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It was the third day after the destruction of the Starkiller base that people started to worry about The Resistance's best pilot. They were worried he wasn't sleeping enough, eating enough, worried about how he would react if the ex-Stormtrooper, Finn, didn't pull through. Poe had spent every minute since his return in the infirmary at Finn's side. The medics were not very hopeful about his recovery. The likelihood of him waking up was close to zero. The pilot spent most of his time with Finn holding his hand and talking to his sleeping form, telling him about the victory on the Starkiller base, his life, the resistance. Anything and everything, speaking just as if he were awake.
It was the the fifth day that General Organa had to pull him out of the infirmary and order him to sleep, eat, and reconnect with the others.
"...but I can sleep and eat in the infirmary" he argued.
"But you're not going to" countered the General. "If Finn wakes up, it will be wonderful for you to help him with his recovery, but untill then we've all agreed the best thing for you to do is, if not expect the worst, at least to try distract yourself."
After his exchange with the General, Poe begrudgingly made his way to the mess hall. He sat with the other pilots, who, despite several attempts to engage him in conversation, could not get a word out of him.
By the sixth day, Poe was back in the infirmary. He wasn't quite sure if he was going mad or not, but he thought Finn seemed more alive. His eyes twitching, chest moving up and down faster.
"He's doing quite a bit better today. Wouldn't even be surprised if he wakes up soon, at this rate." A medical droid appeared behind him. "His breathing and heart rate have increased, and the injury to his back is healing relatively well."
Poe's face brightened. "When do you think he'll be up?" The excitement in his voice obvious.
"He could possibly be concious in a few days. But Mr. Dameron," the droid suddenly sounded serious and somewhat saddened "you have to know to expect the worst."
Poe was starting to get frustrated at everyone trying to protect him.
On the eighth day after the attack on the Starkiller base, the x-wing pilot decided he must have well and truly gone mad. He was woken to find his head resting against Finns bed, and the hand in his trying to lace their fingers.
"Where... What- Poe?" He asked, gasping in pain as he tried to move.
"Finn, Finn you're alive!" Poe exclaimed, sitting up, looking like a child on Christmas. "You gave us all a bit of a scare there, buddy." Poe half-laughed at his own understatement. He'd been absolutely, gut-wrenchingly terrified since following Finns body to the infirmary and waiting for him to come out of surgery a week ago.
"Where's rey?" He didn't notice Poe's face fall.
"She's- she's fine, off to find Luke Skywalker so she can train as a new badass Jedi knight or something" he answered with nervous laughter. Finn laughed too, and Poe realised just how much he'd missed that sound.
"And how did you-" he was interrupted as a swarm of medical droids entered the room, quickly ushered the pilot out, and started examining Finn.
It was the sixteenth day after that Finn got medical clearance to move out of the infirmary. He had arranged to move in with Poe the day before. Finn was worried he'd be a burden on Poe, and Poe was worried Finn wasn't going to like rooming with him. The first night they spent together was slightly awkward, despite the past week they'd spent in each other's company. Poe had tirelessly helped Finn with his recovery, helping him rediscover his motor skills, and settle in to life outside the first order.
Poe said after he taught him how to walk, he'd teach him how to fly.
Finn had more free time on his hands than he'd had his whole life. He didn't know what to do with it all. The times he wasn't trying to make himself useful, he was stuck to Poe. He was someone he could cling to for safety, something familiar in this sea of new experiences. His new roommate had given him the first thing he'd owned in his life, a name, and continued to give him things he could never repay. A feeling of safety, of familiarity, and even a home. The most important possession he owned was the pilot’s leather jacket, because it gave him a sense of belonging even when Poe wasn't around.
It was the thirty-second day since he'd taken a lightsaber to the back that Finn realised the feelings he had for Poe were more than just those of gratitude. He realised how devastating the idea of Poe treating someone else like he treated Finn was. The thought of Poe holding someone else's hand, embracing someone else like he did Finn, looking at someone like he did Finn. He didn't understand why he felt this, but he felt as though he was being selfish. Why shouldn't Poe treat others like this?
It was the thirty-seventh day that Finn finally understood his feelings, as Poe pressed his lips softly against his own. The older man looked unsure and worried as he pulled away.
"I don't- I uh..." Finn was unsure how to explain himself. He'd never kissed anyone before, and didn't know what to do.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He started getting up to leave. "I- fuck I'm so sorr-"
"Poe." The pilot stopped. Finn quietly laughed. "I don't know how to do what you just did, but I want you to teach me, if you'd like." Poe smiled as he absorbed the meaning of Finn's words. He closed the gap as their foreheads rested against one another, moving slowly as Finn tried to copy his movements.
It had been eighty-three days since Reys stalemate with Kylo Ren that she landed back on D'Qar. She smiled as she was introduced to Poe by fin as his 'boyfriend'.
On the two-hundred and seventy-ninth day after after the attack on the organisation who had taken away Finns name for twenty-three years, Poe offered him a last name, and on the three-hundred and twenty-first, he took it.