coffee-slash-bookstore’ venture of yours?” he asked, genuinely curious and interested in the concept.

“Well...I’m still looking for the perfect storefront. I think I might have found it, though! In fact, I’m meeting with the landlord tomorrow afternoon.” You quickly pulled out your cellphone to show him the airy space located in Greenwich Village. It was beautiful, but pricey. Still, you convinced yourself that the price tag would be worth it.

Kylo quietly listened as you continued to babble and swipe through photos.

“It’s a little expensive, but I think it’ll be worth it! The landlord said that if I signed a ten year lease, he’d cut me a deal on rent. I think that should help, especially since there are so many fees and he needs three months rent up front...”

The more you prattled, the more agitated Kylo became. A ten year lease? As cute as you were, cuteness didn’t necessarily equate to business acumen. He found your naiveté equal parts adorable and concerning. Although you were a stranger, he didn’t want to watch yet another out of towner get swindled and eaten up by the city.

He cleared his throat, and interrupted, “Ah, if you want, I could come with you to negotiate tomorrow. I hope I’m not overstepping, but I am a lawyer...”

You perked up and replied, “That would be amazing! But I don’t know if I could pay you. Judging by the fact that you live here, I don’t think I could afford your rates...”

“Ah, well I am retired so it’s not like I’ve got much going on for me. How about you buy me a coffee and we’ll call it even?”

He flinched in surprise when you practically leapt out of your seat. Clasping his hands in your own, you gushed, “Deal! Thank you so much, Kylo!” Kylo looked down at where your hands joined, marveling at how much smaller you were compared to him. Mustering up as much courage possible, he nodded and flashed you a smile.

Just like that, Kylo found himself looking forward to something for the first time in years.

[themangoyogurt]

Misguided Youth: One More For The Road

Chapter 4

Spilling out onto the pavement, you leaned over with two hands on either knee. Pulling in thick drags of cold air into your lungs, you willed yourself to calm down before someone found you crying in an alley for no apparent reason. Just as your resolve began to crumble, familiar hands wrapped around your waist and pulled you up. You found yourself pressed against Jyn’s chest as she tugged you into a tight hug.

“Oh my God, what happened, babe? I’m so sorry I missed the concert! My manager asked me to stay longer, but I came as soon as possible!”

Pulling back, she held your head between two gentle palms as she looked into your eyes searching for some sort of answer. You began to choke out, “The...the asshole from the bar was Kylo Ren of Knights of Ren! He...he...I’m just a big fucking joke to him! He totally brought me here just to make fun of the fact that I didn’t recognize him.” Jyn’s eyes turned to steel as she turned to stare at the door.

“That motherfucker. Wait here!” She screeched as the angry woman made a beeline for the employee entrance. You lurched forward to grab her wrist and cried out, “No! I just want to go home and forget that this ever happened! I’m so fucking over Kylo and his shitty attitude.”

Jyn’s eyes flitted between yourself and the door before a mischievous grin spread over her face. She tightly gripped you by the shoulder and replied, “Nope. Hell no. In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve been many things, but never a quitter. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed you back down from anything or anyone.”

Tugging you down the alley towards the street she continued, “Not only are we going to that afterparty, but we’re going make Kylo Ren regret ever pissing you off.”

You were heading up in an elevator and nervously staring at your reflection in the mirror within the metal box. Noticing you tugging at the hem of your skirt, Jyn reached over to slap your hand away from the garment. “Get your shit together, girl. Remember - if looks could kill.” Nodding along to your best friend, you stood a little straighter as confidence surged inside your chest.

Jyn had immediately dragged you to the nearby apartment of a mutual friend and her sister. After explaining your situation to the Tico sisters, the trio immediately set to working on your outfit. Jyn was hellbent on turning you into a vision, and decided that the best way to irritate Kylo Ren was to dangle a snack in front of him that he’d never have the pleasure of tasting.

While smudging dark kohl eyeliner underneath your eyes she had scoffed, “The best way to piss off a man who doesn’t understand the word ‘no’, is to tell him that that precise word”. While your eyes were darkened in a black smokey eye, your lips were painted in a crimson red. Rose set to pulling your hair into a slick high pony-tail as Paige dug around the back of her closet.

The tall Asian woman emerged behind a pile of clothes and laughed, “Man, I haven’t seen these garments since my clubbing days in college! Good thing I’m a hoarder.” She continued to giggle as she tossed a short black shift dress onto her bed. A pair of fishnet stockings landed next to the dress.

Eyeing the tights you exclaimed, “Uhh, there better be pants with this outfit, because I swear to God, Paige.”

Rose doubled over in laughter while Paige rolled her eyes. She jabbed an accusatory finger in your direction and huffed, “Don’t even try and act like a saint. I’ve seen you strut around Meatpacking in nothing more than a -“

It was Jyn’s turn to howl as she watched your cheeks redden at the memory. Paige gave you a flat stare and held up the dress. “Look, the hemline is still respectable. We’re definitely going for an ‘oh I could care less’ vibe, but you still want to look sexy. Remember the endgame - make Kylo drool but don’t look desperate. Besides, since when did you care so much about saving your piety?” She mocking pressed her palms together in a faux prayer between sweeping off to find you a pair of heeled boots.

The women worked quickly so that within the hour you were standing in Kylo’s private elevator shooting up to his penthouse. You were dropped off in a foyer, and Jyn’s grip tightened around your hand as she pushed you forward towards an open door.

His home was enormous and surprisingly tasteful. It just made you hate the man even more. Floor to ceiling windows adorned the entire place, showing off a glittering view of the New York City skyline. The place was filled to the brim with tons of people, and you swore you saw some celebrities sprinkled amongst the mix. Jyn only confirmed your suspicions as she squealed, “Oh my God, I think that’s Paul Rudd talking to Poe Dameron!”

Poe Dameron was a the former member of a popular boy band, who skyrocketed to fame after going solo. Jyn leaned over to whisper, “I heard that he got into a public feud with Kylo! Apparently America’s favorite bad boy called Dameron the creator of ‘pansy music’.” You rolled your eyes - that definitely sounded like the Kylo you’ve had the displeasure of getting to know.

