The tension eases from Rey's shoulders as she breaks away from the celebration and slips out the grand ballroom to the balcony where Poe and Finn overlook the ornate formal gardens. The flowers are in full bloom, their pink and lavender and orange petals looking otherworldly in the dim lamplight. All of the other partygoers are packed inside, lured in by the music and revelry, and she's glad she isn't the only person seeking a reprieve.
Poe reaches out an arm as if he's been waiting for her, and she awkwardly leans against him, accepting his warmth and quiet comfort even though she's still not quite comfortable with showing affection publicly. At the outpost, love was weakness, and even though she never believed that herself, it's left scars and marks she doubts will ever fully heal.
'How long until we can leave without offending anybody?' she asks. She usually wouldn't care about propriety; it's just another self-imposed cage, and she's already had more than her fair share. But Kaydel is convinced that if they want to build a better future, it's vital they mingle and make connections now, while people are grateful enough to be open to change.
If it were up to her, she wouldn't have even shown up in the first place. Her body still aches from the fight against Palpatine – from literally taking its dying breaths before being wrenched back to life – and her heart's splintered with a million conflicting feelings about Ben Solo's death. He was a Sith and a Jedi, a villain and a hero, a mass murderer and her saviour, and she hasn't the first idea how to reconcile those things.
Finn sighs and scratches the back of his neck. 'Another hour, apparently. It's a good thing Kaydel didn't make Rose come – she would hate every inch of this place.'
They all lost people they cared about in the battle. They all saw how the rich bought their own safety while letting millions of others suffer. For the nobles of Coruscant, celebrating the end of the First Order's reign is joyous and uncomplicated. But for Rey, regularly waking in a cold sweat from the memories her dreams throw at her, it will never be that simple.
Closing her eyes, she brings her own arm around Poe's waist. 'She's not the only one.'
A/N: Prompt: 'I did not make it out unscathed! I am extremely scathed!' from Happy Endings 3x01