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#d'qar
the-force-awakens · 7 months
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A lush world in the Outer Rim, D’Qar is the principal base of General Leia Organa’s Resistance. First surveyed by rebel pilots before the Battle of Endor, the planet’s obscurity and lack of native intelligent life made it a perfect choice when Leia’s new group needed a hidden base of operations.
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hopegained · 1 year
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oh to have someone drag persuade him to go to bed when they catch him staying up and working late at night
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corelliaxdreaming · 2 years
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Ahh, can't believe I almost forgot! This comment_fic about the Lintra sisters is my 700th fic posted to AO3! And an appropriate one at that - filling my own self-serving prompt, tiny feelings-vomit, angst, obscure characters no one but me and like two other people care about? Yep!!
Prompt: Star Wars, Tallie Lintra & Kallie Lintra, sisters at war Summary: It’s the first time Kallie has been able to call home since the evacuation from D'Qar and the hell that followed, and she could only choke out three words: Tallie is dead. Word Count: 284
( A Pair of Tiny Matches )
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downbadf0rficppl · 3 months
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always been you
Poe Dameron x F!Reader
Summary: Miscommunications happen. Less so when you work in communications, but they happen.
Word Count: 4.8K
Warnings: Slight blood warning, a smidge of angst, and a handful of smut :)
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Home meant different things to different people. To some, it meant green rolling hills and the sound of wild animals running through the forests, some hunting, some hiding. To some, it looked more like the cold cityscapes of somewhere like Corellia or Daiyu - where day could be night and night could be day because the city never slept. More like the planet never slept.
To you, home meant a dark room in the back of the compound on D'Qar, where you sat for hours on end. It meant the whirring of plane engines and the whooshing of blast doors. It meant ration meals and celebrating when there were enough jogan fruits in season to make jogan fruitcake. It meant the constant fear that someone you loved may not come home.
You had grown up on Dantooine, maintaining the old rebel base there with your father - an ex-pilot with the rebellion. He'd taught you all about the world of space flight and you'd decided early on that maybe you preferred the ground. Oh, the irony.
At 19, you moved to Coruscant - under no threat from enemies, the base on Dantooine was not needed. You moved away to find a job that could give a life of comfort. Maybe you just needed some excitement in your life that didn't involve exploding wires or stealing your dad's glasses.
When General Organa started recruiting for the resistance, you were one of the first ones there. You distanced yourself from your father's legacy, not wanting the pressure of being someone's someone to be held over your head.
You settled into the anonymity of comms comfortably, making decent friends with your co-workers.
Days came and went working for the resistance. Soon enough, you'd been for a year, and then 2, and then it had been so long since you'd left Dantooine that you could barely remember what your life was like there.
The cantina was empty when you walked in. To your knowledge, black and blue squadrons were out on a field mission, but no one else was in sight. You walked around the base, looking for any signs of life. Dear Maker, had they all evacuated and forgotten about you.
You walked over to the med wing, hoping to see someone. And you saw, well, everyone. Apparently, half of those on base had come down with food poisoning. Wonderful.
You were called in to speak with General Organa, who assigned you double and triple shifts, considering you were the only one of 6 comms officers who hadn't come down with food poisoning. Wonderful.
You had spent all day, without rest, in comms, checking data logs for gold squadron, assisting in decoding transmission, and helping base mechanics with routine repairs. Essentially a normal day in the office, but six-fold the responsibilities. You went to bed, with your head swimming with responsibilities for the next day - hopefully, someone would be able to help you.
You woke up to the sound of your alarm blaring loudly. You groggily headed to the cantina for a cup of Caf before heading back to comms.
You picked some undecoded transmissions, before starting on some reports for General Organa. You barely had enough time to stop for a meal, grabbing the first thing you could see before heading back to comms.
Black and Blue squadron were currently MIA. They had radioed in earlier in the morning saying they were ok without radio connection while there was a shortage of comms officers. Still, it didn't mean you weren't worried about them.
"Black Leader to Base, come in."
You scrambled over to your headset and plugged it into the system, "Alpha 4 to Black Leader, you're a go for Base. What seems to be the problem?"
"We're running low on fuel, any republic supporters in the outer rim?" Poe's voice came through as you tried to lock on to his location.
"Where you are, the chances are slim, Black Leader." You sighed, as his location pops up on the screen. He was so far in the Outer Rim, where so many remained Empire supporters. Even with many ports on neighbouring planets, there were few ways that they could make it out of them safely.
You had an idea. "Black Leader, can you make a single jump."
"Just about."
"I'll send the coordinates, get ready to jump."
While Black and Blue Squadron jumped, you connected another line.
"Hi, dad."
"Hi, sweetheart." Your father's tired voice rang through the headset, "What can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, dad-"
"It's ok, sweetheart. What do you need?"
"I have 2 squadrons that need fuel. Any chance you could help?"
"Of course, sweetheart. In fact, I've just seen them enter the atmosphere."
"Thanks, dad. Love you."
"I love you too."
Your dad cut the line to go and help the pilots. You swallowed the lump in your throat. You always felt guilty asking your father for help. He never quite knew how to say no.
You stayed up well into the early hours of the morning, signing off paperwork and compiling mission reports for Captain Dameron and Captain Wexley to sign off on.
In fact, you had worked so late that you heard Black and Blue Squadron's land the next morning. You heard them raucously walk through the halls to the cantina. You sighed. A small break wouldn't do any harm, right?
Wrong. As soon as you got up, a beeping from your headset rang through the room. General Holdo needed some data to do with her mission, so you were back to sifting through mission reports to send her what she needed.
By the time, you had signed off with her, Jak (one of your fellow comms officers) strolled into comms.
He ruffled your hair affectionately, "You're a legend, four."
You had known Jak since your days on Coruscant. You had shared an apartment when you were new to the city and he really showed you the ropes. You probably wouldn't be as trusted by the resistance as you were, had it not been for Jak.
"How are you feeling?" You asked, eyes still trained on the screen.
"I'm fine." He settled down next to you, grabbing a headset, "You, on the other hand, have seen better days. Maker, have you even looked at yourself in the mirror!"
You punched him in the arm, "My name's not Captain I-cannot-survive-without-my-mirrors Dameron." He feigned an injury, falling onto the floor and hollering in pain. The delirium of sleep deprivation was getting you, as you doubled over in fits of giggles, tears streaming down your face.
In fact, you were laughing so hard, you didn't even hear Captain Dameron walk in.
"What's so funny?" He said, walking in and clapping Jak on the back. The two of you looked at each other, and burst into more fits of giggles. "You know what, I'm just not going to ask." Jak handed him the stack of papers that you had left for him to sign off.
Dameron walked out with the sheets, and you stood up to stretch your back. "You should get some food in you," Jak nods towards the Cantina, "I can hold the fort down until you get back."
The cantina is practically empty when you walk in, and you grab a sandwich before heading back to comms. What greets you is a relieving sight. Two of the other comms officers have returned to comms.
"You look rough," Drex said, nursing a healing tonic from med bay. Clearly, they were still suffering the after-effects of the food poisoning.
"So, I've been told," you elbowed Jak in the ribs as he laughed heartily. You sat down and returned to the paperwork you had left behind. A connection came in, which Jak responded to immediately.
After a beat, he beckoned you over, handing you the headset, "It's your favourite. Captain Dameron."
You let out a huff, before putting the headset on. You sat down.
"Alpha 4 for Black Leader, you're a go."
"Well, hello, my new favourite comms officer. How are you on this fine morning?" He said, smugness colouring his tone as he prepared to take off.
"I hope you aren't trying to flirt with me, Poe?" You smirked through your question.
"Oh, I am. I most definitely am." Poe laughed.
"How unfortunate for you." Poe laughed again.
You led him through his routine surveillance trip, making funny quips throughout. Poe responds almost exclusively through chortles and guffaws.
"How come I've never actually spoken to you on base?"
"I don't know, maybe because you've always got one of those pretty girls on your arm?"
"Oh, you're real pretty, Alpha 4, just gotta give me a chance, hun." Poe thought you were pretty.
You laugh again, "In your dreams, Captain."
There was a beat of silence, before Poe piped up, "someone special at home?" You swallow guiltily.
Ever since you first met Poe, you had been head over heels in love with him. Sure he was good-looking, and his reputation in the bedroom preceded him, but beyond that, he was charming, funny, and he cared. About everyone. Not just his superiors, or his friends, but even stupid kids who had no idea what they were doing when they landed on base.
You thought of his face, his beautifully warm brown eyes, his stupidly floppy hair, "Yeah, someone real special. I'm just hoping he'll give me a chance back on base."
"He'd be stupid not to."
"You're just saying that."
"I mean it, 4, he'd have to be blind to not see what a catch you are." You can tell by Poe's tone that he is being genuine.
"Thanks, Poe, you're clear to return to base. See on the other side."
You hear Poe land as you head back to your room. He calls your name as he is walking.
"Hey, 4, wait up!" You wait patiently as he, and BB8, catch up to you. "About this guy."
"Poe, let it go."
"I'm serious, 4. I can help you get that date."
"No, I mean it, Poe. Let it go. You can't help me here." You stare straight into his eyes. Big mistake. You get lost easily, wanting to let the warmth cocoon you into a false safety until the rest of eternity.
You shake yourself back to reality, walking away from him and leaving him confused and annoyed.
Days pass, and you find that Poe has pushed himself further and further away from you. You were still his chosen comms officer, but he avoided you on the base. You felt bad. He'd practically confessed that he thought you were pretty and you'd turned him away, letting him believe that there was someone you were pining after. Even though that person was Poe.
You had tried to talk to Poe before he went on a mission alone to Coruscant, but he walked away, feigning that he was busy. He even deflected your questions in the air, and turned his transmission signal off when he got to Coruscant. You were fuming.
How dare he put himself in danger with no chance of backup?
Realistically, your anger wasn't anger at all. You were worried for Poe. Even if he wasn't your Poe.
You vowed to have that conversation with him when he returned.
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Poe couldn't stop thinking about you. He hadn't since he first spoke to you about 6 months ago. Before that, he just thought you were pretty. But once he realised that, not only were you beautiful, but you were also smart and had a sarcasm to match his, well he was a goner.
When you told him, that there was someone else, he saw red. He wanted to put his first through the fucker's face, but goddammit, he would do anything to help you.
So he offered to help you get that date. It was a mostly harmless offer, and he didn't really expect you to take him up on it, but he put it out there nonetheless.
What he didn't expect was for you to raise your voice and storm away. He was shocked.
He figured he overstepped some undrawn boundary, and he felt guilty. So he tried to give you space, give you distance. He'd give you anything if you even mentioned it once. But, jealousy took over his previously well-intentioned thoughts. If you wanted someone else, fine, you could have them. But Poe couldn't watch you get them.
He didn't want to take the mission on Coruscant. He wasn't a spy, he was a flamboyant and show-off-y pilot. But he didn't want to see you in another man's arms. So he took it.
