Work Text:
Finding time for dating within the Resistance is difficult: Poe goes on missions for days at a time, and Finn has physical therapy. Finding time for leave is even harder. Therefore, when Poe is able to secure four days in a row for both of them, he jumps at the opportunity. Gods know when that might happen again! When Poe realizes there's a family event happening on Yavin 4, it's settled; all of the deities must have listened and stars in several galaxies must have aligned for this to work out, so there is no way this opportunity is getting passed up.
(The conversation went like this:
"Finn, you have to come!"
"They don't know me. I'm sure no one wants your boyfriend, an ex-Trooper, at a family party. Do I have to do this? Can't I just... go next time?"
"But my dad will only turn sixty once!"
"Or so I hear."
"Don't be an ass. Everyone thinks you're great. I promise.")
*
Finn knows the whole deal: no mother, father that likes to hug even more than his son does, call the General just Leia if she comes up in conversation. They have four days to relax, unwind, and pretend that the First Order isn't still out there somewhere, hunting for them. Finn is terrified-- of what, he can't quite place-- but he tries his damnedest to not let Poe know it. It's going to be hard, especially since Finn has never had a family before, but as they're flying in and Poe is talking excitedly about all the things he's going to show him, he figures it'll all work out.
This is what they're fighting for, after all.
*
Yavin 4 is a moon. (That's the first thing Finn points out as they're descending, since Poe always said his 'home planet'. It's just a little thing, but it makes Poe roll his eyes and Finn burst into laughter.) Flying in, it's hard to see anything but lush green trees and scattered stone buildings. The moon was once the Resistance base, but was now home to the Damerons and a few other families. Poe's face lights up with familiarity for the entire descent. Finn is impressed he can fly and gab so well at the same time.
They land on a stretch of surprisingly-empty runway, a small space carved out carefully close to the thick trees. There aren’t any other planes around, Finn notices; Yavin 4 isn’t a cosmopolitan place by any stretch of the imagination, though Finn was expecting a bit more activity with a family gathering on the docket. The wheels are hardly on the ground before Poe is flipping switches off and unfastening things that need to be unfastened, including his currently-sort-of-sweating boyfriend. Finn leans up into a kiss before helping with the disembarking procedures, glad to actually know what he’s doing. Poe probably doesn’t even notice, but Finn likes being helpful regardless. Plus, it keeps him momentarily distracted.
They’re almost finished, Finn trying to pull luggage out of cramped compartments, when Poe nudges him back toward the front of the plane. “Look, the welcome party has arrived!" Then Poe laughs heartily, making a sweeping gesture through the front window.
Finn squints, looking where Poe motioned. He sees the landing strip, some trees, a small shed-like building, and one solitary figure, making a similar gesture back up at the plane. Oh. Finn swallows and tries to not look panicked. He’s seen still images of Kes Dameron, and even heard his voice once when Poe was listening to a holo-vid, but actually seeing him is an unexpected shock to the system. This all feels very real very quickly. Even having a boyfriend is new to Finn, so meeting Poe’s parent is still a bit hard to swallow, especially now that it’s about to happen. "All I see is your dad...?"
Poe doesn’t seem to notice Finn’s reaction, because of course he doesn’t. "Yeah, that's him!" He waves back at his father, that big, stupidly handsome grin plastered to his face.
Finn had been averse to coming on this trip at all, not wanting to ruin Poe’s chance at an enjoyable family gathering, but he’d agreed because it was a family gathering. While he’d never had a family of his own, Finn had assumed ‘family’ meant ‘more than just my boyfriend’s father.’ That was an incorrect assumption. (His own family consists of Poe and Rey and, well, that’s about it, a realization Finn makes far too late.) "...I thought there'd be more people here! You said there'd be more people here!" His voice is edging on frantic. He sits back down and tries to not be visible through the windshield. They’re high enough. This should work.
“I never said who’d be here,” Poe says, which is the truth. Finn had just assumed, which was apparently a bad idea. Poe punches Finn teasingly on the shoulder, which has worked far more times than Finn would care to admit. This time, though, Finn tries to look busy buttoning his jacket and staying vaguely in the chair. “C’mon, dad’s waiting.”
“I’ll, uh, I’ll be out in a minute.” It’s probably the most transparent thing Finn has ever said. He just needs a minute or forever to come to terms with what’s happening! He’s about to meet his boyfriend’s father for the first time! Alone! With nobody but Poe as a buffer! He feels ridiculous, acting this way, but it’s really the only response Finn knows. He’s learning, but fight-or-flight is strong and Finn really wants to take that ‘flight’ option. Maybe literally. “Okay?”
Poe, to his credit, doesn’t press; he just squeezes Finn’s arm and gives him a nod before disembarking. This leaves Finn alone in the plane, slouched down in his seat and literally hiding like he’s not in his twenties. Gods, this is ridiculous. Why couldn’t Poe have warned him? Hell, why did Poe make him come at all? He’s not mad at Poe, but he is frustrated that they could’ve avoided this whole situation.
The minute turns into two. And then three. They’re rounding the five minute mark when Finn hears movement somewhere beneath him, down on the runway. He can’t see Poe from his position, but he can hear him yelling up at him. "Finn, you have to come out sometime. It gets pretty hot on this planet this time of year. Jungle and all." Finn's been to Jakku. He can handle hot. What he can't handle is facing Kes Dameron.
There’s a beat, and then Poe’s stupid perfect voice rings out again. It sounds a bit farther away this time, as if he’s moved. "Y'know, if you stay up there, buddy, I’ll make my dad come up and get you."
(A list of times Finn has been afraid in recent memory:
1.) Landing on Jakku that first time
2.) Seeing Kylo Ren in the snowy wasteland
3.) Facing the prospect of meeting his boyfriend's father without his boyfriend being there
He's not sure on the order.)
Finn sighs and sits up. He then sighs again. He’s being stupid and knows it. There’s no reason to be afraid! He’s met lots of people in the last few months! Why should he be afraid of meeting the ex-military parent of the person he’s sleeping with-- oh, kriff, there it is again. Finn clears his throat and puts on his best serious face. He took a saber to the spine. He can meet Kes Dameron. And if not, he knows how to fly, so he could be back to the base or any other place in the system pretty easily.
It’s good to have a back-up plan.
With one last sigh for good measure, Finn waves his hand to signal he’s making his way out of the plane and down onto the ground. BB-8 has already been released, and Finn sees the droid skittering and whirring down the tarmac as he’s coming down. Show-off. Poe is already halfway to his father, back to Finn and completely oblivious to his boyfriend’s shaking hands.
