Chapter Text
“You can do this,” Rey whispered to herself. For what was probably the tenth time in the last five minutes. She was 20. She was an adult. She was perfectly capable of accomplishing this simple task that almost every other person managed multiple times a day. But she was wrong. So completely and utterly wrong. When the firefighters finally let her and the dozen or so other people back into her building, she was flaming red, a near match for the large truck taking over one side of the normally quiet street. She would never live this down. She’d just signed her first lease and she wanted to move out already. They were all staring at her. How could they not be? She hadn’t even finished unpacking and she needed to leave the country after this.
An older man came towards her, looking far too serious. She was going to get evicted from her first apartment and it hadn’t even been a week. Her flat was most likely destroyed. She hadn’t even had time to grab her mobile and couldn’t call for a hotel. She had nothing left to her name. All her keepsakes of her parents gone. She …
“First time cook, huh?” the man asked, the chuckle barely kept out of his voice.
She read his badge, Captain W. Antilles, didn’t look like he was going to kill her. She managed a weak nod. “Well, a word of advice,” he continued. “Next time maybe remember to read the directions. That was meant for a microwave and only the microwave.”
She nodded dumbly, not wanting to admit she couldn’t even manage a frozen meal. “How bad is the damage?” she asked meekly.
That at least made him laugh. “The oven is fried but I talked to the super already. If you don’t have a new one in a couple of days, give us a call.” He leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper. “I promise, you’re fine. He’s the one in deep shit. No batteries in the smoke detector and no fire extinguisher in the kitchen. He tries to give you any problems, call.”
He handed her a card, and she slid it into her back pocket, hoping she really wouldn’t need it. “Now, I need to write up your super and schedule an inspection for the rest of the building so I’m going to hand you off to the LT. Try and relax, I wish all my fires went like this.”
She nodded again, not entirely sure what was going on as he called out to one of the many other men clad in the bulky tan protective gear. But one of them certainly did, jogging up to meet them. She watched as her new neighbours grumbled as they finally decided the show must be over, several of them shooting her nasty looks as they headed back in. At least the too loud alarm had stopped ringing.
“Miss?”
The voice broke through her fog, turning to see the Captain gone, replaced with a much younger, far too attractive substitute. “You alright?” he questioned her. “The ambulance is still here if you need to be checked out.”
She shook her head again, voice only a croak as she tried to reply that she was fine. He gave her one final look, giving her the chance to read his badge, Lieutenant P. Dameron. He nodded towards the building, following him blindly up the stairs to her small apartment on the third floor. The smell reached her first; the burnt plastic scent permeated the air, making her lift a hand to cover her nose.
They arrived at her door, three more men exiting as they approached. The worry hit her again, all her possessions destroyed, her life in even more of a ruin but as she walked through her doorway, her apartment looked basically the same as she had left it. The floor was a mess but what else could she expect after having a truck full of men stomping through the place.
The smell got even worse as he led her to the kitchen, her oven wide open covered with white foam. The Lieutenant turned to face her again, patting a small red extinguisher that hadn’t been there before. One that had to match the colour of her cheeks. “We usually keep a couple of spares in the truck, so I had one of the guys bring it up for you. Do you know how to use it?”
She shook her head again, feeling like an idiot as he tried to walk her through it. It was incredibly simple, something a child could probably manage, but her nerves were just too shot. He was patient, his large hands covering hers as he explained it for the fourth time.
“Poe?” a voice called from the hallway.
He turned his head, calling out to them. It was time to go, checking in with her one last time before heading towards the door. She watched him leave, still clutching the small red canister, idly wondering if they made those hot firefighter calendars here because she hadn’t said a word to the man. She was terrible at this adulting thing.
She moved to shut her apartment door; head too full as she mentally added to her list of tasks before she could just hide away from the world under her covers when his head popped back in. Her heart rate tripled, a hand raising to cover her chest as he startled her. He smiled apologetically, reaching out to hand her a white plastic bag.
“Didn’t mean to scare you, thought you might want this since your dinner was ruined.”
“Thank you,” she managed to stammer out.
“I’m Poe.”
“Rey.”
“I know,” he winked, head disappearing for a moment as his name was called out again. “I gotta go but be careful next time, promise?”
She nodded emphatically, still unsure if she could trust her voice with the gorgeous man standing in front of her. Shutting the door, she slid down it to sit on the floor, her legs feeling a little weak after the whiplash of emotions she was going through. Her neighbours probably hated her, her superintendent wasn’t going to be her biggest fan if he’d really gotten into trouble and then there was the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on talking to her. And giving her a present she remembered, digging into the bag. It was only a sandwich, but she had to admit she was starving. Taking a bite, she tried to remember to pick up some lunch meat the next time she went shopping. She couldn’t burn the place down if she didn’t cook anything.