That was what landed him in his current predicament: tied to a chair in the basement of one Zek Shadej - an ex-smuggler who turned to an arms dealership for the higher paycheck.
Zek slaps Poe. He demands, once again, to know what a pilot for the Resistance is doing at a gala for the low lives of the galaxy. He didn't word it that way but the sentiment still stands. Poe says nothing, just spitting a mixture of blood and saliva at Zek's shoes. Zek curses and heads to the door: "I'm done with him. Dispose of him."
The guards left in the room stalk toward him, blasters unsheathed and ready to fire. Poe uses the pin you gave him to cut through the ropes binding his hands.
It was his fifth birthday on base, he reckoned. With different systems, and different lengths of orbits, it was hard to know for sure, but he knew the rest of Black Squadron were planning his celebration for today. So he remained in bed, lying on top of the sheets, head propped up on his arm.
A gentle knock rang through his room. He'd told the person to come in, and you did. Armed with a giddy smile and a small wrapped package. Poe had no idea where you had found wrapping paper, or why you would buy him a present but here you were.
"Jess said it was your birthday today. Thought I'd give you something neat." You said, approaching him nervously. He swung his legs and sat upright, pulling your arm so you were standing right in front of him. He looks up at you through his eyelashes, taking in your kind face. You and Poe were hardly friends, but how he wished you could be more.
"So, what did you get for me, pretty girl?" Poe rests his callous hardened hands on your hips - he liked the feel of your soft skin under his palms. He also liked how sensitive you were to his touch - your flushed expression and lust-filled gaze confirmed it.
You handed him the small parcel, "I hope you like it."
He takes it from you, pulling you to sit beside him. He opens it with careful hands to find a small pin. A Yavin Parakeet. Poe's favourite bird.
"They used to symbolise freedom. Like you do." You whispered the last part.
Poe had never wanted to kiss you so much.
Poe threw the chair he had been sitting on at one of the guards. He landed on the floor with a loud groan, his blaster skidding to a halt at Poe's feet. It was Poe's lucky day.
He shot the other 2 guards, dashing out of the basement onto the catering floor. He escaped through a back door, a few of the staff giving his bloody face and dishevelled appearance a double look. He sprinted through the streets to a docking station a few miles east. Zek sent a few men after him, but Poe was smart, and he knew Coruscant well. He dodged the men, and fired up his X-wing. He had Leia's intel safely stored in his shirt pocket.
His X-wing was severely damaged - his landing gear compromised and the transmission antenna bent at an awkward angle. He took off precariously - he knew he'd have to stop somewhere to fix the ship and refuel. He remembered the old outpost on Dantooine. Your dad's outpost.
He lightspeed jumped into the sector, breaking through the atmosphere mere seconds later. The landing was rough and he saw your father running towards the ship, blaster raised.
"Come out, slowly and unarmed. Do anything I don't like the look of, and I shoot."
"It's me. It's Poe. I came by a couple of days ago. I promise I mean no harm."
The old man lowered his blaster. He tucked his shoulder under Poe and helped him inside, "Let's get you looked at, son." Despite the pain, Poe smiled. Son. He liked that.
Your father patched Poe up, offering him a nice meal and a shower. While Poe cleaned up, your father called you.
"Hey, dad, what can I do for you?" You respond, your brain still focussed on the transmissions you were decoding.
"I wouldn't call if it wasn't necessary-"
"I know, Dad. What do you need?"
"I got one of your guys," your ears pricked up, "and his ship is damaged. I need to know how to fix it. Think you can help?"
"Yeah, of course. I don't remember sending anyone your way though, think you can tell me who it is?"
Your dad grunts as he climbs up the ladder, radio tucked under his chin, "yeah, it's the pretty boy from a few days ago. The captain. Can't remember his name."
"It's Dameron. Who're you talking to?" Poe comes out wiping his hands on a towel. Despite this man being your father, years in the resistance had warned him against trusting strangers.
"My daughter. She's telling me how to fix your ship."
"4? I wouldn't trust her anywhere near my ship."
"I heard that you know," you laughed. You brought up the specs for the X-wing, "I'll send you a copy of the spec - that's probably more useful than anything I have to say."
Your dad laughed and you sent him the specs.
"Good luck, boys," you ended the transmission.
The rest of the day was spent fixing the ship. Poe and your dad made good small talk - they were both pilots. They had a lot in common. They also both loved you. They had that in common too.
"Go clean up, Poe. I'll make us dinner." Your father said, standing up and heading toward the kitchen. Poe smiled. He liked this life.
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Poe was back on base by nightfall the next day. You waited for him as he got checked up on in med, and then you walked with him to his room. The silence was deafening.
You followed him into his room, watched his every movement. He milled about, putting on clean clothes, washing his hands, and combing through his hair. His whole body was still tensed up from the mission - you wanted to stop him, hug him, do something. But you couldn't. He didn't want you near him. He was angry at you, and rightfully so.
"Your dad's nice." You looked up at him. Poe still had his back turned, but his shoulder had relaxed. You wanted to run your fingers down his back. "Peculiar, but nice."
You smiled softly, "He's lonely. Not that fun living on an abandoned base in the middle of nowhere."
Poe sat down on his chair, and you walked towards him. You placed your hands on his shoulder, gently soothing the knots out of his muscles. He leaned his head back, a low moan of satisfaction left his throat. The sound went straight through your body, eliciting shivers.
"Talk to me. Tell me what went wrong," you whispered in his ear, not wanting to break the calmness that swept through the room.
Poe shook his head, bringing you in front of him. He leaned his head against your stomach, hands coming to rest at your hips. You tangled your fingers in his hair, and he grunted in appreciation. You shivered again.
He chuckled, "you like that?" Your face blushed a bright red. Poe laughed again, before leaning to kiss your stomach. He kissed up through the valley in between your breasts, and up your neck. He stayed there for a minute, nipping and suckling at your neck, before making his way to your face.
He was fully standing now, his hands moved to your face, and he gently dotted kisses everywhere. Your cheeks. Your eyes, which had fallen shut at his ministrations. Your forehead, then your chin. He kissed the sides of your lips, and you let out a soft moan, begging for more.
"Greedy, are we?" He asked, his voice much lower than before. You opened your eyes to see a smug grin painted on his face. You didn't care.
You grabbed his face and brought his lips to yours. It seems he got the memo because as soon as his lips touched yours, he took over. His tongue slipped into your mouth and stroked yours gently.
He tapped your thigh gently, a signal to jump, and he carried you over to his bed, depositing you on the edge gently, dislodging his lips from yours. He knelt down in front of the bed, pulling your closer to him by your legs.
"Tell me to stop." He looked up at you, his pupils blown wide, as he took your dishevelled appearance in. Like a predator looks at his prey.
"Please don't."
He pulled your boots and cargo pants off, kissing up your legs. The arousal pooled between your legs, and you moan.
"So fucking wet, and I haven't even touched you yet." You whine pathetically, trying to pull Poe closer to where you want him. He just laughs.
"Bet the other guy couldn't do this to you. That's why you need me, ain't that right?" You whine again, "Need me to take care of you, baby girl, ain't that right?"
"Please, Poe."
"Please what, baby girl? What do you need?" Poe whispers, cheekiness glinting in his eyes.
"Please, fuck me, Poe." He smiled.
"As you wish."
He pulled your underwear down your legs and stared enamoured between your trembling things, "Such a pretty fucking pussy."
You threw your head back as he dove face-first into your folds. He kissed your mound lightly, before rubbing soothing circles around your clit. You buck up, the pleasure unlike any you've ever known, and Poe presses a hand onto your abdomen, locking you in place.
"Don't deprive me of my meal, honey," He whispers into your pussy.
He continues his assault, testing the waters of what you did and didn't like. You liked when he went fast, when he went slow, you got impatient. Maybe it was time to teach you some patience. But the low whines and moans were too much for Poe to bear. Soon your thighs were clamped around his head as you let out a loud moan, and you came undone under his touch. He lapped up every last bit of your release as if he'd been left in the deserts of Jakku without any water for years. And the moans. Oh Maker, his moans. You thought it impossible for a man to enjoy himself that much. But from the way he gripped your thighs, and pulled his body in further, you could tell he never wanted to pull away.
You laid limp on the bed as Poe stood up, and peeled his clothes off his body. You stared shamelessly. It wasn't the first time you'd seen Poe shirtless, but you'd barred yourself from staring then. Now it was allowed.
He smiled at your shameless ogling, and grabbed your hand, pulling you to stand up, pressed against him. You could feel his still-clothed cock, pushing into your abdomen, and you could feel it throbbing at the contact. You sunk down onto your knees, hands fiddling with his zipper.
He pulled you away and shook his head. "Not now."
He pushes you back onto the bed and crawls over you, his lips reconnecting to yours. He had unzipped his pants and kicked off his boots, leaving a pile on the floor.
"Tell me if it hurts." Poe kisses under your jaw before pushing inside.
Holy Maker, he's big.
His cock stretches you out deliciously. He pushes into you until he's settled within you and waits for you to adjust. The initial pain fades into pleasure and soon you're begging for him to move.
"You sound so pretty when you beg, baby. Bet you wouldn't beg for anyone else." Nevertheless, he moves.
He starts slow, getting used to feeling you around him. You want more.
"Please, Poe. Faster. Please, please, please." You beg him, screams ripping through your throat.
He picks up the pace, relentless now. Fast and hard. The room filled with the sounds of skin slapping skin, mixed together with both your moans. You feel the pressure building up and your moans get louder. Poe chased his own release as you got closer and closer to the edge.
"Poe, I'm gonna... gonna come. Please, Poe..." Poe slowed down a fraction, pulling you further from the edge. You whined pathetically.
"Tell me you're mine. Only mine." You smiled through your lust-induced haze.
"Only yours, Poe. Always yours." He picked up the pace again, and the coil begins to tighten. Poe's moans push you over the edge, and you cum hard. So hard that your whole body feels electrified, your toes curling in pleasure. Poe fucks you through your high, turning your entire body to jelly. He pulls out and shoots his ropes over your body.
You smile. You lift a finger up to your chest and lick Poe's cum off your chest, moaning at the taste. The filth of the act clearly affected Poe, as his eyes closed in pleasure. He moaned lowly, grabbing your hands and pressing kisses to them. You closed your eyes, falling back onto the bed.
Poe disappeared into the refresher, grabbing a clean towel and dampening it, before returning to clean you up. You looked confused. No one had ever done that for you before. He wiped your chest and between your thighs, before carrying you to the bathroom. You washed your face and brushed your teeth with one of the spare toothbrushes in Poe's refresher, before heading back out.
Poe was gone.
You were confused, given that he had changed his sheets and left you a spare t-shirt and pair of boxers to change into. You sat down on the edge of his bed, stretching your legs, a pleasant ache settling between them. Where the hell could he have gone?
A few seconds late, someone knocked, "Are you decent?" Poe.
"Yeah, come in." You stood up, shuffling your feet. Poe walked in, shirt almost completely undone, carrying 2 bottles of water from the cantina. Your heart almost burst.