Lifting your chin up a little higher, you strutted into the room. It was too late to back out now, and you were set on seeing your mission through. You would show Kylo Ren that he had no power over you, and that he could laugh at your expense all he wanted as long as you were drinking up his expensive liquor. You instinctively found yourself by the wet bar with Jyn as she grabbed a bottle Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

“A little heavy handed there wouldn’t you say, Jyn?” You quirked an eyebrow at your friend as she all but emptied a quarter of the bottle into two waiting glasses. Rolling her eyes at your response, she leaned over the counter to grab a bottle of Patrón. Splashing the liquid into two shot glasses, she teased, “These small enough for ya?”

Nudging the woman with your hip, you swiped the glass and downed the clear liquid in a single go. Jyn cheered and tossed back her own glass. Slamming it down, she reached over to the whiskey and shoved the full glass into your hand. She shot you a mischievous look and laughed, “You still gotta finish your glass. Can’t waste anything in this current economy, right?”

Looking over the rim of your glass, you slowly scanned the room as you ignored your friend’s antics. When you had first moved to New York, the two of you became fast friends during freshman year of college. Most of that year was a haze of partying and what your mother would have deemed “wild behavior”.

Jyn had dubbed herself the “Robin Hood of Dating”. Stuffy rich prep boys were always drawn to her for some reason. If they acted like douches then Jyn would provide payback in the form of bleeding their bank accounts dry through a series of unforgivingly expensive treats and dinners. Her biggest talent was probably the fact that she’d clean out their wallets without even shedding a single layer of clothing.

Fortunately the two of you emerged from your youthful dalliances rather unscathed. Was your GPA something to write home about? Probably not. But at least you lived a little, right? While you settled on (surprisingly) getting into grad school, Jyn wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. One thing she knew for sure was that the woman was so over higher education.

You weren’t really sure what Jyn did now. She cycled through so many part-time jobs it was hard to keep up. You started to mull over her short-lived career as an actress (deceased prostitute number two on Law & Order SVU season six) when she snapped her fingers in front of your face.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!”

She took in your confused expression and shook her head. “Come on, girl. Now is not the time to relax. We need to find Lord Dickhead and then get the hell out of here, okay?”

You nodded and quickly downed your glass for courage. Jyn smirked and patted your back. “Atta girl,” she cheered. Looping an arm through the crook of your elbow, she pulled you away from the bar to circle the room.

Meanwhile, Kylo was nursing his own glass of whiskey as his eyes trailed behind you like a shark. You weren’t wearing that just a few hours ago. His grip was like steel as he thought about your earlier confrontation. Most women would have been all over him by now. At the very least excited to get free Knights of Ren tickets. Not only were you the opposite of thrilled, but he didn’t even catch who your guest was.

He was pretty sure he overheard Phasma tell Mitaka that you were bringing someone named Jim. What kind of name was that anyways? Kylo irritatedly thought that the guy sounded obnoxious. He probably had a full-time job and 401K. Kylo bitterly thought that Jim probably had a college degree.

Just as he thought his night couldn’t get worse, he caught sight of Poe Dameron making his way across the room towards you and a female who looked faintly familiar. God, he fucking hated the pretentious prick. The only reason Kylo barely tolerated his presence was the fact that he was grew up with Phasma and the pair were still good buddies.

Poe caught up to you just as Jyn stopped to grab another drink from the bar cart.

“Here, let me help,” he smoothly interjected as he reached over to grab an empty glass. Normally Jyn would roll her eyes at “chivalry”, but she caught sight of Kylo’s death glare towards the pop singer and smirked. She tilted her head and coyly giggled, “Thank you! I’m Jyn, and this beautiful single lady is my friend...”

The brown haired woman choked as you sharply elbowed her in the rib at the words “single” and “lady.” Poe caught the action and laughed at your playfulness. Slipping a full glass into your hand he replied, “Hello, ladies. I’m Poe.”

If you weren’t planning on murdering your best friend, you certainly were about to. The woman suddenly turned to you and exclaimed, “I need to run to the restroom. But I’m sure Poe wouldn’t mind hanging out with you for a little bit while I’m gone?”

Ever the gentleman, Poe enthusiastically agreed and Jyn took off before you could protest. The singer watched as you quickly downed half of your glass and dryly joked, “Whoa. I never said that I was great company, but I didn’t realize I was doing so poorly already.”

You shook your head and laughed. “No, no. It’s just...I didn’t really come here to party.”

“Then why did you come?”

“I’m...geez, it sounds really immature and petty if I say it out loud.”

Poe grinned and topped your glass off as he replied, “I once signed on to be a spokesperson for a leather jacket company just to spite a vegan ex.” You tilted your head down and let out a wheezy laugh.

“Alright, but promise you won’t judge me?”

Poe stuck out a pinky finger, and you wound your finger around his own. “Promise.”

“Okay. So, Kylo Ren kind of royally pissed me off tonight, so I came here to try and irritate the shit out of him for retaliation. I’m not exactly sure how I’ll execute my plan though, since Jyn was the mastermind and now she’s nowhere to be found.”

A glimmer shone in Poe’s eyes as he casually leaned forward to whisper, “Well, you’re just in luck. I can’t stand the guy either, so why don’t we help each other out?”

You were one shot of tequila and two and half glasses of whiskey into the night.

So yeah. That sounded like a good plan.

Nodding along with the man, you softly gasped as he wound an arm around your waist. Stepping forward, he brushed his lips against your ear and murmured, “Tell me if you’re uncomfortable.” You could barely push the syllables out of your mouth as you replied, “What...what are you doing?”

Poe remained in place as he quietly replied, “Finding out whether or not Kylo Ren is a patient man.”

Your spine stiffened at the unexpected physical contact, which didn’t go unnoticed by the man. He pulled back slightly and softly continued, “I’m honestly not planning on giving you more than a hug, but we can totally stop. Just say the word.”

Willing your shoulders to relax, you snaked a hand up to rest your palms flat against his chest. “No, I’m fine. I appreciate you letting me know. I was just surprised, that’s all.”

Poe nodded. “Okay, good. Because you kind of need to look somewhat interested for this to work.”

You tossed your head back in genuine laughter as the tension dissipated. Poe cracked a wide grin and the two of you continued to chat. While the conversation itself was the furthest thing from flirty, (sure, IRA contributions are tax-deductible, but if you want penalty free early withdrawals then...) your physicality told a different story.

Once in a while, Poe would reach up to play with the bottom of your ponytail as he wrapped a few strands around his fingers. You, on the other hand, continued to slide your palms up and down his chest while tilting your face up to laugh at his jokes. It was when Poe reached over to cup the back of your neck with his hand that Kylo lost it.

