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Okay, so we’ve all been drinking. Fair enough. But how did I end up here?
Poe frantically searched for a way out of his predicament, his head turning left and right. He closed his eyes. You’re an idiot, Dameron. That’s how. He leaned against the back wall of the cantina and forced himself to face his fears. He opened his eyes, taking everything in. Beings of all sorts were pressed up against each other on the dance floor. The music was loud and the lights were low. Karé, Iolo, Jess, and Rey were at a nearby table, smiling and snickering. Finn was walking towards him—no, swaggering towards him—getting ready to kiss him.
That was everything Poe had ever wanted.
And yet, the only thought going through Poe’s head was: what in the galaxy did I do to deserve this?
# # # #
It had all started three hours earlier when Jess and Iolo suggested they go into the small town next to their temporary base and visit the local cantina to “let off some steam.” At the time, the idea seemed innocent enough; it wasn’t until they were in the cantina, on their third or fourth round (Poe had already lost count), that Poe realized the danger he was in…
“Let’s play truth or dare,” Jess said with a maniacal grin.
Karé rolled her eyes, taking another drink. Poe’s blood ran cold and he shot her a look. Karé shook her head. Would you stop panicking?
“Truth or dare,” Rey asked.
“Basic game,” Iolo said, “One of us challenges another either to answer a question truthfully or to accept a dare to do something. You can choose if you’d rather do truth or dare, but the catch is, if you refuse to answer the question, then you have to do the dare, no matter what it is.”
Rey shrugged. Why was this group so excited about exposing embarrassing secrets and doing crazy stunts? She picked up her drink in both hands and her eyes narrowed as she realized just how enthusiastic Iolo and Jess were. They’re up to something.
“It’s not that much fun,” Poe said, the panic evident in his voice. They’re planning something.
“You’re not that much fun,” Iolo quipped.
“What do you say, Finn,” Jess asked, leaning forward.
“Sure. Why not?”
Karé put down her drink, suspecting that there was a trap involved but pretty sure it wasn’t for her. She traded a look with Iolo. He subtly shook his head and then glanced at Poe. Karé stifled a chuckle. Fine, I’ll play. “So, who’s first?”
Poe’s eyes went wide. Et tu, Karé?
She ignored him.
Jess giggled. “I’ll start. Karé, truth or dare?”
“Truth,” Karé said.
Iolo smiled a wide self-satisfied smile. “Is it true that before you and Snap started seeing each other that you were having an affair with another one of the pilots?”
Karé snorted. “No.”
Iolo’s smile faded. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Karé said, taking a drink. “Ought to know who I’m sleeping with, Iolo.” He crossed his arms in front of himself and frowned as Karé said, “Rey, truth or dare…”
…And so it went for several rounds until it was Jess’ turn again.
She shared a quick glance with Iolo and then purred, “Finn, truth or dare?”
Finn had quickly figured out a pattern. Up until this point, with the truths, they’d learned that Rey was pansexual, that Poe liked having his hair pulled, that Finn wasn’t a virgin, and that yes, Jess had slept with that smuggler she’d met on her off-world op last month. The truths were singularly about sex.
Most of the dares, on the other hand, were designed to embarrass them in front of the rest of the bar. Poe had to serenade a Twi’lek waitress. Iolo was forced to stand on their table and recite a children’s nursery rhyme. Jess had to convince the bartender to dance with her. Finn had given the unamused Duros at the next table a lap dance.
Finn shook his head and finished the last of his drink. Can’t be as bad as that, he thought, and I really don’t want to answer any more questions about my sex life. “Dare.”
The look on Jess’ face was pure evil. “Kiss Poe.”
“What,” Poe squeaked.
“You heard her,” Iolo said.
“No,” Poe said, standing and walking a few steps away.
“Poe, don’t ruin this for Finn,” Jess said. “It’s his dare.”
Poe was seething. He turned from Jess to Iolo. I’m going to put the two of you on every shit duty I can think of for the next year.
