Work Text:
Poe asks her to take a look at his X-Wing one day: not really because there’s anything wrong with it, but because he doesn’t know enough about the girl. Finn likes her, so she’s clearly good stuff, and the Wookie says she’s good with a ship-- your kind of girl, he’d seemed to be implying.
Funny.
Rey didn’t spend much time on the base, but Poe managed to catch her before she wandered off one day. “Hey!”
She raised an eyebrow as she turned, shirt blowing in the breeze. “...Hey? Poe.”
“Where’re you going?” he asked with a grin.
“Somewhere important,” Rey replied evasively.
Poe laughed. “What, for a drink?”
This got a halfhearted smile. “No… did you need something?”
He gestured behind him to where the fighters sat neatly lined up on the concrete. “Something’s rattling, and I can’t figure out what it is. Thought you could help.”
“I’m no mechanic,” Rey said with an eye-roll. “And you know it, so I think you’re lying.” She was facing him now, posture relaxed-- the girl had made up her mind, she wasn’t going anywhere. Half the battle.
Poe ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. Come on, Dameron… get the girl... “Rey,” he declared, expression shifting as an idea crept into his mind. “You ever flown an X-Wing?”
He could see her eyes light up from five meters away.
Field trip.
“Technically,” Poe coached, “you should have a whole suit… oxygen, heart monitor, pressure sensors… but mine might be a little big.” As he spoke, he jammed a helmet over Rey’s head-- she winced as it tugged at her hair, but the grin came back fast. “So, don’t crash.”
The girl appraised the console, examining each switch as Poe reached up to fiddle with something in the ceiling. “Oh, and we’re supposed to take a droid too… BB-8’s in for upkeep, though.”
“I’ll be fine,” Rey answered, practically shaking. Nice to see her happy.“This is really, really cool.”
“So’s your lightsaber,” Poe said. He pulled a lever and the compartment shifted to reveal a crawl space behind the pilot.
“Not much compared to flying,” she replied, blowing a wayward strand of hair out of her face. Poe pulled his knees up to his chest as he wriggled in behind her seat: he could already feel a leg cramp. Oh well-- he hadn’t been expecting much. The spot hadn’t been designed for passengers.
Something popped. Probably his back.
Rey twisted around. “Have you even got a seatbelt?”
“I’m stuck in here so tight I doubt all the Jedi in history could Force me out… I’ll be fine.” He gestured to the controls with a nod.
She looked slightly doubtful. “Don’t I get a lesson?”
“Right,” Poe said politely. He wrestled one arm free, pointing. “That makes it go… that makes it stop… don’t touch that one. Let’s go!”
Rey gave him a look through the scratched orange visor.
“Fine,” he conceded. “It’s pretty intuitive, actually… You don’t have to be great so long as you don’t crash. Most of the controls are just fancy crap, so don’t worry about them.” He indicated a portion of the panel with a wave. “That’s the useful stuff, there, and it’s all labeled. If you need help, I’ll talk you through it. You flew the Falcon, this’ll be cake.”
Rey smirked-- it looked good on her. “I like the sound of that.” She turned back to her seat, and Poe heard her take a deep breath. “All right,” and the smile was audible in her voice as the fighter lurched forwards.
She wasn’t bad at all. Chewie had been right: the girl had a knack, and as they shot over the forests Poe didn’t fear for his life once. Better than most did, especially considering that the improvised backseat had no shocks.
“This is amazing!” she yelled, voice buzzing through his earpiece with a shriek as the wind roared by outside. Poe caught the end of a laugh, and it made him smile. She deserved to be happy for a bit.
He cupped a hand around his mic, sheltering it from the noise. “You want to go up?”
Rey didn’t answer, but the fighter twisted and they shot into the atmosphere, rocketing higher than Poe had planned. Not that it mattered-- something broke down there, up here, still dead.
Weirdly comforting.
The noise faded as they rose into space, friction dropping off along with air. The shift was familiar, even if he wasn’t used to it from this particular perspective. Sounded the same. Little more cramped.
Rey pulled off her helmet and whipped around, eyes wild. She didn’t have to say anything.
“Little different than a big ship?”
“Amazing,” she repeated.
Poe smiled. “Yeah. Nothing like it.”
Something shifted in Rey’s expression. “Why are you doing this?”
“What?”
Her brow furrowed. “Are you flirting with me? Because that’s--”
Flirting? Poe had to stifle a snicker. “No!”
Rey didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”
“Yes?” His tone was more confused than anything else. “Rey, you’re not my type!”
At least the girl had the good grace to look slightly wounded. He tried to compensate: “No, I’m not saying you’re not gorgeous, because you are.”
Rey’s face only got darker, and she pulled the helmet back on. “Wrong tree.”
He couldn’t help but let out but laugh this time-- where’d subtlety get anyone? “You’re not really barking up the right one yourself!” Amazing.
She scoffed. “I’m aro-ace, how’s that?”
“Well, I’m gay, how’s--” Poe cut himself off. “Wait, you’re ace?”
Rey frowned. “You’re gay?”
The tension in the cabin disappeared and she let out a snort. “Oh my god.”
“Oh my god,” Poe echoed, sniggering. His head knocked against the metal bulkhead with a clang, but he didn’t stop chortling. “This isn’t funny at all!”
Rey giggled. “Yes it is… I’m so dumb, I’ve seen how you look at Finn!”
He pointed jokingly at her. “I don’t look at Finn!”
“Sure you don't," she laughed.
“Hey!” Poe said in mock offense. “Rude! It’s my ship you’re on, you know.”
Rey tipped her head in acknowledgement. “Valid point...” She put a finger to her chin and pouted contemplatively. “You’re still a sap."
“I can take that if you admit I’m a good pilot,” he shrugged.
“You’re definitely that,” Rey nodded, glancing out at the stars absentmindedly. “You know, I never told anyone before.”
“Well,” Poe stated with a grin. “I have.”
“How’d they take it?” She looked back at him. “I know they’re the good guys, but--”
He scratched his nose, making a face. “First openly gay pilot in the Resistance? Honestly, I think they wondered why it took so long for one of us to speak up. Started a bit of a wave, really. Half my squadron’s queer, but we’re too good for anyone to give us crap.”
Rey blew a bit of hair out of her eyes under the too-big helmet.
“It’ll be the same for you, y’know. Nobody cares so long as you’re good.”
She sighed.
“And,” he said jokingly, leaning forwards and flicking her gently on the visor, “to coin a phrase, you definitely are--” that got a smile, a half-grin-- “Jedi or not.”