He hadn’t even realized that his feet had begun to move. Somehow, he crossed the entirety of his living room and ended up awkwardly standing in front of yourself and Poe.

The pop singer smirked, “Uh, hey man. Can we help you?”

You turned so your hip was flush against Poe’s as you leaned a head against his chest. Quietly staring up at the man, you tried to conjure a look that was equal parts innocent and “fuck you”.

Shit. Kylo hadn’t thought through his plan of action. He quickly supplied, “Yeah. Your friend is looking for you.”

You raised a single eyebrow and asked, “Who?”

Fuck. Kylo looked around and took a chance. “Uh, your friend from the concert. Jim.”

Jyn? Although, you could have sworn he said “Jim”. It was super fucking loud though, and you weren’t exactly sure what he said. You certainly weren’t about to embarrass yourself by playing five rounds of “what did you say?” and having the man repeat himself. Extracting yourself from Poe’s side, you turned to give him a faux sultry gaze. “Sorry, Poe. I gotta find my friend. Call me later about that date?”

Poe nodded and gave you a wink, satisfied that the two of you had successfully riled up your mutual enemy.

Kylo held himself back from straight up hissing, and reached over to aggressively tug your wrist into his wide palm. He jerked you away and practically dragged your body across the living room. Just as the two of you disappeared around the corner and out of eyesight, Poe was suddenly joined by another person.

Arms crossed with an evil smirk on her face, Phasma stepped up and offered the man a high-five.

“Thanks, Poe. I owe you one.”

[themangoyogurt]

Tagged by @punk-in-docs​! Thank you 💖Here are my 3 random facts:

1. I am actually not a big fan of mangos. I know! Blasphemy! The name “mangoyogurt” actually came from a friend in college. We were signing up for one thing or another online and needed a username. She happened to be eating mangos and I was eating yogurt - hence, mangoyogurt! 

2. Professionally, I work in fashion. I started my career in NYC, which is why most of my AU fics are based in the city. They say to write from experience, so there we have it! Unfortunately, I’ve never had the pleasure of dating a mega-millionaire who wanted to solve all of my problems with money, though. Maybe someday my Mr. Ren will make an appearance, haha. 

3. I’ve lived in four separate countries in my adult life, and it’s given me a huge appreciation for other cultures. I’d like to think that it’s made me more open-minded and curious! If anything, it’s just made me fall in move love with food and food culture. Yum! 

I’ve just joined Tumblr, so I haven’t many friends on here yet. I will tag @ninadewitt if you’re around! No pressure to do the tag! 💖

If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notifications, anonymously or not! Let’s get to know the person behind the blog!

Tagged by @fizzywoohoo (Thank you, sweetheart! 😘)

I bellydance. I like fusion (aka tribal fusion) bellydance. (I bought and wear Sharon Kihara’s pants! 😂) Also, I play zil. One day I’ll take up the doumbek, but I need more time.

I used to cosplay. I won a judge’s award at Anime Boston for my Lulu (FFX). I used to co-host the yaoi panels at AB, too. 🌽 (I’ve just outed myself as a fujoshi, but I regret nothing.)

When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with Interview With the Vampire and all things Anne Rice. I don’t care for her any longer, but I still enjoy the original Vampire Chronicles.

Tagging: @starlightsearches @zoefreedom56 @terry2227 @trouble-som-e @clydesducktape @imjustmarry @morby (only if you want to!!!)

[themangoyogurt]

Between 29th & Astoria: The Tease

Chapter 4

Kylo Ren lazily chewed on a bite of chocolate cake as he mulled over his new assistant. The term “new” was being used quite loosely seeing that you’d been employed at First Order for at least two months. How could he have missed something...someone...so delectable right within arm’s reach? Maybe his father had been correct. He should get his head out of his ass once in a while.

A chirping noise from Kylo’s phone interrupted his thoughts. He answered without much thought, and immediately regretted doing so. His night would now be ruined, and chances are he’d have to down half a bottle of gin to get over it.

Sighing, Kylo muttered, “Hello, mother.”

Meanwhile, you were skipping arm-in-arm with Rose on the other side of town. “Oh my gosh. Finn, you are amazing”, Rose gushed as everyone spilled out onto the street. Poe clapped his friend on the back and reaffirmed Roses’s words of adoration. Finn had just wrapped up the his last show, and you were glad to have caught it. After the final applause, he invited everyone backstage for champagne with the cast, and now your group of friends were stumbling down 9th Avenue with their steps just a little lighter and voices a bit louder.

Poe whipped around to face his three friends as he got a mischievous glint in his eye. Wiggling his eyebrows he ventured, “How do we feel about topping the night off with drinks at a swanky members only club?”

You laughed, “I feel like I can barely make my student loan payments as is, and I have work tomorrow morning.”

Poe tossed an arm around you and pleaded, “What if I told you the drinks were free thanks to my company card, and I’ll pay for our cab home. Please?”

You stared into his mocha colored eyes and groaned. It should be illegal to be this damn charming. The combined forces of Rose and Finn cheering “do it” over and over again finally crumbled any available willpower. Next thing you knew, the four of you had crammed yourselves into the back of a cab and then hopped off in front of a nondescript building.

The lounge was unlike anything you had ever seen before. Despite a sleek and minimalist interior, everything screamed “money”. Suddenly black sneakers seemed a terrible choice of shoe as model after model sauntered past in towering Manolos. Sensing your discomfort, Poe placed a hand at your back and whispered, “You look beautiful. Own it!”

Mustering up as much confidence as possible, you made your way into a booth covered in darkened burgundy leather with everyone, and allowed yourself to get lost in the night. After all, you deserved this didn’t you? That was the beauty of New York City. You could be anyone you wanted. Tonight, you were a dashing young woman laughing the night away with her closest friends.

Three rounds of...what did Poe call them again? Side Cars? Or was it an Old Fashioned that Rose had poured down your throat? Shit. You were on edge of tipsy about to fall over into drunk. You palmed Finn’s jacket in search of cigarettes before excusing yourself to the outdoor patio. Waving off your friends, you assured them that you’d be alright and back as soon as you got some fresh air into your lungs.

Stumbling through the room, you cursed as your watch showed three-thirty in the morning. It was way past the point of return though, so you might as well ride out this wave commonly known as “poor decision making skills”.

