Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rey rode in an Uber to the airport with the windows down. The seventy-five degree weather in Jakku was perhaps the only thing she would miss. She was leaving behind this desert wasteland to start over, putting all of her eggs in one basket and hoping none of them would break. 

She’d worn her best jeans, a farewell gesture to the dry heat of the desert. On the West Coast, far up north nestled into the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, a small town named Ach-to existed under a constant cloud of rainfall. Rey had applied to a community college in the area as a means to an end, and started planning her escape the moment she graduated from high school. 

Her brother Poe had moved there for work only a year ago, seeking to escape the desert the same way she did. He’d invited her to live with him the second she aged out of the system, and the hope of escape was what had gotten her through her senior year alone. 

She’d been stuck in some pretty shitty foster homes since being separated from Poe at the age of six, but he’d always promised to wait for her. He’d left Jakku to start a career, and set up a home for her, and he’d made good on that promise. 

The funny thing was that Rey hated the rain. She loved the sun, and the warmth of the sand and clay beneath her feet. It warmed her skin, and made her feel alive. Oh well. Rain was a small price to pray for freedom. 

When the car dropped her off at the airport, she slung her hiking backpack (her only luggage)  over her shoulder and headed inside. The four hour flight from Jakku to Ach-to went by swiftly. She passed the time with a book in her lap and her earbuds in her ears. She was excited to see Poe, but her nerves hadn’t quieted, and probably wouldn’t until she laid eyes on him. 

Poe had been incredibly helpful through the whole transition. He’d helped her register for classes, and gotten her a car to drive from a buddy that worked at a local garage. It was nothing fancy, but it would get her around and she couldn’t have been more thankful. 

It was raining when she landed, which was to be expected. Poe was waiting for her outside in the pickup lane, and she raced out to him and embraced him immediately. He was warm and solid and felt like home. She’d missed her family. 

“I missed you kiddo,” he said into her hair. Rey could hear the gruffness in his voice, and her own eyes misted over. 

“Hey, none of that. I’m here now.” she said with a watery laugh as she pulled out of the embrace. She looked over to the car that waited for them and smirked. “A police cruiser? Seriously?” 

“Shut it, runt. To the people of Ach-to I’m Chief Poe Dameron, and don’t you forget it.” 

“Yeah, sure chief. How’s that car coming along?” 

She loaded her heavy backpack into the trunk of the car while he answered. 

“It’ll be all set for you when we get to the house. I think it’ll be a good one for you. It’s really cheap,” he announced as we strapped into the front seat of the cruiser. 

“What kind of car?” Her eyebrows pulled together in concern. The words cheap and good didn’t always go hand in hand, and Poe was known to cut corners for a deal. 

“Okay, don’t laugh.” 

“Oh, Jesus Poe. What is it?” 

“It’s a ‘96 Civic, but I promise it’s in great condition.” 

“Where’d you get it from?” 

“So you know how I told you about that volunteer program? The one down at the garage?” 

“Yeah,” she said, still trying to hide her slight suspicion. 

“One of the kids I used to work with runs the place now. Finn. He helps out a lot of the rough kids in the area. Gives them jobs and stuff. He says they’re all super tight, like a little family.” He’d put air quotes around the phrase “rough kids.” She and Poe had both been known to be a little rough around the edges, but anyone that grew up the way they did would have been. If anyone knew that those kids needed a chance, it was Poe and Rey.  

“Anyway, Finn put a lot of work into the engine- it’s practically brand new.” He still sounded like he was trying to convince her, but she wasn’t quite buying it. 

“When did he buy it?” 

“Uh, I honestly don’t know. I think he picked it up somewhere and put some serious work into it. I trust the guy though. He does a lot of really good work.” 

“Really, Poe, what am I going to do if the thing breaks down? I don’t exactly have the money to fix it…” 

“Really, Rey, the thing runs great.” 

“So, how cheap is cheap? How much do I owe the guy?” 

“Well, kid, I kind of already bought it for you. Consider it an ‘I got the fuck out of Jakku’ gift.” 

Well, who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth? There was no way she was going to turn down a free car, regardless of the circumstances. Still, she was struck by his generosity. 

“You really didn’t need to do that, Poe. I was planning to buy myself a car. I have some savings….” 

“I don’t mind. I want your life here to be as comfortable as it can be. You’ve had it hard enough.” Poe kept his eyes forward as he said this, but Rey could hear the conviction in his voice. She knew better than to question him. 

“That’s really nice. Thank you. I appreciate it.” She reached out to pat his hand, and he squeezed it once in his. 

“You’re welcome,” he said with a nod, signaling the end of the conversation. 