He opened one of the bottles handing it to you, before leading you back to bed. You took a few sips, the coldness soothing your throat that was raw from screaming.
He laid back on his bed and beckoned your closer to him. You curled into his arms and reached up to fiddle with his hair. You both sat in silent reverie - taking in each other's company.
"Will I see you again?" Poe broke the silence timidly, running a knuckle over your cheek.
"You see me every day, Poe," You tease him gently, "You see me in the corridors, and in the cantina, and sometimes even after you get back from a mission." Poe slapped your ass, causing you to burst into laughter. He pulls you closer to his body.
"I mean it. Is this just a one-time thing? Given your - um - crush on the other guy?" You stay silent, "Is he a pilot? Is that why you're not telling me?" You nod your head, trying to hide your smile. You felt bad for not telling him, but it was funny.
"He's a pilot. But that's not why I'm not telling you." Poe frowns, creases appearing between his eyebrows.
"Is he a superior officer? Does he live on base?"
You decide to keep teasing him, "Yeah, he's a Captain." You look into Poe's eyes. "He's definitely my favourite person on base." Poe's frown turns into a scowl.
"He has the most beautiful brown eyes and the most amazing hair that I always want to run my fingers through," You tangle your hair in his, pulling it just the way he likes. "He's cocky, and he's so sexy. And he knows that he's sexy too." Poe tries pushing you away, rolling from his side to his back, but you just cling to him tighter. You place a kiss on his jaw and then on his ear.
"Why are you here, then? In my bed? In my clothes?" He says, jealousy and annoyance evident in his voice. You feel bad.
"You wanna know his name?"
"Not really. Then I'd know who I wanna punch, but I still wouldn't be able to do it."
"I don't really think it's possible to punch yourself." Poe turns to face you, the jealousy in his eyes fading into hope.
"What?" You just smile. "You love me?"
"I didn't lie, Poe. I'm yours. Always yours." He kisses you, hard, not giving you any space to breathe.
"You're not just saying that," He breathes, pulling away just enough to speak. You reconnect your lips to his, and he pulls you on top of him, your thighs around his torso. You look deep into his eyes, his pupils so dilated as if he couldn't get enough of you.
"It's always been you."
fin.
buy me a coffee
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grumpyeagleandfriends · 3 months
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À Terre II | Poe Dameron x OC/Reader
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A/N: Reader is a Resistance pilot that was captured during a solo reconnaissance mission. They escape by hijacking a ship. Gravely injured and hanging by a thread, they rejoin the Resistance by crash landing just outside of the base on D'Qar. A certain distraught squadron leader runs out to help. 
Hurt/Comfort. Gratuitous, self-serving one shot TWO PART story. I have rewritten the first chapter in addition to adding on a second installment. This time it's in Poe's POV. I don’t like using “y/n” so I give the reader a generic, 1 syllable Star Wars name in the middle of this bad boy.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’ve been daydreaming about this for months years, so I finally decided to write it all out.  There’s a little bit of a long set up, but I’m not sorry about it.
Rating: T
Warnings: Mentions blood and torture. Shellshock/PTSD vibes. Cursing. Tons of graphic medical stuff. Injections (so needles).
Word count: 5,439
Masterlist
Blood was everywhere when he finally made it inside the cockpit...
Even after he got her free from the safety harness, when all he could do was keep her calm and alert until the med techs arrived, he noticed the way she looked at him, the way she pulled it together to focus every time she nearly fell asleep. Hol hadn’t been able to properly talk, but with every command he gave her, she nodded and tried her best to comply. 
The metallic iron smell of it nearly knocked him back when he opened the canopy. It covered everything. Her shaking hands, her hair, her flight suit, he even found it coating the inside of her mouth after he coaxed her to let him take away the life support mask. 
He desperately wanted to give her water to see if she could drink, but there wasn’t any to be found in the cockpit. He wanted to put her in one of his jackets to help stop her from shaking, but the patch of trees she crashed landed into was too far from his quarters on base. He wanted to scream at her for being so goddamn stubborn, but he couldn’t shake the way she desperately clutched onto his hand. 
They hadn't been careful enough when extracting her. There wasn't enough time to wait for proper immobilization equipment to be brought out to the crash site. Between Hol's blood loss and the ship leaking dangerous fluids into the forest, they made the difficult call to just move. 
Seeing that utmost trust in her eyes, alongside the fear and the pain, was what really scared him the most. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he let her die there, not after she clawed her way back to them.
He had no way of knowing at that moment, but the jostling when they lifted her out caused a broken rib to puncture one of her lungs. Poe couldn’t keep from blaming himself for his own role in that.
The second they placed her onto the hover gurney, her condition began to rapidly deteriorate. One of the med techs caught sight of her blue fingertips and immediately diagnosed a collapsed lung. Poe only just managed to clamber out of the cockpit to see it all. He stood frozen on the wing of the ship while he watched them cut open her flight suit to reveal her bloated chest. The bright glow of a laser scalpel quickly appeared and they made an emergency incision between her ribs to let the trapped air escape.
Once they got her breathing again, she was loaded onto the back of the waiting med truck and they took off. Poe was left to follow behind on the back of a ship technician's speeder bike.
--------------------------------------
He sprinted into the medbay only a few moments after Hol was rushed in on the hover gurney. Bypassing the waiting area and going directly through the sliding double doors was unusually easy. In hindsight it should have struck him as odd that no one stopped him, but the overstretched med staff meant that no one paid him any mind when he planted himself against the back wall in triage.
As promised, Kalonia’s team was already primed and waiting to receive her. Poe had to crane his neck to be able to see, but he counted at least seven different med techs helping transfer her over to the exam bed.
They began working like a well calibrated machine, her dirty flight suit was sliced open and quickly stripped away. As soon as they were connected, the more sophisticated diagnostic scanners lit up and began  displaying the worst of her injuries. Images of her chest cavity were produced on a monitor near the end of the exam bed, along with her vitals.
From where he stood, Poe was able to catch Hol’s foot beginning to subtly twitch. He wondered initially if he had just imagined the movement, but the surrounding med staff began to take notice as well.
“Eyes are beginning to flutter, she might be starting to come around.”  
Dr. Kalonia took a step back as her staff continued their work. She pulled aside the young medic who had been down in the cockpit with Poe. He began rattling off the details of Hol’s condition when found and how exactly she was transported. After a couple of minutes he began gesturing over his shoulder in Poe’s direction, causing Kalonia to promptly look up. Her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of him standing back by the door. 
Shit…
His back stiffened in preparation for an argument that never came.
“Dameron, get over here!”
She issued the instruction like an admiral as she pointed him over to the top of the exam bed.
He didn't think, he just immediately crossed over. The moment he was within reach, she grabbed hold of his arm and brought him to stand where she was.
“Do exactly what you did down at the crash site, alright? Talk to your pilot. Keep her calm.”
Hol’s head gently lolled to the side on the padded exam table, her face slack and eyes half-lidded. She went still once more just as he took his place. He cupped her face in his hands, noting how cool and clammy her skin felt against his palms.
Kalonia stood to his right, a penlight ready in her hand to test the reaction of her patient’s pupils.
“C’mon, Tarmin…” She called while carefully tugging open Hol’s eyelid.
Immediately, there was a weak moan, greatly muffled by the respirator mask. Hol tried to roll away from the touch, but Poe’s hands braced either side of her head.
“Hey, hey- it's okay. Easy, kid, easy.” He whispered, holding her in place just long enough for Kalonia to work.
“Settle down, Lieutenant.” The doctor spoke as she pulled away. “You crash landed on D’Qar. You’re in medical.”
Poe didn't let go once she finished. He continued cradling Hol's head, his short nails scratching at her scalp in some attempt at providing comfort.
Her body was fully exposed under the surgical lights, revealing the extent of the damage that he wasn't able to see back in the cockpit. The bruising along her abdomen and rib cage was mostly black, as if there were large ink blots staining her skin. There were blaster grazes on her right side, localized swelling where her right forearm was clearly fractured, wounds in her lower abdomen...
So much of it jumped out at once, he found it hard to focus on any one injury long enough. He began to wonder just what sort of state she was in before the crash.
Hol emitted another faint groan, one where he could distinctly hear a wheezing sound that came from deep in her chest. Her body jerked from the force of a cough. Red flecks of blood appeared inside the clear respirator mask.
Slowly, she began to blink against the lights. A worry line formed in the center of her forehead.
"No...n-no… "
It was hoarse and strained, but everyone standing around caught the audible plea. Hol's good hand suddenly lifted in an attempt to bat away those touching her.
Dr. Kalonia cursed.
"Restrain her! I'm trying to insert a chest catheter here!”
Padded white cuffs were produced and promptly attached around each of her limbs, securing her to the exam bed.
"Hol, look at me." Poe commanded. He cupped her jaw as he leaned directly over her, giving her no choice but to comply. He made himself the only thing she had to look at. His shadow worked to shield her eyes from the glaring overhead lights while also blocking her view of the med staff.
Her gaze was glassy and unfocused, but she was thankfully looking at him.
"You've got to relax." He urged, his hand smoothing her tangled hair back off her face as he spoke. "We’re trying to patch you up, alright? Let us help."
She blinked at the sound of his voice, and though the distress on her face didn't fade, she went still on the exam bed. Her eyes remained set in his direction.
"There you go, sunshine..." Poe quietly praised, using once again the affectionate name he knew she absolutely hated. "Keep those eyes on me, don't worry about anything else."
His attention never left her, but he was aware that Kalonia and another med tech were beginning to work at prepping the incision site to insert the chest tube. He wasn't convinced that Hol recognized who he was or even that she was somewhere safe, but he couldn't risk her getting freaked out by the procedure being performed on her chest.
There was still visible fear in her eyes, but she never looked away from him. Her struggling thankfully ceased as she began to lean into one of his palms bracing the side of her face.
"You're safe, you know that?" He found himself reminding her. The pads of his thumbs traced over the outer shells of her ears, trying again to ease the visible discomfort he saw etched in her face. "Promise you, babe. You're good, we've got you."
Hol winced before swallowing. His brow furrowed as he watched her lips suddenly part.
“Poe…"
Her voice was painfully raw, and normally the sound of her saying his name would have been reason for relief, but he only worried that she was wasting her energy trying to talk.
“Yeah, hey, Hol.” He greeted in a whisper, dipping just enough to brush his lips to her hairline. "It's me. I'm right here."
He frowned when she tried to say something more, something longer and impossible to parse.
"Shh-hey, no, that's enough. Don't want you to talk anymore." He gently scolded. "We’re going to do like before, okay? You relax while I run my mouth.”
Poe doubted she remembered their conversation down in the cockpit, but she thankfully fell silent. Her eyes remained on him as he kept quietly talking to her, blabbering on about how lucky she was to get out of briefings and inventory duty for the next few weeks, about how she was going to sit back on the medbay's best painkillers and watch the trashiest holovids he could find.
He knew deep down that she probably wasn't following him entirely, but he was trying to reassure himself at this point more than her. He was keenly aware that none of what he was saying was guaranteed, but he had to give himself something to hold on to, because imagining anything else simply was not an option for him. 