They couldn’t possibly know… Finn had been watching Poe, Jess, and Iolo with a neutral expression on his face, but he didn’t miss the silent battle that was currently raging between them. Maybe Poe set this up? He spared a look at Rey, who has a vague, concerned look on her face. No. Don’t read anything into this. Don’t think. Just do. He squared his shoulders and stood. “Sure.”
Iolo and Jess whooped in glee.
“Finn, you don’t have to—”
“Poe,” Finn said, “A dare has been offered and accepted. Now just stand over there and let me do this.”
Poe moved to the back wall of the cantina and licked his lips. Just get it over with. Pretend it doesn’t matter. “Fine,” he said, trying to sound uninterested. As Finn got closer, Poe wanted to whimper. I have a bad feeling about this.
Finn’s eyes sparkled as he came to stop in front of Poe. Poe had to remind himself, this isn’t real. It’s a dare.
Finn leaned forward. “Don’t worry,” he said.
“I’m…I’m not…”
Finn chuckled. “Yeah, right.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to Poe’s. He intended for it to be a light kiss, a quick in and out, but the moment he felt Poe’s lips against his own, he pushed forward and deepened things. If I only get to do this once, I’m going to do it right.
For one moment, the cantina faded away and it was just Poe and Finn.
But all too soon, Finn was pulling away, reminding himself that Poe didn’t want this. It’s just a dream. It’s all in my head.
Inside, Poe was a mess, but he reminded himself, I’m a spy, dammit; I’ve faced Kylo Ren in a torture chair and I am not going to break so that Jess and Iolo can laugh at me now. Poe schooled his features, smirked, and raised an eyebrow. “That the best you’ve got?”
Finn leaned back and cocked his head, looking at Poe—it was unsettling as hell because it was as if he could see the real Poe, the small vulnerable boy who was standing there in front of his crush about to get his heart demolished—and Finn answered Poe’s smirk with a smirk of his own. “I was going easy on you, flyboy,” he said in a low voice, his hand cupping Poe’s cheek. “Didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
Hot damn, Finn. Poe was fighting every instinct in his traitorous body not to lean into Finn’s hand and beg for another kiss.
Finn brought his lips in to hover along Poe’s—not touching but almost—and he kept his eyes open as he whispered, so that only Poe could hear, “You know how many times I’ve dreamed about this, how many times I’ve had to touch myself when I thought about what it would be like to kiss you, to put my mouth on you, my hands on you…” He brushed his lips against Poe’s ever so lightly, and Poe whimpered at the contact, his eyes falling shut.
Finn deepened the kiss as his other hand moved to the back of Poe’s head, carding his curls and pulling just slightly—and yeah, Poe might have gone up on his toes a bit there.
Finn moved his legs to bracket one of Poe’s and Finn very deliberately shifted, so Poe could feel him. He just barely pressed in, but Poe’s mouth fell open as he realized that Finn was most definitely hard. And suddenly—that’s all that Poe could think about—the feeling of Finn’s body, how his tongue was flicking against Poe’s own, how his hands were tugging at Poe’s hair. Poe’s hands moved up to Finn’s shoulders to hold him there, to keep this going, to never let it end.
And for a moment (or maybe a year or two or three; Poe wasn’t sure), it didn’t end. Everything in the galaxy aligned and Poe was as happy as he’d ever been.
And then, with a gasp, Finn was stepping away.
Poe’s eyes stayed closed and his hands slowly lowered but his brain still couldn’t process what was happening. Where is Finn? Where did all the Finn go?
Poe was panting and trying to remember what it all felt like because he knew he was never going to have it again. A part of him wanted to cry. Instead, he hunched over, trying to get his breathing to steady.
Finn turned around to the group with a wide smile, gesturing to Poe. He raised an eyebrow at Jess who was shaking her head. “Damn,” she said. “He rendered Dameron speechless.”
The group erupted into applause.
And Poe realized that there was no comeback that was going to save him, no way he could pretend that he hadn’t been completely wrecked. But Poe was also pretty sure his heart was breaking, and he refused to let them see that.