With a cigarette loosely hanging from your lips, you moaned as soon as you realized you had forgotten a lighter. Testing out your legs, you decided that you were too drunk to meander into the lounge and then back out again. Just as all hope was lost, a lone man with his back turned to you caught your attention.

“Excuse me, sir. Could I borrow a light?”

The mysterious figure turned, and gave you the most searing look you’d ever have the misfortune of being on the receiving end of. You hadn’t recognized your boss’s figure in the dark, especially now that his blazer and tie were missing. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the top and at some point the man had pushed his sleeves up to his elbows.

Kylo slowly leaned forward to take in your appearance. Your hair had become tousled, and your pretty white dress was hanging precariously off one shoulder. Avoiding eye contact, you frantically flattened a palm against your hair in an attempt to look less unkempt.

Ren reached out and your heart stuttered as the man moved closer and closer to your face. Suddenly he plucked the cigarette out from between your lips and flicked it onto the ground.

“I prefer my assistants to take care of their bodies.”

Settling your weight onto one hip, you placed a firm fist on your waist. Gesturing wildly with the other hand you moaned, “Ugh, why are you so boring. You’d think that a hot mysterious guy decked out in black would be more interesting.”

He tilted his head and rumbled, “And where is this feisty attitude during office hours?”

“Maybe I’d be more fun if you weren’t such a suffocating asshole. All memos must have quarter inch margins! My coffee absolutely must be a black Americano at exactly 175 degrees or else it belongs in the trash!” Kylo choked back a laugh as you lowered your voice an octave to mimic him. Perhaps any other day you’d nod along and apologize in hopes of moving past your transgressions. But you were drunk. And today was not that day.

Kylo reached over and twirled a lone strand of hair around his index finger. Giving it a gentle tug, he smirked as your lips opened in surprise. He lifted up the strand and gave the tip a gentle kiss before allowing the hairs to drift back towards your neck. The man quietly murmured, “I can show you a few ways I can be ‘interesting’. In fact, one might even consider me creative.”

A chuckle died on his lips and his body stiffened when he realized that you had begun sliding your hands up and down his torso. Slowly, your hands made their way down his front as you felt the wide planes of his chest. Gentle divots along his stomach hinted at abs, and your fingers delicately traced the grooves. Kylo’s breath hitched as your hands moved outwards to brush along his hips, and then back in as they inched closer and closer to his crotch. Kylo was frozen, unsure of what was happening.

“Where is your goddamn lighter? I know you have a lighter! Get off your fuckin’ high horse. You totally look like a smoker!”

Kylo gingerly gripped your wrists with his wide hands and pulled you away from his body. Bent by your ear, he whispered, “And what would I get in return if I let you borrow my lighter?”

You looked up at the behemoth of a man with wide and bright eyes. Your lips pulled away for a dazzling smile as you earnestly replied, “I’ll be your friend!” Kylo’s fists clenched around your delicate skin in surprise. This certainly wasn’t going in the direction he was anticipating. It seemed like nothing ever went as expected when it came to his interactions with you.

He eased his grip, allowing your hands to fall back at your sides as he asked, “And why would I want to be friends with you?”

Completely drunk and unaware of how serious the air had become, you simply replied, “Because you’re lonely.”

Kylo felt anger surge inside his chest at your words. He stalked forward and you stepped backwards in surprise. He continued to move onward until your back was against the wall and your chests were touching. Leaning down until his forehead was resting against your temple, he seethed, “Don’t act like you fucking know me. You’re just a lowly assistant who gave up on her dreams an...”

You suddenly felt a tug as your body slid out from underneath Ren. Rose was holding onto your shaking torso while Finn stood ahead of the both of you.

“What’s your problem, dude? Fucking pervert, preying on drunk girls!” Finn shouted at Ren. He glared towards your boss for a moment longer before pushing Rose and yourself back into the club. Just before you were out of eyesight, you turned to catch one last glimpse at Kylo.

Perhaps it was the darkness, or the alcohol playing tricks on you. But you could’ve sworn that the man gave you a wink just before pulling out a lighter and cigarette from his back pocket.

Much to the dismay of a very disgruntled cab driver, you piled into a yellow taxi with your three friends in tow. Crammed into the back, you were nestled halfway on Rose’s lap and wedged against Finn’s thigh. The man was still seething as he rambled on, “I hate guys like that. He’s probably some finance douche who thinks his money can get him out of anything. Just seeing that asshole pressed up against you like that makes me want to throw a punch.”

“Finn,” you gently interjected. “He’s my boss.”

The man whipped around as much as one could in a crammed space. His features painted in disbelief he exclaimed, “What the fuck?! That’s even more inappropriate! You should report him to a supervisor or something!”

Feeling touched at your friend’s anger, you gently patted the side of his thigh. You shrugged, “Finn. He is my supervisor. He’s the freaking CEO of First Order!”

As the title of “CEO” dripped from your lips, Poe suddenly stiffened. He leaned forward and cautiously asked, “Wait, you work directly with Kylo Ren?”

“Yeah. I thought you guys knew this. I mean, I’m always complaining about him when I get home. And I’m pretty sure I bitch about him at least five times a day in the group chat.”

Poe drummed his fingers against his thighs and murmured, “Yeah, but you never said his name. I thought you were just working for some paper pusher at the Order. Not...Kylo Ren.”

You rolled your shoulders and shifted slightly. “What’s the difference? It’s all the same anyways.”

Poe really craned his neck now to maintain eye contact. His typical lighthearted demeanor had melted at the mention of Mr. Ren and he was the most serious you had ever witnessed. Reaching over to tightly grip your hand, Poe exclaimed, “Dude, you need to quit. Ren is messed up. Like, dangerous messed up.”

Okay, now your friends were getting annoying. This was your job. Pulling your hand out of his grasp, you dryly replied, “Yeah, thanks for the heads up. I think I’ve got this. He’s a dick but that’s no reason to quit. Have we forgotten that I have a ridiculous amount of debt from a ridiculously useless degree?”

Rose nervously smoothed her palm against your shoulder and threw the boys a sharp look - mentally willing them to shut up. Unfortunately, neither could read minds and Poe continued, “Look, our company deals with First Order a lot, and Kylo is a monster. I could get you a job at Resistance Tech as soon as next week if you want. I can’t tell you what Kylo does, that’s confidential to the industry. But...look. I just don’t like the way he runs his business, okay? And I heard rumors of some messed up family shit, too.”