She had to pull through this.
She had to be fine.
Minutes passed like that, Hol's unfocused gaze trained on Poe's face as he worked at keeping her distracted. Kalonia was able to successfully insert the temporary catheter into Hol's chest, which would assure the function of her uninjured lung until they could patch up the other.
Poe listened closely as a medtech outlined all of the crucial information, providing him with the rough plan of how her treatment would proceed. Once they finished stabilizing her most grave injuries, she would be taken back for surgery. There would be some additional testing after, which would take a couple of hours...
The explanation suddenly stopped short when an alarm began to sound from one of the machines. The level of the urgency in the room immediately started to bubble over.
"Heart rate is increasing!" Someone announced.
Poe visibly paled as he watched Hol's eyes roll backward. His hands still bracing her head, he desperately looked up at the med staff, searching for some kind of instruction.
"Dameron, out!"
Kalonia swooped in and firmly shouldered him out of the way.
Before he could object, a med droid approached and began to usher him towards the door.
"Doc, what's going on?" He demanded, sidestepping the mechanical arms reaching for his shirt. "What's wrong?"
His question went ignored. Hold was entirely obscured from his view. There were too many people now surrounding the exam bed.
"She's seizing! Start anticonvulsants and prepare for a transfusion!"
"Master Dameron, the team needs to prepare the patient for surgery. You must leave."
The med droid's pincers whirred as it closed in on Poe.
"Don't tell me what I have to do!" He snapped, the outline of his jaw more pronounced as he spoke through clenched teeth.
In a moment of sheer stupidity, he pushed back hard against the unforgivingly solid metal chest. He clearly forgot that these droids were built to easily lift the deadweight of critically ill patients of any species.
The mechanical arms tightly wrapped around him, securing his own arms to his sides. They closed, crushing him flush against the droid's metal body. The gesture was completed so quickly that he could feel the air being forced out of his own chest.
Poe feebly kicked, but it was useless. The droid easily hauled him back out through the double doors and towards the waiting area.
________________________
The word about who crash-landed into the trees traveled like wildfire across base. All of black squadron, Finn, BB-8, several of the x-wing techs and pilots from various outfits formed a large group just outside of the medbay. Each of them had duties elsewhere that they were purposefully ignoring, choosing out of loyalty to be present while one of their own hung in some grave state between life and death. They were the ones who threw back countless drinks in the mess hall together, who organized a massive fantasy Gravball league that nearly sent the entire Resistance into chaos, and who pooled their commissary credits to throw each other birthday parties.
They were all present to witness the painful moment Poe was forcibly escorted out of the sliding double doors leading to triage.
"Shit!-alright, alright! Let go!" His shouts ricocheted down the hallway as he finally managed to yank himself free. The force of the motion caused him to promptly fall to the floor.
The others watched as he quickly scrambled up from the ground, stumbling and hurrying to kick at the back of the retreating med droid.
He missed, which only served to enrage him further. The doors promptly closed behind the droid and Poe spun around— his mouth set in a tight line while he began to inexplicably search his surroundings. His chest rose and fell for several beats. His face twisted into a sneer before he abruptly lashed out at the nearest object, sending a trashcan flying with his boot. The steel barrel was thankfully empty, but the sharp clang sent a shockwave across the medbay.
The few people waiting in the sitting area immediately stood up to vacate the space.
Finn was the first to take a step forward to intervene, but he was halted by a large hand on his arm. He turned his head to see Snap, skin still humid as if he came straight from the refresher.
"Best to stand back and let it pass." The pilot urged with a sad shake of his head. "His scenes are never pretty."
Finn didn't want to agree, but as he stood and watched the scene unfolding before them he couldn't find any reason to argue. Snap and the others would know better. They did know. 
Poe’s hands were pressed to the back of his head, his fingers laced together as he glared at the closed doors. He could have easily pushed his way back through, but he inexplicably remained where he stood. His eyes shot a deadly amount of spite toward whatever was happening on the other side of those doors— information that, for the time being, only he knew. 
His arms fell heavily to his sides. Ignoring the uneasy looks following him, he turned and traipsed over to the first row of waiting chairs, silently throwing himself down onto one of the seats.His legs stretched out while he leaned back, his arms folded over his chest.
He continued to stare at the doors, a hard glint in his eyes for the faceless goliath wrecking untold damage on the other side.
The others slowly filtered over to join him in the waiting area. A supportive hand would occasionally grip his shoulder or linger on his knee, but no one said anything. Those unvoiced questions sat heavy above their heads.
BB-8 remained near Poe’s feet, unusually still and silent.
Hours grudgingly crawled by. The light outside faded away and began to just barely creep back over the horizon when someone finally came out to speak to them.
Poe was the only one to be escorted back behind the double doors. Dr. Kalonia stood there waiting for him, still dressed in some of her surgical garb. Thankfully, her mask was off, because her facial expression alone was able to answer his most crucial question.
She was alive.
Kalonia began to turn before she motioned for him to come along.
"Follow me, Dameron..."
________________________
They walked together down the main hallway of the medical wing, back to where Poe knew the overnight patient beds were located. He remained silent as Kalonia gave the run through of everything— what exactly happened when he was forced out of triage and what they were able to correct during surgery. Internal bleeding was what caused Hol to begin seizing. They performed a blood transfusion that stabilized her enough to undergo surgery, but they hadn’t been confident that she would make it through. The surgery itself took hours, but they were successfully able to localize and stop the bleeding in her abdomen and patch up her punctured lung. They installed a more substantial drainage tube in her chest to allow excess air and fluids to escape so her lung could continue to heal.
She would need to be kept asleep so her body could focus on repairing itself, but Kalonia was going to let Poe see her while they performed some additional tests.
They came to a stop just before the smallest room along the hallway. Due to space constraints on base, most of the rooms along this corridor housed multiple beds. This room was only for patients in a bad enough state to justify being kept isolated from others.
Kalonia stood aside to let him enter first.
They had Hol lying half-covered on an exam bed, her chest was mostly obscured by bandages. The first thing he noticed was that she was clean now, so much so that it made his head spin. 
It shouldn’t have been such a surprise, because of course they were going to scrub away the blood and grime before putting her on fresh bedding. But still, the contrast from when he found her sitting strapped in that downed ship was startling.
Several machines were attached to her body. She was hooked up to a respirator and receiving fluids intravenously, but Poe also caught sight of the aforementioned drainage tube extending from a patch of bandages in her side. It ran all the way over the edge of the bed into a receptacle on the floor. Her injured arm was wrapped in bacta strips and immobilized with a splint.
He remained a few feet away from her bed, a distance that he decided would be safe, because it felt too dangerous to touch her. His eyes slowly took in every piece of equipment being used to keep her stable, at first he began to count but stopped himself when he reached double digits.
His brow furrowed the moment he noticed the padded white cuffs still attaching Hol's wrists to the bed frame.
"Why is she still strapped down?" He demanded, his voice oddly distorted from hours of not speaking.
"It’s just a precaution for now.” Kalonia began to explain, seeming to choose her words cautiously. “She’s still on anticonvulsants to help reduce the likelihood of further seizures, but even while sedated there are still some tremors. With the location of the drainage tube we can’t risk her moving too violently or ripping it out when she wakes.” 
Poe blinked, taking a moment to process the information. 
"How long does she have to keep the tube?”
“No more than 2 to 3 days.” 
He nodded while he chewed on his lower lip, his eyes still trained on Hol. 
“Look, Dameron…” 
She interrupted his thoughts in a gentle tone that was meant to be comforting, but it only made the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight. Dr. Kalonia was known for ruthlessly running the medbay like a battleship. They went back far too long, he knew to brace for the worst whenever she started to go soft.
Poe turned to face her, the pit of dread he felt low in his stomach was only growing. He would have given anything in that moment for them to fall into their traditional roles, for him to be the one injured and for her to be yelling at him. - Dammit, Dameron! Either make yourself useful or get the hell out of my medbay!
But she only continued to speak in that horribly gentle tone.
“As Tarmin’s commanding officer, there is something else that you should know.”
She walked him around to the opposite side of the bed, where there was noticeably less tubing.
“During the examination before her surgery, I noticed some smaller injuries that made me order full lab work.”
He watched as she lifted the bit of blanket covering Hol’s legs. 
“I found infected injection sites on the insides of her arms and thighs, then these small circular burns on her ankles.”
Immediately Poe began to understand the rationale behind her delicate words.
He'd seen those marks on more than a few Resistance members who managed to escape capture. He sported similar ones himself after being captured on Jakku...after the Finalizer.
“We found traces of antipsychotics, nerve agents, and truth serum in her system.” Kalonia continued to explain. 
He bowed his head as he listened, the sour taste of bile was creeping up in the back of his mouth. He pinched the bridge of his nose while the facts began to register in his mind. His teeth clamped down on the inside of his cheek, he forced himself to slowly exhale.
"There are chafe marks on her body from restraints. The partial break to her humerus looks like it's from prolonged strain during intero—"
He couldn’t let her fully pronounce the word. 
"Alright!”
He didn't have it in him to yell anymore, but the tension in his voice filled the space like a streak of lightning.
To her credit, Kalonia never flinched at the sound. She stood patiently, unwavering, her face neutral as she watched him. An uneasy silence settled over the room.   
He took a shaky breath, being mindful to adjust his tone before continuing.
“It’s okay.” He spoke softly, voice trembling despite his efforts. “I-I got it, Doc.” 
He turned to face away as he desperately tried to calm the tightening in his throat. The corners of his eyes were sharply stinging. The best he could do to regain control was to continue biting down hard on the inside of his mouth, inhaling and exhaling through his nose.
After a couple of minutes he scrubbed both hands over his stubbled face. With the heels of his palms he rubbed at his eyes until he saw stars. Slowly, much too slowly for his liking, he was able to push his own agony down enough to recenter.
Poe turned to face Kalonia once more. He cleared his throat. 
“She's not going to be in too much pain when she wakes up?” He demanded. “You can keep her comfortable, right?”
She pointed his attention to the IV stand by the head of the exam bed.
"I can't promise when she wakes up that she won't be in some pain, but we can adjust the medication through her drip and it'll take effect almost immediately."
He nodded. His hand combed through his hair before he slowly approached the bedside once more.
Poe stood and watched Hol's face for several minutes. He searched hard for any signs of movement or distress but found nothing. Her features were mercifully still and serene for the moment. She was protected under the fog of artificial sleep.
“How long are you going to keep her under?”
The question was spoken in a near whisper. 
“Depends on her vitals, but at least a day, maybe two.”
Kalonia took the time to show him her vitals displayed on the monitor near the head of the bed, providing a brief explanation of what the numbers currently meant. For the moment, everything hovered just barely inside the acceptable range. It was far from ideal, but it was at least temporarily stable. They would have to see over the next few days how she progressed.
While standing there together, they witnessed a ripple of stiff movement pass through Hol’s limbs.