He stood up, opened his eyes, and nodded in defeat. It still took him a few more moments before he could talk. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” he finally said, unconvincingly. He walked to the table, downed his glass in one go, and walked towards the bar.
“Hey, where are you going,” Karé asked.
“Just…” Poe shook his head. “You guys keep playing. I need another drink.”
Karé shot an annoyed glance at Jess and Iolo. Rey and Finn didn’t miss it. Iolo said, “Come on, Poe,” but Poe ignored him, so he turned to the group, “Well, if he’s not going to go next, I’m taking his turn.” He smiled and turned to Jess.
Finn watched Poe, who wasn’t headed to the bar but to the door.
“I’ll be right back, you guys,” he said, already rising and walking away.
As soon as he was gone, Karé turned to Jess, “What in the hell were you thinking?”
“I thought it’d be cute,” Jess said. “I didn’t know Finn would take it that seriously!”
Rey snorted before asking, “Want to fill me in here?”
Iolo leaned forward, “Our dashing Commander has been head over heels in love with your boy for…well, pretty much forever.”
“Oh,” Rey said, looking over to where Finn was leaving the cantina.
“And we thought that Finn felt the same way about him,” Jess added.
Rey scowled. “So that dare? You thought you’d force their hands?”
“Well, yeah,” Iolo said.
“We didn’t realize Finn was going to plunge his tongue down Poe’s throat,” Jess said, looking around the table, wide eyed.
Karé nodded. “That was a bit of a surprise.”
Rey shook her head. “Have any of you ever met Finn? He never does anything by halves. And he’s not as innocent as all of you seem to think.”
“I’m starting to get that,” Karé muttered.
The entire table focused on their drinks, trying to forget the hurt look in Poe’s eyes as he’d walked away.
# # # #
Finn walked out of the cantina, shrugging on his jacket and searching the street and alley for signs of Poe, worried that Poe had too much of a lead on him. Then, he smiled. Poe was leaning against the wall of the cantina, his head back, his eyes closed.
“Hey,” said Finn, walking over and settling in next to him.
“Oh,” Poe said, jerking upright. “Hey.”
Finn frowned and motioned for Poe to resume his lean. “Things seemed to get a bit…intense in there.”
“Oh, yeah, no worries, man. I just needed some air.”
“Ummmm-hmmmm,” Finn said, giving Poe that stare again—like he could see into the depths of Poe’s soul. “What’s on your mind, Poe?”
“Nothing, Finn. You should go back in, enjoy your night.”
“No,” Finn said firmly. “Not until you tell me what is going on.”
Poe scrubbed his hands up and down his face and pushed off from the cantina wall. “Finn, I…I can’t do this right now.” He walked out into the street. “I just…” He shook his head. “Not here. Not now. Not with…” He turned and gestured at Finn.
“Was it that bad,” Finn asked.
“Bad? What?”
“The kiss.”
“In what universe would that kiss be bad, Finn?”
“Well, you left right after and you’re out here refusing to talk to me and—”
“I’m out here refusing to talk to you because I’m pretty sure that all of our friends—hell, the entire bar—just saw how completely in love with you I am, and I’m embarrassed and I just want this whole night to go away and never think about it again.” Poe turned and kicked the wall in front of him.
“So the kiss wasn’t bad?”
“Kriffing hell, Finn, you are not this dense,” Poe said, looking up to see Finn smiling a cocky little smile. “Oh yeah, ha ha.”
Finn sauntered over, and Poe didn’t know how to read it. “Look, if you’re trying to let me down eas—”
“Would you shut up, Dameron?” Finn crowded into Poe, until the other man has his back up against the cantina wall. Finn’s hands moved to settle in on either side of Poe’s head. “Now, would you mind repeating what you just said?”
All the saliva in Poe’s mouth dried up. He licked his lips and then stuttered, “Which…which part?”
“The part where you tell me you’re in love with me.” Finn leaned in until they were nose to nose.
“Stars, Finn,” Poe breathed out. “I…” Poe could barely remember his name, let alone how to put words together to form sentences.