Rey spent the rest of the drive staring out the window at the green landscape stretched out before them. Everything was green, and soaked through. Where the desert had been full of dryness and death, this place was full of life: an alien concept for Rey. 

When they made it to Poe’s house, Rey smiled at how charming it was. It was small, probably only two bedrooms, but it was perfect for him. The outside was a faded yellow with a white door, and there was a red car parked in the front. It was small, and sporty, and Rey loved it immediately. 

“Holy shit, Poe! I love it! Thank you!” Now she felt so much less anxiety at the prospect of driving to classes tomorrow. She wouldn’t be showing up on campus in a police cruiser. Instead, she’d be driving herself in her very own car. 

“I’m glad you like it,” Poe said gruffly as he hopped out of the cruiser. 

The trip up to her room was easy, since she’d packed light. The bedroom faced out into the front yard, and was painted a mossy green that Rey loved intensely. Poe had put a full-size bed in the room, an antique styled one that fit perfectly with the aesthetic of the room. There was a white painted desk that matched nestled into the corner with a small second-hand laptop resting on top of it. 

Rey’s eyes watered as she took in what Poe had done for her. He’d decorated, to the best of his ability, and bought her a laptop and furniture. She had everything she needed, right here in this room. It was more than she’d ever had. 

“The uh, the bathroom is at the top of the stairs on the other side. You have your own, but it’s not very big.” 

“Poe, I don’t fucking care. This is perfect. Everything is perfect.” She threw her arms around his neck for the second time that day. 

“Don’t worry about it, kid. You take some time and get settled. I’ll be around, okay?” She nodded, and Poe left her to unpack and settle on her own. 

Rey settled in, unpacking her bags and dreading the following day with a sinking feeling in her gut. She knew she was going to be a complete outcast, a freak, the second she walked through the doors of the Ach-to Community College. It wasn’t high school, but in a town this small it may as well have been. 

Most of the students that graduated from high school in Ach-to went straight to the community college to finish a two-year degree before venturing out into the real world. They would’ve all known each other for years, and she’d be the odd one out, just like she always had been back in Jakku. 

Except here, she had no “bad girl” reputation, no reputation as a street rat. She would be new here, and while that thought should have given her hope, instead it terrified her. She was a girl next door : small frame, chestnut hair, tan skin with freckles, and an upturned nose that gave her a girlish look. She was small, but not soft since the years of hard work in the local garage had kept her toned. 

She put her clothes away quickly and methodically before grabbing her bathroom supplies and heading to clean herself up. Her face in the mirror didn’t look like it had when she’d left Jakku that morning. She looked tired. The hope in her eyes had started to dim, and the exhaustion manifested as purple circles under her eyes. 

Her nerves were getting the best of her. She knew it wouldn’t do her any good to keep worrying about fitting in. It was incredibly unlikely that she would mesh with most of the people here; she had never really fit in anywhere. She knew that her life experiences had tainted her worldview. It had given her an appreciation for the mundane, the things everyone else her age took for granted. 

Maybe her stolen childhood had scarred her. Maybe it didn’t matter. All that mattered was how she handled it, and tomorrow she’d get her chance.

The sound of the rain put her to sleep that night and she slept like the dead. When she woke and opened the curtains in her room, the thick fog was all she could see. She thought about stepping into it, allowing the wetness to caress her skin, and envelop her like an embrace. It never rained in Jakku. There was no life there. 

Breakfast with Poe was anything but quiet as he prattled on about his plans for the day. He’d be spending it at the station, like usual, and planned to make spaghetti for dinner. He wished her luck with her classes, and made sure she had her textbooks and laptop with her. He was acting like it was her first day of kindergarten, but if Rey was being honest, she relished the attention. 

Poe kissed her head, and rushed off to the station before Rey could get up from the breakfast table. She took a second to breathe, taking in her surroundings. 

Poe had done his best with decorating the house. Most of the decor and furniture probably came from a thrift store, but that didn’t matter. He had taken the time to hang up pictures of the two of them, of the other kids that had lived in the group home, and some of Rey’s landscape photos from her photography phase. 

As she walked to the front door, she was stopped in her tracks. On the wall next to the front door, Poe had hung a small collection of Rey’s artwork. There were canvases with landscapes, sketch pages with charcoal portraits, random watercolor splotches painted onto absorbent paper, and so many other art styles that Rey had experimented with over the years.

She rushed out the door with her raincoat and backpack, and pretended that her eyes weren’t misted over. 

The inside of her car was warm and dry. It had obviously been cleaned, either by Finn or Poe, but the inside still smelled faintly of marijuana and cherries from some old air freshener. The engine started easily, much to her relief, and she was excited to see that it ran like a dream. The radio worked, and there was a tape player with an aux cord hanging out of the dash. She plugged her phone in and played music as she made her way to the community college. 