It’s not that Finn doesn’t want to meet Mr. Dameron. He honest-to-the-gods does. He agreed to come on this trip, after all. But other than Rey, Poe is the only person that’s ever really been important to him, and Finn is afraid he’ll ruin a good thing. From what he’s gleaned from other romantic relationships and a few holodramas, meeting the parents is a pretty big step, so what if it’s too soon? What if Poe changes his mind? But Finn has been working on not running any more, on not being scared. He can do this.
“There’s my buddy!” Poe yells as Finn approaches, grin plastered on his face. Everybody is Poe’s ‘buddy,’ Finn knows this, but there’s something about the way he says it this time that makes it feel more personal. If Mr. Dameron notices his son speak at all, it doesn’t show on his face. “‘Bout time you decided to join us. I didn’t want you to call my bluff: dad’s too old to climb up there.”
That does elicit a reaction from the older man: a backhand across Poe’s shoulder. Finn isn’t sure if he’s supposed to chuckle or not, so he keeps it contained. He’s also hesitant to get any closer than about five feet from the two Damerons, so he stands seven feet away to be sure. “Welcome to Yavin 4, Finn. I’m Kes. I’d hold out my hand for you to shake, but my arms aren’t long enough to reach you way over there.” Mr. Dameron’s smile is like a smaller, more restrained version of his son’s. It’s also terrifying.
Poe doesn’t have his father’s black eyes. That’s the first real difference Finn notices, now that he’s on the ground with them. They’re about the same height (slightly shorter than Finn, which Poe doesn’t like to admit), and they share a dusky brown complexion. But it’s the eyes that are a standout; Finn wonders if maybe Mrs. Dameron had light eyes like her son. Regardless, they’re both roguishly handsome, and Finn feels a heat come to his face that he’s definitely blaming on the jungle climate and not the fact that he has a very obvious Type.
Finn chuckles, awkward, and steps forward. It’s just a handshake. With his boyfriend’s father. Right. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dameron,” he says, grabbing the offered hand. It’s a firm, warm thing, but it’s short-lived, because almost immediately Finn is being pulled into a hug. That’s definitely a Dameron trait.
“Call me Kes,” he says, mid-hug, voice full of laughter but still somehow really kriffing intimidating. Finn knows Mr. Dameron -- Kes could probably crush him right now if he wanted to, but he doesn’t. There are so many people that want to know and respect and love Finn that it’s honestly kind of mindblowing. The hug ends and Kes holds Finn at arm’s length, inspecting. Finn wonders how many of Poe’s boyfriends or girlfriends or whatever else have gone through this treatment, and then he wonders whether his face is still red, because it definitely feels like it. “It’s good to meet you too, Finn.”
Poe laughs and pries his father’s hands off Finn. “I said the same thing when we met.” No need to go into how they met, Finn hopes. Or maybe Kes already knows. Either way, Finn is completely content with the conversation ending right there. And never continuing. Gods, his ears are hot.
Kes smirks -- it’s definitely a Dameron Smirk, Finn notices -- and then motions in a vague direction back toward the trees behind them. “As much as Poe and I love to yammer on and on, I’d rather do it in the comfort of my own home. Fewer bugs.”
Finn grabs both of their bags, mostly to look busy. He would definitely also prefer not just standing here anymore. Kes reaches out to take one of the bags, but Poe steers him away just in time, almost as if he knows Finn needs this. Poe is too good for Finn but he’s trying his best to be a worthwhile endeavor.
After a few minutes of walking down a rock-and-dirt path through the jungle, the men come to the Dameron home. Finn notices two things straight away: a large, glowing tree different from the others surrounding it, and an old A-wing sitting in the shadow of the house. He wants to ask about both, but also doesn’t want to seem weirdly curious, so he settles on the comment that probably has a more straightforward answer. “Is that an Interceptor?”
Poe looks over at Finn and nods. “Yeah, an RZ-1. Belonged to my mom. Dad and I tinker around with it sometimes.” There is luckily no sadness in his voice; Finn knows Poe has lived more of his life without his mother than he had with her, but he seems to be recalling nothing but happy memories. Finn is glad for that. He wants this to be a good trip for both of them, after all, and sadness about a missing mother won’t do.
“Shara loved that old thing,” Kes says, more wistful than his son. Finn is now hoping he hasn’t said the wrong thing. He’s been on the planet like a half hour, tops; he can’t have messed things up already! “I like to keep her running. Keeps me busy.” He’s still looking at the plane when Poe lets them into the house; Finn swallows hard.
It isn’t until they go inside that Finn realizes this is the first real house he’s ever been in. It’s always been barracks and bunks, even at the Resistance base: places to live, but not places to necessarily thrive. They have areas to just relax (“shoot the shit,” as Poe says, which entertained Finn and Rey the first time he used it), of course, but nothing like this. There are mismatched sofas and a table with an old datapad and even a framed drawing of Poe on one of the walls. This is a house, yes, but down to the pillow that has fallen to the floor and the open curtains on the window, it feels like a home. Finn is in love and scared all at once, which has pretty much been his only state of being lately.
BB-8 whirs in after them and immediately finds the charging dock; Finn assumes BB-8 the only droid in the Kes’s life and the charging station is for when his son visits. It’s quaint, in a way, especially when compared to the sterile and technical situation of all the other droids Finn has ever encountered. But Poe loves his little orange ball of gears, and it’s obvious the elder Dameron does too.
Kes is finally able to grab a bag from Finn while he’s distracted; by the time he’s come back around it’s too late, and Kes is grabbing the other one as well. Finn’s fingers flex after him, but they find Poe’s hand instead. It’s quite a realization that they’re now holding hands in Poe’s childhood home, but Finn is thankful. “I’ll take these to your room,” Kes says, “and you two can relax. Supper is almost done.” Finn doesn’t ask where they’ll be sleeping; he’d be fine on one of the sofas in the sitting room, or kriff, even on the floor. He’s slept in plenty of worse places, and he’ll have Poe with him here, so anything would work.
And then Kes is gone down the hallway, leaving the two of them alone.
With a nudge, Poe stage-whispers, “Hear that? Actual food, not regulation nutrition bars and portion bread.” Finn’s stomach grumbles, as if on cue, but he doesn’t have anything to say. Poe has no problem settling into familial complacency, no problem smiling and laughing and dropping over the back of one of the sofas as if he’d never left the place. It’s honestly incredibly endearing, but it’s also isolating: Finn has no idea how to relax, to start, especially while constantly trying to impress his boyfriend’s father. Poe always seems in his element: calm, cool, collected. Now, though, he seems even more relaxed, if that were even possible, and Finn is pretty sure the grin hasn't left his face since they landed on the planet. Finn, on the other hand, is wound so tightly he feels like his skeleton is going to pop out of his skin at any moment.
