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A blue-grey thing, only as big as his papa’s hand, flew over the ranch. As it passed Poe, it warbled out a call. Poe’s eyes went wide, and he cackled as he started running after it, screaming, “Mama! Papa! Mama! Papa!” The thing darted into the trees and was gone from sight.
Shara and Kes came running after him, the worry clear on their faces, but Poe just pointed into the jungle canopy, a huge smile on his face. He turned to them, breathless, his arm still poised in the air, pointing to the invisible thing. “It was blue and grey and it,” he paused trying to whistle but mostly just spitting, “and it was fast and…” He turned back to the jungle, hoping the thing would appear again. He started bouncing up and down.
Kes closed his eyes, panting, his hands on his knees, as he sent a quick prayer of thanks to the powers-that-be that his son wasn’t hurt or being tortured or anything. Seriously, when will the happy screams not sound like he’s being eaten alive?
He turned to look at Shara, who was trying hard not to laugh as she knelt in front of her son. “It was a xynivin, Poe.”
“Shin-uhhh-vin,” he repeated back slowly. He smiled, looking back into the jungle. “It was so pretty, mama.”
She nodded. “I know. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” She looked up into the sky, mildly jealous that she’d missed seeing it.
Kes put a hand on her shoulder. “Wonder who it’s for?”
“We’ll hear soon enough,” Shara said.
“For,” Poe repeated.
“Well,” Shara said, standing. “That’s quite a story. You want to hear it?”
Poe nodded his head in earnest.
Kes picked him up. “I think that’s a yes, mama,” he said.
“Well,” Shara said, “as far as anyone knows, the xynivins have been around since time began.”
“A long time?”
Shara nodded. “A long, long time,” she said.
“Older than grandpa?”
She laughed. “So much older than grandpa.”
Poe bit his lip as he considered this. There weren’t many things in his four-year old experience older than grandpa.
“And they are special creatures. They aren’t really birds, but something else.”
“They fly,” Poe said, looking up again.
“Yes, the fly like birds, but they can leave the atmosphere.”
Poe gasped. Even at four, he knew that animals couldn’t do that without a ship.
“Yeah,” Shara said. “They can fly in space and they can fly through jungles and deserts and under water—”
“And through cities?”
“And through cities and in caves, and they can go anywhere in the galaxy.”
“Wow,” Poe said, scanning the sky.
“But there’s more to it than that,” Kes said. “They’re very special creatures because they have a gift.”
“Like a present?”
Shara chuckled. “Not really. More like an ability. A skill, but like magic.” Her eyes got wide and bright.
Kes loved it when she got like this. There were times when being the practical one was frustrating, but when Shara got going…it was almost as if she were magical herself.
“You see, the xynivins have another name.”
“What?”
“Soulmate birds,” Shara said.
“Soulmate birds,” Poe repeated. He looked up into the skies again.
“And what that means is that one day, you’ll be able to call a xynivin to you and tell it about yourself and then, it will think up a song—your song—and it will take that song to the one being in all of the galaxy that’s meant for you.”
“Meant for me?”
“Like how mama is meant for me,” Kes said, smiling at Shara. “She’s my soulmate.”
“Oh,” Poe said, nodding. “Can she be my soulmate too?”
“Well,” Shara said. “I’m your mama. And someday I’m guessing you’re going to want someone else to be your soulmate.”
Poe shook his head. “No. You and papa!”
Kes said, “Think of it like a best friend. The best friend you’ll ever have.”
Poe’s face scrunched up as he considered it.
Shara put a hand on Poe’s arm. “Well, let’s give it some time. Because, you aren’t going to be able to call the xynivin for a long while yet.”
“Not until you’re older,” Kes said.
“How much older?”
“Well, it depends,” Shara said. “I was able to call the xynivin when I was nineteen.” She winked at Kes. “But your papa couldn’t call his until he was twenty-three.”
“Late bloomer,” Kes said.
“What happened?”
“Well, I called the xynivin to me and it landed on my hand, and I told it all about myself—my name and what my family was like and what I wanted out of life and my hopes and dreams, and then, it started singing, and it was the most beautiful song in the galaxy. My song.” For a moment, she was lost in the memory of it. That strange afternoon when the xynivin had simply appeared. The weight of it on her arm. The cool feel of its talons on her skin. The way it seemed to glow in the sun—its hide made not of feathers but something equally delicate and light.
