#with inklings of Damarey and Stormpilot and FinnRose

[broadwaybaggins]

Mini-Pic prompt: Rey/snowball; Meg March/slush

(Going to do the Rey prompt first and the Meg one later! Assume this is a “missing moment” between TLJ and TROS in which they spend some time on a Hoth-like snow planet. The planet I’ve chosen does exist in the Star Wars canon, any mistakes are my own.

Also, I am multishipping trash)

Neither Finn nor Rey have ever seen snow before and Poe cannot decide if it’s adorable or hilarious.

The remnants of the Resistance had come to Vandor, a remote, mostly uninhabited planet in the Outer Rim, in the hopes of possibly establishing a base. Years ago, in the early days of the Empire, the planet had been a site of “galactic expansion” (Poe didn’t like to think too hard about what that might mean) but now, even its fort had been mostly abandoned to the elements. It was, however, full of old wrecked Empire craft that they could pillage for parts, and, more importantly, it was unlikely that the First Order would follow them there, at least for the time being. The main reason for this was that it was so far off, so forgotten, that some star charts didn’t even bother plotting its course on them any more.

The second reason was because Vandor was, as Poe was fond of calling it, cold as balls.

He can see his breath as he helps Leia off the ship--she’s muttering under her breath about have we learned nothing from Hoth and when they all get eaten by wampas not to come crying to her--and he turns over his shoulder to see where Finn and Rey have gotten to. Finn is standing a few feet away with his back to him, shoulders hunched against the frigid wind as he looks straight up at the sky. Rose stands next to him, looking unfazed--Poe thinks he recalls her saying she was from a cold planet, but he’s pretty sure it wasn’t this damn cold. He picks his way through the knee-deep snow, trying to ignore Threepio’s mind-numbing chatter about Vandor’s history, and that’s when he spots Rey.

She’s standing still as a statue, watching the snow fall in flurries around them. On her face is a mix of fascination and maybe a bit of fear--she’s from a hostile world of sand and heat and has probably never felt cold like this in her life. Poe watches as she stretches out a hand to catch a falling snowflake, then flinches when it melts on her hand as if its touch burned her. Next to him, Leia chuckles lightly. Poe arches an eyebrow at her.

“Luke may have had a...similar reaction, once upon a time,” she says impishly, nodding her head at Rey. “She’s a long way from Jakku.”

The General continues to make her way towards the abandoned outpost ahead of them, without waiting for Poe. None of them know what they’ll find when they get there, but it’s as good of a plan as any, and it’s what they’ve got right now.

In spite of himself, Poe laughs. It’s all so ridiculous that he can’t help it, and before he can stop himself he scoops up a handful of snow, the cold like tiny needles against his bare skin. He molds the snow into a ball and sends it launching at Rey, landing with a wet slap against her shoulder.

He regrets it almost immediately. She turns around, instinctively reaching for the saber at her belt, her eyes wild with fright and determination. “Woah, woah!” Poe cries out, holding up his hands. “Hey, it’s okay! No danger! It’s just me!”

“What was that?” she demands, her saber clutched in her hand, but not ignited. Dormant for now...like her fear. Like all of their fear as they hide out on this dead, frozen planet.

“A snowball. You know, like kids throw.” She gives him a blank look, and he winces, because of course she doesn’t know, and he was trying to lighten the mood and only succeeded in making everything worse. Finn and Rose have joined them now, looking at Poe in confusion. “It was supposed to be fun. I’m sorry, Rey.”

“A...snowball,” she repeats, as if she’s testing out the word.

“Yeah. You throw them. Snowball, as if snowball fight. It’s fun. Watch.” Slowly, deliberately, he stoops down again and scoops snow into his hands, allowing Rey to watch him as he makes another snowball. He straightens up and tosses it gently, at Finn this time, who is caught off-guard and makes no move to catch it as it hits his chest. He gives Poe a withering look.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

Rey still looks uncertain. “Can you make another one?”

He does, and this time he feels an unseen hand lift it from his when he’s done--Rey using the Force to lift it and examine it. “See?” he asks with a slight grin. “Not so bad, huh?”

He comes to regret that sentence a few minutes later when Rey sends four snowballs lobbing towards him using the Force, but he supposes he deserves it, after all.

(He and Rose win the snowball fight anyway)