In her only other relationship, Rey grew bored. She'd dreamt of great things — of reuniting with her parents then exploring the galaxy with them, marvelling at every planet and asteroid they passed. The stars dotted the sky like a treasure map, and she wanted to uncover all it had to offer.
Meanwhile, Johric's greatest ambition — after getting off Jakku — was to find a safe planet to work and build a life. All that talk of finding somewhere quiet to settle down and have children had quickly worn away at her patience. Who in their right mind would choose contentment over excitement, monotony over adventure? Who would settle when they could thrive?
A lot of people, apparently. The few people she trusted enough to call friends agreed with him, none with her. She still wanted what she wanted but began to question whether she was missing something vital that made everyone else value the same things.
After breaking up with Johric, she'd feared that by missing out on growing up with loving parents, she'd also missed out on the ability to truly love. Over time, watching people who dreamed of escaping Jakku decide instead to stay out of love for a spouse or child, she accepted it was true. The self-recrimination dulled from a blazing inferno to smouldering embers that only burnt her when she stumbled onto them. After all, if love meant staying here for the rest of her life, she didn't want it.
So when she fell for Poe, she never thought the feelings would last. He was amazing; funny and brave and honourable and lively and charismatic. But something was missing or broken inside her, and no amount of wishing would change that.
Rey kept them on the precipice for as long as she could, not wanting him to fall all in only for her to pull back like she always did when feelings became too real. And when they did topple over that edge, unable to hold back any longer, she kept one hand clutched to the cliff so she could climb back out when it became too much.
But days became weeks, and weeks became months, and months became years where she never felt bored or stifled or trapped. He craved adventure and travel just as much as she did, and every second of those journeys shone brighter with him by her side. Her heart didn't itch to bail so she could chase her own dreams; it yearned to explore both of their dreams together.
She kept waiting for that to change, but it never did. Then, one day, everything clicked into place and she realised she hadn't been missing the ability to love after all. She'd just needed the courage to tap into it.
And that was the day she let go of the last restraints holding her to that cliffside and fell all in with him. She loved him, and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, and there was no point denying those truths to either of them any longer.
A/N: Prompt: 'Live with me and be my love.' from The Passionate Shepherd by Christopher Marlowe