as soon as she had denied that ben had hurt her or forced her into anything, rey could practically feel poe’s outrage radiating off of him. it only made her more heartbroken and guilty, and she wanted more than anything for him to never have to feel this way again. but she knew that couldn’t happen unless she left ben. which was impossible, at this point. she knew that, as she was talking, her words were doing nothing to convince him that the situation made sense. because it truly didn’t, and she knew that deep down. it felt like her heart couldn’t withstand anymore sorrow until he stepped away, almost desperate to escape her grip. she let go immediately but took a step closer, her hands still reaching out. it was a miserable sight, seeing her look so desperate for his forgiveness, his affection, to still be reaching out to him, when all he wanted was to put as much distance between them as possible. though her sobs showed no signs of slowing, her expression meshed into one of dread and shock at his words, not expecting him to bring up her own torture first. all she could think about was the pain he’d received when he first met ben, which was the most prevalent thing in her mind. he hadn’t been able to keep him out, while she had, meaning he went through worse pain. if she remembered correctly, he’d even fallen unconscious, on the same bench she’d discovered her gifts on the very next day. the mention of han made her cry harder, as well as the other rebels who she knew had met their ends because of ben. it ate at her every day, as much as she’d tried to avoid thinking about it. but she still had nightmares about it, still found herself choking up when she saw how few resistance members there were compared to all the stormtroopers on the streets. just as she was trying to form a thought in response, he went on speaking, and rey’s eyes widened quickly. “n-no! no, never!” she promised, her voice breaking as she moved closer again, but still respected his wishes to not touch him, as badly as she just wanted to be in his arms again. “…h-he knows i-i cannot stand with the first order… i-i still want it to go away, b-but i think ben will-will listen to me a-and abolish it one day s-soon… a-and then we can all create a-a new, peaceful leadership…”
no matter how he tried, he couldn’t correct himself. it was as though his fighter had stalled and he couldn’t get the engines back no matter how desperately the tried. here he was, standing before rey, feeling as though he was spinning out of control. he’d survived all of that hell, kylo ren’s torture, leia’s coma, and the escape from crait, and for what? the most powerful jedi in the resistance, the only jedi left, was slowly beginning to turn on the resistance’s forces. perhaps she wasn’t prepared to knock his fighter out of the sky, but if it was him or ben? he had a feeling that she’d know precisely what to do, and given time her allegiance would undoubtedly shift more toward the first order. the war that he’d fought his whole life, the one that both his mother and father had been involved in, would be lost and all because of this. or, at least, that was where his mind went in this oh so topsy turvy moment. he drew back again as she stepped toward him, away from her hands and away from this treachery, and he shook his head faintly. “please don’t,” he told her, with some strange mixture of hurt and desperation in his voice. he’d always liked her touch, he’d always been fond of the way her fingers felt against his skin, but he didn’t want to be comforted by her right now. it would only make matters more confusing. “i need to...” poe shook his head. “give me space.” it was all that he could manage right now. outrage, pain, frustration. she cried harder when he mentioned han and the rebels, but it didn’t seem to change her mind. that murderer she’d fallen in love with would kill so, so many more as he chased his cause, and rey would sit by and let him. kriff, it seemed impossible. she was good, she was pure, she was someone that he was proud to be friends with because of her bravery. but not now. she’d become something else, another conquered creature, who’d succumbed to the first order and to kylo ren. “but you won’t fight him.” poe concluded. she wasn’t with the first order, but she wouldn’t fight its leader either. “we need you, rey.” a pause, he shook his head. “we needed you.” there were other jedi now. he’d find someone else if she couldn’t do it. “you think...?” poe frowned. “that’s not enough, rey. what if he won’t abolish it? then what?” his frown only deepened. “and what sort of peaceful leadership? one without the resistance? it’d be peaceful, sure, but it wouldn’t be good for the people.” and finally, with a faint shake of his head. “... he’s worth all of this?” he couldn’t be worth this whole war an the lives of all of those lost. but maybe, to her, he was.