To Poe’s credit, though, he notices Finn’s apprehension. (Gods, how did Finn get so lucky? When he’d said he needed a pilot, he had no idea it would mean like this.) He turns around and leans on the back of the sofa, grabbing Finn’s hands and pulling him closer. Finn notices that both of their hands are ragged and rough; maybe they’re more alike than unlike. “We’re gonna have so much fun here,” Poe says, and it feels less like a threat and more like a promise. “Come on. Jump over. Plenty of room.”
Finn pretends he doesn’t see Poe pat his own lap, indicating where that ‘plenty of room’ is, because it’s inappropriate but also stupidly attractive. Everything is so easy for Poe, including looking after his former Trooper boyfriend, somehow. (So many somehows.) Walking around the sofa would be just as easy, but they’re supposed to be having fun, so Finn grabs onto the back of the sofa and launches himself over, legs and knees dropping into Poe’s waiting lap.
Of course, this is also when Kes comes back, standing at the entrance to the sitting room with his arms crossed. He also has the trademark Dameron Smirk on his lips, but Finn is too panicked to notice. “I see you boys have gotten comfortable,” he says. Finn assumes the older man is watching as he scrambles off Poe and sits at attention beside him, but he doesn’t dare look up until he’s confident there’s a regulation three inches between their thighs.
Poe, being Poe, decides now is a good time to reach across the regulation three inches and grab Finn’s hand. Finn decides now is a good time to melt into the sofa.
“‘Course,” Poe says, squeezing Finn’s hand. It shoots a jolt of warmth through him, and against his better judgment, the ball of nerves in Finn’s gut uncurls. Maybe not all the way - they did just get caught in an almost-compromising situation by Poe’s father, after all - but there is a noticeable relaxation just because of the hand-hold. “Need a hand with supper?”
Kes shakes his head. “I’ve got it. You two relax a bit. I’ll call when I need help with the table.” He’s got the military precision and shortness that Finn knows so well, that Poe is so good at shaking off like nothing. (He temporarily wonders if maybe Kes is nervous too, but he’s a Dameron. Do they even know what nervous means?) Kes disappears into the kitchen and they hear the clinking of dishes and utensils soon after.
It doesn’t take longer than a few seconds for Poe to turn toward Finn and pull one leg up onto the sofa, folding it between them. Finn mimics the gesture as one held hand becomes two, and then they’re both looking at each other in Poe’s childhood living room. “So, thoughts?”
His immediate reaction is to joke, to ask ‘about what?’ even though he knows exactly what Poe means. So he keeps it in and legitimately considers the question instead. Finn has to admit that he’s feeling more comfortable than he did hiding in the plane, even though they’re holding hands and Poe is probably definitely leaning in for an eventual kiss. “He’s nice,” he finally says, tentative. It’s not because he doubts Kes is nice, but because he’s still trying not to be scared of this whole situation.
Finn isn’t scared of being seen with Poe when they’re out and about on the base. They’re dating, after all, and Finn is proud. (Is it normal to be proud of having a significant other? He’s proud of Poe himself, of course he is, the stupid talented man, but Finn is proud of being in a relationship at all. It’s new and it’s different and that’s inherently a little bit frightening.) So why is he scared here? Is it really just because of Kes Dameron? Is it the seriousness of it all?
(Finn’s never met… well, anyone’s parents before, really, unless the General and Solo count. He’s most definitely never met the parent of the person he’s sleeping with, and he half-wonders if that’s just because Poe is the only person he’s ever slept with, or because he’s not the type to be introduced to anyone’s parents. It’s probably the former.)
“Dad is nice,” Poe agrees, a soft smile at one corner of his mouth. His eyes look distant, like he’s recalling a memory, something old and fond, and Finn doesn’t want to interrupt that. It’s only a second, though, before Poe finishes his lean-in, smashing his lips into Finn’s with none of the suaveness he allegedly (definitely) possesses.
They sit like this for a few moments, rough but mostly innocent kisses, Finn allowing himself to feel as safe and comfortable as he can. They’re okay. This is all okay. If Kes was going to murder him, it probably would’ve already happened, right? Before they even left the landing strip? Still, he can’t help but feel just a bit too awkward, cross-legged on the sofa and kissing while Poe’s father is just on the other side of the wall. They have to ease into this.
Finn is thanking all of the stars in the galaxy that Poe understands, that Poe is willing to work through this bullshit with him. He’s got to be the luckiest man to ever exist, considering everything that’s happened in his relatively short life. It’s not just his relationship with Poe - though that is a big one - that makes Finn feel lucky, but so much more: escaping from the Order, getting a name, finding Rey, joining the Resistance, sitting here holding hands. Poe’s been there for many of the moments, and he’s always been supportive. Without Poe and Rey, Finn isn’t sure he’d still be so active in the fight. Kriff, he isn’t sure he’d still be alive.
It’s Finn that pulls back first, Poe lingering in the space Finn has just vacated for a second or two longer. He then rocks back to his natural sitting position, bright-eyed and happy. Finn hopes he echoes at least some of that emotion on his own face, because he is happy. Happy and thankful and scared (and hungry, too, he thinks absently, the smell of meat wafting in from the kitchen).
They’re still holding hands, looking at each other in the filtered sunlight. This may not have been Finn’s idea of a vacation (not that Finn had an idea of a vacation), but it would turn out in the end. It meant he got to spend time alone with Poe, laughing and smiling. It also meant trying to not get murdered by the elder Dameron, but that came with the territory. This was a big deal just like Finn was a self-proclaimed Big Deal. He and Poe had broken out of the First Order together, so there was no way in hell they couldn’t handle four days with Poe’s father. That ball of nerves is still wriggling in his stomach too, but Finn feels lighter. They’re here for four days. There’s plenty of time to be completely at ease. Finn will get there, and Poe will help.
“What was the scariest part?” Poe asks, lightly. This feels different than the more serious question a few minutes before; Poe isn’t looking for him to open his heart, at least not yet. Finn is grateful, because he’s not sure he could formulate an answer quickly enough. Poe continues, “Was it the bad mustache? I get the good hair from my mom.” He does a trademark hair flip, so like Him and so unlike the other men in his age bracket that Finn has met. Poe can be deadly serious when he needs to be, but they’re on leave, so he doesn’t need to be. Finn has all the seriousness and worry handled, anyhow.