One quick stop for coffee at the tiny town’s only drive-thru coffee shop and Rey was already feeling more ready to tackle the day. Finding the college wasn’t difficult. The town was small, and ATCC was located practically in the center of it. The school was made up of a handful of small brick buildings, all connected by walkways and protected by shrubs. Rey pulled her car up in front of the first building labeled “ADMINISTRATION.” She hopped out with her backpack thrown over her shoulder and her eyes down as she headed into the building to grab a campus map. 

The inside of the office building was brightly lit, warm, and quaint. She stepped up to the one counter in the room and cleared her throat, hoping to garner some attention. 

“Can I help you?” asked the receptionist. 

“Hi, um, I’m Rey Niima. I just moved here, and I’m not familiar with the campus. I was hoping I could have a map to help find my way around?” As soon as Rey said her name, she saw a glint of familiarity spark in the woman’s eye. Poe must have been running his mouth about her arrival  around town. 

“Of course! I can print off a copy of your schedule and get you a map.” She brought several sheets onto the counter to walk through the best routes around campus, and highlighted where each of her classes were on the map. Rey thanked the receptionist and walked out into the breezeway that connected the buildings across a small courtyard. She could see the main student parking lot, and was relieved to see that none of the cars were too flashy. The nicest car in the lot was a blacked out Buick, and it stood out. 

She studied the map during her brief moment of solitude before heading into the fray. You can do this. Just act like you belong.  It wasn’t like anyone was going to go out of their way to talk to her. Maybe she could slip under the radar. 

She slipped into the English building and found her classroom easily. She slipped into the back of the room, hoping to go unnoticed. It mostly worked, and the professor at the front of the class droned through the syllabus uneventfully. Most of their reading materials were things she’d covered in Advanced Placement classes back home. She thoroughly expected English 111 to be a breeze, so she allowed her mind to wander. 

An hour later, the class was released, and she shuffled out with the rest of the students. Before she could make it into the hallway, she was stopped by a husky guy dressed in a light sweater and jeans. He had a thick beard, and a generally trustworthy face. 

“You’re Rey Niima, aren’t you?” He looked like the overly-helpful nice-guy milady type, but she couldn’t see any malicious intent in his eyes. 

“Yeah,” she said. She felt a few eyes fall on her, and she blushed. 

“What’s your next class?” he asked. 

“Uh, History of the Ancient World at 10:30.” 

“I could show you where it is, if you want?” Definitely over-helpful, but Rey honestly didn’t mind the help. They stepped out into the breezeway, and Rey could swear they were being followed by a small crowd of eavesdroppers. “I’m Snap.” 

“Thanks,” she said with a shy smile. 

“So, this is way different from Jakku, huh?” he asked. 

“Oh, yeah.”  She nodded along as if that wasn’t a completely obvious statement. 

“You guys don’t get much rain do you?” 

“I can’t remember the last time, honestly.” 

He studied her face for a moment, and Rey sighed. This conversation was growing tiresome already. Snap walked her right up to the door, even though it was clearly labeled. 

“Well, good luck with today!” He sounded like he didn’t want her to leave, but she pretended not to notice. 

“Thanks for showing me around,” she said and went inside. 

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. She had one more class before her lunch break, Spanish 110, and everyone was nice. There were a few brave souls who reached out to ask her questions about herself, and introduce themselves to her. No one asked about her accent, which she had picked up in her longest foster home with Mrs. Kanata. She was thankful not to have to explain it. One girl was in her history class, and her Spanish class, and she invited Rey to have lunch with her and some friends at the campus cafe. 

Rey couldn't remember the girl’s name to save her life. In her head she referred to her as Blonde Becky but that definitely wasn’t her name. Regardless, she was nice, and did a good job filling the silence. They grabbed trays of food, Rey opting for a slice of pizza and a bottle of water, and found a table with several of the girl’s friends. She introduced Rey, and immediately she felt accepted. 

Snap was there, so it was good to see a familiar face. The other faces were totally new, but Rey did her best to make conversation. 

It was in that crowded cafe that Rey first saw them. They were sitting across the room in a corner. There were no tables where they were sitting, just cushioned lounge chairs and small bookshelves that made the corner look like a study nook. There were five of them, sitting in a circle chatting with one another. None of them looked in her direction, so she felt safe in her staring. 

They all looked starkly different, and yet so incredibly the same. Of the three boys, one was slender and tall with bright orange hair. Another one was smaller, more diminutive in stature, but with a more stately countenance that made up for it. The last was, for lack of a better term, huge. He was clearly taller than the rest, with a barrel chest and biceps the size of Rey’s head. His hair was probably the most striking from Rey’s current vantage point. It was thick, and hung to his shoulders with a gentle curl that made her just want to touch it. 