You were officially done with this conversation. You gave Poe a half-hearted reply that you’d think about it, and he seemed pleased enough. The rest of the ride went by in silence and you were soon pulling up to the apartment building. Poe handed the driver a wad of cash, and then everyone began to say their goodnights. Just before you parted, he gripped your shoulders one last time and pleaded, “Just trust me.”

[themangoyogurt]

Adam Driver behind the scenes of Marriage Story (2019)

[themangoyogurt]

Misguided Youth: And The Third

Chapter 3

Bouncing on your heels, you roughly rubbed your hands up and down your biceps in an attempt to stave off the cold. The brisk autumnal air was nipping at your exposed neck, and you mentally cursed Phasma’s friend for being late. Knowing what a shitstorm coatcheck usually was after concerts, you decided to forgo wearing a coat, and instead braved the chill in a lightweight military jacket you could tie around your waist. Unsure of what kind of music was being played, you erred on the side of caution with your typical Dr. Martens, ripped skinny jeans, and a thin ribbed henley top in your favorite color.

It would do. It wasn’t like you were here to impress anyone.

Certainly not Kylo.

You groaned thinking about the dark haired man, and immediately hated yourself for it. The guy was a total jackass, and didn’t deserve a single second of your precious time. Not even if he was built like roman statue. The size of his hands didn’t go unnoticed by you either. You definitely didn’t imagine said hands wrapped around your throat while he...

“Hey! You’re Phasma’s guest, right?”

You snapped to attention as a short dark-haired man appeared in front of you. He took in your nod, and immediately reached for a handshake while introducing himself as Mitaka. You followed him towards a metal door marked “Restricted Access” while tugging on a lanyard with a flimsy laminated card that read “VIP”.

He chatted about his job as a freelance writer pitching stories to various magazines and newspapers. Mitaka was ecstatic when Phasma found you. He was hoping to write an article where he would “expose” individuals to musical artists they had never heard, and record the reactions.

Turning to you, he exclaimed, “I didn’t think that I’d ever fine someone who didn’t know K.O.REN! When Phasma told me about you, I felt like I hit a gold mine. Thanks again for coming out!”

“Uh, no problem. This band...they’re really big, huh? Then why are they playing at such a small venue tonight?”

The current building seemed rather small. At least too small for a supposed "big name" band to be messing around in. Didn’t world famous musicians sell out stadiums or something?

“They just got back from Rock am Ring in Germany. It’s a huge three-day metal festival with over 150,000 people. Whenever they finish tours with large audiences, they make sure to book smaller and more intimate venues afterwards. The lead singer says it keeps them grounded.”

It seemed like a respectable thing to do. In fact, it was almost kind of sweet. Suddenly, a word from Mitaka’s sentence jumped out at you.

“Wait...did you just say metal festival?”

“Yeah, they’re a metal-ish band. More hard rock I’d say, but they’re still really popular.”

You thought back to Phasma’s cropped hair bleached white, and the multitude of studs peppered along the collar of her denim jacket. Yeah, she definitely looked “metal-ish”. But Hux and Kylo were dressed far more “normal” in just jeans and simple tops. Maybe they didn’t listen to the same music? But people don’t need to dress a certain way to enjoy different types of music...

Mitaka suddenly cleared his throat, and you were jerked back to the present. He gestured towards a section partitioned off by ropes. The spot was perfect - just out of sight from the audience but with a perfect view of the stage. It seemed as if the concert was close to starting, since everything was set up and the room was filled to the brim with chattering people.

Clear across the stage, you noticed the silhouettes of three people. Even from this distance they all looked ridiculously tall. Squinting your eyes, you tried to make out the individuals, but the bright stage lights were blinding. The only thing you could do was huff and patiently wait for the show to start.

In the meantime, Mitaka rattled off a few key facts regarding the band. He was about to begin a history on their first Grammy nomination, when the house lights suddenly went down. It was clear that the band was much loved, because the crowd immediately went wild. The way bodies shoved towards the front as people began to chant “Knights of Ren” over and over again almost seemed violent.

The first individual stepped out, and you stifled a cry of shock. Phasma was decked out in leopard print leggings, combat boots, and a ripped black shirt. Her denim vest rippled as she lifted up an arm holding onto two drumsticks. The woman struck a pose before settling in behind a drum kit situated on top of a raised platform.

The next individual was no less surprising. Hux strolled out onto the stage, and you were taken aback by how relaxed the man seemed. It almost looked as if he were bored by the entire idea of playing any show, and lazily paused to wave before picking up a bass. Even his wardrobe mimicked his attitude, as he only donned a pair of slim fit black jeans and a thin grey sweater. Mitaka leaned over and whispered that it was a running joke that Hux enjoyed looking as un-metal as possible. In fact, security often mistook him for a pedestrian, and there had been many attempts to escort the man away from backstage.

But the last individual to come out made the greatest impact of all - both with yourself and the crowd. Kylo strutted onto the stage in all of his glory. Full hair swept backwards with tight jeans hugging every curve of his muscular thighs. You didn’t think that you were an ass girl, but shit - Kylo was making you change your mind. Shaking your head, you willed yourself to not find the bastard attractive.

The fact that he was already fucking shirtless was making the job difficult though.

Taut muscle rippled along his forearm and back as he reached out to sling a guitar over his shoulder. Your eyes followed the instrument as it rested over his front, right where two sharp line’s ended at a “v” by his hips.

As if he couldn’t have been hotter, the man opened his mouth and began to sing. You swore that the Beatles had nothing on this man in terms of swooning fans. Men and women alike were clamoring towards the stage as Kylo switched between melodic singing and hard shouts.

Although the music was foreign, something (or rather someone) was compelling you to want more. Just as you were taken into the swell of the chorus, Kylo’s head turned and his eyes felt like a lazer as he stared you down. His gaze remained sharp, and you felt all of the air sucked out of your lungs. For a moment, you thought that you saw something different in his eyes. Perhaps the music made him a softer and more vulnerable man.

But then his face twisted into a smirk as he gave you a cheeky wink before directing your attention with a jerk of his head towards a crying female fan attempting to take her shirt off.

Just like that, your softened feelings for the man dissipated in a single second.

The asshole was peacocking right in front of you - shoving his fame into your face. He is the worst. He is literally the worst. You decided right in that moment that there was nobody in the whole of New York City that you hated more than Kylo Ren. Rage surged in your chest as an ugly thought bloomed - you were brought here to be made into a joke.

