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“Where’s Rey?”
The question shot like a dagger through Poe Dameron’s heart, but the man in front of him was so earnest that he forced himself to shrug it off. He knew it would end like this.
“I’ll tell you on the way,” he said lightly, glancing down at Finn’s leaking (and revealing) suit before turning away to hide his blush.
Poe swiftly led Finn through the cramped corridors that made up The Raddus. The ship was somehow both crowded and bare; too few of the Resistance were still alive, and the ship marked the space of their absence. He thought again about the Cobalt Squadron. Had he really made the right call? Had he really given it enough thought, or was Leia right? Was he really just a hot-headed flyboy with too much courage and not enough wisdom.
Sensing his trepidation and sorrow, Finn asked, “Is she ok? Just tell me.”
The urgency on Finn’s face sent a whole new wave of guilt through Poe. Force knows the man had dealt with 3 lifetimes worth of hurt. Poe didn’t want to cause another minute of it.
“Yes, she’s fine,” he said. “She faced down Kylo and won… I don’t know how. She kinda left in a rush.”
Finn released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Rey was alive. That was something. That was everything.
“Is he dead?” Finn asked, brows furrowed. His back stung at the memory.
A pain emerged in the front of Poe’s forehead; a deep wound that kept him up at night.
“No,” he said a little too coldly. “Just damaged.”
Finn looked thoughtful at this. They were both silent for a moment. Kylo Ren had caused them both too much pain to be spoken aloud.
Fortunately, they reached Poe’s quarters just before the silence could turn sour.
“Here it is,” Poe nodded toward the door. For some reason, it made him nervous to think of Finn here— looking at his few worldly possessions and judging what he’d made of the space. But Finn’s mind was a million lightyears away from his head.
Trying to break the tension as they both entered the messy quarters, Poe fake-boasted, “Even with the limited space here, they let me keep a room to myself.”
“Guess there’s some benefit to being the best pilot in the resistance,” Finn replied without a hint of sarcasm.
For a second, Poe let his heart soar at the compliment.
“Maybe so,” he said as his bit his bottom lip.
Finn turned to him, that look of determination back on his face.
“So where is she? You said she left, but not where.”
“She went to find Luke,” he answered simply— the vagueness a shield against a question that hurt his heart. But Finn looked so lost.
He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. “She’s going to bring him back. To save all of us. To bring hope back to the galaxy.”
He nodded, deep in thought.
Poe smiled at him; unable to help himself. “It really is good to see you, pal.”
Finn looked back at him with utter sincerity. “It’s good to see you too.”
Poe looked down. “You’re leaking on my floor.”
Finn laughed, but his heart wasn’t in it.
Poe undid the straps that were keeping Finn in his suit without thinking. The suit fell off, and suddenly Finn was standing there very much exposed.
Finn maintained eye contact, but Poe laughed it off and turned toward his dresser.
“Sorry there, buddy. Wasn’t thinking”
With my brain, that is…
Poe rummaged through his belongings until he found something that looked like it would suit Finn. Which was anything, basically. Careful not to look but also trying hard to keep it casual, Poe handed the man behind him some clothes.
Finn almost laughed as he watched Poe squirm. He was trained as a trooper without privacy, but watching Poe Dameron squirm in his own room told him there was something more at work than just propriety.
Still keeping his distance from Finn, Poe made his way towards his bunk for the finishing touch. As Finn pulled his trousers on, Poe turned with jacket in hand.
His jacket.
Finn looked in wonder. “You fixed it?” he half-asked half-stated, taking the crudely-repaired leather in hand.
“Yeah,” Poe replied bashfully, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I did say it suited you.”
Finn rushed at Poe, almost knocking to breath out of the older man as he hugged him close.
They stayed intertwined for a brief but glorious moment until Finn pulled back.
Inches away from Poe’s face, he thanked him with that trademark sincerity Poe loved so much.
Poe could only smile as Finn proudly donned his jacket again; showing off for him with a look in his eyes that Poe couldn't quite read.
Not yet.