Kes took over. “And then the xynivin flew across the galaxy to me and came to my window and sang me the song and…” He shook his head. “I knew that somewhere out there, someone was waiting for me.” He laughed. “And then, when it finished singing, the xynivin listened to me and I told it about who I was and what I wanted out of life and when I was finished it sang me my song and then flew away.”
“And did it come sing to you, mama?”
“Yes, it did.” She looked at Kes. “And the thing about the songs is, while the xynivin is singing, you sort of see things in your mind and you get these feelings. I didn’t know exactly what your father looked like, but I knew what it would feel like to meet him, and I knew he was a good man.”
“I knew that your mama was wild and talented and so far out of my league,” Kes laughed, “and I knew I’d meet her soon.”
“Yep,” Shara said. “Usually you find your soulmate within a year of the song.”
Poe took all that in and tried to imagine what it would be like to have a soulmate—someone besides mama and papa and grandpa to play with and talk to and laugh with. He looked back up into the sky and wondered when his xynivin would come.
# # # #
Soon after, Poe started trying to call the xynivins to him. Every morning, rain or shine, he’d run out into the back garden and call up into the sky, “Xynivin! Xynivin!” And he’d stare up, waiting for one to come to him.
But one never came.
Shara would usually be waiting at the back door, a sad smile on her face as she explained to Poe that he wasn’t ready yet, that a soulmate was a big responsibility.
“Like owning a dog?”
Shara laughed. “Yes, like owning a dog. And some day, you’ll be ready for it.”
Poe would nod and smile and say, “Maybe tomorrow.”
Shara would laugh even harder.
This went on for years until one morning, Poe didn’t run outside.
In fact, that morning, he refused to leave his room.
Kes sat on the edge of Poe’s bed, tears staining his cheeks, a hand on his son’s back, as he tried to explain Shara’s death to the boy, but Poe refused to understand it, refused to accept that his mama was gone.
And from that day forward, Poe ignored the xynivins that flew across the skies.
He didn’t run out into the garden to call to them anymore.
He locked away that part of his heart and focused on other things, like flying and helping around the ranch.
For Poe, from that day forward, there was no more magic in the galaxy.
# # # #
# # # #
To kill a xynivin, even in the roughest parts of the galaxy, was considered a truly heinous act. The most grizzled pirates, the Hutts, the lowest of the low—all of them respected the power of the xynivins.
But the First Order knew how dangerous the creatures could be to their cause, and as a result, every First Order ship and base had orders to shoot any xynivin it spotted on sight.
It didn’t take too long before the creatures avoided First Order installations.
Still, there were rumors and stories. In fact, every Stormtrooper grew up hearing whispered tales of “xynivins.”
Some Stormtroopers believed that the mythical creatures were harbingers of evil.
Others believed they held the key to escape.
But they all knew that these strange blue-grey birds were one of the few things the Order actually feared, and that was enough to make even the most hardened Stormtrooper pause.
FN-2187 had heard every ghost story and legend connected to the xynivins in his short life, and he didn’t believe any of them. His opinion—not that anyone ever asked—was that the creatures were probably just a nuisance, clogging up machinery or flying into cannons and the like, and it just made sense to dispatch them before they mucked up the works. He figured his fellow Stormtroopers just needed some sort of excitement in their lives and that was why they cooked up all the tales of horror, or worse yet, the tales of lovers connected by the magic of a blue-grey bird.
FN-2187 had long since given up on magic and love. He had a job to do and he was going to do it.
# # # #
# # # #
“Hey Poe,” Iolo started.
“Sorry, buddy, running late,” Poe said, jogging through the hangar.
“Another top secret mission,” Iolo quipped.
“Actually, yeah,” Poe chuckled.
“Wow, I really thought after all that mess with Terex and Malarus, things were finally slowing down.”
“One more mission,” Poe muttered as he looked over Black One. “How we doing, Bee?”
[The ship is fine, Friend-Poe, but I don’t see why we can’t just fly directly to—]
“AHHH,” Poe said. “Top secret, buddy!”
“Yeah, because I’m a known First Order spy,” Iolo said.
“You’re one of the shadiest characters I know.”
“You hurt me, Poe.”
Poe chuckled and slapped Iolo’s arm. “I’ll buy you a drink when I get back to make it up to you.” A group of pilots off in one corner of the hangar caught his eye. “What’s going on over there?”
