Making it through this in one was going to require all of Rey's strength and focus, and more than a little help. Sitting in a corner booth at the bustling forest tavern, surrounded by six pairs of laser-focused eyes, Rey knew it was time to pull out the big guns.
'I'll get the next round.' Poe started to protest, saying something about her being a guest, but she stood before he could get any further. The wooden chair rattled against the ground with the force. 'Same as last time?'
Drink orders in hand, she strolled towards the bar, making the short walk drag out as long as she reasonably could. The air felt fresher with every step she took, and she closed her eyes to savour the relative silence.
Poe's childhood friends were… great. Really great. They all had varying shades of the mischievousness, confidence and honour she loved so much about him. Their friendship shone through, warming up their booth with all the force of the brightest suns. And they seemed to genuinely want to get to know her.
It was beautiful and suffocating. Rey had felt friendship and comradeship with the others in the Resistance, and she'd been to her fair share of rowdy celebrations after they defeated Palpatine. But this was different.
Poe's friends hadn't said it outright, but judging from their questions, they all wanted to know if she was good enough for him. Rey had faced enough doubt over the years — self-imposed or external — to know how it sounded.
She thought she'd finally finished proving herself to people. Now, she was back in that same place again: desperate to prove she deserved Poe's love, and reminded of just how much she missed out on as a child. If they were on Jakku instead of Yavin 4, if she was introducing Poe to her people instead of meeting his, the table would have a handful of scavengers who only cared about her in passing and were more interested in scoring a free meal than vetting her boyfriend.
Would she ever feel normal?
Alcohol is going to be my best friend tonight, she thought. She'd never been drunk, preferring to keep control of herself and her environment, but she'd make an exception just this once.
The Force wobbled as a familiar presence approached behind her, warm, safe and soothing. She relaxed. At the end of the day, he was why she was here.
'Are you alright?' Poe asked quietly as he moved to stand beside her. 'You look overwhelmed.'
'I've never met someone's family before,' she admitted. His brown eyes searched her face, his expression softened with concern. 'I don't think they like me much.'
He sighed. 'They like you. They're just cautious because they know how much I like you and don't want me to get hurt.'
'Every question they ask feels like a test.'
Poe didn't refute that. 'I told them to lighten up. They shouldn't be as intense when we get back.'
Rey glanced back over at the table. His friends were all chatting and laughing heartily, the weight of judgment melted away like the last snowfall as the seasons changed. She wanted to be part of that. She wanted to get along with his friends.
She didn't want them to get between her and Poe.
For someone who wasn't a Jedi, it always felt like Poe could read her mind nowadays. He wrapped an arm around her waist, solid enough to be supportive but affection enough not to draw others' attention. 'You know it doesn't matter if they think you pass or not, right? There's no test you could ever fail in my books.'
The last of the tension sapped from her body, and she knew he felt it by his soft murmur of approval. 'Or you in mine.'
When the bartender brought over their drinks mere seconds later, she was loath to leave his embrace, but it was no longer fear — just the normal reluctance that came whenever she had to let him go. She smiled as they walked back to the table, and while it was a little strained, she no longer felt like she was suffocating.
Rey still wanted that alcohol, though.
A/N: Prompt: 'Um… I'm gonna need vodka in a water glass, with ice, and I'm gonna be ordering 'water' from you all night long so… one… 'water,' please.' from Happy Endings 1x01