Before Finn has time to come up with some kind of embarrassing witty reply, there’s Kes in the doorway to the kitchen. “Big words from a man who didn’t have to shave his face until he was twenty-three!”
Finn jumps a little at the sudden interruption, but he doesn’t try to jolt away from Poe this time. Kes knows they’re dating. He’s probably aware that they hold hands. Besides, his comment is a jab directed at Poe, and it causes a small, unexpected smile to cross Finn’s mouth. Poe’s mouth, on the other hand, twists into a look nothing short of abject horror.
Poe says, “That was supposed to be a father-son secret!” The laughter is creeping into his voice, but Poe is nothing if not consistent with his drama. “My body just knew that mustaches aren’t a good look for us Damerons. It was trying to save me the grief.”
“Trying to save you the time in the mornings too, I guess,” Kes offers, leaning on the doorframe. Finn knows not everyone is as lucky as Poe in the father department, but he can’t help but wonder what it’s like to have a father at all.
Poe shrugs one shoulder, a deep movement that makes Finn’s hand shift on the sofa cushions. It’s a concession. They don’t see each other much in the early mornings, so Finn doesn’t know whether Poe’s lack of facial hair really makes that much of a difference. (It makes a difference when they’re kissing, the scratchiness a pleasant change, but that’s definitely not something Finn is going to say out loud right now. He hopes Poe won’t either.) “Food ready?” Poe asks, the flair for the dramatic gone from his voice. “We’ll help you get the table set.”
Kes nods and goes back into the kitchen, simple as that. Finn’s had a few “dinners,” mostly things they’d sneaked from the mess hall to eat while watching a holovid, or that time the General invited him to eat with her in her quarters, but for most of his life, it’d been loud, crowded ordeals on benches in cafeterias. He’s eager, a thought that surprises even himself, to see how this three-person dinner will go. The food smells delicious, anyhow.
The kitchen is a modest space, with clean countertops and a window looking out into the jungle. There’s also a wooden table with four chairs. On one of the chairs is an orange… animal, something Finn can’t name. It’s small and furry and very probably domesticated, so he swallows his pride and decides he’ll ask about it.
Or, instead, he’ll be handed three mismatched ceramic plates by Kes, who tells him, “Put these on the table, please.” So Finn does, and the animal jumps out of the chair and skitters away.
Before it’s out of sight, Finn motions in its direction with the last plate. “What’s that?” he tries, bold, hoping he doesn’t sound too stupid. Poe has never made fun of him for being less worldly, but he has no idea how Kes will react. (There’s so much all three of them still have to learn.) He’s taking a cue from Rey and being vocally curious.
Poe is beside him in an instant, forks and empty cups in hand. The forks are sticking out of the cups, which is endearing for some reason. Finn is hopelessly smitten with him. “That’s Pit. He’s a pittin. Not very creative in the name department, but he answers to it, so.” A beat. “Plus, it’s a tongue twister: Pit the pet pittin. Try saying that three times.”
Just like Poe said, the pittin looks up at the mention of his name, makes a mrowl noise, and then goes about his way. Finn wonders absently if orange has always been Poe’s favorite color, or if he’d just happened into it as a pilot.
(Poe has a lot of favorite things:
-The color orange
-his X-Wing
-BB-8
-a certain jacket
-“But, mostly importantly: you, Finn.”
Finn thinks it’s a good list.)
*
Soon, the table is set and liver and onions has been doled out onto the three plates. There’s even some kind of chilled beverage in the cups. They’re all sitting down, Poe beside Finn and Kes across from him. It’s not an ideal arrangement, because it means that Kes can stare directly at Finn, but it also means that Poe is holding his hand right there at the table. He’ll eat one-handed for this, because it’s keeping him calm. Poe knows what he’s doing, even when Finn doesn’t.
Kes picks up his fork and starts digging in, which the two younger men take as the okay to start eating too. The food is good: tender and juicy and parsecs beyond anything that they ever get in the mess hall. Finn has to restrain himself from looking too feral, but he’s hungry and grateful. It’s good to have a distraction, anyway.
After a few chews and swallows, though, Kes asks, "What are your intentions with my son?" A more socialized person would notice the joking implication in his voice, but not Finn. Instead, all Finn notices is Kes’s dark eyes, taking advantage of their convenient staring position.
Poe scoffs but it turns into a laugh. The noise is probably supposed to be reassuring, but Finn is trying not to stammer. “Jeez, dad, right out of the gate, huh?” Poe says, the chuckle echoing in the corners of his voice. He’s still holding Finn’s hand, which is likely the only thing keeping Finn from jumping out of his chair and running back to the plane.
It was a valid question: what are his intentions with Poe? They’re dating. Well, they aren’t really going on many dates, because they live on the Resistance base, but they are a couple. Everyone knows it, down to the nurses who look after him and his spinal injury. (The nurses likely figured they were dating before they actually were, since Poe watched over Finn’s beside. Regardless, they all found the pining terribly adorable and had told him as much.) Finn intends to keep seeing Poe, and from the implications of this family meeting, Poe intends to keep seeing Finn.
Luckily, Finn doesn’t have to consider it much longer.
“Just curious,” Kes says, taking a drink and then returning the cup to the table. Finn is pretty sure his eyes leave him for approximately half a second. “Poe’s gifts have always been a bit unusual, but I have to admit, he’s never brought over his significant other for my birthday.”
Finn tries to offer a smile, but it comes out lopsided and hopefully charming. He knows he’s got plenty of charisma stored away somewhere, after all. He just has to find it beneath the fear and awkwardness. “Surprise?”
This makes Poe laugh, which in turn makes Finn’s smile more genuine and his heart do a few somersaults. Finn’s doing this for himself, but kriff, he’s doing it for Poe, too. The man is pretty much perfect, right down to the way he looks at Finn when he’s laughing. Finn sees a freckle under his eye that he’s never noticed before and decides he’ll focus on that when the conversation turns awkward again - because it will, almost certainly.
Poe, still chuckling, says, “Dad, remember when I was ten and decided I was taking you flying for your birthday, because I didn’t have any credits to buy anything?”
As far as Finn knows, Poe’s been flying most of his life. His mother taught him, after all, and she’s been dead for more than two decades. Still, ten feels so young to be flying, but it feels so Poe, too. Turns out he’s always been a young hotshot pilot. Finn smiles, mostly to himself, and lets the scene play out while he eats more of the delicious food. His head is filled mostly with thoughts of a scruffy ten-year-old in the pilot’s seat, helmet too big and hands dirty from life in the jungle; the ball of worry, recently reclinched because of the ‘intentions’ question, untwists again.
