Note: Written for a tumblr prompt request by thelastsjedi, who asked, 'modern!au rey trying to figure out her halloween costume (damerey or darkjedipilot as background ship if you want) :)'
Not really a ship in this one, but if you squint there's the possibility of one in the future? No matter, the important part of the prompt is Rey picking out her costume! I hope that this works for you, thelastsjedi. ^_^
Rey stared at herself in the mirror, entirely unsure on if she really wanted to do this or not. She hardly recognized herself, dressed as she was in her costume.
It was her first trick-or-treat outing. Ever. And she was nervous. Had she chosen the right costume? Was it too normal? Should she have gone with something more traditionally… female?
Ugh. No, she thought with a distasteful twist of her lips. There was no way she'd be caught dead flouncing around town in the skimpy outfits she'd been horrified to see showcased in the stores.
With confidence creeping back into her posture and features, Rey lifted her eyes to meet her own gaze in the mirror beneath the brim of her hat. A commercial airliner's pilot cap, in fact. She hadn't quite been able to find exactly what she wanted in stores, and so she had cajoled her best friend Poe into getting her what she desired – a pilot's uniform.
It was the only thing she wanted to dress up as for the first (and likely last) time she would be dragged out trick-or-treating. She'd been stuck in a foster home until her eighteenth birthday over three years ago, and the Plutts hadn't 'believed' in Halloween. No going out, no giving out candy, lights out, in bed, that was it. She'd simply kept up that routine for the next few years.
At least until she'd made friends.
Poe had told her, come hell or high water, that she was going to experience trick-or-treating and dressing up at least once in her lifetime. It didn't matter if she was 'too old' to go out, let alone him and his friend Ben who were a good half dozen years older than she – times were changing, he'd said, and it was more acceptable now for the older crowd to go door-to-door as well.
Rey smiled softly as she ran her hands down the front of her uniform jacket. It was an honest-to-goodness airline jacket, from the airline Poe co-piloted for, and Rey was too grateful to ask too many questions.
She knew Poe had far more questions. She wasn't quite ready to tell him that the reason she wanted to dress like this for Halloween was because one of the few memories she had left of her father was of him dangling her on his knee, describing to her exactly how he felt when he was flying planes, the scent of his clean uniform wrapping around her as her mind thrilled as a result of his story-telling, her vivid imagination showing her exactly what he was describing.
No, it might not be quite the same uniform, the same airline, but it was close enough. She smiled, happiness reaching her eyes fully for the first time that evening.
Knock knock.
With a last glance toward the mirror, Rey raced to the front door, grabbing a large pillow case on her way. She felt excitement replacing her trepidation, and then joy and laughter filled her up as she saw her two best friends standing in her apartment's hallway.
"Poe! You're supposed to wear something that's not work clothes!" she teasingly admonished him as she took in the sight of him wearing the same uniform that she was clothed in. Turning to Ben, she shook her finger at him as well. "And you! You're not much better, Mr. Solo."
Ben shot her a grin as he gestured for her to enter into the hall with them. "I couldn't help it. Uncle Luke left one of his movie costumes around the house and, well… I just can't wait to see his reaction when we show up at his place begging for candy." The mischievousness of his smile was infectious, and Rey couldn't help but to smile back.
Suddenly, Poe grabbed Rey and spun her around with her arm above her head. He winked at her and then let his smile soften as he caught her eye. "I like being a matched pair as long as it's with you, Rey. I couldn't think of any costume I'd rather wear once you told me what you wanted."
Rey felt her cheeks flood with heat, and looked away from his gaze. That didn't help much either, as the look in Ben's eyes was just as confusing.
Instead of addressing the issue, she ignored it entirely and shoved her shoulder against first Ben's, then Poe's, and brushed past them. "Come on, slowpokes! What's the best thing to say when the door opens? I want to experience it all to the fullest!"
Even if this was the only time she'd get to go trick-or-treating, she was set on this experience lasting her for a lifetime. A whole new batch of memories to replace the terrible reality of her childhood.
She knew that this, that tonight, would do the trick.
Rey smiled, hearing her two best friends following behind her after a moment, their friendly bickering providing the backdrop to what she expected to be a perfect evening.