Finn kissed the tip of Poe’s nose. “Because my deep dark secret is that I’ve been in love with you for months.”
“Months,” Poe managed.
“Ummmmmmm-hmmmmmm,” Finn hummed, rubbing his nose against Poe’s. “Months,” he breathed out. He leaned back for a moment. “Or do you think I kiss everyone that way?”
“Finn, I…” Poe’s breath hitched as he met Finn’s eyes. “Oh screw it.” He grabbed Finn’s head and pulled him in for a searing kiss.
# # # #
“Should we wait for them?”
“They left,” Jess said. “Knowing Poe, he’s hiding out in the hangar somewhere, and Finn went to look for him.”
“Or he went back to his room to sulk,” Iolo added.
Rey raised an eyebrow at the two of them.
“We love him,” Iolo said, “but he isn’t always the best about handling his emotions in healthy ways.”
“Neither is Finn, but it seems to me that you pushed them into the opposite of a healthy situation,” Rey said, crossing her arms.
Karé tried to mask her smile. This one has spunk. Karé pushed up from the table. “Whatever happened, I think they’ll understand if we leave.”
The others followed, and once they stumbled outside, Rey couldn’t help the “Oh” that escaped her mouth. The others turned to see what startled her, and immediately began laughing and wolf-whistling.
Finn had Poe shoved up against the cantina wall—one hand is in Poe’s hair and the other looked to be under his shirt, none of them could be sure. Both of Poe’s hands had grabbed onto Finn’s head, and the only sounds any of them could hear were wet smacks and deep groans.
“You go, Commander,” Jess yelled.
“You too, Finn,” Iolo added.
Neither man acknowledged the group. Karé started herding them away from the cantina. “Come on, guys, let’s give them some space.”
“If they wanted space, maybe they shouldn’t be making out in front of a kriffing cantina,” Iolo quipped.
“Yeah,” Jess said, “and someone might want to move them along before they, uh, move things along.” She raised an eyebrow as Poe’s hands pulled Finn’s shirt up, trying to get it over Finn’s head. “I don’t think they’re going to remain decent much longer.”
Rey rolled her eyes. “Is everything with you guys like herding lothcats?” She clapped her hands together. “Oy! Finn! Poe! Come on! You can canoodle back on base,” she yelled. The two of them finally broke apart. Both were panting. Poe wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. He was flushed—his lips swollen and his pupils blown. Finn didn’t look much better.
“Boys,” Karé said, “I believe our resident Jedi gave you an order.”
Poe sucked in a huge breath, trying to calm his breathing and held up his hand. He nodded. “We heard you. We’ll be along in just a minute.”
“You better be,” Jess said, “Or we’re sending Rey back to find you.”
“We’ll be there,” Finn said over his shoulder. He began tucking his shirt back in.
The group slowly started back to base. Within a few minutes, Poe and Finn caught up. They were holding hands, something everyone noticed. Still, for the longest time, no one spoke.
“So, are we forgiven,” Jess eventually asked Poe.
“Huh,” Poe asked.
“For the truth or dare,” Jess said. “We just figured you might actually FINALLY say something if—”
“So, wait, you guys knew how he felt about me and you…” Finn gave them an incredulous look. “You guys really are sadistic.”
Karé couldn’t help but laugh. “I think we’re going to have to watch ourselves around these two,” she said, motioning to Finn and Rey.
“No, I’m fairly certain Finn and I are going to have to watch ourselves around you guys,” Rey said.
“Hey, he’s been pining for this one for months,” Jess said.
“Yeah, and we were getting tired of the hours upon hours of—”
“I wasn’t that bad,” Poe said.
“Yeah, you were,” Karé said. “Still…”
“Fine,” Iolo huffed. “Jess and I are terrible people who thought something might happen if we gave you a little nudge.”
Karé started laughing. “Nudge? You damn near crammed Finn down his throat.”
“I’d say Finn did most of the cramming,” Iolo said.
Finn blushed at that.
“Yeah, in Jess’ and Iolo’s defense, I don’t think any of us were prepared for Finn to be quite so…,” Rey smiled at her friend, “ummmmm, affectionate?”