She tried to go on with her life, attending classes, watering her plants, ignoring the dirty looks from Unkar every time she brought up the stove he still hadn’t replaced. She had the feeling she wouldn’t be getting a new one anytime soon. The card Captain Antilles had left her was on her fridge, but the idea of bothering the man made her whole body tense up. She had enough to deal with without asking for more trouble from the creepy guy who had a key to her apartment. It was a lot easier just to pick up a microwave.
She fully intended to just leave it; she could look for another apartment when her lease was closer to being over when she literally ran into Poe. His hands reached to steady her, fingers digging into her hips. Her body decided to embarrass her further, her cheeks heating up as her legs nearly collapsed under her.
“Rey? You okay?” he asked worriedly. “I didn’t even see you, I’m sorry.”
Gone was the protective gear, replaced with dark pants and a white button-down that showed off his forearms. He’d been gorgeous before, but this time, clean shaven and not hidden under layers of clothing, he was even hotter somehow. “Rey?” he asked again.
She managed to blush even harder, squeaking out a yes. Poe smiled fondly, shaking his head. “No more fires, right?” he teased.
She shook her head vigorously. “No, I promise,” she managed to get out. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to, I never learned to cook.”
His face brightened. “That’s an easy fix, I can teach you.”
“No, no, no,” she replied. “I couldn’t bother you like that!”
“I like to cook and it’s not a bother, I promise,” he winked.
“I haven’t even got a stove yet,” she tried. She was sure Poe had much better things to do than deal with her.
His face darkened, pen tapping the clipboard in his hand. “Rey, I think you need some help.”
________________________________________
“How did I get talked into this again?” Finn huffed, dropping the couch with more force than necessary.
Poe put down his own end, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “Because you owed me for the fire on Raddus Street,” he replied, grinning.
Finn muttered something, shooting him a dirty look. “What was that?” he teased his coworker.
“I said that girl has you wrapped around her finger,” Finn smirked. “If you’d just-”
He ran over, clapping a hand over Finn’s mouth to silence him. “Rey’s just … she’s not used to this,” he whispered, not wanting her to overhear.
“Yeah, that’s all it is,” Finn replied, his smirk all too visible. “When I moved in with Jannah, you were nowhere to be found.”
He didn’t know how to explain it, not wanting to tell Finn something that wasn’t his to share. When he’d offered to help Rey a couple of years ago, he’d figured it would easy. He’d get to spend a little time with a hot girl and maybe something would come of it. He never expected she’d be completely out of her depth. But she’d admitted her current lifestyle was nothing like how she’d grown up, servants doing everything. His own more humble upbringing was helpful at least; Rey didn’t even know how to do her own laundry.
His helpful gesture had turned into weekly meet ups. Those meet ups had turned from basic cooking lessons to gradually talking about themselves. Weekly trickled into biweekly, lessons turned into just hanging out. Before long, their sporadic texts were daily. Rey had wormed her way into his life so fully at this point, he could understand why Finn thought he was whipped. He wasn’t. She had no interest in him, he was sure.
Rey was going to graduate from university and head back to England, he knew it. Marry that stupid ex she kept mentioning. This whole ‘giving each other space’ thing was just bullshit. She wasn’t going to give a guy like him the time of day considering her ex was like an heir to some huge corporation back home. “Earth to Dameron,” Finn’s voice filtered through.
He looked up, surprised to see both Finn and Rey looking at him. “Maybe you two should take a break,” Rey hinted. “I really wish you’d just let me hire someone to do this.”
“Me too,” Finn mumbled.
He shoved his friend towards the apartment door. “There’s just one last load, we might as well get it done,” he grinned. Rey just nodded, that perfect smile of hers hitting him in the gut like always. Okay, he might be a little whipped. But to be fair, she wasn’t like any other woman he’d ever met. He’d had his own share of hardships in life, and at first glance, Rey was that stereotype of the rich princess. But once she’d opened up to him, he knew she wasn’t like that at all. She was probably one of the strongest people he’d ever met. If only she would realize that.
They headed down to the truck, Finn grabbing the box marked decor while he went for the tv, thankful she didn’t have one of those 60-inch ones right now. And that the new building she’d moved into had an elevator. He figured Finn would want to bail once they were done with this load, so he’d help her put together some of the furniture, maybe get some take out and have a movie night to relax. Those plans went out the window when he walked through the door. He’d seen Rey cry, but it was rare. What the hell had happened in the five minutes he’d been gone?