She clenched her thighs together and shook her head, moving her gaze to the two girls in the group. One of them was a tiny Asian girl with black hair and a pleasantly round face. She looked like a pixie, or a fairy that could grant wishes. The other was tall , almost as tall as the Large Guy, with short cropped blonde hair. 

While they all looked so different, they also looked exactly alike. They were all incredibly pale, almost translucent even in the low light of the cafe. They all had shining eyes that seemed to reflect when the light hit them just right. They all looked tired, with dark purplish bruises under their eyes, and a general palor that added to the paleness of their skin. 

Rey couldn’t look away. They were all incredibly, devastatingly, beautiful. She  watched as they chattered away with one another, completely mesmerized. 

“Who are they?” she asked Blonde Becky. As the girl looked up to answer her question, he looked up at Rey: the big one, the beautiful one with the black hair and shining eyes. His eyes locked on hers, and Rey’s heart fell into her stomach. Before she could react in any way though, his eyes had flickered away. 

The girl beside her giggled, sharing the embarrassment at being caught staring. 

“The big one is Ben Solo, and the little one is Doph Mitaka. I think Doph’s real name is, like, Dopheld or something like that. Anyway, the blonde and the redhead are Gwen Phasma and Armitage Hux. Armitage goes by Hux, cause who would go by Armitage anyway? The little Asian one is Rose Tico. They all live together with Dr. Organa and her brother Luke.”

She talked loudly as if she knew, or at least thought that they couldn’t hear her. Rey glanced sideways at the beautiful man, who was looking away talking to the others. While Rey was looking, she heard someone call to her neighbor from across the table, and was finally reminded that the girl’s name was Kaydel. 

“They’re very...hot. All of them.” Rey wasn’t above calling it like she saw it. 

“Yes! They totally are. They’re all like together, though. Gwen and Doph, Rose and Hux, I mean. It’s like after high school they just never left home and they just like… live together.” Her voice held a lot of judgement, but Rey had seen her fair share of weird in her life.  

“So, are they related or what?” 

“Oh, they’re not. Dr. Organa is pretty young, and apparently she always had a thing for taking in wayward kids. They’ve all been with her since they were young so they’re adopted. I guess they just kinda stuck around.” She shrugged, and continued eating her lunch as if this was the most normal thing in the world. 

“What do you know about the big one?” 

“Oh, Ben? Yeah, he’s totally gorgeous, of course. But don’t waste your time. He doesn’t date. Apparently none of the girls here are good enough for him.” She sniffed, and it became clear to Rey that this was a huge case of unrequited infatuation. She wondered when he’d snubbed her. 

Rey turned her cheek again, and caught him staring at her with a smoldering gaze. His lip turned up at the corner, in what Rey thought might be the ghost of a smile. The red-headed one, Hux, smacked his arm, and his gaze broke away. The five of them sauntered out of the cafeteria, and Ben didn’t look back at her. 

Rey made her way into her last class of the day, Biology 101 and surveyed the room. There was only one lab seat available to her, and it was right next to Ben Solo. 

Just as she passed by him to come and sit down, he went rigid in his seat. Where his gaze in the cafe had been curious and borderline flirtatious, it was now hostile. She sat down, conscious of his deeply antagonistic stare. She didn’t look up at him for the entirety of the lecture, but felt his gaze burning intensely into her. 

Throughout the class, he never relaxed. His hands were clenched into fists under the table, and Rey could see the flex of the muscles in his forearm beneath his black shirt. The class dragged on, probably because Rey was already familiar with the material. 

She risked another glance at Ben, immediately regretting it. He was glaring down at her, his black eyes shining now with some sort of ravenous hunger. Rey didn’t flinch away from him. Instead she was captured, unable to move her eyes from his and if she just leaned in and touched…

The sounds of books closing broke the spell, and Ben was gone before she could collect her thoughts. She was confused. He’d been a jerk, sure, but he also looked like he was accusing her of something. He looked like she was something he wanted and couldn’t have. Those eyes…

Rey didn’t see Ben Solo again that day until she made her way out to her car. He was standing with the others right beside the blacked out Buick, and Rey watched as his back stiffened. He didn’t look at her, but his posture was the same as it had been in the lab. He knew she was close, and he refused to acknowledge it. 

Rey was shivering, shaken, probably a little excessively, from her interaction with Ben. All of the stress of the past few days weighed on her like cement and pushed her into the driver’s seat of her car. She sat, staring blankly out the window for a few moments before cranking up the engine to head back to home. 

She definitely wasn’t crying.