Kes laughs too, but it’s a lower, more reminiscent noise. Somehow, it makes Kes less scary, or at least less imposing. “Well, I remember L’ulo ratting you out, at least. He told me that you were planning on hiding in the RZ-1 until I found you so you could surprise me.” Kes looks at Finn, his black eyes sparking with the memory, and maybe something devious, too. “I met him after an hour.”
“He’d cooked breakfast for the two of us. On his own birthday.” Poe clicks his tongue and shakes his head, using his fork to point in his father’s direction. “Should’ve let me take you up.”
Finn doesn’t think it’s his place to point out that Kes has once again cooked a meal for Poe on his own birthday, partially because he’s not sure if it’s actually Kes’s birthday or if that comes later in the trip. Also, that charisma still hasn’t found its way back to the surface, no matter how hard Finn is looking for it. He focuses on the freckle again.
After a drink, Kes uses his fork to strike Poe’s and knock it playfully away. “When you were ten, I was what, thirty-seven, thirty-eight? I was eager to see forty, and more eager for you to see eleven.”
Shara never saw forty, a thought that rings through Finn’s head without his permission. (Rey and Poe have both mentioned that sometimes Finn can be a bit… well, the word Poe uses is ‘pessimistic.’ It’s probably just his upbringing, but he figures it’s a good trait to have. It keeps them all on their toes.) Poe did see eleven, and twelve, and thirteen, and now he’s less than a decade from forty himself. Finn is a few years younger, and there is that little voice that says he won’t see another six months, let alone another ten years or more. War and all that. But if Finn is going to see another ten years or more, he wants Poe there by his side. He wants to be thirty and forty and fifty and sixty with Poe; he squeezes his boyfriend’s hand, the pessimism temporarily giving way.
Poe squeezes back.
There’s a silence that Finn doesn’t mind; it means that they can eat, and that Finn can keep himself composed. Pit the pittin slinks his way back into the kitchen, stopping somewhere near Kes’s chair and letting out a pitiful whining sound. Finn can’t see the animal from his seat, but he can see Kes pick up a tiny sliver of his remaining meat and drop it down toward the floor. The pittin begs again. “That’s all you get,” Kes says, soft. Finn smiles into his glass.
Kes looks up and notices Poe watching him fondly; Finn is glad that no one had caught him doing the same. He has a reputation to uphold, after all, or at least he tells himself he does. “Poor thing’s starving,” Poe teases, mostly to his father. “Or he knows exactly how to get to you. Could go either way.”
It’s definitely the latter and all three of them know it. Poe’s got the same skill. All three of them know that, too.
“Anyway,” Kes says, crossing his silverware on his empty plate with a familiar military precision. “We keep gabbing, just like I said we would. Let’s hear from you, Finn. You boys have any exciting plans for your stay?”
Yavin 4 isn’t a tourist destination, at least not anymore. The ruins aren’t as interesting as they used to be, apparently, or maybe it just feels too grim. There’s a small community of civilians that make due as best they can; Finn wonders if any of them will ever even find out that there’s a guest on their little moon. Finn came on this trip to meet Poe’s family; anything else is just extra. “Not particularly. We’re not picky,” Finn responds. It feels like a boring answer, but it’s a true one. He’s going along for the ride, even though that ride has mostly consisted of sweaty palms and hot ears so far. It’s getting easier, though, and he’s glad of the fact. That knot of fear has been awfully inconvenient.
Poe chimes in, “I figure we’ll go for some walks, if it’s not too hot. See if you and BB want to come with. Take a look at the Force Tree, see how it’s doing.” (Force Tree! That must be what the glimmering tree they saw earlier is called. Finn will have to ask about it later.)
It sounds like a good plan, so Finn takes the initiative to agree verbally. He’d like to walk through the jungle, Poe pointing out all the trees he’d climbed and all the rocks he’d hit with a stick ‘lightsaber’. BB-8 likes him now, and he hopes Kes does, so it’ll probably go just fine. None of their plans are exciting, but the fact that they get to make them at all is damn good enough.
*
They finish dinner soon after, all three of them accustomed to a hurried eating schedule; Finn thinks non-regulation food tastes too good to let it just sit on the plate anyway. The two Damerons clean the table and Finn washes dishes, mostly to feel useful. Poe and his father go to check on BB-8; naturally, this makes Finn’s mind jump to about ten different conclusions, but they come back laughing and talking about that little chipped section of orange paint on the droid’s head, so maybe they hadn’t conspired to send Finn away. Hopefully.
It’s still early, or at least early enough to have a drink or two out on the cleared grassy area behind the house. It’s not quite a lawn, but Finn’s never known a lawn so it works just fine for him. Bioluminescent orchids, half-glowing in the dusky light, crawl near the door and spread out toward the jungle. It’s strange, but it’s homey in a way that Finn’s never quite felt. It all is: the warm house, the worn grass beneath his feet, the pittin that slinks outside with the men and splays out in front of four circled chairs.
(Finn assumes it’s always been four chairs: one for Kes, one for Shara, one for Poe, and one for the guest they most certainly usually had. When did that change? He doesn’t expect to, but Finn feels an odd pang of sadness for Kes, sitting in his one chair while the other three sit empty now.)
Poe attempts to drag three of the chairs closer together with only two hands, a clumsily endearing movement that ends with Finn having to help him. Kes has three bottles of alcohol and divvies them out before they all sit down. “I won’t subject you to the locally brewed swill, Finn,” Kes says, opening his drink.
“This is fine,” Finn assures. He didn’t know that Yavin 4 had an alcohol brewed on-moon, but with the way Kes talked about it, that was probably for a reason. “I appreciate it.”
Poe agrees, “It’s better than what we get. Ours is basically water in a can.” Their alcohol (if it can be called that) is regulation, just like most everything else in their lives, though there are occasionally expensive bottles of wine or even liquor that show up and get passed around when superiors aren’t looking, or are pretending not to, in Poe’s case.
(The week before the trip to Yavin 4:
“Hey, Snap, where’d you get this fire-water?”
“Don’t know what you mean, Dameron, sir.”
“I’m gonna drink some either way, so you might as well tell me.”
“Cleaning out my footlocker. Must’ve been from my last bit of leave, whenever the kriff that was.”
“Attaboy. Pour three glasses, will you? Finn, you’ve got to try this stuff--”
He allegedly tries it - a lot of it - but it’s so strong that Finn doesn’t remember much more than that.)
