Hi again! I wrote another thing, though it took me forever. Life's been busy, unfortunately : I've had this part written for a while actually, but then I kept adding to later stuff so I thought why not split it into 3 parts, make it a short 3 shot, instead of a moderately long-ish (For me) one shot and give myself some encouragement!
Thanks to everyone who kudo'd and reviewed the prior fic's :) Thanks for taking that time :D
This isn't the most exciting thing ever (Even I was a little bored by it, and I wrote it. That bodes well :D), but it's pretty much fluff. It's set in the middle of 'Best Wishes', between the 3rd and 4th parts of that. This is probably more than a little inspired by AquaWolfGirl's Satan Wears a Rolex, except not as awesome and mostly subject to my inability to take shit seriously and lack of knowledge of fashion of any type.
Anyway! Enjoy! (Hopefully)
I think I dropped the F-bomb like once in here so uh. Only warnings are for language.
Editeded only by me, so any mistakes are mine. wat r tenses for the nth time.
I own nothing.
Rey really didn't want to go tonight. It was for charity, each plate costing upwards of $300 and Kylo had to go for work, make an appearance that said First Order Industries truly was reformed after the arrest of Director Snoke a few years ago. She'd tried her best to get out of it, whined and wheedled, but Kylo had been insistent and told her it really wouldn't be that bad, that they wouldn't be there all night and she would know at least some of the attendees. What did she know about fancy dinners and fancy people?
She had married well, she thought, a loathsome phrase yet accurate in its own way. A voice that sounded like Unkar Plutt telling her she wasn't so far removed from the little street rat, charity case, scavenger she'd been for more than half her life, grabbing at things far above her. It had gotten quieter over the years, but it still cropped up from time to time. It was having a field day today, though, dragging up her insecurities about her marriage and disparity in their earnings. She was doing her best to quash it.
But Kylo had insisted, and Leia would be there, (Not Han though, he was out of town with Chewie at a race. Everyone was pretty sure he'd planned that and all Rey could wonder was why hadn't he invited her along) as would Hux, so it's not like it would be like that one school dance she'd attended in a try to be normal when she was 14 and ended up a wallflower, alone and miserable in an ill-fitting dress.
So she had to go. She'd even tried to pull a 'I have nothing to wear!' and Kylo had just blinked at her and told her to go buy a dress. And then she'd said 'But I don't know anything about dresses!' and Kylo had told her to take Jessika or Finn and Poe with her- actually, wait no, don't take Jessika, she loves sparkles and pink way too much (She'd shown Rey her Bedazzled hockey jersey from high school once, it had been horrifying) and Finn and Poe were out of town, see if Phasma will go instead. Phasma had surprisingly agreed, but the only day she'd been free had also been the day of, leaving them somewhat pressed for time.
Which is how Rey had ended up stuffed in Phasma's surprisingly compact and sensible car, on their way to the downtown shopping area with a credit card Kylo had stuffed in her wallet. Rey hadn't ever been close to Phasma. She wasn't standoffish or anything, but she didn't invite conversation, even small talk. And Rey sucked at small talk. Even Hux was almost more chatty than her, if only to spill his usual disdain for people around.
And she was intimidating at first glance. She was as tall as Ben, taller depending on her heels; not that Rey was that short herself, just everyone who worked for First Order Industries was apparently giants. Maybe it was something in the water. She was a solidly built woman, and carried herself with a somewhat no-nonsense bearing, her hair usually strictly styled. Rey wasn't sure if she was more attracted to Phasma or intimidated by her.
Probably a bit of both, honestly.
"Do you have any ideas of what sort of dress you'd like to get?" Phasma asked after the silence in the car had stretched out from their initial greetings, one that had started to verge into awkward. She glanced away from the road for a moment at Rey, peeking over the tops of her sunglasses.
"Ah, no. I haven't worn a dress since junior high," She replied, staring resolutely out the window. Phasma nodded.
"Any particular color you're fond of?"
"No, not really. I like greens, but I don't think I look very good in them. Or at least that's what Jessika said." Phasma nods again, like that's about what she expected. They lapse into silence again, though it's not really awkward, just… quiet.
They finally pull up in front of a high end boutique, parking and feeding quarters into the meter before heading inside, and Rey is immediately struck by how much she doesn't really fit in. She'd worn a clean pair of jeans, the ones with the least holes and grease stains and a somewhat nice button down. She'd even dug her best bra out of a drawer and forgone her usual three buns, hair tied back into a simple pony tail. But glancing around the room, seeing how Phasma fit in with her simple slacks and sleeveless blouse, she felt entirely out of place. As Phasma turned away, Rey could see the edge of a tattoo, something round and jagged peeking from beneath her blouse on her shoulder blade.