“Jess got a xynivin,” Iolo said. “Supposedly sang a song about someone in the desert who is amazing and beautiful and…I don’t know.” He shook his head. “You know all that kriffing sithspit.”
“Not a fan of soulmates, eh?”
Iolo laughed. “The day one of those creatures lands on my arm and starts singing to me, maybe, but until then.” He watched the crowd as Jess retold the story again. “I mean, seriously! You believe in that stuff?”
Poe’s voice was barely a whisper, “Used to.” He took a deep breath and turned back to his ship. “Go easy on Jess, okay? Let her have this.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Iolo said. He smiled at Poe. “Just come back safe, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
Less than an hour later, Poe was piloting to Yavin IV to trade out Black One for a non-descript X-wing that would take him to Jakku.
# # # #
# # # #
Finn. His name was Finn now.
And he was royally screwed.
He looked around. There was desert as far as the eye could see and the TIE had just sunk into the sands, taking the only friend he had in the galaxy with it.
He had a leather jacket, some Stormtrooper armor, and no idea what he was supposed to do next.
So, he started walking.
He shed the armor and started using the jacket for shade, and about an hour into his walk a tiny blue-grey bird flew up and landed in the sand in front of him. Finn stopped. “Hey,” he said. “Any idea which way there’s a town? Water?”
The bird squawked, like it was annoyed.
Finn backed up. “Look, bird, it’s been a rough day. I’m just trying to find a way out of this place so I don’t die.”
The bird seemed to consider this. It then flew up to his shoulder and perched there.
“Seriously? Bird!” Finn started spinning, trying to get it to leave. “Bird!”
The bird’s claws seemed to dig in deeper. “BIRD!”
The bird squawked again—as if to tell him it wasn’t leaving.
“Fine,” Finn said, starting forward. “You want a ride? Great! Let’s both die out in the desert.”
After another hour, Finn started talking.
“…and he smiled and said, we’re gonna do this, and honestly, I figured he was either crazy or…” Finn smiled, “I don’t know. I just knew I could trust the guy.”
The bird squawked.
Finn said, “He died. In the crash.”
The bird let out a sad coo.
# # # #
Finn spotted a rise up ahead. “There we go.” He turned to the bird. “There’s gonna be something over that rise. I can feel it.”
He’d said that with the last six rises, but Finn figured eventually he’d be right.
As he started up the rise, the bird began to sing.
It was an absolutely beautiful song.
Finn paused and listened to it. He closed his eyes and let the song wash over him. It made him feel better.
As the song ended, he hummed a bit of it. “That was nice,” he said.
Finn climbed the rest of the rise and then let out a happy noise as a town came into view. “Yes,” he said to the bird. “See? We can get some water there.”
The bird chirped once and then took off, flying in the opposite direction.
“No! Bird! Come back! Town is that way!”
For a moment, Finn debated following it back into the desert, but his thirst and need to get out of the sun outweighed his concern for the bird.
He started down towards the town.
I hope you’ll be okay, bird.
“Thanks for the song,” he called out after it.
# # # #
Poe woke up in the middle of the desert at night, and at first, he couldn’t remember who he was or how he got there, but then a name came to him.
He pushed himself up, yelling, “Finn! Finn!” He looked around, desperate, and then he remembered the escape. The TIE fighter. Crashing. “Kriff, Finn, tell me you’re okay,” he called out into the darkness.
He scanned his surroundings but there was no evidence of the crash site. “Kriffing hell,” he said. I am so going to die out here.
He started walking.
Soon, he noticed something on the horizon. Something small and fast and coming towards him.
And then, his blood ran cold as he realized what it was.
No.
“No,” he called out.
“No!”
I don’t believe in that anymore.
He started running from it, but he tripped and fell into the sand.
As he turned around to push himself up, he found himself nose to beak with a xynivin.
He shook his head. “No,” he whimpered. “I’m not…”
The creature started singing. It was a powerful song—the song of a warrior—but also a song that had a sweetness to it, and Poe’s eyes suddenly filled with tears as all of these images flashed through his mind: a smile, big brown eyes, the blue glow of a lightsaber, his jacket. And there were sensations too: someone brave but scared, strong but kind. This was the song of someone who would always have Poe’s back, someone amazing, someone like… “Finn,” he whispered to the bird.