Finn gave him a nod, placing the box he’d carried in on the floor and holding out a hand for the keys to the truck they’d rented. He passed them over with a whispered thank you and shut the door behind his friend. He placed the tv down on the floor, wincing at the loud noise it made as it scraped on the floor. She looked up at the sound, trying to hide her tears. It was impossible, her eyes red and puffy even if they’d only been gone a few minutes.
“What happened?” he asked gently, moving to sit beside her on the cushionless couch.
She didn’t answer, handing him the piece of paper she’d been clutching instead. He read it over, understanding why she was so upset instantly. It was one of those stupid ‘Save the Date’ cards; too happy pictures of the couple gracing the front. He couldn’t understand why they’d become so popular. He’d known their breakup was bullshit, figuring it was a way for her ex to just mess around with other women while they were separated but the guy had the gall to get married? And send her an invitation?
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling Rey closer. She sunk into him, letting out a hiccup as she did. “How could he do this?” she asked quietly.
He couldn’t give her the answer he wanted; she wasn’t ready for that truth just yet. She’d grown up with her ex, it was going to take some time for her to realize the guy was a complete asshat. “I’m sorry,” he finally replied instead.
“He hated Valentine’s day.”
“What?”
“For all the years we were together, we never celebrated it because it was ‘too commercial’ for him,” she huffed, complete with finger quotes. “Now the bastard has the nerve to get married that day!”
Her voice was rising in pitch, the anger creeping in. Good. She needed to get angry with the guy, he deserved it. “At least tell me the bride isn’t your best friend?” he asked, a little worried about the answer.
She shook her head. “I know who she is, but we were never friends.”
He looked over the invite, taking the time to actually read it. “It’s one of those destination weddings too,” he groaned. “A full week at some resort, probably filled with wedding themed games and all that crap. Saying no should be easy at least.”
Rey laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “Oh, that won’t be an option,” she replied. “I’ll be ordered to go even if I don’t want to. My grandfather and his dad are friends.”
“If?”
She smiled, looking a little scary. “Please don’t be thinking what I think you are,” he pleaded, worst case scenarios running rampant in his mind.
Her eyes rolled, giving him a bit of a smile. “Relax, I’m not going to try and stop the wedding or hire an escort to pretend to be my boyfriend,” she huffed. “This isn’t some stupid rom-com.”
“Then what are you planning with that scary brain of yours?”
Rey straightened herself up in her seat, looking him dead in the eye. “I’m going to show him I’m better than this. I’ve got what? Almost 6 months? I’m going to bloody kill it at this wedding.”
“As long as there’s no actual killing, right?”
She giggled, smacking his arm playfully. “No, no murder,” she promised. “I’m just going to be the carefree ex-girlfriend who doesn’t give a damn.”
________________________________________
Rey was doing okay. Mostly. She had school to occupy her, friends to keep her busy. But it was the occasional calls from her grandfather that tended to ruin her mood. He was usually disappointed with her, that was nothing new, but since Armie’s wedding had been announced, her grandfather was even more of a pain in her arse than usual. It was getting easier to accept that her first love might just have been a right prick from the beginning, but her grandfather refused to see that. Since moving away from Britain, away from the spoiled life she had lived, she found she liked being a regular person a lot more. No more balls where she was forced to wear heels that hurt her feet for days, no more restaurants that served her five-course meals that wouldn’t feed a starving rat. No, she liked her life here much better.
So, when the call with the familiar country code came in, she answered it, assuming it was just someone she knew with a new number. She would have never expected Bree Phasma to ever call. The hurt came rushing back, the feeling of betrayal almost overwhelming her. It wasn’t this woman’s fault; she wasn't the person she should be angry with. But the fact that the woman sounded so happy irked her.
Bree went through the pleasantries; a little odd considering they didn’t really know each other. She understood the reason why far too late. “I have a favour to ask,” the woman stated, her voice not sounding the least bit humble. “One of my bridesmaids needed to bow out rather suddenly and I need a replacement soon.” Bree trundled on, not giving her a moment to speak. “Since you and Armie have been such close friends since you were children, I was hoping you would agree to join the wedding party. It would mean so much to him. To both of us.”
She was stunned; completely thrown by the request. “Bree …”
“I’m sure we can have her dress fitted to you, you’re so much smaller and I wouldn’t expect you to do anything but appear for the wedding with you being in America,” she continued. “You must understand, I’m absolutely desperate!”
“I really don’t think-”
“Oh, please say yes! My wedding will be absolutely ruined without you!”