A saleslady approached them, introducing herself as Esmé, how could she help them today, did they need anything in particular. She had the best customer service smile Rey had ever seen. Rey was trying desperately to hide behind Phasma, without much luck. Phasma gripped Rey by the shoulder and shoved her to the front despite Rey's best efforts to hide. Phasma was strong, so she really had no hope.
"We need a dress for her, for the First Order Charity Gala tonight." Phasma told Esmé, who's smile at Rey had suddenly sharpened, like she was sensing money in the air. She pulled Rey forward, saying something about measurements and lengths and a gentle inquiry to price points (Phasma had murmured something in response that Rey hadn't caught, distracted by a mannequin in something that she was pretty sure was made from a dead seagull) and Rey had been abruptly overwhelmed.
Thus began a whirlwind of measuring tape and being poked and prodded, forced into gowns that Phasma would offer a maybe towards, or veto outright. After she'd been forced into one gown she liked, a high necked white piece, ankle length and flowing with a belt. The skirt hung in a ruffly, dotted tatter and honestly Rey quite liked it, though Phasma vetoed it after a moment, saying it was too whimsical. Another one had been a floor length purple and black laced thing, also high necked and Phasma had that look on her face, like she was about to say 'Maybe' when Rey managed to blurt out that she thought it looked like it had fake flower petals glued to it.
Phasma had made a face and said no to the dress. Esmé, perhaps sensing her clients fatigue had called for a break, helping rey back into her jeans and tank top. She wandered out of the changing rooms, flopping onto the couch with a huff next to Phasma. Phasma sat up straight, but not rigidly so, phone out as she typed a message to someone, before she set it to the side.
"Thanks for doing this, Phasma." Rey finally said, looking at the taller woman. Phasma turned to her with a small smile.
"No worries. I like shopping and Ren said you were basically hopeless," She replied teasingly, prompting Rey to stick her tongue out in return. It was true, but they didn't have to say it.
They lapsed into silence, and Rey kept her hands in her lap, resisting the urge to pluck imaginary fuzz from the couch. Unable to take the quiet anymore, Rey finally thought of a question.
"Are you going to the gala tonight with Hux?" she blurted. Phasma turned to look at her, and for a moment she looked simply sad, before her face cleared to something more resigned. Rey knew at the very least that Phasma and Hux were together, though she didn't know how serious it was or if she should be even voicing in a roundabout way that she knew about them. Rey sucked at small talk.
"No, I am not." She stated with a finality and Rey was prepared to move on, try small talk about something else, like the weather or a sports team, when Phasma continued. "It wouldn't do to flaunt our… relationship, such that it is."
Rey nodded, looking away and trying to ignore how sober Phasma had sounded as she elaborated. She hoped Phasma wasn't offended. She picked at a loose thread on her jeans for a moment, fingers skating around yet another grease stain (She hadn't thought there were so many on these pants, jeez) before Phasma seemed to gather herself, and stood, beckoning to Esmé. The salesgirl approached, offering them both refreshments. Rey helped herself to a cookie and a glass of some fruity juice before wrenching herself off the couch to go back to trying on dresses.
After a short plaid? Was that plaid? Number, more suited for nightclubs than galas in her opinion, and an odd floral print with a black lace front were forced onto her, more dresses than she could count, she was getting tired of it. The amount of fabric names and dress styles being tossed back and forth by Phasma and Esmé were making her head spin. She was ready to sprint out the door, and run home in her skivvies when finally she was pressed into a dress she sort of actually liked.
A floor length skirt that flared around her hips and trailed the ground, and a top that sparkled with sequins (Jessika would be so proud) in stripes, patches cut out to show her skin. More skin than she was comfortable with, honestly, but the best part was that it had pockets! She had a place to keep her things and wouldn't be forced into holding a clutch or making Ben carry everything.
Phasma watched her for a moment, before nodding.
"You like that one?" she inquired, and Rey nodded only a little bit shyly, so Phasma nodded decisively in return and stood, turning to Esmé.
"We'll take this one." she stated. Esmé smiled and helped her out of the dress and into her clothes, all while chattering about how wondrous a choice it was, did Phasma need a gown as well, perhaps one to match, they made such a lovely couple. Rey, munching on another pastry, choked.
"I- we, I mean-" she sputtered, trying not to spew half eaten cake on the other two women. She knew she was blushing, could feel the heat making its way across her face and down her neck.