The rest of the night flew by in a blur as your emotions flittered between embarrassment and fury. Was the whole plan to make a mockery of you? Pay to take the poor student out for brunch and then laugh at her ignorance behind her back?

You cringed thinking back on how you practically ate half of Hux’s entree even after shoveling several pounds of potatoes into your mouth right in front of a trio of mega-stars.

When the concert came to an end, Kylo’s voice sounded like a faraway echo as his fans screamed over his farewell bid. Stumbling backwards, you wanted nothing more than to escape the impending awkward and upsetting confrontation with the band. You felt your back suddenly collide with a wall and spun around in surprise.

Your eyes widened into open disks as you not only saw, but felt, the sweaty naked torso of Kylo Ren. His lips were pulled up in a lopsided grin as he took in your shocked expression. Your gaze trailed upwards as you took in the way sweat pooled at the tips of his hair and fell to rest in the divot of his clavicle.

“So the firecracker is finally rendered speechless. How’d you like the concert, princess?”

“You...”

Kylo gave you an expectant wink, and you felt fire surge in your chest. Whether it was from anger or lust though, that was up for debate. Finding courage from within, you spat, “You’re an asshole, Kylo Ren.”

With one final glare, you shoved against his chest to brush past the man. He looked towards your back in surprise and shouted, “What the hell is your problem? A ‘thank you’ would be appreciated.”

Whipping around to face the singer you hissed, “Thank you? Thank you? For what? Why did you guys even bring me here? To embarrass me? To laugh at the poor girl who didn’t recognize the ‘biggest rock band in the world’? To shove my face in your success and wealth?”

It was now Kylo’s turn to look surprised. That was certainly not his intention at all. When he got back to his penthouse and had some time to think, the entire situation seemed humorous and rather innocent. And although one could argue that he was an asshole most of the time, he would never consider himself mean spirited. Sure, maybe he did want to show off a little bit, but he definitely wouldn’t go out of his way just to embarrass you.

Always one with words though, he huffed, “Please. Don’t think so highly of yourself.”

Your face blanched at his response, and you angrily ripped the lanyard from your neck and threw it at his face while shouting, “Go to hell, Kylo. Go find someone else to fuck with.” Gesturing towards the man with two middle fingers, you backed away and stormed out through the exit.

Phasma arrived just as the door slammed shut. With hands on her hips, she turned to Kylo and laughed, “Man, I’ve never see you flop so badly with a girl before.”

Kylo looked offended as he scoffed, “Flop? That would imply I would want anything to do with...that.” He jabbed his finger towards the empty space you once occupied.

The drummer gave her friend a look and slowly shook her head. Giving him a pat on the back she replied, “For the longest time I assumed that you had the emotional range of a caterpillar, but she’s proven me wrong. You’re just telling yourself that you hate this chick because you’re worried that you might actually be interested in actually getting to know the girl.”

The man rolled his eyes and replied, “I would hardly consider a minimum wage waitress with a foul mouth interesting.”

Phasma gave him an all-knowing look and shrugged her shoulders. “Well, then you definitely won’t care that I invited her to the afterparty at your place.”

She gave him a wink, and then strolled back on stage to pack up some equipment. Left alone, Kylo slowly considered his friend’s words right before he turned to punch a hole into the wall.

[themangoyogurt]

Clementine: Chapter 1

If there was one thing Kylo Ren was good at, it was maintaining the status quo. After all, a man could only live in perpetual conflict and drama for so long before coming to the conclusion that perhaps he was the problem. The common denominator in all of the unhappiness he experienced in his somewhat varied existence.

First, a serious familial falling out as he turned his back on the family business when he accepted a job in corporate law instead of his expected tract of environmental law.

Although, he bitterly noted that while everyone was busy pointing out what a traitor he was, nobody seemed to mention how Uncle Luke wouldn’t even hire him to being with. The old man grumbled something about Kylo ‘earning his way’. Well, Kylo really showed Luke, didn’t he? He ‘earned’ his way right into a job defending white collar criminals.

Then, there was the whole mess with his then-mentor-turned-boss-now-enemy, Snoke. Kylo required some serious deep meditative breathes when thinking about how he practically threw away the entirety of his twenties to serve a no-good monster who was now behind bars for ten to fifteen on fraud charges.

That was a great moment, walking into an empty office swarmed by the FBI. He got to become a witness and jobless in less than ten minutes. Hooray.

Sure, Kylo had a padded savings account from his job and a hefty trust fund (take that, Uncle Luke). But none of that cold hard cash gave him the satisfaction that Snoke had promised. The wrinkled old man had sworn that Kylo would feel fulfilled and powerful if he’d only sell his soul to First Order.

Kylo snorted into his glass of whiskey. All he got out of his glory days at the Order was a crippling sense of loneliness and a questionable rash that thankfully turned out to be nothing more than razor burn.

He tipped his head back to relax into his leather chair. Being wealthy and jobless wasn’t doing him any good. He barely got out of bed before noon these days, and his liquor collection was dwindling at an alarming pace that even his father would raise a brow at.

His knuckles flexed at the thought of his father. Letting out a long exhale through his nose, he willed his mind to clear. Kylo needed to find a hobby stat before he really lost his shit. Just as he was about to get up for a third refill, a strong and heady bass suddenly exploded through his walls.

The wailing of Taylor Swift blared through the walls, a feat that if wasn’t so annoying, would actually impress Kylo.

Because he lived on the penthouse floor, only shared by one other apartment. For sound to reach that far would take mighty will and a killer sound system.

Slamming down his empty glass, he stomped his way across the living room. Kylo didn’t even care that he was in nothing but house slippers and a ratty pair of boxer briefs with a mysterious day-old ketchup stain on the hem.

Poe Dameron, his neighbor, was someone that Kylo did not care to impress. Besides, judging by the amount of times Kylo caught Poe sunbathing in nothing but a Speedo in their shared rooftop garden, it would do Poe some good to receive a taste of his own uncomfortable medicine.

Kylo snatched his keys and stomped across the hall to Poe’s door. He briefly wondered if the man could even hear the doorbell over Miss Swift’s croons of romance. Kylo snorted.

Romance. Something else he failed miserably at. Another pitiful thing to add to his list of shortcomings. It was easy to assume that the broody man didn’t do love. That he was a one night stand kind of guy.

The fact of the matter was the he was actually quite the opposite. Despite seeing the marriage of his parents implode, Kylo still held out for “the one”. A ridiculous schedule made it impossible for him to date, though. His wealth was also a surprising hinderance, as he found most women he met cared more about his bank balance than him as a person.