Finn opens his drink and is satisfied that it goes down smoothly. It won’t get him drunk, but it will hopefully take the edge off. He’s been trying his best already, but surely a little liquid courage will help! But if they just sit here in the almost-darkness talking for a little while, Finn figures he won’t need it. He’s got this under control, right? Mostly?
Kes laughs, and if Finn hadn’t been looking, he could’ve sworn the noise came from Poe instead, it sounds so similar. Finn is doomed. “I don’t miss it, that’s for sure.” He takes a big drink and relaxes in his chair; it’s the first time Finn can recall seeing him slouch and it’s a surprisingly humanizing movement. Perhaps Poe is the only one feeling completely at ease, which is such a Poe Dameron thing.
“Leia says hello, by the way,” Poe says, using his bottle to gesture vaguely in his father’s direction. “She sends her well wishes to an old friend.”
The man nods; the smile from a few moments ago hasn’t left his face. “She sent a holo to tell me you two were coming.”
The General and Kes are on holo-vid terms, apparently! Finn doesn’t know why she had to do that, especially since Poe had contacted his father himself, so he asks, “Didn’t you know we were coming already?”
That elicits a laugh from Kes, warm and friendly, and it makes Finn feel good, even though Kes might be laughing at him. “Leia’s been looking after Poe for a long time. She does it when I can’t, which is usually nowadays. And I suppose she’s looking after you now, too.”
The warmth spreads deeper into Finn’s chest, which is honestly kind of embarrassing; he’s a grown man, damn it, but the thought of having so many people looking after him, when he’d been just a cog in a machine for so long… that’s a good feeling. He knows that Rey and Poe love him, but other people too? Finn likes it, and he finally feels that ball of nervous energy evaporate, at least mostly.
The pittin gets up, stretches, and then pads toward the three men, doing a circle around the chairs as if deciding where his next sleep-spot will be. Finn’s heard of pets, and knows that some droids are similar to pets, but he’s obviously never had one. A pet wouldn’t go over well in a Stormtrooper facility, of course, and the Resistance base is little better in that regard. There isn’t time for pets; there’s hardly time for romance, something Finn and Poe are learning the hard way, but they make due, just like the infatuated and optimistic generations before them.
“Y’know, Finn, Pit doesn’t see many visitors,” Poe says, cheekily. “This is a pretty warm welcome in his book. He likes you.” Poe stretches out and strokes the cat with the bottom of his shoe. Finn tentatively mimics him, reaching along the animal’s spine. Pit drops down and Finn is momentarily scared that he’s hurt him somehow, but the animal stretches back out and then rolls over onto his stomach. He looks... satisfied, in whatever basic way he can. Poe knocks his foot against Finn’s, the smile on his face bright even in the coming darkness. That’s just Poe’s way.
Kes clears his throat and it causes both the men and the pittin to look up in his direction. “I’m still here, boys,” he reminds, looking at Finn and his son in turn. Finn certainly hasn’t forgotten that Kes was with them, but he has gotten more comfortable, even with the silly movements of familiarity and affection. They hadn’t been doing anything scandalous! Kes obviously likes him, at least on a basic level, so there’s no reason to be scared. Well, no legitimate reason, not really. Finn was eager for the moment that the anxiety would finally be gone: maybe not tonight, but tomorrow is a new day.
Eager to bring Kes back into the conversation, Finn asks, “When did you get the pittin?” It’s a boring question, but it’s something.
“Fifteen years ago,” Kes answers. “We think he’s about sixteen.”
Poe motions with his bottle again and explains, “That’s pretty kriffin’ old.” Finn can’t pinpoint any particular memories from fifteen years ago, but he’s not particularly upset by that; he’s got plenty of memories from the last year and a half, and he intends to make lots more. “Dad’s done a good job of keeping him fat and happy.”
Kes clarifies, “I had to. When Poe went away to fight--” to join the Republic, it was two weeks before my birthday." Poe rolls his eyes dramatically, but Finn leans forward slightly, eager for the story to continue. He wants to know all about Poe, about how he'd become this absolutely amazing man that is somehow his. "Poe bought this little orange thing because he wanted me to have something to take care of, since he was going away." Kes laughs, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Even Finn realizes that it isn't quite as funny as his voice had said.
"Didn't think the house should be so quiet," Poe says. "You'd had me running around making a ruckus for ten years. Didn’t want you to go senile when you were alone." As if on cue, the pittin hops up onto Finn's lap, still spry as could be at his advanced age. Without missing a beat, Poe continues, "Obviously didn't work."
Kes rolls his eyes; no matter how often someone says Poe is just like his mother, there are times like this where he is undoubtedly his father's son. "At least for my sixtieth, you brought someone that'll actually talk back." He looks up at Finn, smile at the corner of his mouth and the laughter finally in his dark eyes. "You don't mind talking to a senile old soldier, right, Finn?"
"N-no sir," he sputters, caught off guard and remembering too late Kes' warning about formalities earlier in the day. The animal in his lap wiggles into a more comfortable position and Finn is jealous. "I mean, yessir, er, Kes?"
"Or 'dad' would work too."
Poe makes a little yelping noise, or at least Finn thinks it's Poe. It could have been the creature on his lap, but judging by the look on the pilot's face, it was definitely him. Finn wonders if his own face has the same expression, because it feels like his skin is literally on fire. "Dad!"
Kes, on the other hand, doesn’t seem bothered at all. If Finn wasn’t trying to melt through the chair, he would’ve wondered if Poe’s mother had been so calm too. "That's what I said, son. All that flying already ruining your hearing?" The older man exchanges a look with his son; Finn can’t be certain, but Poe’s look may say something like ‘dad, you’re embarrassing me!,’ which isn’t the half of it on Finn’s end.
Nonchalant, Kes shrugs one shoulder. How is everything so easy for this stupid handsome family? It’s not fair that they can just say things! Sure, Finn has been known to blurt out what’s on his mind, but he’s also known for very blatantly not doing that. How can Kes make such a comment without so much as a pink crossing his nose? “Just thought it might make Finn more comfortable. Poor man’s been nearly sliding out of his skin since you two landed. I’m only trying to help.”
“And you thought him calling you ‘dad’ would help make him more comfortable?” Poe asks, voice approaching incredulous. At least Poe is… it’s not mortified. Embarrassed? It’s hard to think that someone could say something to embarrass Poe Dameron, but if anyone is to do it, his father is a likely candidate.
“Just an offer, Poe,” Kes says, taking another drink of his alcohol.