“Whoa…” Poe visibly straightened, alarm written on his face as he began to think the worst.
Kalonia’s hand found his arm.
“Those movements aren’t another seizure.” She assured him. “It’s a residual effect from nerve agent exposure. Think of it like the nerves in her body recalibrating.”
Poe nodded in quiet understanding, but all he could think about was the excuse Kalonia gave him earlier for keeping Hol restrained— how she didn’t want her to hurt herself. There was some logic behind it, he could admit that much. But now that he knew some of what happened to her, he could barely stomach the idea.
They allowed him to stay in Hol’s room overnight. Kalonia had a cot brought in for him to sleep on, but only under the condition that he promised two things: to use the refresher across the hall and to actually get some sleep.
When he was finally alone with her he felt oddly numb. There in the nearly dark ward of the medbay, he stood over Hol’s bed and just watched her. It took several minutes for him to work up the courage to approach, but he did it. His hand briefly rested on the metal railing, as if he was grounding himself before he finally reached to touch her.
His fingers snaked between her own as he slotted his hand over her's. Immediately he realized that her skin felt strangely warm, prompting him to reach up and feel the side of her face. A quick look at her vitals confirmed his suspicions, she had a low-grade fever beginning to form. 
Poe made a note to point it out to one of the medtechs when they would come to make their rounds. He touched her hand once more before he stepped back to take a seat on the unfolded cot.
From there he watched her rest. He felt the heavy pull of exhaustion on his body, but sleep was the last thing he wanted for himself. His mind was all over the place, thinking about too many things at once.
Leia would come to visit her soon. He knew that much. Once she was past the worst and strong enough to speak, they would make her issue a report and do a formal debrief in front of Leia and her counsel.
It would be long and grueling. She would have to relive everything in great detail and be thoroughly questioned. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know all of the facts himself, but he definitely knew that he didn’t want to put her through having to recount it too many times. Those meetings were meant to be classified, but it wouldn’t take long before everyone would know.
Poe so desperately wished that he could save her from that part—when everyone on base would begin to look at her differently. He knew that it was inevitable though. While he sat there next to her bed, watching over her while she slept, he could only think about what was to come.
He knew that for however long she stayed asleep in this room, she was at least protected from all that was waiting out there. The thought comforted him some, even if it was only temporary.
He also knew that the two of them needed to talk about a lot of things once she woke up.
Her position in Black Squadron needed to be rethought. It was a massive understatement to say that her flying under him was unethical. Before Hol left for Batuu they tried to be discreet about their relationship. They both told themselves that they were doing a good enough job keeping things secret, a delusion that went well past the point of denial. They thought their regular heated arguments in front of the others and their general refusal to touch each other would provide ample cover, but their sneaking off to fuck in supplies closets hadn't always been the most covert. But now that she was back, Poe was ready to throw discretion out the window. 
There were without a doubt other positions for her as a pilot, other opportunities, but it was going to be difficult convincing her. Making her understand that it wasn’t a punishment would be delicate.
He would talk it over with Leia, with some of the other squadron leaders. He would confess that he was the one in the wrong, and readily accept whatever disciplinary action came his way. They would figure something out for Hol. They had to.
Poe knew he also owed her an apology. He could have handled things differently when she volunteered for the mission, he could have spoken his mind while remaining supportive. His only memories of that conversation were just of him dressing her down, desperately trying to pull rank as a last ditch effort to keep her from leaving by herself.
The truth was that he was so fucking proud of her. During the weeks she was gone he had been livid, walking around with anger bubbling under his skin at all times. But now all he wanted was for her to hear how proud he felt, because he didn't want to leave her with those memories of their final argument.
She kept her head cool and found her way back. She survived whatever hell she fell into and fought her way out. He still couldn’t wrap his head around how she managed to pull off the execution of that landing. She had one broken arm, was trying to evade being hit with no comms system, all while coming in on fumes.
A medtech came by a couple of hours later, which woke Poe out of a light sleep.
He sat up and watched from his cot as they administered medication, checked the tubes and wires around her body to make sure nothing was out of place. 
He mentioned the fever, which thankfully hadn't climbed any higher. They started her on another course of antibiotics.
“She looks peaceful, doesn’t she?” They asked him at one point.
The very moment he heard the word a bitter taste spread across his entire tongue, making his mouth twist downward in a frown. He knew they meant well enough, but his head still snapped around to look at them in disbelief.
Because "peaceful" had never been Hol. 
Conniving.
Stubborn.
Impulsive.
A pain in his ass.
There were easily ten dozen choice adjectives he and quite a few others on this base could use to describe Hol Tarmin, but peaceful was definitely not one.
Peaceful was a word that people used to describe the dead. 
And his girl wasn’t fucking dead. 
The very idea was something he couldn’t dwell on for too long, because of the way his foundation had very nearly crumbled during those weeks she was gone. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt panic the way he had at the crash site, thinking at any moment he would be forced to helplessly watch while she slipped away from him, like watching water slowly leak out of his cupped hands.
It felt selfish to have those thoughts while she was lying there in front of him, but he was keenly aware of how impossibly lucky they were to get her back — how impossibly lucky he was.
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d0wnb4df0rf1cm3n · 1 year
Text
Always been you.
Poe Dameron x AFAB!Reader
Summary: Miscommunications happen. Less so when you work in communications, but they happen.
Word Count: 4.8K
Warnings: Slight blood warning, a smidge of angst, and a handful of smut :)
AN: This one's been sat in the drafts for a while. I can't lie, the whole time I was writing this I was thinking about popcorn - so imma go get myself some. Enjoy! (P.S. requests are open!!)
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Home meant different things to different people. To some, it meant green rolling hills and the sound of wild animals running through the forests, some hunting, some hiding. To some, it looked more like the cold cityscapes of somewhere like Corellia or Daiyu - where day could be night and night could be day because the city never slept. More like the planet never slept.
To you, home meant a dark room in the back of the compound on D'Qar, where you sat for hours on end. It meant the whirring of plane engines and the whooshing of blast doors. It meant ration meals and celebrating when there were enough jogan fruits in season to make jogan fruitcake. It meant the constant fear that someone you loved may not come home.
You had grown up on Dantooine, maintaining the old rebel base there with your father - an ex-pilot with the rebellion. He'd taught you all about the world of space flight and you'd decided early on that maybe you preferred the ground. Oh, the irony.
At 19, you moved to Coruscant - under no threat from enemies, the base on Dantooine was not needed. You moved away to find a job that could give a life of comfort. Maybe you just needed some excitement in your life that didn't involve exploding wires or stealing your dad's glasses.
When General Organa started recruiting for the resistance, you were one of the first ones there. You distanced yourself from your father's legacy, not wanting the pressure of being someone's someone to be held over your head.
You settled into the anonymity of comms comfortably, making decent friends with your co-workers.
Days came and went working for the resistance. Soon enough, you'd been for a year, and then 2, and then it had been so long since you'd left Dantooine that you could barely remember what your life was like there.
The cantina was empty when you walked in. To your knowledge, black and blue squadrons were out on a field mission, but no one else was in sight. You walked around the base, looking for any signs of life. Dear Maker, had they all evacuated and forgotten about you.
You walked over to the med wing, hoping to see someone. And you saw, well, everyone. Apparently, half of those on base had come down with food poisoning. Wonderful.
You were called in to speak with General Organa, who assigned you double and triple shifts, considering you were the only one of 6 comms officers who hadn't come down with food poisoning. Wonderful.
You had spent all day, without rest, in comms, checking data logs for gold squadron, assisting in decoding transmission, and helping base mechanics with routine repairs. Essentially a normal day in the office, but six-fold the responsibilities. You went to bed, with your head swimming with responsibilities for the next day - hopefully, someone would be able to help you.
You woke up to the sound of your alarm blaring loudly. You groggily headed to the cantina for a cup of Caf before heading back to comms.
You picked some undecoded transmissions, before starting on some reports for General Organa. You barely had enough time to stop for a meal, grabbing the first thing you could see before heading back to comms.
Black and Blue squadron were currently MIA. They had radioed in earlier in the morning saying they were ok without radio connection while there was a shortage of comms officers. Still, it didn't mean you weren't worried about them.
"Black Leader to Base, come in."
You scrambled over to your headset and plugged it into the system, "Alpha 4 to Black Leader, you're a go for Base. What seems to be the problem?"
"We're running low on fuel, any republic supporters in the outer rim?" Poe's voice came through as you tried to lock on to his location.
"Where you are, the chances are slim, Black Leader." You sighed, as his location pops up on the screen. He was so far in the Outer Rim, where so many remained Empire supporters. Even with many ports on neighbouring planets, there were few ways that they could make it out of them safely.
You had an idea. "Black Leader, can you make a single jump."
"Just about."
"I'll send the coordinates, get ready to jump."
While Black and Blue Squadron jumped, you connected another line.
"Hi, dad."
"Hi, sweetheart." Your father's tired voice rang through the headset, "What can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, dad-"
"It's ok, sweetheart. What do you need?"
"I have 2 squadrons that need fuel. Any chance you could help?"
"Of course, sweetheart. In fact, I've just seen them enter the atmosphere."
"Thanks, dad. Love you."
"I love you too."
Your dad cut the line to go and help the pilots. You swallowed the lump in your throat. You always felt guilty asking your father for help. He never quite knew how to say no.
You stayed up well into the early hours of the morning, signing off paperwork and compiling mission reports for Captain Dameron and Captain Wexley to sign off on.
In fact, you had worked so late that you heard Black and Blue Squadron's land the next morning. You heard them raucously walk through the halls to the cantina. You sighed. A small break wouldn't do any harm, right?
Wrong. As soon as you got up, a beeping from your headset rang through the room. General Holdo needed some data to do with her mission, so you were back to sifting through mission reports to send her what she needed.
By the time, you had signed off with her, Jak (one of your fellow comms officers) strolled into comms.
He ruffled your hair affectionately, "You're a legend, four."
You had known Jak since your days on Coruscant. You had shared an apartment when you were new to the city and he really showed you the ropes. You probably wouldn't be as trusted by the resistance as you were, had it not been for Jak.
"How are you feeling?" You asked, eyes still trained on the screen.
"I'm fine." He settled down next to you, grabbing a headset, "You, on the other hand, have seen better days. Maker, have you even looked at yourself in the mirror!"
You punched him in the arm, "My name's not Captain I-cannot-survive-without-my-mirrors Dameron." He feigned an injury, falling onto the floor and hollering in pain. The delirium of sleep deprivation was getting you, as you doubled over in fits of giggles, tears streaming down your face.
In fact, you were laughing so hard, you didn't even hear Captain Dameron walk in.
"What's so funny?" He said, walking in and clapping Jak on the back. The two of you looked at each other, and burst into more fits of giggles. "You know what, I'm just not going to ask." Jak handed him the stack of papers that you had left for him to sign off.
Dameron walked out with the sheets, and you stood up to stretch your back. "You should get some food in you," Jak nods towards the Cantina, "I can hold the fort down until you get back."