Finn, who’s dead.
The creature abruptly stopped singing. It cocked its head at Poe, considering him.
“Was that it?”
The xynivin hopped forward up Poe’s arm to his shoulder.
“What? You’re gonna…” He turned to look at it. “You want me to talk?”
The xynivin squawked and Poe laughed a sad laugh. “Sure. Why not.” He pushed himself up off the ground with a groan. Of course, the damn thing comes when I’m about to die. That seems about right. He turned to the bird. “So, where should I start?”
# # # #
The thing was, from the moment the xynivin flew away, things had been happening so fast—getting off Jakku, going back to Yavin for Black One, flying to Takodana—that Poe hadn’t had a moment to stop and think really.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true.
He had plenty of time to think in hyperspace, but he tried not to.
He’d finally had a visit from a xynivin and… It was supposed to be magical, he thought ruefully. It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.
And so, yeah, I didn’t die.
But…
But it wasn’t Finn.
He tried not to dwell on the beautiful man who’d given his life so Poe could escape. Tried not to think about Finn’s bright eyes and blinding smile or the way his heart had fluttered the moment that Finn’s helmet had come off.
It’s like some terrible twist of fate, he thought as he brought Black One in for a landing on D’Qar. I finally meet someone that I could… He shook his head. And that’s when the kriffing xynivin shows up.
As he climbed down from the ship, he promised himself, it doesn’t have to mean anything.
Heck, maybe I hallucinated it.
And then he heard the familiar trill of BB-8. Yes!
Bee was telling him about a girl named Rey and a guy named Finn and…
Poe’s heart stopped.
He looked up across the tarmac. “Oh no.”
This can’t be real.
And then he found himself running towards the man he thought was dead. “Buddy!”
The moment they wrapped their arms around each other, Poe never wanted to let go. He opened his mouth to say something, anything.
I love you.
I told a soulmate bird all about you.
Please be mine.
But Finn was asking, “What happened to you?”
“What happened? I got thrown from the crash. I woke up at night, no you, no ship, nothing.” And I thought you were dead and I started talking to a xynivin and… “Bee-Bee-Ate says that you saved him.”
“No, no, no. It wasn’t just me.”
The girl Bee mentioned. Poe felt a flare of jealousy. No, Dameron. Don’t go there. “You completed my mission, Finn.” He took in what Finn was wearing, trying hard not to smile. “That’s my jacket.” That has to mean something, right?
“Oh.” Finn started to shrug it off.
NO! “No, no, no! Keep it. It suits you.” He bit his lip to keep from saying something stupid. “You’re a good man, Finn.” Really, Dameron? That’s the best you can do?
“Poe, I need your help.” Yes, anything. And he was grabbing Finn and taking him to command.
And for some reason, he was scared to say anything else for fear that the feeling in his gut had been wrong.
What if it isn’t him?
What if he’s meant for someone else?
Oh kriff. He kept looking at Finn and smiling.
# # # #
From the moment he’d seen Poe on the tarmac, Finn had felt complete, safe, and strangely happy. He was still worried about Rey; he knew that Starkiller Base was still out there threatening other systems, but... He has the prettiest eyes.
No, focus!
And then Poe was telling him to keep the jacket. It suits me. Finn worked hard not to smile.
Did he just bite his lip?
A part of Finn wanted to cup Poe’s cheek and pull him in for a kiss.
No! Rey! “Poe, I need your help.”
# # # #
Han sent him into the ship, supposedly to check the first aid supplies, but Finn suspected it was really to keep him out of the way. Finn counted the bandages and went to shove the kit back under one of the bunks when he turned and spotted a bird.
No, not a bird.
The bird.
The bird from Jakku.
“Hey,” he said with a smile. “What are you doing here?”
The bird began to sing—it was a bittersweet song that was both broken and brave and Finn felt his eyes fill with tears as he heard it. He had flashes of crinkles next to eyes and rough hands covered in grease and he got the impression of recklessness and stupid, heroic loyalty and kindness. So much kindness. And more than anything the song made Finn want to run off the ship and go find Poe.
Han and Chewie ran up the ramp and both froze as they spotted the creature singing.
It finished and immediately flew down the ramp and out of sight.
When Finn realized it was gone, he jumped up. “Wait!”
Han laughed. “Xynivin never wait, kid. I’m sure it’s got another pair of lovers to sing to.”