She wanted to say no. She knew she should but the second her grandfather got word, she would be forced to agree, she just knew it. He would make her just as a punishment for failing to catch the man’s attention. For wanting to come to school here. For whatever made up reason he could think of. “Of course,” she managed to get out. “I’d be honoured.”
She swore she could actually hear the woman clapping in the background. “Excellent!” Bree cried. “I’ll find a dress shop close to you for the dress and have it sent as soon as possible. And I’ll make sure your hotel reservation is upgraded! This will be perfect, I just know it. You and I were destined to be great friends.”
She doubted that, already regretting caving on her decision. She hummed noncommittally, wanting nothing more than to end the call. “Now, one last thing and I’ll let you go,” Bree added. “I still have so much to do! I need to know the name of your date. We have some activities planned for just the wedding party and their significant others and I need to have your outfits arranged.”
There are outfits now? She shook her head; she would think about that later. She must have taken too long to answer, Bree chiming in again. “You do have a date, correct?”
She hadn’t really considered bringing anyone. She might have a trust fund but most of her friends here were either students or worked full time. Like normal people. Destination weddings weren’t exactly cheap. “Well, I suppose I could … I could place you with Ben, I don’t believe he-”
“Poe!” she practically shouted. There was absolutely no way she would allow herself to be with Ben Solo in any situation, never mind something that might be construed as a date. “Poe Dameron.”
“What odd names these American’s have,” Bree replied. “Could you text me the spelling? It’s very important.”
She hummed again; Poe was going to kill her.
________________________________________
“I’ll pay for everything!”
“No.”
“I will owe you for the rest of my life!”
“No.”
“My first-born child?”
“No, Rey!”
“What will it take?”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I thought you said you didn’t want to do some movie set up,” he replied. “I’m not going to pretend to be your boyfriend to make your ex jealous.”
“That’s not it, I swear to you,” Rey replied. “She was going to set me up with the best man. He’s the biggest wanker I’ve ever met and yours was the first name that came to mind. You’re … you’re basically my best friend, Poe. Please?”
“Let me think about it,” he grumbled.
Rey gave him that smile; the one that showed off all her perfect teeth. The one that meant she was really happy. “I don’t even know if I can get the time off, so don’t get your hopes up,” he added. Not that it mattered, he knew he was going to ask Wedge for the week off anyway.
________________________________________
Rey opened the little red envelope, a little concerned. Poe had that face, the one that usually meant he was up to something. It wasn’t a card, instead, it was a folded up piece of paper. She pulled it out, a little worried. The card was obviously homemade, the red ink a little smudged on the large heart dominating the front. Poe’s messy scrawl had written ‘Happy Early Valentine’s Day!’ She opened it up, her heart beating soundly in her chest.
Roses are red, testicles are blue
I’ll be your Valentine because I’m single too.
She needed to read the words three times. “Really?” she huffed.
“Hey, I worked hard on that!”
“This is what I get for my first real Valentine’s day card from a guy?”
“I wrote you poetry!”
“Awful, pervy poetry!”
“Well, I guess we aren’t taking that friend-cation after all,” he teased.
She might have let out a squeal, rushing over to him to give Poe a hug. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she exclaimed.
“Booze, I want lots and lots of booze,” he reminded her. “And I get to be a jackass to the groom.”
“As long as you’re coherent for the wedding, you can do whatever you want.”
________________________________________
The closer to the day of their departure came, the more worried she became. She was over Armitage, she knew she was, she hadn’t cried over the idea of this wedding in months. Her ex-boyfriend was a jerk. And he was definitely someone else’s problem now. But the bridesmaid thing was worrying her. The idea of going to the wedding, just sitting back and watching was one thing but having to actively participate? She was deeply regretting this now.
The feeling escalated on the day, Poe teasing her, trying to get her out of her funk. “It could honestly be worse,” he told her as he buckled himself in on the plane. “You said the dress was normal at least. Aren’t bridesmaid dresses supposed to be hideous or something?”
“It’s a beach wedding, and she put us in beige dresses,” she huffed. “We’re going to blend into the sand.”
He looked at her blankly for a moment before he burst out laughing. “That’s a power move right there.”
“She’s like six feet tall, we’re not about to outshine her.”
His eyes widened. “Okay then,” he finally replied. “I think this is going to be an interesting week.”
“As long as it’s only interesting, I’ll be fine,” she answered.
The trip to Fiji took entirely too long, waking up suddenly when the captain’s voice filtered through the speakers telling them they were approaching their destination. She squinted, still not quite awake. She’d fallen asleep on Poe’s shoulder at some point. He was still out cold, head resting on the window with his book almost falling off his lap. She shook him gently, accidentally caressing his thigh as she went to catch his book as he startled awake.