The cantina is practically empty when you walk in, and you grab a sandwich before heading back to comms. What greets you is a relieving sight. Two of the other comms officers have returned to comms.
"You look rough," Drex said, nursing a healing tonic from med bay. Clearly, they were still suffering the after-effects of the food poisoning.
"So, I've been told," you elbowed Jak in the ribs as he laughed heartily. You sat down and returned to the paperwork you had left behind. A connection came in, which Jak responded to immediately.
After a beat, he beckoned you over, handing you the headset, "It's your favourite. Captain Dameron."
You let out a huff, before putting the headset on. You sat down.
"Alpha 4 for Black Leader, you're a go."
"Well, hello, my new favourite comms officer. How are you on this fine morning?" He said, smugness colouring his tone as he prepared to take off.
"I hope you aren't trying to flirt with me, Poe?" You smirked through your question.
"Oh, I am. I most definitely am." Poe laughed.
"How unfortunate for you." Poe laughed again.
You led him through his routine surveillance trip, making funny quips throughout. Poe responds almost exclusively through chortles and guffaws.
"How come I've never actually spoken to you on base?"
"I don't know, maybe because you've always got one of those pretty girls on your arm?"
"Oh, you're real pretty, Alpha 4, just gotta give me a chance, hun." Poe thought you were pretty.
You laugh again, "In your dreams, Captain."
There was a beat of silence, before Poe piped up, "someone special at home?" You swallow guiltily.
Ever since you first met Poe, you had been head over heels in love with him. Sure he was good-looking, and his reputation in the bedroom preceded him, but beyond that, he was charming, funny, and he cared. About everyone. Not just his superiors, or his friends, but even stupid kids who had no idea what they were doing when they landed on base.
You thought of his face, his beautifully warm brown eyes, his stupidly floppy hair, "Yeah, someone real special. I'm just hoping he'll give me a chance back on base."
"He'd be stupid not to."
"You're just saying that."
"I mean it, 4, he'd have to be blind to not see what a catch you are." You can tell by Poe's tone that he is being genuine.
"Thanks, Poe, you're clear to return to base. See on the other side."
You hear Poe land as you head back to your room. He calls your name as he is walking.
"Hey, 4, wait up!" You wait patiently as he, and BB8, catch up to you. "About this guy."
"Poe, let it go."
"I'm serious, 4. I can help you get that date."
"No, I mean it, Poe. Let it go. You can't help me here." You stare straight into his eyes. Big mistake. You get lost easily, wanting to let the warmth cocoon you into a false safety until the rest of eternity.
You shake yourself back to reality, walking away from him and leaving him confused and annoyed.
Days pass, and you find that Poe has pushed himself further and further away from you. You were still his chosen comms officer, but he avoided you on the base. You felt bad. He'd practically confessed that he thought you were pretty and you'd turned him away, letting him believe that there was someone you were pining after. Even though that person was Poe.
You had tried to talk to Poe before he went on a mission alone to Coruscant, but he walked away, feigning that he was busy. He even deflected your questions in the air, and turned his transmission signal off when he got to Coruscant. You were fuming.
How dare he put himself in danger with no chance of backup?
Realistically, your anger wasn't anger at all. You were worried for Poe. Even if he wasn't your Poe.
You vowed to have that conversation with him when he returned.
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Poe couldn't stop thinking about you. He hadn't since he first spoke to you about 6 months ago. Before that, he just thought you were pretty. But once he realised that, not only were you beautiful, but you were also smart and had a sarcasm to match his, well he was a goner.
When you told him, that there was someone else, he saw red. He wanted to put his first through the fucker's face, but goddammit, he would do anything to help you.
So he offered to help you get that date. It was a mostly harmless offer, and he didn't really expect you to take him up on it, but he put it out there nonetheless.
What he didn't expect was for you to raise your voice and storm away. He was shocked.
He figured he overstepped some undrawn boundary, and he felt guilty. So he tried to give you space, give you distance. He'd give you anything if you even mentioned it once. But, jealousy took over his previously well-intentioned thoughts. If you wanted someone else, fine, you could have them. But Poe couldn't watch you get them.
He didn't want to take the mission on Coruscant. He wasn't a spy, he was a flamboyant and show-off-y pilot. But he didn't want to see you in another man's arms. So he took it.
That was what landed him in his current predicament: tied to a chair in the basement of one Zek Shadej - an ex-smuggler who turned to an arms dealership for the higher paycheck.
Zek slaps Poe. He demands, once again, to know what a pilot for the Resistance is doing at a gala for the low lives of the galaxy. He didn't word it that way but the sentiment still stands. Poe says nothing, just spitting a mixture of blood and saliva at Zek's shoes. Zek curses and heads to the door: "I'm done with him. Dispose of him."
The guards left in the room stalk toward him, blasters unsheathed and ready to fire. Poe uses the pin you gave him to cut through the ropes binding his hands.
It was his fifth birthday on base, he reckoned. With different systems, and different lengths of orbits, it was hard to know for sure, but he knew the rest of Black Squadron were planning his celebration for today. So he remained in bed, lying on top of the sheets, head propped up on his arm.
A gentle knock rang through his room. He'd told the person to come in, and you did. Armed with a giddy smile and a small wrapped package. Poe had no idea where you had found wrapping paper, or why you would buy him a present but here you were.
"Jess said it was your birthday today. Thought I'd give you something neat." You said, approaching him nervously. He swung his legs and sat upright, pulling your arm so you were standing right in front of him. He looks up at you through his eyelashes, taking in your kind face. You and Poe were hardly friends, but how he wished you could be more.
"So, what did you get for me, pretty girl?" Poe rests his callous hardened hands on your hips - he liked the feel of your soft skin under his palms. He also liked how sensitive you were to his touch - your flushed expression and lust-filled gaze confirmed it.
You handed him the small parcel, "I hope you like it."
He takes it from you, pulling you to sit beside him. He opens it with careful hands to find a small pin. A Yavin Parakeet. Poe's favourite bird.
"They used to symbolise freedom. Like you do." You whispered the last part.
Poe had never wanted to kiss you so much.
Poe threw the chair he had been sitting on at one of the guards. He landed on the floor with a loud groan, his blaster skidding to a halt at Poe's feet. It was Poe's lucky day.
He shot the other 2 guards, dashing out of the basement onto the catering floor. He escaped through a back door, a few of the staff giving his bloody face and dishevelled appearance a double look. He sprinted through the streets to a docking station a few miles east. Zek sent a few men after him, but Poe was smart, and he knew Coruscant well. He dodged the men, and fired up his X-wing. He had Leia's intel safely stored in his shirt pocket.
His X-wing was severely damaged - his landing gear compromised and the transmission antenna bent at an awkward angle. He took off precariously - he knew he'd have to stop somewhere to fix the ship and refuel. He remembered the old outpost on Dantooine. Your dad's outpost.
He lightspeed jumped into the sector, breaking through the atmosphere mere seconds later. The landing was rough and he saw your father running towards the ship, blaster raised.
"Come out, slowly and unarmed. Do anything I don't like the look of, and I shoot."
"It's me. It's Poe. I came by a couple of days ago. I promise I mean no harm."
The old man lowered his blaster. He tucked his shoulder under Poe and helped him inside, "Let's get you looked at, son." Despite the pain, Poe smiled. Son. He liked that.
Your father patched Poe up, offering him a nice meal and a shower. While Poe cleaned up, your father called you.
"Hey, dad, what can I do for you?" You respond, your brain still focussed on the transmissions you were decoding.
"I wouldn't call if it wasn't necessary-"
"I know, Dad. What do you need?"
"I got one of your guys," your ears pricked up, "and his ship is damaged. I need to know how to fix it. Think you can help?"
"Yeah, of course. I don't remember sending anyone your way though, think you can tell me who it is?"
Your dad grunts as he climbs up the ladder, radio tucked under his chin, "yeah, it's the pretty boy from a few days ago. The captain. Can't remember his name."
"It's Dameron. Who're you talking to?" Poe comes out wiping his hands on a towel. Despite this man being your father, years in the resistance had warned him against trusting strangers.
"My daughter. She's telling me how to fix your ship."
"4? I wouldn't trust her anywhere near my ship."
"I heard that you know," you laughed. You brought up the specs for the X-wing, "I'll send you a copy of the spec - that's probably more useful than anything I have to say."
Your dad laughed and you sent him the specs.
"Good luck, boys," you ended the transmission.
The rest of the day was spent fixing the ship. Poe and your dad made good small talk - they were both pilots. They had a lot in common. They also both loved you. They had that in common too.
"Go clean up, Poe. I'll make us dinner." Your father said, standing up and heading toward the kitchen. Poe smiled. He liked this life.
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Poe was back on base by nightfall the next day. You waited for him as he got checked up on in med, and then you walked with him to his room. The silence was deafening.
You followed him into his room, watched his every movement. He milled about, putting on clean clothes, washing his hands, and combing through his hair. His whole body was still tensed up from the mission - you wanted to stop him, hug him, do something. But you couldn't. He didn't want you near him. He was angry at you, and rightfully so.
"Your dad's nice." You looked up at him. Poe still had his back turned, but his shoulder had relaxed. You wanted to run your fingers down his back. "Peculiar, but nice."
You smiled softly, "He's lonely. Not that fun living on an abandoned base in the middle of nowhere."
Poe sat down on his chair, and you walked towards him. You placed your hands on his shoulder, gently soothing the knots out of his muscles. He leaned his head back, a low moan of satisfaction left his throat. The sound went straight through your body, eliciting shivers.
"Talk to me. Tell me what went wrong," you whispered in his ear, not wanting to break the calmness that swept through the room.
Poe shook his head, bringing you in front of him. He leaned his head against your stomach, hands coming to rest at your hips. You tangled your fingers in his hair, and he grunted in appreciation. You shivered again.
He chuckled, "you like that?" Your face blushed a bright red. Poe laughed again, before leaning to kiss your stomach. He kissed up through the valley in between your breasts, and up your neck. He stayed there for a minute, nipping and suckling at your neck, before making his way to your face.
He was fully standing now, his hands moved to your face, and he gently dotted kisses everywhere. Your cheeks. Your eyes, which had fallen shut at his ministrations. Your forehead, then your chin. He kissed the sides of your lips, and you let out a soft moan, begging for more.
"Greedy, are we?" He asked, his voice much lower than before. You opened your eyes to see a smug grin painted on his face. You didn't care.
You grabbed his face and brought his lips to yours. It seems he got the memo because as soon as his lips touched yours, he took over. His tongue slipped into your mouth and stroked yours gently.
He tapped your thigh gently, a signal to jump, and he carried you over to his bed, depositing you on the edge gently, dislodging his lips from yours. He knelt down in front of the bed, pulling your closer to him by your legs.
"Tell me to stop." He looked up at you, his pupils blown wide, as he took your dishevelled appearance in. Like a predator looks at his prey.
"Please don't."
He pulled your boots and cargo pants off, kissing up your legs. The arousal pooled between your legs, and you moan.