“That was a xynivin?”
“Yeah, kid,” Han said with a nod to Chewie, who started pushing buttons as they made their way to the cockpit. “Soulmate birds, you know?”
“I thought that was a myth,” Finn said, still in shock.
“Nope. Very real.”
Finn turned to where the ramp door was closing. “And they sing to you about your soulmate?”
Han nodded, starting the pre-flight sequence. “Yeah. One being talks to the bird and it comes up with a song and then it flies across the galaxy to sing that song to your soulmate.”
“Kriff,” Finn said, collapsing into his seat.
Han spared him a quick look. “Yeah, the timing sucks.”
‘It’s not that,” Finn said, “it’s just… I’m pretty sure I already know who my soulmate is.”
Han smiled. “You coming up here anytime today, Chewie,” he called back.
Chewie roared something, which Finn supposed meant Han should shove it.
Han turned in his chair, facing Finn. “You gonna be okay, kid?”
Finn nodded. “Yeah.” And then he smiled. Have something to look forward to when I get back. “Yeah,” he repeated. “Let’s go do this.”
# # # #
# # # #
Dr. Kalonia sighed as she looked into the small room where Finn’s stasis chamber sat. Dameron had already been there for a few hours, she was guessing, and fairly soon, he was going to have to be back in the air again. “Poe,” she said, exasperation clear in her voice.
“I’m resting,” he said, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Promise.”
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. “You do know that we’re going to keep him in stasis for a week or so, right?”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t keep him company.” Poe shifted in his seat.
She shook her head with a chuckle and turned to leave, muttering, “What is it about soulmates?”
Poe shot up. “What?”
Dr. Kalonia turned and gave him a confused look. “Soulmates. I figure that’s why you’re…”
Poe smiled. “But why would you assume that…” Poe’s heart was thundering in his chest. “Did he get a xynivin?”
The doctor smiled. “Oh maker, you don’t know, do you?”
“Know what,” Poe said, crossing the room in three quick steps.
“The xynivin visited him just before the Falcon left for Starkiller. Flew into the ship. Chewbacca told me just before he and Rey left.”
“Kriff,” Poe said, turning to look at Finn. He didn’t know whether that was good news or terrible news. It could be Rey. “Kriff,” he whispered, leaning against the door.
The doctor looked at his face and then patted his shoulder. “I think you should go talk to Jess,” she said.
Poe wasn’t really listening, just watching Finn sleep. “Huh?”
“Go talk to Jess, Dameron. Trust me.” She squeezed his shoulder.
“Oh yeah, sure,” he said, not moving.
Dr. Kalonia grabbed his arm and pulled him into the hall. “Now,” she said.
“Fine,” he said. “I’m going.”
Poe wandered down the hall, wondering how long before he could sneak back into Finn’s room. He looked into command. The General, Statura, and a few of the other higher-ups were all standing at a console with that look on their faces. Poe winced, realizing that in about two hours, they were going to call a meeting. He groaned, stretching his neck and wishing that just this once, they could take a moment and pause. He quickened his pace, hoping Jess was in the hangar.
Sure enough, he spotted her, under her X-wing, a few minutes later.
“Poe! I didn’t think we were going to see you anytime soon. Figured you were going to crawl into the stasis chamber with the guy.”
Poe grimaced. “Actually, Doctor Kalonia said I should come talk to you.”
Jess scrunched up her face. “What in the hell for?”
“Damned if I know. One minute, she’s talking about soulmates and the next—”
“Oooooooh.” Jess burst into a wide smile.
“What, Pava?”
Jess pushed her lips together. “Hmmmmm, how much is it worth?”
“Is what worth? I have no kriffing idea what any of you are talking about.”
Jess laughed maniacally. “Oh, I could have fun with this.”
“Jess,” Poe said as severely as he could muster.
“Yeah, right, Poe. Like that’s ever worked.”
Poe closed his eyes, running both hands through his hair. “Please, Jess. I am so kriffing tired and—”
“Fine,” she said. She nodded to a nearby crate. “You’re no fun.”
Poe sat on the crate and then something terrible occurred to him. “You got your xynivin just before…”
“Yep,” Jess said, her feet bouncing on the crate.