He had hoped that all this free time would help in the pursuit of love, but he only found it worse. Ever since losing all direction in life, he had turned into a total slob. Quite lazy, if he had to be honest. To be frank, he lost count of the days since he last left his apartment, relying heavily on delivery to ensure that he didn’t starve to death.

By the end of his mental tangent, he finally reached Poe’s door. He rang the doorbell a few times and threw in some aggressive knocking. Even through the loud music, he could hear a string of “shits” and “fucks” as somebody fumbled with the door.

Kylo’s ear perked in curiosity. The voice sounded feminine with a soft lilt to it. Perhaps Poe had yet another conquest over. The fact that the olive-skinned man seemed to bring home an ever rotating array of both men and women only added to Kylo’s distaste for the guy. Kylo couldn’t even find one person to put up with his shit while half of Manhattan seemed to fight for the chance to jump into the pilot’s bed.

He preemptively crossed his arms, doing his best to put on an air of threatening indifference. Kylo was about to set his face into a scowl when the door finally flew open.

Instead of Poe, the visage of a breathless and surprised woman met his gaze. Kylo couldn’t help but roam over her body with his eyes. She looked as if she was prepared for bed. Her messy hair thrown up in a haphazard bun while she was dressed in nothing but a tiny camisole and miniature sleep shorts.

Kylo’s mouth watered as he noted little orange fruits dotting her pajamas. As his eyes trailed back upwards, he did the only thing his brain could think of.

He stupidly uttered, “Clementine.”

[themangoyogurt]

Oh my god you have a tumblr!!! I read 29th and Astoria in like a week (last year when I was living alone for the first time) and it is genuinely one of my top 3 fave fics ever! It's so perfectly written, I still get emotional thinking about it. Thank you so much for writing it!! It will forever hold a special place in my heart 🥺

Yes! I’m way behind on the times, haha. I figured it would be fun to take prompts and get to know people better! And thank you so much for your kind words 😭It seriously means SO much to me knowing that people enjoy my work! 💖

[themangoyogurt]

Between 29th & Astoria: A Bad Habit Develops

Chapter 3

It was exactly 7:49 AM when you arrived at your desk. After your little outburst last night, you didn’t want to risk Mr. Ren having any excuse to have an aneurism over tardiness. You had just finished sorting and filing paperwork when the source of your troubles strolled into the office. The man hesitated for a moment at your desk before you looked up.

“Good morning, Mr. Ren.”

“Hello, PA...”

You instinctively cleared your throat, cutting the man off while timidly supplying your first and last name. Kylo tilted his head as an amused smile barely grazed his lips. You coughed once and quietly explained, “Please, sir. I would prefer if you called me by my name.”

Kylo nodded and slowly repeated the name, as if testing the way the letters tasted on his lips. He liked it. It suited you. He repeated it one more time before walking past you into his office.

Your morning continued with little fanfare as you made your way to personally drop off paperwork at various destinations. Seeing that whatever Kylo handled was confidential, he didn’t trust e-mailing anything. Walking over to Mitaka on the thirtieth floor, you held back a giggle at the memory of Rose slurring her own theories about Ren during a rare night out.

”You know, if he wasn’t rich and handsome, he’d probably be one of those weirdos who believes in space people spying on humans or whatever. Who doesn’t trust the internal communication system of their own company? Maybe if you made him a tinfoil hat, you’ll get on his good side.”

You had your own theory - the man just liked making you suffer. After all, what better way to plague your assistant than make her traverse multiple floors in stilettos? Giving the dark-haired assistant of Hux a polite nod, you dropped a folder off at his desk. Next, you marched over to Phasma with some personal paperwork regarding payroll. You were in the middle updating the woman on your progress when your phone aggressively buzzed.

Kylo Ren | 11:18 AM | Where are you?

Kylo Ren | 11:19 AM | I want you in my office NOW.

“Shit!” You spat. It wasn’t exactly professional to curse in front of your HR rep, but something about Phasma’s straightforward and tough demeanor hinted that she wasn’t bothered by it. She rolled her eyes and dismissed you with a wave of a hand.

Sprinting back to your desk, you noticed that Kylo’s doors were ajar. Darkness roved back and forth across the glazed window indicating that Mr. Ren was pacing back and forth. The sound of muffled shouting was interrupted once in a while with the smash of an object being broken.

Normally you’d wait outside for one of his episodes to clear, but he had indicated that you were to appear as quickly as possible. Gingerly leaning against the door, you pressed it open to step into the private office. Ren ignored your presence as he continued to shout into the phone.

“I don’t care if it’s a national holiday in France. If those projections are not in my inbox by the time I’m finished with lunch, I will personally see that your firm is dismantled piece by piece. I swear I’ll take the clothes off your fucking back!”

He angrily tapped his phone before flinging the device against the wall. You had never seen the man so upset. At least not this closely. His shoulders heaved with each labored breath as he stared into space without moving. Various office supplies laid scattered and destroyed around his feet, and you cringed thinking that you’d have to pick everything up once he was out of the room.

Suddenly, Kylo snapped back to the present. Snatching his blazer from the back of his leather chair, the man stalked towards the elevator. Stopping just as he passed through the door, he bellowed, “You. You’re coming with me.” A squeak escaped your lips as you scurried towards the angry man just as he entered the elevator.

With aggression rolling off of Kylo, you were surprised that the man didn’t just rip doors off their hinges as he stomped through the lobby and out onto the street. He paced for a moment, clearly attempting to level his mood now that he was in public.

“Take me somewhere pedestrian.”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you deaf?”

You frowned at his attitude, but bit back a retort of your own. Kylo sighed and explained, “I want to eat lunch somewhere I won’t run into a business associate. After the conversation I just had, I’m going to lose it if I have to put on airs with some infuriating Wall Street shmuck. And if I stay in the office I run the risk of having to deal with Hux’s superiority complex.”

You swallowed the desire to point out that it sounded like Kylo was describing himself. Instead, you nodded and motioned for him to follow. A few blocks later, and you were sliding into a booth at the back of a nondescript pizza parlor. Kylo silently paid for the meal, and then settled in across from you with two cups of Coke in his large palms.

Shit. Shit. Shit. You were about to spend the most time alone with your boss since starting the job.

