disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the Star Wars franchise, only the concepts I have created and the situations I have written. props to Lucas, thanks bae.

word count: 700

prompt: "evidence"

author's note: Oct 4, 2019. I will be updating this one frequently because I am reylo trash and I need something easy to write.

On her way up the stairs to her first class of the afternoon wasn't the ideal place Rey expected to find her arch-nemesis. But finding a new friend there as well made it tolerable.

She kept her head up and her eyes wide, but she wasn't at all looking where she was going. There was too much around her, the smooth white marble of her university - so different from the sandstone and yellowed bricks she was used to - and the greenness outside its windows, too much to see that she was essentially blind to the student barrelling down the stairs towards her.

The only warning she received was the gasp of a distinctly male voice and in the next moment, a body slammed into her. Thankfully Rey wasn't carrying anything in her arms, but the weight from her backpack pulled her down like the hand of gravity. She grabbed onto the only things within hand's reach, his shirt - black - and a fistful of his shoulder-length hair - also black. They fell and for a short moment, Rey wondered if she would die from a concussion or simply arrive late to class with bruises all over. But just as suddenly as they fell, she and the other stopped.

Rey hesitated in opening her eyes, but after a moment in which she realised she had definitely not been hurt anywhere and she wasn't falling anymore, she loosened her tightly clenched lids and met the disturbingly sharp brown gaze of a particularly expressionless face.

Slowly, Rey became aware of the hand on the small of her back and the lack of personal space between she and the stranger. She opened her mouth to say something but just as quickly as she did, the stranger straightened up, pulling her back to a steady footing. His hand left her back and his face morphed into a scowl.

"Watch where you're going, little girl" he huffed lowly. Then pushed past her without a second glance.

Rey opened her mouth again, a biting retort on her lips but he didn't stop and by the time she regathered her wits, he was out of sight. She turned to continue up the stairs with a frown still plastered on her face.

"Are you okay?" another male voice from behind her made her jump. She turned and another stranger was suddenly up in her face. Though this one looked distinctly much more friendly. His soft earthy brown eyes were wide in concern and his dark hand grasped hers. She pulled away and took a step down to regain her personal space.

"I'm fine," she frowned, glancing over this stranger from his soft brown facial features to the simple white t-shirt and faded blue jeans he wore. His hair, shaved close to his scalp but thick enough to look like a black moss, accentuated the roundness of his cheeks and his firm jawline. His eyes were a gentler shade of walnut than those of the stranger that ran into her.

"Are you sure?" he pressed, looking down at the hand Rey had rejected. "Oh god, I'm sorry. You don't even know me. This must seem so creepy, god."

Rey eyed his expression, expecting it to darken into a frown or a predatory smirk, but to her surprise, the male simply smiled. It wasn't a forced smile either, it was charming and seemed genuine. Oddly, it put her at ease.

"I'm Finn," the male glanced at his hand again and slowly held it out as if asking for permission before he touched her again, fingers slightly curved but in the proper position for a handshake. "What's your name?"

Blinking, with a customary response smile playing on her lips, Rey raised her hands and grasped his firmly. His hold was gentle and the moment she slid her hand into his, Finn's smile grew wider, making his ears rise a bit and his eyes crinkle at the edges. Then he let go and Rey returned her hand to her side.

"Rey," she murmured, and her hesitant smile finally settled, close-lipped but still there. If anything, at least she hadn't left any evidence of who she really was.