Oh kriffing hell. It’s Finn. For a moment, he was heartbroken. Then, he was mad. “Why in the hell aren’t you in there with him, Testor? He’s all alone and—”
“Woah, woah, woah. What in the kriff are you talking about?”
“Finn!” Poe pushed off the crate. “I’m talking about your kriffing soulmate!”
Jess started laughing again. “Me and Finn? Really, Dameron? How sleep deprived are you?”
“But you got your xynivin and he got his—”
“Finn got his? Good for him!”
“Wait, what?”
Jess smiled. “I got my xynivin and so did Rey.”
Poe felt like the ground fell out from under him. He grabbed the crate. “What?”
Jess leaned forward, repeating, “So. Did. Rey.” She bopped Poe on the nose.
“You and Rey?”
Jess nodded with a wide smile.
“You and Rey?”
“Yes, you nerfherder. Me and that amazing Jedi-to-be.”
“And you’re sure?”
Jess rolled her eyes. “Am I sure that my little lesbian self isn’t in love with Finn? Yes. Am I sure that Rey is my soulmate? Also, yes.” She shook her head and pushed off the crate. “Get some sleep, Poe.”
Poe started giggling. He grabbed Jess and kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”
“Ewwww,” Jess shrieked, rubbing her forehead. “What the hell, Poe?”
He was already jogging back towards medical. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
# # # #
# # # #
Of course, the trick with being a soldier in the middle of a war was that Poe was half-way across the galaxy when Dr. Kalonia and her staff brought Finn out of his coma a week later, and it was another three days before Black One landed on the ship transporting most of the command and medical staff to their new base.
Poe rushed through his de-brief, practically bouncing with anticipation.
The General tried to hide her smirk, but eventually, she gave up and shook her head. “Oh, just go to medical already!”
Poe jumped and was halfway to the door when he called back, “Thank you, ma’am!”
He ran all the way to medical, hitting shoulders and knocking things off tables as he ducked and dodged the other beings walking the halls. He turned the corner to Finn’s room when he skidded to a halt.
Dr. Kalonia stood in front of Finn’s door, her arms crossed and a stern expression on her face. “Dameron.”
“Ma’am?”
“The General said you were coming.” The doctor looked at the chrono on the wall. “Seems you made record time.”
“Ummmmm….”
The doctor’s features softened. “We’re actually releasing him tomorrow.” Poe lit up. “But,” she warned, “he still needs to take it easy.”
“Of course,” Poe said, starting to bounce again.
“Dameron,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
“I get it! I promise,” he said, making an “X” with his finger over his heart. “Nothing strenuous. I’ll make sure he takes it easy.”
“For at least a week,” she said.
“A week?”
“Dameron!”
“Fine. A week.” He nodded eagerly. “Can I see him now?”
She shook her head. “Soulmates,” she muttered, moving out of Poe’s way.
Poe dashed into the room to find Finn sitting on his bed, a huge smile on his face. “Finn,” Poe breathed out.
“Poe,” Finn said, rising.
Poe jumped over to help him.
Finn laughed. “I’m fine, Poe. I promise.”
“The doc said nothing strenuous for a week.”
“A week?” Finn looked to the doorway where Dr. Kalonia was standing. “A week?”
The woman rolled her eyes. “It’s one week, gentlemen. You will survive.” She pointed a finger at Poe. “And if he does strain himself, I’ll see to it personally that the General demotes you back down to Lieutenant.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Poe said with a crooked smile and a tiny salute.
“Good,” she said with a nod. “However,” she said, turning to leave. “There is no rule against cuddling.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Finn called after her.
As the door slid shut, Finn and Poe stared at each other, both suddenly nervous.
Poe ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Ummmmm…” He looked up at Finn. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too,” Finn said. “Ummmmm,” he looked around. This was so much easier in my head. “So…”
“I think we’re soulmates,” Poe blurted out.
Finn laughed. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure we are, Dameron.” He shook his head.
“What?”
“I just…I never really believed in the xynivin and then…”
“And then one flew into your life?”
Finn nodded.
“I know exactly what you mean.”
Finn raised an eyebrow.
“It’s a long story,” Poe said.
“Ummmm… Wanna tell me?” He motioned to the bed. “The doc said we could cuddle?”