It seemed as if a similar train of thought crossed Ren’s mind as he awkwardly looked anywhere but you. He had shucked off his blazer and was now idly rolling up his sleeves. For someone who never left the office, he had a surprisingly strong build. Tracing the veins up his forearms, your eyes rested at his broad chest.

“So, how does a little mouse such as yourself end up working for the First Order?”

Kylo smirked as you choked on nothing. Flattening your palms against your skirt, you replied, “I have bills to pay.”

The man snorted and placed an elbow on the table before resting his cheek against his palm. You had never seen him so relaxed.

“Normally Phasma sends me more capable assistants. Tough individuals who can stomach dealing with the business of war. I was surprised when she sent me someone so mild.”

Your palms closed into fists. Sure, you weren’t a wise-cracking career climbing type of gal. But in your eyes that didn’t make you weak. It just meant you operated under a specific decibel. As politely as one could seethe, you responded, “Sir, I may be ‘mild’, but that doesn’t make me incapable of performing my duties. I am still here after two months.”

His head tilted the other direction as he stared you down. A slight blush bloomed across your face and Kylo smiled.

“I guess I keep you around for the humanity.”

Before you could ask the man to elaborate, a teenaged boy interrupted by setting a large pizza down. The smell of pepperoni and cheese wafted into the air, and instantly everything seemed like it would be okay. Kylo motioned for you to serve yourself first, and watched in amusement as you rapidly dug into the meal before he began eating. The two of you ate in relative silence before Kylo ventured with another question.

“What was your major in college?”

You swallowed a mouthful of carbohydrates and reached for your drink to buy some time before replying, “Photography.”

“Then why aren’t you a photographer?”

Sheesh, for someone who manages a billion dollar company, he wasn’t exactly good at making small talk was he? You considered the man in front of you. Prior to the interview you had done your due diligence and researched as much as you could. It was an easy task - the man came from a high profile family and generations of wealth and success. You were pretty sure he changed his name to “Kylo Ren” just to be a dick to his parents.

“Photography doesn’t pay the bills when you have a mountain of debt.”

“No family to help?”

You scoffed. Of course Kylo Ren, heir to the Organa-Solo fortune, would assume that you could just ask your parents for help. You wiped a hand on a napkin and flatly answered, “I am no longer on speaking terms with my family.”

He looked to be deep in thought as he mulled over your words. How did things get so personal so quickly? Something about Kylo completely disarmed you. Any more time alone with the man and you were at risk of spilling embarrassing stories about puberty. His jaw clenched for moment before he softly replied, “I understand.”

His softened eyes took you by surprise. Catching himself in the moment, Kylo abruptly stood from his seat and barked for you to return to the office. He sharply mentioned being late for a meeting before flying into a cab and disappearing down the street. You stood in awe for a moment, unsure of what exactly transpired over lunch.

A playful thought danced through your mind as you walked back to the office. You’d show Mr. Ren that you were no little mouse, and that you certainly weren’t scared of the man.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. 

Kylo was exhausted. He hated face-to-face meetings. All of the pomp and circumstance. The peacocking and the flattery. Regardless how how much money he raked in with each secured account, he still left every meeting with a hollow feeling. For a while, seeking the physical pleasures New York City offered was enough to numb the loneliness.

Like a drug though, each shiny new toy, expensive meal, or flighty model he bedded only left the ache growing worse and worse. Just as he was reaching the end of his rope, a new doe-eyed assistant stepped into his life.

From the get-go, your naiveté and subtleness caught him off guard. He was used to those around him scrambling to please and use Kylo Ren, CEO of First Order Enterprises. But there you were, stumbling along behind him every step of the way. It was your earnestness caught the man off guard.

His curiosity began with a single look. You happened to be by his desk during one of his famous outbursts. A deal went south, and along with it millions of dollars and hours of work wasted. As he threw a stapler across the room, he was taken aback by your expression - sadness. It wasn’t fear. He knew fear, and the way your lips turned downwards wasn’t it. You were genuinely sad for the man. Empathizing with his frustration and disappointment.

Ren continued to prod and harass you in an attempt to elicit more emotions from your soft features. He’d watch in amusement as each feeling was clearly displayed front and center. You weren’t very good at hiding your thoughts. At least not in the way your brows would furrow or the way your pretty red lips twitched.

He continued his relentless assault until finally, finally, you stood up for yourself. And that was the best reaction he had ever witnessed from your placid demeanor. The way you deliciously defended yourself was like a dessert on its own.

Kylo couldn’t explain it, but you were such an oddity in his life. A curiosity he itched to unravel piece by piece. He checked his Patek Philippe watch as he returned to First Order and rode the elevator back up to the forty-fifth floor. It was six now, and with his absence in the office you were probably jumping at the chance to escape on time for once.

Just as the doors slid open, he was met with your delicate laughter. Kylo froze momentarily as he took in the sight before him. You had switched into a pair of beaten in black Converse hightops, and your typical office attire had been changed for a breezy white off-shoulder dress speckled with lace. Was your hair always this long? Kylo only noticed the length as your locks curled around your shoulders, wavy from being in a bun all day.

“I know Rose! I can’t believe my luck either. I’ll finally get to see Finn perform and meet the cast afterwards! Do you think Poe is out of the...oh shit, mybossisheregimmeasecond!”

You squeaked out the ending of your sentence as Kylo stepped off the elevator and stopped directly in front of you. His calendar indicated that he had no more meetings, and you assumed that the man would just go home afterwards. What kind of lunatic would willingly return to the office if there was nothing else on the agenda?

Feeling totally underdressed with Kylo scrutinizing your appearance, you awkwardly tucked a stray curl behind your ear. You stuttered, “Hello, sir. Uhm, I thought that you wouldn’t be returning to the office. Uhm, I can...is there...”

Kylo cut you off with a wave of his hand. He murmured, “It’s alright. Go enjoy your night.”

A huge smile spread across your face as you profusely thanked your boss before jumping into the elevator. Your unbridled happiness tugged a rare smile out of Ren as he shuffled back towards his desk as something deep inside of him craved to see that smile more often. Slowly loosening his tie, he unbuttoned the top of his dress shirt as he surveyed the night view. A bright pink box suddenly caught his attention, and he picked up the offending object from his table. Picking at the tag, he read:

”Something sweet always puts a smile on my face. I hope you day gets better!”

He chuckled and opened the package to reveal a slice of chocolate cake. He never did eat much dessert, but perhaps it was time to develop a new habit. Kylo could do with something sweet in his life.