Finn wants out of this situation, or for the situation to change in the very least. He’s been nervous all day -- sliding out of his skin, as Kes had correctly said -- and this is the pinnacle. (It has to be the pinnacle, right? What else is there for Kes to ask? The anxiety and fear knot is back in full force. Tomorrow might not work out after all.)
The pittin makes that mrowling noise again in Finn’s lap, so he strokes his back carefully. Finn thinks maybe his hand is shaking. This is ridiculous. He escaped from the First Order! He used a lightsaber! There’s no reason to have shaking hands now. Where is that charisma he’d been so proud of earlier in the night? “I think,” Finn says, tone firm as he can make it, “I’ll stick with ‘Kes’. For now.”
Calling Poe his boyfriend had been a big enough step; they’d been on a least a half dozen ‘dates’ before the b-word crossed his lips, and even then, it was accidental. He likes Kes, he does, but calling him ‘dad’ after one meeting seems… extreme. It’s such a gung-ho Dameron thing to offer, but Finn can’t meet him there, not yet. Maybe on the next unexpected trip to Yavin 4. (He knows they’re not promised any tomorrows, but it feels good to be hopeful.)
Kes doesn’t seem bothered by the comment; that alone makes Finn feel ever so slightly better. There aren’t any hard feelings. Kes was making an offer, that’s all. Finn tries to swallow his heart, which he’s pretty sure has lodged itself in his throat. Maybe a big swig of booze will help ease it down; he tries it, just to see.
Thankfully, Poe has experience diffusing awkward situations. (It’s not part of officer training, as far as Finn knows, but it might as well be.) Even though Poe was embarrassed just a few moments ago, his eyes have gone back to their normal size and his jaw no longer hangs open in disbelief. He looks like he’s sitting around having a drink with friends, nothing more. Finn envies him but, more importantly, he tries to emulate him. There’s no reason for any of them to be embarrassed, and Finn is desperately trying to remind his brain of that fact.
Poe says, “There’s a ruin about a mile from here we’ll have to go see. There’s not much left but it’s a nice hike.”
“Is that the one where you carved your name in the wall, or the one where you broke your ankle?” Kes asks, mischief in his eyes once again. There are so many stories about Poe’s past that Finn has yet to learn, but he’s eager to continue the quest. Plus, it helps that Kes is so eager to share silly childhood stories; Finn is both grateful and a bit sad he doesn’t have his own stories to share.
Either answer is going to elicit some sort of interesting tale, so Finn isn’t upset when Poe answers, “It’s the one where I carved my name in the wall.” His look to Kes is mock-innocent, a look Finn has seen when Poe is caught doing something he shouldn’t be. Before meeting Poe, Finn would’ve never thought a grown man could so easily embody the word ‘cute,’ but, well, here they are. “But only after I saw you and mom had done the same thing.”
Kes chuckles and Finn doesn’t try to hide his smile. The Damerons are a family of heroes, but it’s nice to see them as humans, too. That’s all the three of them are: humans, trying to grow and love and survive and hopefully defeat the First Order while they’re at it. Of course, that doesn’t mean Finn isn’t nervous about the implications and assumptions, but he’s making it through. Kes isn’t out to get him, or if he is, he’s playing it off really, really well.
“There’ve been a few other folks out there since you did it, Poe.” Kes looks in Finn’s direction, the curve of a smile on the edge of his mouth, and Finn realizes that Poe’s mischievousness has a genetic source. “Finn, you’ll want to get your name up there with Poe’s, before you run out of room.”
Finn doesn’t look away and he’s proud of himself for it. “Yeah, I’d like that,” he says, punctuating his sentence with a nod. Carving his name there with Poe’s makes this all so much more real. Proof of their relationship will be right there on the temple wall, long after both of them are gone. And Kes wants it to be there! In your face, other-people-Poe-has-romanced.
(The next afternoon, in the crumbling temple:
“So, you bring all your… friends out here?”
“Friends, yeah.”
“Oh.”
“But you’re the first one to get a permanent spot in my heart, so you’re the first to get a permanent spot on the wall, too.”
Finn beams with pride, no matter how cheesy Poe’s statement is. They’re both lovestruck.)
The pittin hops off Finn’s lap, stretches languidly, and then vanishes into the house. It’s dark now, and the silence they’re sitting in is something very close to comfortable. It feels like the night is coming to an end, and Finn has mixed feelings: he’s eager to feel less awkward and spend some alone time with Poe, but he wants to keep getting to know Kes, too. They have the rest of the vacation ahead of them, but first impressions and all that.
There’s one thing he’s still thinking about, something he doesn’t want to linger for the next four days. Now’s as good a time as any. Finn tries, tentative, “I was honestly expecting more people here.” He’s not commenting to either of them in particular, just getting it out in the open before the chance vanishes.
He hopes his statement doesn’t sound rude. He’s having fun, or at least something approaching it, and is glad to have met Kes, even with the ‘dad’ comment still lingering in the air. Still, he thought he’d be able to spread the awkwardness around, embarrass himself in front of more of Poe’s family than just his father. This, though… this is personal and important. That helps hammer home why it’s felt so terrifying. Big Deal and all that.
Poe finishes his drink and responds, "We Damerons are solitary folks." Finn knows that's a lie, at least on Poe’s part. There's hardly a moment that Poe doesn't have someone either following him, fawning over him, or fighting him. He's no more solitary than Finn was as a Stormtrooper, though in a drastically different way. Kes may be solitary, though, and Finn wonders if it’s on purpose; he thinks of the three empty chairs again.
“We’re loud enough for a whole gang anyhow.” Kes smirks. Poe is definitely a talker and Kes claims to be, but ‘loud’ isn’t necessarily a word that Finn would use to describe them as a pair, especially not so far tonight. They are comfortable and familial and full of laughter, though, which is better. “Poe has an aunt, my sister. She lives off-world. We tried to get her here for this, but things just didn’t work out.”
“Don’t lie, dad. You just didn’t want to share Finn.”
“Oh, right. Didn’t want to scare him off.” Kes turns his eyes toward Finn, who has suddenly found his bottle to be very fascinating, even though it’s empty. Can Kes tell that he almost was scared off? Kes knows he was uncomfortable. Can he tell that Finn feels like a coward, even still? “You’re not going to take off in the middle of the night, are you, Finn?”
“No,” he says, resolute. It comes out quicker than Finn expects; some of that charisma is clawing back toward the surface. He’s not going anywhere. Finn is done running. They’re going to that old temple tomorrow and carving Finn’s name right beneath Poe’s.