Phasma just laughed, not uproariously, and turned, leading Esmé towards the check out.
"I'll meet you at the checkout, Darling." Phasma positively cooed and Rey's blush redoubled and she knew she probably looked like a lobster as she sputtered. Her wedding ring was on a chain around her neck and not on her finger, but surely the saleslady had seen it in helping her get dressed? It wasn't the most fancy of rings, just a gold band, but she would have thought it was obvious what it was, and Phasma's lack of a ring! And yeah, maybe she alternated being terrified and aroused by Phasma, but she didn't think they gave off the 'Couple' vibe.
Red faced, she stumbled over to the counter, watching as they wrapped the dress in tissue and lay it in a box. Phasma had held her wallet as she tried on dresses, and she grabbed the credit card out of it Ben had handed her earlier.
"That'll be Nine Hundred and Forty Seven dollars and sixty three cents," the cashier chirped. Rey froze in horror, eyes darting from the dress in its box, to Phasma, to the cashier. She made a strangled noise, choking without aid of pastry this time.
"That's- that's, what the fu-" she started, when Phasma abruptly cut her off with a hand on her shoulder. Rey clammed up, staring blankly ahead as the card was handed over and the transaction completed. Dazed, she followed obediently as Phasma took her arm in one hand and the dress in another and lead her out of the boutique.
"Over Nine Hundred dollars for a dress?" She mumbled. Phasma smirked at her over her shoulder, looking amused as she was lead back to the car, sitting in the passenger seat in a flop.
"It was actually one of the cheaper ones you tried on." She stated and Rey choked for the third time in as many minutes.
"How, how much were some of those dresses?" she stuttered. Phasma smiled again.
"At least three were over Eighteen Hundred."
"Eighteen Hundred?! What the fuck are they made of? Saffron fronds woven with diamonds?!" And she might have been halfway to yelling, but that was a lot of money. Maybe she didn't have to worry anymore about where her next meal was coming from, or how many holes her clothes had, but that kid eating ketchup smothered on a slice of bread for dinner was still a part of her.
"Ren said to just try and keep it under two thousand, and we did. Plus, you looked lovely in that dress, and it doesn't always hurt to spend money on things if you have the means. It's a beautiful dress." Rey frowned, looking away. Some small part of her figured Phasma and Ben were right, but it still didn't make her entirely comfortable.
"Well, we can go home now at least. I don't have to put that get-up on for at least a few hours at least."
"Oh, no. We're not done. We still need shoes." Rey sank down in her seat, deflating. "And I'd take you to get some makeup and underthings, but we don't really have the time. The dress at least, you won't need a bra with your chest. I assume you have at least one pair of nice panties?" Phasma asked and Rey blushed once again. "We'll stop at my apartment and you can borrow my makeup." she continued without waiting for an answer.
Rey tried not to feel dismayed.
-Do not take my opinions on fashion seriously. I know shit all. Jeans and T-Shirts for LIFE. I once wore two different plaids together. IN PUBLIC. I don't even own a dress that isn't 10+ years old in the back of a closet.
-For the dress trying on scene I googled Daisy Ridley in gowns and used different dresses she wore. Honestly, the black dress I stuck with looks I thought like an overgrown pencil skirt hitting the ground but I was tickled by the idea of her being excited over pockets and it was one of the less weird/short ones. So there you have it, my thought process. Yippee.
-Like srsly, I don't even like fancy clothes. WHY AM I WRITING THIS.
-I'm aware these are designer gowns and probably far more pricey than I said in the fic and not all available in the perfect size in one downtown fancy ass shop. For the sake of the fic (And my sanity), go with it.
-In the original fic, I said BB8 was a corgi (A lot of writers do this, and I love Corgis) but I wanted something huge and fluffy for my own purposes. So BB8 is now a red Malamute. Sorry not sorry. HUGE. And FLUFFY.
-Ben/Kylo and Rey keep their finances separate. Mostly. She makes a point to not inquire about how much he spends on things and mostly ignores him when he tries to get her to buy herself anything fancy. The dress is an exception. She lets him buy the food for entirely selfish reasons in that she really, really likes food.
-Kylo knows how to cook and half the time he's pretty sure that's why she married him. Because he feeds her.
-Rey is always looking for snacks or something to munch. She grew up not always sure when her next meal would be so she eats when given the chance. Ben's picked up this habit from her as well. They both have huge sweet tooths. teeth? tooths.
Hope you all enjoyed! Maybe! IDKMAN. Part Two is mostly written, Part 3 is in bits and pieces. I have other things mostly half written, which is why this took so long to get out.
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