"So fucking wet, and I haven't even touched you yet." You whine pathetically, trying to pull Poe closer to where you want him. He just laughs.
"Bet the other guy couldn't do this to you. That's why you need me, ain't that right?" You whine again, "Need me to take care of you, baby girl, ain't that right?"
"Please, Poe."
"Please what, baby girl? What do you need?" Poe whispers, cheekiness glinting in his eyes.
"Please, fuck me, Poe." He smiled.
"As you wish."
He pulled your underwear down your legs and stared enamoured between your trembling things, "Such a pretty fucking pussy."
You threw your head back as he dove face-first into your folds. He kissed your mound lightly, before rubbing soothing circles around your clit. You buck up, the pleasure unlike any you've ever known, and Poe presses a hand onto your abdomen, locking you in place.
"Don't deprive me of my meal, honey," He whispers into your pussy.
He continues his assault, testing the waters of what you did and didn't like. You liked when he went fast, when he went slow, you got impatient. Maybe it was time to teach you some patience. But the low whines and moans were too much for Poe to bear. Soon your thighs were clamped around his head as you let out a loud moan, and you came undone under his touch. He lapped up every last bit of your release as if he'd been left in the deserts of Jakku without any water for years. And the moans. Oh Maker, his moans. You thought it impossible for a man to enjoy himself that much. But from the way he gripped your thighs, and pulled his body in further, you could tell he never wanted to pull away.
You laid limp on the bed as Poe stood up, and peeled his clothes off his body. You stared shamelessly. It wasn't the first time you'd seen Poe shirtless, but you'd barred yourself from staring then. Now it was allowed.
He smiled at your shameless ogling, and grabbed your hand, pulling you to stand up, pressed against him. You could feel his still-clothed cock, pushing into your abdomen, and you could feel it throbbing at the contact. You sunk down onto your knees, hands fiddling with his zipper.
He pulled you away and shook his head. "Not now."
He pushes you back onto the bed and crawls over you, his lips reconnecting to yours. He had unzipped his pants and kicked off his boots, leaving a pile on the floor.
"Tell me if it hurts." Poe kisses under your jaw before pushing inside.
Holy Maker, he's big.
His cock stretches you out deliciously. He pushes into you until he's settled within you and waits for you to adjust. The initial pain fades into pleasure and soon you're begging for him to move.
"You sound so pretty when you beg, baby. Bet you wouldn't beg for anyone else." Nevertheless, he moves.
He starts slow, getting used to feeling you around him. You want more.
"Please, Poe. Faster. Please, please, please." You beg him, screams ripping through your throat.
He picks up the pace, relentless now. Fast and hard. The room filled with the sounds of skin slapping skin, mixed together with both your moans. You feel the pressure building up and your moans get louder. Poe chased his own release as you got closer and closer to the edge.
"Poe, I'm gonna... gonna come. Please, Poe..." Poe slowed down a fraction, pulling you further from the edge. You whined pathetically.
"Tell me you're mine. Only mine." You smiled through your lust-induced haze.
"Only yours, Poe. Always yours." He picked up the pace again, and the coil begins to tighten. Poe's moans push you over the edge, and you cum hard. So hard that your whole body feels electrified, your toes curling in pleasure. Poe fucks you through your high, turning your entire body to jelly. He pulls out and shoots his ropes over your body.
You smile. You lift a finger up to your chest and lick Poe's cum off your chest, moaning at the taste. The filth of the act clearly affected Poe, as his eyes closed in pleasure. He moaned lowly, grabbing your hands and pressing kisses to them. You closed your eyes, falling back onto the bed.
Poe disappeared into the refresher, grabbing a clean towel and dampening it, before returning to clean you up. You looked confused. No one had ever done that for you before. He wiped your chest and between your thighs, before carrying you to the bathroom. You washed your face and brushed your teeth with one of the spare toothbrushes in Poe's refresher, before heading back out.
Poe was gone.
You were confused, given that he had changed his sheets and left you a spare t-shirt and pair of boxers to change into. You sat down on the edge of his bed, stretching your legs, a pleasant ache settling between them. Where the hell could he have gone?
A few seconds late, someone knocked, "Are you decent?" Poe.
"Yeah, come in." You stood up, shuffling your feet. Poe walked in, shirt almost completely undone, carrying 2 bottles of water from the cantina. Your heart almost burst.
He opened one of the bottles handing it to you, before leading you back to bed. You took a few sips, the coldness soothing your throat that was raw from screaming.
He laid back on his bed and beckoned your closer to him. You curled into his arms and reached up to fiddle with his hair. You both sat in silent reverie - taking in each other's company.
"Will I see you again?" Poe broke the silence timidly, running a knuckle over your cheek.
"You see me every day, Poe," You tease him gently, "You see me in the corridors, and in the cantina, and sometimes even after you get back from a mission." Poe slapped your ass, causing you to burst into laughter. He pulls you closer to his body.
"I mean it. Is this just a one-time thing? Given your - um - crush on the other guy?" You stay silent, "Is he a pilot? Is that why you're not telling me?" You nod your head, trying to hide your smile. You felt bad for not telling him, but it was funny.
"He's a pilot. But that's not why I'm not telling you." Poe frowns, creases appearing between his eyebrows.
"Is he a superior officer? Does he live on base?"
You decide to keep teasing him, "Yeah, he's a Captain." You look into Poe's eyes. "He's definitely my favourite person on base." Poe's frown turns into a scowl.
"He has the most beautiful brown eyes and the most amazing hair that I always want to run my fingers through," You tangle your hair in his, pulling it just the way he likes. "He's cocky, and he's so sexy. And he knows that he's sexy too." Poe tries pushing you away, rolling from his side to his back, but you just cling to him tighter. You place a kiss on his jaw and then on his ear.
"Why are you here, then? In my bed? In my clothes?" He says, jealousy and annoyance evident in his voice. You feel bad.
"You wanna know his name?"
"Not really. Then I'd know who I wanna punch, but I still wouldn't be able to do it."
"I don't really think it's possible to punch yourself." Poe turns to face you, the jealousy in his eyes fading into hope.
"What?" You just smile. "You love me?"
"I didn't lie, Poe. I'm yours. Always yours." He kisses you, hard, not giving you any space to breathe.
"You're not just saying that," He breathes, pulling away just enough to speak. You reconnect your lips to his, and he pulls you on top of him, your thighs around his torso. You look deep into his eyes, his pupils so dilated as if he couldn't get enough of you.
"It's always been you."
800 notes · View notes
vibrantbirdy · 11 months
Note
hi! i was hoping i could request a poe dameron x reader where he has a huge crush on the reader who works a small part of the resistance but he keeps making a fool of himself in front of them but the reader finds him cute anyways. thank u!!
Yes anon, thank you! This is such a cute request. I hope I've done it justice.
Requests for Character x Reader fics are currently open in my Asks. Please read the guidelines first before requesting.
-Birdy
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Title: Crush Fandom: Star Wars: Skywalker Saga Genres: Sci-Fi; Romance; Fluff Setting: Sometime later on in the Force Awakens Characters: Poe Dameron; Reader Pairings: Poe Dameron x Reader Chapters: 1/1 (Complete) Warnings: None :) Perhaps extremely mild, fluffy, sexuality Word Count: 2805
Summary: You work for the Resistance at the Base on D'Qar. Wing Commander Poe Dameron has a crush on you and he's surprisingly awkward about it...
It's late, and you are walking the empty corridors of the Resistance Base on D'Qar. You like the base at this time of night. It's peaceful and your long trips between the various offices and briefing rooms and your own place of work, the records room, give you time to think.
You're making your final trip back to the records room for the night. In your hands is a box full of data sticks and holo chips. Every time there's a skirmish, a raid, or an offensive to plot against the First Order, Resistance Officers descend upon the archive, stripping it like locusts. They are looking for information, knowledge, maps, schematics anything that might help them understand the weaponry, tech, locations and terrain they might be up against.
You have tried to explain that if they really have to take records out of the records room, they really do need to bring them back. If this information gets lost, so too does the history of the Republic, the Resistance, the First Order and its Imperial predecessor, the Galactic Empire. No one listens. You don't mind that much. It is wartime after all.
So you spend your nights too-ing and fro-ing until you've gathered up all the records left abandoned in consoles and holo readers and on the tops of desks. You really have had to burn the candle at both ends recently and you think you know why. There are whispers spreading through the base that General Organa will soon need to launch an attack on the First Order's monstrous weapon on Starkiller base.
You take pride in what you do. It's not flying an X-Wing, but it's important.
Someone who does fly an X-Wing - and does it very well - is Wing Commander, Poe Dameron. But right now, he's scrabbling about on the floor with you, trying to salvage the precious hoard of information that went flying in a shower of little plastic bits when his droid barrelled into you from the opposite direction and sent the box flying from your hands.
"BB-8!" he exclaims, bending down to scoop up handfuls of data chips and throw them in the box he has righted for you, "C'mon buddy, how many times have I told you to watch where you're rolling!"
The little round ball of orange and white metal chitters indignantly. From your sitting position on the floor, you pause in your work to reach over and give BB-8 a reassuring pat on his semi-spherical head. The droid vibrates and makes a docile purring sound. You can't help the small laugh that escapes you. You've always thought he was the cutest little astromech around.
When you raise your eyes, Dameron is staring at you, slightly open mouthed. You're seen him around the base plenty of times, but this is the first time you've really looked at him up close. His handsome face is framed by a crop of brown curls and adorned with deep set eyes that are so dark they are almost black. Still, they sparkle like a night full of stars.
Wordlessly, Dameron reaches out a free hand to you and you take it as he pulls you back onto your feet. You pick up the box and he funnels the last of the data sticks balanced precariously in the crook of his elbow into the receptacle.
"So, how come I've not seen you around before?" He asks.
"Oh, I've been here," you laugh, "I think you've probably just been too busy to notice."
"Yeah, I'm busy, not blind..." he mutters, more to himself than to you, "Uh, I mean..."
He looks awkward and you cut him off to introduce yourself and save him from his unease. Still, you feel a pleasant blush creep into your cheeks at both his insinuation and the fact that appears to be slightly flustered in your presence.
"Poe," he responds, confidence returning with a dazzling smile that you are certain must get him into trouble.
"I know," you reply, allowing yourself to give him a cheeky smirk of your own.
"Do you always walk around the base this late at night?"
"Yes," you say simply, then, after a pause, you throw the question back at him, "Do you?"
"No," he chuckles wearily and rubs the back of his neck, "Couldn't sleep."
He does look tired. Upon closer inspection, there are dark circles under his eyes and a five o'clock shadow sits upon his well-defined jaw and creeps up towards his sharp cheekbones. There have been a lot of skirmishes with the First Order lately and a lot of good pilots have been lost, pilots under Dameron's command. You feel a flash of deep sympathy for him. You don't envy the responsibility he bears and it is clearly weighing heavy on him tonight.
"Well. Goodnight, Commander," you say after a lingering but not uncomfortable pause.
You hope he'll maybe get some rest tonight at least.
