Warm

Rey trudged through the mud, head down so the hood of her parka kept the rain out of her face, gratefully heading for home.

The majority of the year the weather on Yavin IV was hot and humid, with the occasional storm that dumped warm rain for several minutes before allowing the sun to come back out. However, for about three months of the year, what the Yavinese called 'winter' occurred. The true rainy season, where the sun was a rare visitor and the temperatures, though never dipping below the freezing point, were far from hot.

As much as Rey appreciated the lush, green jungles of Yavin's largest moon, the winter season reminded her too much of Ach-To and the constant cold she had to deal with during her short stay there years ago. Despite her distaste for the winter season's cold, she had learned to take advantage of it and use it to help train her students. Every year for the last three years (since she had started her training school) she took her first-year students on a three-day excursion through the jungle. She taught them how to live off the land, how to find their way without the sun or the stars to guide them, and how to navigate the terrain that was much more challenging than normal due to the constant rain and mud. They learned how to build shelters and keep a fire going despite the wet. And they learned how to meditate among the discomfort and distractions.

This year she had three students between the ages of six and ten with her, and they had done well, especially considering two were thin-skinned humans like herself, and the other was a Mirialan, a species that was used to a very dry atmosphere. At the end of the third day, Rey led her charges back to the compound not far from the Grand Temple where she had set up her training center. One by one, she dropped the children off at their homes, making sure their parent or guardian was aware of how well they had done and that they had the next couple of days off from training to rest and recuperate. Finally, all three children were home safe, and Rey was able to go home herself.

She was exhausted, but she had worked hard to make sure her students didn't know. While they had slept restlessly during the past two nights, Rey had not slept at all, and she was feeling that lack of sleep now. She was physically drained, and she was freezing. She wondered if she would ever truly adjust to weather that was anything but hot. She finally reached the little cabin she called home, punching in the code and slipping inside as the door slid open.

She immediately toed off her muddy boots, then pulled off the slicker, hanging it on a hook by the door. Though she knew the house was warm, she still felt chilled, and she moved quickly through the kitchen and down the hall to her bedroom. She saw BB8's photoreceptor light up as he sensed movement from where he was charging next to DO. She gave him a brief wave and smile, letting him know she was home and okay. He beeped a happy little welcome, then powered down again.

Rey quickly began to undress. Though her poncho had been waterproof, her clothing still felt damp and clammy. There was no way to stay completely dry when out in this weather all the time. As she pulled off her leggings, her teeth began to chatter. She removed her tunic and underthings, then pulled her hair out of its ties, shaking her head and running her fingers through the strands, giving her scalp a quick rub. She ached to jump in the shower and stand under the hot water for a long time, but she was so tired. Sleep called to her more, but she knew she wouldn't sleep unless she warmed up.

And she knew what would do that just as well as a hot shower.

With a soft sigh, she skipped over to the bed, pulled the blankets up, and slipped under them, tucking herself up against the human furnace already laying there.

"Kriffing hell, Rey!" Poe Dameron shouted as Rey's cold skin woke him up. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm cold!" she said with a bit of a whine in her voice.

"Yeah, you are!" he agreed. "You're a farking ice cube!"

"You're warm!" she continued, still huddling against him despite his stiff position. Her body shivered violently and her teeth chattered.

"Crik," Poe whispered, then he relaxed, arranged the blankets so they were both fully covered, and wrapped both his arms and legs around her.

Rey immediately felt warmer, and soon her shivering stopped. It wasn't long before she began to drift off to sleep, lulled by the rhythmic heartbeat of her husband, best friend…

And personal heater.