“We’re landing soon,” she told him, shoving the book at him, to hide her embarrassment. She did not need to know just how solid his thighs were. Poe rubbed a hand over his face, looking out the window. “Damn, this place is beautiful.”
She refused to lean over him to get a good look. “Wait until you see the damn resort they booked,” she said instead. “The rooms all have balconies that overlook the water.”
“Please tell me we can go swimming?” he asked as he started collecting his things. “It’s been way too long since I’ve been swimming in water like this.”
“No clue. All I know is there’s supposed to be a ride waiting for us at the airport. The rest of the week I’m probably at Bree’s mercy. I’m sensing a spa day in there somewhere,” she groaned.
“Hey, I’ll take it if you don’t want it,” he laughed. “It’s also been way too long since I’ve had a massage.”
She rolled her eyes at him until she felt her least favourite part of flying - the descent. Her fingers turned white as she clutched at the armrests, closing her eyes to wait until it was over. They popped open, feeling the warmth of Poe’s hand as he placed one over hers. “We’ll be fine,” he whispered reassuringly.
They were, of course; nothing but the minor bump as the wheels touched the tarmac. Poe finally pulled his hand away, standing up to collect his belongings. She copied his move, knowing she couldn’t put this off forever. It was better to just rip the band aid off and get this whole mess over with. What she didn’t expect was the shitshow to start so soon.
She hadn’t really seen Bree in years, avoiding going home each summer with extra classes. The woman was a striking as ever, nearly impossible to miss. She waved enthusiastically when she saw her, barely keeping the groan in check. “Be good!” she hissed at Poe, watching the bride to be approach them at a pace that should have been impossible with those heels.
“Rey!” Bree called out, the crowd parting easily for the woman. She looked over at Poe panicked, knowing what was about to happen. He was too busy staring at the woman, realizing she hadn’t been kidding when she said Bree was tall.
She closed her eyes when the woman got in range, preparing for the fake air kisses she would have to endure. Poe got the same treatment, seeing him stand stiffly as she moved in. “Darling, I’m so glad you’re here,” she crooned. “Armie would have come of course, but he’s playing a round of golf with the boys. I have everything ready for you back at the hotel, including your schedule. We have so many events planned, you won’t have a moment to spare!”
She held in the groan, trying to catch Poe’s gaze; this was even worse than she thought. “Well, we should get going then,” she replied with a forced cheerfulness.
Bree mock pouted. “You’re right of course. There’s a car and driver outside but I must stay and wait for one last guest, but I’ll see you at dinner tonight,” she replied. “Casual tonight, but tomorrow…”
“Can’t wait,” Poe interrupted, pressing a hand into her lower back to move her along. “We should get our luggage.”
“Of course!” Bree called out after them. “You two are just a divine couple, by the way!”
She felt Poe’s stumble, his hand pressing harder into her for a moment. “Couple?” he hissed.
“I didn’t tell her that!” she hissed back. “She … maybe she assumed?”
“We aren’t doing the fake dating thing!” he whispered back.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she replied, far enough away that Bree couldn’t hear. “We can just correct her at dinner. The rooms I saw online are doubles, so it won’t matter.”
________________________________________
“Come this way, please,” the bellhop told them, complete with an elaborate flourish.
Poe looked over at her and shrugged; she was the one used to these kinds of places. He thought it was a little odd that the guy was taking them outside instead of the bank of elevators, but the golf cart was more than enough to rouse his curiosity.
“Where are we going?” he asked as their bags were placed in the back.
The man continued his job, loading the last of their suitcases before answering. “You have a hut reservation,” he said easily. “I believe most of them are booked for the wedding party, sir.”
He didn’t reply, Rey looking just as surprised as he felt. It was a short drive, but he understood the need for the little carts; he wouldn’t have wanted to lug all their stuff there. They passed a few of the huts, theirs apparently one of the last on the little street. There were palm trees everywhere, hiding the huts from view. The bellhop stopped the cart, moving towards the back to get their things. He hopped off too, helping the guy with the suitcases as Rey went to unlock the door.
It wasn’t very large from the outside, but the place was nicer than his first apartment. There was a living room, a large flatscreen taking up most of one wall. The bellhop pointed out the amenities like the path to the resort’s private beach, the yard with their own pool, the large bathroom with a tub that was just huge. But it hit him suddenly what was missing.
He waited until the bellhop left, rounding on Rey as he exited the bedroom. “What’s wrong?” she asked him.
“There’s only one bed!”