Kes and Poe exchange a look that ends with them both smiling. Finn feels like he’s finally passed some sort of examination. “Good,” Poe responds, reaching out to teasingly slap Finn on the arm. “I wanna sleep in and not chase my boyfriend across the galaxy.”
*
Finn has spent multiple nights in Poe's quarters already. The first few mornings Finn sneaked back to his own cramped space, embarrassed and awkward, but soon he fell into a routine and didn't feel quite so out of place. After all, though they don't qualify for married housing (married?!), the fact that they’re sleeping together, in more ways than one, is common knowledge throughout the base and few people seem to mind.
Still, this feels an awful lot like those first few nights, especially since Kes obviously nudges his son when he closes the door and leaves the pair alone. Kriff, those two are just alike; Finn is glad that Kes likes him as much as he does, but the heat at the top of his ears is less than ideal.
Once Kes is gone, Poe flops his arms against his side and shrugs. “Dad wouldn’t give up his bed. Said this would be funnier.”
Finn finally takes his first real look at the bedroom and immediately understands why Kes thinks it’s funny. The bed is smaller than a regulation bunk, clearly meant for a child, and the sheets are covered with a vintage A-Wing print. There’s a large stuffed dunsenn toy in a corner, and some other sort of animal with a handmade pilot’s helmet shoved on its fuzzy head.
One of the first stories Poe had ever told Finn, once he was out of medbay and they were spending time together, was that his mother had flown a mission (“Several missions, actually!”) with the Leia Organa. Finn can still remember how excited Poe was, how his face lit up with pride and adoration. All of the wistful expressions in meetings with the General had never seemed really out of place, knowing the General’s standing and gravitas, but it was obvious she's special to Poe.
Finn just didn’t know exactly how special until he sees the posters plastered to the walls around him. “This all makes sense.”
The walls of Poe's childhood bedroom are covered with posters of the General -- but not as the General, as a princess or a senator or the Huttslayer, which is an interesting fact to learn in such a way. They all look sloppily but lovingly printed, large sheets of irregular paper colored fantastically and scribbled on in dark ink. The handwriting is varied and evolved, creating a timeline of adoration. Finn's heart feels like it might burst with how adorable and awkward this is, honestly. That’d be a good cause of death, at least.
“What d’you mean?” Poe asks, mock-innocent. This feels like something that would embarrass most people, but Finn had learned almost immediately that Poe Dameron is not most people. In fact, he seems downright pleased at this whole arrangement. He's definitely grinning now, and Finn feels the smile stretch to his own face as well. Of course his boyfriend has (had? Has.) a crush on General Organa.
(Later, after they've returned to the Resistance base:
"General, I have a question."
"Of course, Finn."
"Were you ever a celebrity? I mean, more than you are now of course."
"...why do you ask?"
"I saw a bunch of posters... somewhere. Posters of you."
"Oh. Well. The posters just kept showing up, about twenty years ago. Someone was making them by hand, if you can believe it!"
He doesn't say anything because he's almost positive he knows who the culprit was.)
Poe is definitely the coolest person Finn knows, at least outwardly. He’s dashing and daring and everyone loves him, but everyone doesn’t know about the toys and the posters and that little line of drool that tends to creep out of Poe’s mouth in the early mornings. Somehow Finn, a... polarizing figure at best, has bagged himself the most popular pilot in the galaxy. Laughter still in his voice, Finn asks, “How do you fool people into thinking you’re so cool?”
Poe tugs down on his own shirt and shrugs one shoulder lazily. “It’s the hair, I reckon.” It’s probably true, honestly. The posters of the General won’t change anything. People are always going to love Poe Dameron (and Poe Dameron’s dumb beautiful hair that he got from his mom), and Finn’s always going to be there, loving him too.
Grabbing Finn’s hand, Poe leads them both to the edge of the bed and sits down. There, they take off their shoes and slide them beside a small table. Finn still has socks on, but there is honest-to-the-gods carpet beneath his feet; he wiggles his toes a little, secretly. He knows he shouldn’t get used to being in such an open and comfortable space, but he finally understands how Poe is able to slip into complacency. Finn doesn’t need a big family when he has Rey and Poe and the pillow he can see stitched with ‘P. Dameron’. This is more than enough.
With a flourish, Poe lays back on the bed and spreads out as best he can. “I think I’ve grown a bit, but my feet don’t hang off the end, so I’m counting this as a win.” He’s taking up most of the space, but Finn figures they can work something out. They always have.
Finn lets himself fall backward, shifting and turning so that he can bring both legs up onto the bed and nestle his head in the crook of Poe’s arm. It’s safe, almost-comfortable, and the slow beating of Poe’s heart is a noise Finn is pretty sure he’ll never get tired of hearing.
“Another perk of being short, huh?” Finn teases, not having to look up to know that his shot hit home. Poe wasn’t embarrassed by his height, saying that it makes it easier to fit in the cockpit, but Finn isn’t going to pass up the chance to do a little ribbing, especially now that he’s feeling more at home. (Home. That’s what Poe is.)
Poe squeezes Finn, pulling him even closer. It’s less comfortable, physically speaking, but Poe’s heartbeat is soft and now Finn can feel his breathing on the top of his head. He likes being this close; it’s so different than the ‘close’ he grew up with, the ‘close’ he’s unlearning. There’s love in this ‘close,’ to start. Finn feels a pang in his gut; he wishes Rey could have come to Yavin 4 with them, could have joined this cuddle session. They could hold each other and laugh and maybe try to forget, even for half a second, that their section of the galaxy is at war. Finn doesn’t have much cuddling (read: any, as far as he knows) in his pre-Resistance past, but his lack of experience is made up for in willingness, at least when it comes to Rey and Poe.
Finn figures this cuddle session is going to end a bit differently than the hypothesized one between just friends, though.
As if reading Finn’s mind, Poe pulls back a little so he can see the other man’s face. “So, how about you’n me take advantage of how close we have to be in this tiny bed?” Poe asks, lightly. He then does that Thing with his lip that he’d done at their first reunion, that Thing they both know makes Finn go weak at the knees. Turns out it works when they’re lying down, too. Convenient. The fact that Kes is just down the hall is nowhere in Finn’s mind for the first time all evening.
Finn cranes his neck backwards so that he can get a good look into Poe's eyes. Then he tries to put on the most scandalized face he can muster, which, granted, isn't a very good one at the moment. He blames the lip bite, among a multitude of other things. "Here? Right now? But the General is watching."
Poe smacks him across the shoulder and grins. Finn has never felt more loved than he does right here, wrapped in this warm moment. He feels at home. "Shut up and kiss me, Finn."
And he does.