Finn smiled a wide smile. “I figured it was now or never,” he said, looking over at Poe and squeezing his hand. “Besides, how did I get the reputation for being some sort of innocent babe? You dared me to kiss him! What did you expect me to do?”
“Honestly, I thought you’d give him a polite peck on the cheek and that would be that,” Jess said.
Finn laughed. “I play to win, guys. You might want to remember that for the future.”
“So, both of the newbs are scary,” Iolo said to Jess.
“It would seem that way,” she said.
“Poe, you’re being awfully quiet,” Rey said.
“Just wondering what the benefits are of having Iolo and Jess afraid of my new boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Jess stumbled. “What in the kriff?”
“When did you two have a chance to talk about that,” Karé asked.
“Yeah, from the looks of things, he had his tongue so far down—”
“Iolo,” said Karé and Poe at once.
“We talked while we were catching up with you guys.”
“How,” Jess asked. “How did you have time to have that conversation?”
“How hard is it, Testor? Hey, you wanna be my boyfriend? Yes. Good. Bam. Done,” Poe said.
“Bam. Done,” Iolo repeated, in shock.
“Isn’t this what you two hoped would happen,” Rey asked.
“Yeah,” Iolo said.
“We just didn’t figure it would be this easy,” Jess said.
“But wait,” Finn interjected, “how could you be sure that I felt the same way about Poe?”
Everyone but Poe groaned and rolled their eyes.
“Trust me,” Rey said, “we knew.”
“But…” Now Finn was flustered. “How?”
Karé chuckled. “You two have been pining over each other for months.”
“The long glances,” Jess said.
“The sighs,” Rey added.
“The way either one of you would laser focus on the other, no matter what else was going on,” Iolo said. “I mean, you damn near took off my foot that one time, Poe.”
“And I apologized for it,” Poe said, blushing. He looked at Finn. “So, you were really pining for me?”
“Yeah. And you?”
“Yeah.”
“Awwww,” Finn said, reaching over and pulling Poe into a quick kiss.
Jess rolled her eyes. “Oh no, you two are going to be irritatingly adorable, aren’t you?”
“Yep,” Poe answered, giving Finn another quick peck. “The most adorable boyfriends you’ve ever seen.
Iolo groaned and quickened his pace. “This is your fault, Testor.”
“How is it my fault,” she asked, running after him. “The game was your idea!”
Finn laughed as he watched the two bicker in the distance.
Rey bumped her shoulder into his. “I’m assuming that you two will be figuring out a way to get back at them? For the dare and all?”
Finn looked at Poe and shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, we are boyfriends now because of them.”
“True,” Poe said. “But it could be fun to get a little revenge, no?”
Karé groaned. “I swear, it’s like being in charge of a group of heavily-armed toddlers!” She stomped on ahead. “Leave me out of the next one,” she called back.
“You’re no fun,” Poe yelled after her. “Are you abandoning us too, Rey,” he asked.
Rey had a mischievous glint in her eye. “Give me some time,” she said, “I’ll come up with something truly wicked for Jess and Iolo. And I’ll make sure Karé helps us.” She winked at Poe and Finn and took off after Karé.
“Our little Jedi is super scary, isn’t she,” Poe said.
“Oh yeah,” Finn said. “And protective. Between her and BB-8, I almost feel sorry for Jess and Iolo.”
Poe laughed. “Almost.”
“They dared me to give a lap dance to a Duros, Poe. That alone is worth some payback.”
“Fair enough,” Poe said, wrapping an arm around his new boyfriend.
A few minutes later, as they entered the base’s perimeter, Poe leaned in and whispered, “Truth or dare, Finn?”
“Really, Dameron?”
“Just play along. Truth or dare?”
“Which one is going to get me back to your bunk faster?”
Poe chuckled and swatted Finn’s arm. “Truth or dare, moof-milker?”
“Dare,” Finn said.
Poe broke into a huge smile; he took Finn’s hand and began leading him towards his room. “I was hoping you’d say that.”