Being a neurodivergent HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), I take a lot of things personally that probably shouldn't be. The other night I had an overly emotional response to being blocked by a person I liked on social media. No warning. No reason. It hurt.

I was so distracted by this that I couldn't write, and after a few frustrating hours staring at Word, I decided to just write about it. So, I wrote Rey having similar feelings and thoughts as me. I did manage to sneak in the prompt at the end.

Snuggles

Rey moved slowly along the path, her mind a jumble, her emotions unstable. She didn't know what she had done to make Nyra and Kolbert dislike her. She had never been unfriendly toward them, and she didn't think she had done anything that would make them judge her harshly. She had always been friendly and appreciative of their work. In the past, they had seemed to like her, to want to talk to her. But today they had given her the cold shoulder, barely acknowledging her when she had told them good morning.

Maybe she was being too friendly, Rey thought as she walked along, not really paying attention to where she was going. Maybe she was trying too hard, insinuating herself into a relationship with them that they didn't want. Being too clingy. Rey had never been good at making friends, and when she found people that thought like her, liked the things she liked, had a similar sense of humor, she found herself drawn to them. So, maybe she had seen a friendship there that was only in her imagination, and they had decided she was getting too close.

She should just stick to droids as friends, she thought. If they hurt her feelings, she knew for a fact that hadn't meant to.

"Hey!"

The soft exclamation was the only warning she had before she crashed softly into someone. She looked up as Poe grabbed her shoulders, an amused smile on his face.

"Where were you?" he asked. "You looked like you were lightyears away."

"I…" she started, then shook her head, feeling tears form in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Poe said, his smile disappearing as his expression became concerned. "What's wrong?"

Rey stepped back away from him, embarrassed, wiping the tears quickly away. "Nothing," she said, but even she could hear the lie. "I'm just… why can't I make friends?" she asked suddenly. "Why does everyone I like not like me? What do I do that makes everyone leave?"

"Whoa!" Poe gasped. "Where is this coming from?"

Rey shrugged. "It's been like that ever since I was a child," she continued. "I've always known I was different. Others my age either made fun of me or would be kind to me for a while then turn on me, without warning." She wiped another tear away. "I grew up thinking that was just the way of things on Jakku, but I stupidly kept believing that once I got to know people, became friends with them, that I wouldn't be alone anymore. But they always left. Always."

Poe was silent for a while. "Has Finn left?" he asked softly. "Chewie?" He tilted his head. "Me?"

Rey looked at him for a moment, then looked away. "You would if you weren't so devoted to the Resistance."

"You think that little of me?"

"It's just what happens," Rey whispered. "It's nothing to do with you. It's me. I'm just not… good with people. I never will be." She couldn't look at him.

"Rey, you know for a fact that I get along with pretty much everybody, right?"

Rey sniffed and nodded. "Yeah, you do."

"I happen to think that you are just fine with people," he continued. "It's not you. If you are treated badly by someone you thought was a friend or you get 'left,' as you call it, it's on that person or persons and has nothing to do with you." He reached for her shoulders again. "Look at me," he demanded softly.

She looked up at him.

"Do you believe that I consider you a friend?"

"I want to," she answered, her voice cracking. "But the more I care, the more it hurts. And the more I try not to care, the more that hurts." She took a deep breath. "If this war wasn't going on, would you really want to be around me?"

Poe laughed suddenly, causing Rey to stare at him with her mouth open in shock.

"Rey, if this war wasn't going on, I wouldn't just want to be around you. I'd want to be with you all the time. I'd want…" he paused. "I'd want to be more than a friend."

Rey felt her heart start to race, understanding his meaning and finding it not only hard to believe, but exciting.

"But there is a war going on," Poe continued, looking downcast. "And I can't afford to offer more than friendship right now. But I can guarantee you that my friendship is real, and strong, and true." He took a deep breath. "Do you believe me now?"

How could Rey not? He was so earnest, so sincere. She nodded.

"Good. Now who was it that made you so unsure of yourself tonight?"

Rey gave a little half-shrug. "Nyra and Kolbert," she told him.

Poe's eyes widened. "Really?" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I think I know exactly why they are treating you differently. And I was right, it has nothing to do with you."

"What do you mean?"

"They're jealous."

"Jealous?"

He nodded. "Jealous because you have only been with us for a couple of months now, and you've already established yourself as an elite member of Leia's team. And it's not because you're a Jedi. You're just that good at strategy and diplomacy."

He looked over to his left and his eyebrows rose. Rey looked too and saw the subjects of their discussion. Poe suddenly turned to move next to her, throwing his arm over her shoulders and coaxing her to walk with him.

"And not to boast, but they probably don't like the fact that you're such good friends with me," he said.

Rey had never been a touchy-feely kind of person, mostly because she hadn't had much experience with physical affection, but she really liked being pressed up against Poe's side, his arm tight around her.

"I thought you couldn't afford to offer more than friendship right now?" she teased.

"Well," he said softly, squeezing her even closer. "Friends can snuggle, can't they?"

Rey found herself bringing her arm around his back, then rested her head on his shoulder as they walked along.

"Yeah," she whispered, feeling amazingly content and comforted. "I guess they can."