Not What You Wanted • Ben Solo | Kylo Ren

Guardian Angel

If one who was at the party didn't know Rey worked for RESISTANCE, they'd think she was still in high school based off the fact that she all but clung to Poe for the entire first hour they were there. It reminded her of when she was young enough that her father was still alive and she'd stick to his side as he navigated through the streets, focus set not entirely at all on his daughter.

She didn't want to get lost either; the place was huge, with the main floor being that of a literal ballroom. The walls were decorated with a shiny golden wallpaper and were accompanied with extravagant glass chandeliers hanging from the atmospheric ceiling. Waiters carrying champagne flooded the area, little specks of white standing out in the crowd of rich models and those who worked with them. Not for them, with them. It was one of the couple things Rey despised about her position, that the stereotypical relation to models was she was their bitch. And yes, Rey completely understood why people thought it was supposed to be that way; it was quite evident when they ordered her around like a baby duck every day.

So when Poe introduced her to some of the models she didn't know or knew of, it was hard not to grimace at the obvious façade they put up when they were around Poe and his charismatic self. Rey could swear on almost anything that they'd give her the evil side-eye every once in a while which made her have to bite her lip in order to refrain from rolling her eyes.

The worst one of the batch turned out to be a woman named Jess and when Poe introduced her, Rey thought she recognized the name.

Jess looked stunning, Rey would kill to have her looks. An elegant violet dress framed her body and hugged her hips perfectly, also showing off her long and toned calves. It was no wonder she was in the modeling industry.

Just as Rey had (kind of) predicted, a flicker of recognition flashed across Jess' features at the sight of her when Poe gestured towards his best friend.

Jess tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes trying to decipher how she knew Rey.

"Ahh," she finally said before turning towards Poe again. "Isn't this the one who stole my spotlight a couple weeks ago?" Jess pointed her index finger at Rey with the hand that was also holding a glass of champagne.

Oh... right.

This probably wasn't the best way to know Jess...

Rey tried to form words, but none of them would come together; a bunch of single letters hung on her tongue. "I—uh actually.. I wasn't— I mean I did but.. you weren't there so.." she mumbled the last part, wanting to slowly fade away into nothing.

Jess smirked, towering over her slightly. "Relax, I'm just teasing." Rey met her gaze and by the look in her eyes, she could estimate that Jess was not in fact joking with her.

Rey shivered and Jess let out a heavy exhale, a smile finally making its way into her face. "It must've been fun right? To finally have attention on you for once?" Her lips parted as Poe spoke up, "Alright Jess.."

"Ah ah ah, not you too Dameron." She interrupted boldly. "Don't tell me you have a dry sense of humor now?" Jess pouted. This time Rey actually rolled her eyes and simply had to hope it wasn't noticed by the dashing but unbelievably bratty model in front of her.

"No, but maybe you could dial it down a little."

"Actually," Rey stepped forward suddenly feeling a wave of confidence wash over her and spoke over Poe's extremely quiet voice. "It was indeed a quite adequate evening. But it wasn't the attention or the couple guys possibly drooling over the dress on me that I enjoyed unlike the rest of you. No, it made me feel good. I felt alive which is something I'd kill to feel all the time. See, I wait for those moments to feel like I'm truly living instead of turning to hard liquor or white powder or needles you all stick in your arms." Poe's gasp was very audible. Rey didn't notice how close her and Jess were now and the model was seething over her, eyes hard and jaw tense. Rey's neck was cranes slightly but she wasn't intimidated like she usually was. What had come over her?