Poe smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I mean, if you’d like to…”
“Sure,” Poe said. He quickly bent over and untied his boots and then crawled into the bed, motioning for Finn to slide in in front of him. As Finn leaned back against him, Poe wrapped Finn in his arms. It felt right. Finn hummed and Poe hugged him. He then said, “Oh yeah, right. Story. Well, let’s see… Once upon a time, a very long time ago, when I was a little boy, I looked up into the sky and saw a magical creature flying overhead, and for the next four years, I ran out of the house every day trying to call one of them to me because I wanted to meet the being who was going to be my best friend, the one who was going to make me as happy as my parents made each other.”
Finn chuckled. “I can just imagine little Poe Dameron calling up to the sky.”
“Waiting for his Finn.”
“Who hadn’t even been born yet.”
Poe swatted Finn’s arm. “Technicality.” He leaned over and nuzzled Finn’s temple, breathing him in. Soon enough, they were both going to have to jump back into the fighting, but tonight…
Tonight is ours.
Finn pulled at Poe’s arms, wrapping himself up even more. “You’re thinking too loud.”
Poe chuckled. “Just happy that you’re here and that I’m here and…”
“And that we’re both conscious.”
“Yeah, that too.”
Finn leaned his head back, looking up at Poe. He smiled. “Wanna hear the story of me and the bird in the desert?”
“Yeah, I would. I really would.”
“Well, once upon a time, not so long ago, I was pretty sure that my only friend in the galaxy had just died in a fiery crash and that I was going to die in the middle of a kriffing desert.”
But you didn’t. Thank the maker. Poe hummed, his eyes falling closed as he brushed his lips against the top of Finn’s head.
“You listening?”
“Yeah,” Poe murmured. “Fiery crash. Kriffing desert.” I have a soulmate.
Finn chuckled. “And so there I am, trying to shed my armor when this annoying little bird appears—”
“S’not a bird,” Poe said.
“You want to tell the story?”
Poe smiled against the top of Finn’s head. “Sorry. Continue.”
“Anyway,” Finn said, “as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” Poe snorted, “this bird appears and tries to hitch a ride on my shoulder. And I can’t get the kriffing thing off. So eventually, I start telling it about the crappy day I’ve had.”
“Mmmmm,” Poe agreed. “The crappiest.”
“Except for the one bright spot, which was this guy.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. This amazing, talented, beautiful guy.”
“I take it you had a crush on this guy?”
“The biggest,” Finn said. “Only the moof-milker had to go and die on me.”
Poe shook his head. “Well, that was unfortunate.”
“Tell me about it,” Finn said, closing his eyes for a moment and reminding himself that Poe was really real—those were really Poe’s arms around him. I have a soulmate. “Anyway, so I tell this bird all about the guy, and you know what happens?”
“What?”
“The silly thing sings me a song, and then it flies away.”
“Straight to me.”
“Well, I didn’t know that at the time.”
“I liked your song,” Poe said. “It was brave and kind and beautiful.” He hugged Finn.
“I liked yours too. It was bittersweet and reckless and it made me think of you.”
Poe hummed into Finn’s hair. “Best kind of song, then.”
Finn sighed. He hadn’t felt this warm and happy in his entire life. “Soulmates,” he breathed out.
“I know,” Poe whispered. “It’s…”
“It’s kriffing amazing,” Finn said.
Poe laughed. “Well, it is that.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head into Finn’s.
“Ummmmm, Poe?”
“Yeah,” Poe said.
“I know we can’t do anything strenuous, but do you think that includes kissing?”
“Kissing?” Finn could feel Poe tense. “Hmmmmmm,” Poe said. “I think as long as we keep the kissing fairly tame, we should be good.”
“Tame?”
“Clothes on. Hands above the waist.”
Finn frowned. “You’re no fun.”
“Oh, I’m fun, but the doctor, on the other hand…”
Finn smiled. “Well, I guess I’ll take what I can get.”
Poe chuckled. “You’ll suffer through somehow?”
“If I must.” Finn turned his head to look at Poe. “So, can I kiss you or what?”
“I’ve been waiting all my life to kiss you, Finn.”
Finn burst out laughing. “Okay, that might be the single cheesiest line I’ve ever heard.”
“Get used to it,” Poe said, leaning in. “You’re stuck with me.”
“Forever,” Finn whispered as his lips met Poe’s.
“Forever,” Poe murmured back.
# # # #
# # # #
Somewhere on the other side of the galaxy, a xynivin made a happy little noise as it flew to its next destination…