He nods at you and smiles softly.
"Goodnight."
BB-8 cheeps a farewell.
************************************************
In all the time you've been on D'Qar. You've never once seen Poe Dameron, ace pilot, in the records room. Yet here he is at your desk with BB-8 in tow.
"Hello Commander, what can I help you with today?"
"I..."
Poe draws the syllable out as he leans forward conspiratorially across the desk. He raps his knuckles on its cheap plast-cast surface. He's stalling for time. He's here to see you, you realise, and it sends a giddy little thrill through your body.
"...am here for some records," he finally says and you can tell he instantly regrets it.
He attempts to give you his trademark winning smile but it's really more of an embarrassed grimace. He looks away from you with a imperceptible shake of his head that sends a few of his rich, chocolate curls spilling across his forehead. He runs his hands through his hair, sweeping the dark tendrils back off his face.
You can see that he thinks he looks stupid. He's clearly not used to it, and you want to say something to make him feel better. You think it's sweet that he's come to see you.
Was he just passing, you wonder? Or did he plan it?
You never get the chance to ask. The sudden din of the pilot scramble alert swallows any potential words you might say whole. It is accompanied, as always, by the emergency lighting system which sets off flashing red pulses throughout the entire base.
Poe Dameron doesn't move. He's studying you intently with those endless eyes that are paradoxically both dark and luminescent.
"Uh. Commander?" You point upward to the nearest emergency light which is flashing just above your head.
Slowly, as if reluctant to tear himself away, his gaze leaves your face and follows your finger up to the ceiling.
"Right," he says, then starts and looks around wildly as if he is only just hearing the blaring alarm for the first time. "Right!"
He turns and sprints away from your desk at an alarming pace, BB-8 whizzing after him. He spins clumsily halfway down the room, momentum almost sending him barrelling into a row of desks where readers can, usually, study in relative peace and quiet. A haughty looking admin officer seated nearby rolls his eyes.
"I'll be back for those records!" Poe shouts back at you, as if it's the most important promise he's ever made.
It makes you laugh, and you hope to the Force he has the opportunity to do so as he and BB-8 disappear round the corner to prepare to take to the skies into some awful fray.
"Saved by the bell, huh?"
You jump, startled out of your reverie, and turn to see your colleague Marjane who has sidled up beside you. She's a gregarious, older lady with big heart and a preference for men half her age.
"That young man has never been awkward around a woman a day in his life," she says sagely, pointing to the spot where Poe had stood moments ago as if the outline of him were still tangible, "What spell did you use and can I have it?"
You grin and hold your hands up defensively.
"He's got a crush on you," she winks slyly and walks back to her desk.
**********************************************
The next time you see Poe Dameron it's milliseconds before he crashes into you at speed in the same corridor, on the same corner where BB-8 sent you sprawling only a few weeks earlier.
You've smacked your forehead right off his sharp, chiselled cheek bone and the two of you are are nursing your wounds either side of the corridor. You are resting your sore head against the nearest cool durasteel wall, and he is leaning his back against the opposite one, holding a palm to his face which is stricken with a comical expression of surprise.
BB-8, perhaps the most compassionate droid you've even known, rolls back and forth between you both, as if unsure of who needs the most of his sympathy.
When you finally feel like you can open your eyes again without seeing stars, you turn away from the wall and find that Poe has moved to stand directly in front of you. He's wearing a white tank top and lightweight cargo pants and he has clearly been running. His broad shoulders rise and fall from his interrupted physical exertion.
A lot of the pilots keep fit by jogging through the endless maze of corridors within the labyrinthine base during the heavy torrents of rain that occasionally lash the otherwise temperate D'Qar.
"Are you ok?" he asks, concerned, and he cups your face gently in his hands with exhilarating forwardness to examine the red mark that is blossoming on your forehead.
It's a surprisingly intimate gesture. You wonder if he can feel the heat growing in your cheeks, but his hands are already warm from exercise. You can feel the course pads of his finger tips exerting a reassuring pressure against your skin.
"Force, what a shiner, I didn't know my head was that hard!"
"You've got a good one coming in too," you say, snaking your hand up between the two of you to carefully press a finger against the clear point of impact on his cheek.
"Ow!" he breaks away dramatically and you both laugh. "I'm not sure we can blame the droid this time," you say.
BB-8 chirps and wobbles cheerfully on the floor.
"No, this one's on me. I mean you too, I guess. It takes two to uh...you know..."
"Collide in a corridor?"
"Yeah, that."
There's a stilted silence and you hope he might say something more, like, wanna hang out sometime? or I know this great place to watch the stars or let's go for a joyride in my X-Wing... but he doesn't.
"Well, I better ..." he makes a little jogging motion with his arms, "Sorry about the whole running and the crashing and the headache thing."
You smile, and try to hide the little twang of disappointment you feel.
"Of course," you say, "Good evening, Commander."
He taps two fingers off his forehead in a mock salute before jogging past you in the opposite direction from your way of travel.
BB-8 doesn't follow immediately, sitting at your feet for moment longer. You look down to see his dark, glassy photoreceptor fixed on you. You shrug at him and he gives you a consolatory whirring sound before rolling off to catch up with his master.
*************************************************
It's Poe's birthday and General Organa has given everyone strict orders to have a good time. The Resistance leadership are having to launch so many sorties against the First Order lately that she's had to place a complete ban on alcohol consumption lest the pilots have to enact an emergency scramble. This doesn't appear to have dampened the mood one iota and as you enter the hanger, the party is in full swing.
The whole base has turned out, as you'd expected. The hanger is packed with people chatting and dancing. Some of the engineers have obviously been hard at work wiring up whatever miscellaneous light sources they could find to hang rustic makeshift fairy lights from the durasteel beams and support columns. The upbeat music pulses through ancient, crackling speakers and is joined melodiously with people singing and raucous bursts of laughter.
It's a glorious feeling. Wartime hasn't been easy. You all need this.
Before you can even get yourself a drink or find your friends, someone takes your hand and leads you into the crowd of dancers. Your heart skips a beat as you realise it's Poe. He's a good dancer in that way some men are - all bent knees and elbows, but somehow able to make it rhythmical. You are grinning at each other like idiots, mirroring your energies, lost in the music.
Finally, you think.
Then, without warning, somebody jostles past you and grabs Poe around the waist. Then someone else comes. And another. And another. You soon realise it's members of his fighter squadron as they cart him away from you through the hangar and outside onto the landing grounds.
You laugh as you are swept along in the stampede of excitement that follows. Of course, you remember. It's tradition amongst the flyers to soak the birthday boy or girl with the emergency fire hoses.
Finn, the ex-Stormtrooper who has recently joined the Resistance, has the courtesy to give you an apologetic smile as he races past you to join in on the action. As a close friend of Poe, you have a suspicion that he is probably more aware than the others of the moment they have just interrupted. You don't mind. Not really.
Once outside underneath D'Qar's clear night's sky, Poe barely has the chance to ready himself when four powerful jets of water are turned on him. He jumps this way and that in a futile attempt to avoid the deluge. Any time it looks like he might escape, someone grabs him and spins him around so that he redirected back to his watery fate. He is wet through in seconds.
The gigantic, gruff but beloved Second Engineer, Toko, notices BB-8 by his feet and he picks up the little droid who screeches in alarm. Poe shouts over the noise, pointing at the big man with one hand as he skips around, trying to deflect a myriad of water blasts to his face and body.
"Not my droid! NOT MY DROID!"
Everyone laughs. The Engineer, only teasing, sets the wriggling mechanical ball down gently and gives him a pat on the head.
Finally, the hoses are turned off and Poe's squad rush towards him cheering and shouting. He shakes himself violently and flicks his dripping hands over his nearest assailants. His flyers drag him to the ground and they all collapse on top of him in a soggy, giddy heap.
*************************************************
There has been a skirmish with the First Order and the atmosphere on the base has been tense all day. The sun is setting on D'Qar and finally, finally, the fighter squadrons are retuning.
You count the X-Wings as they land, your heart racing. They're all here, you realise. Every single one of them has come back. It's so rare these days.
Your friend, Maya, claps you on the shoulder as she speeds past to greet her twin sister, Selina, the two young women colliding into a rough embrace as the latter leaps out of her X-Wing.
You are overcome with emotion and you clasp your hands over your mouth and fold in the middle. With a disbelieving laugh you put your hands on your knees and push yourself upright slowly.
Then, you are looking for him. For Poe. Your eyes scan the hanger and the landing pads beyond, a sea of orange flight suits. There. In the midst of the joyous commotion, there he is. He's checking on his flyers, slapping them on their backs, giving and receiving hugs, grasping arms tightly with comrades in relief and celebration.
As if he senses that you are looking for him, he locks eyes with you across the hanger. With a purposeful gait, he strides over until he's so close you can feel the victorious energy vibrating off his body.
He surveys your face intently with those deep pools of midnight, flicking his gaze between your lips and your eyes. He's trying to suppress a smirk, a muscle working in his cheek.
"I think I'd like to see you more often," he finally says.
It comes out funny, almost like an order, but it's the most direct he's ever been. Without hesitation, you grab him by the lapels of his orange flight suit and pull him into a deep kiss.
Fuelled by adrenaline and the heady jubilation of the moment, Poe drops his helmet, and without breaking your embrace, he circles one hand around your waist, and uses the other to support the nape of your neck. Then, he dips you almost parallel to the ground as you kiss like a scene from a romance holo.
A ripple of cheers and good natured laughter passes around the hanger as Poe sets you, breathless, back on your feet.
A dashing grin spreads wide across his handsome face.
"I'd like that too," you say as you lean in for another long awaited kiss.
365 notes · View notes
uselesssomebody · 11 months
Note
could you maybe do poe comforting an overwhelmed reader by giving them his jacket to wear 🥺
𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕜𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕒𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕟 - poe dameron x reader
complete masterlist | poe dameron masterlist
words || 𝟠.𝟟𝕜
summary || in which poe kinda makes the reader's life hell
a/n || 8,7k??? what is wrong with me
➵ nonnie you're gonna have to sift through like 8k words to get to the request but star wars fics need good world building
➵ yo send me moon knight requests or any oscar/pedro characters i'm banging them out right now
➵ not edited (yet)
➵ send me requests if you have ‘em. enjoy!
warnings || fluff/angst
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her tools fall out of her hand with a distinct clatter, as she rises from her haunches for the first time in about an hour. she runs a gentle finger over the the edge of the removed metal plate, examining her handiwork at re-configuring, and then bettering the main control center.
it’d looked like hell when she'd first seen it, just 10 minutes after the black squadron had returned to d'qar - after a particularly nasty run in with some tie-fighters after attempting to survey a first order base. though all the members had bore a part of the violence and destruction, he who bore the brunt of it was their oh so brave leader - poe dameron.
of course, his extreme courage, and never-ending headstrong-edness did enough to serve his position as the resistance's golden boy. on the other hand, though, that same bravery owed to her consecutive long nights.
see, no one thought about the little guy - dameron was probably basking in the praise he was receiving at the moment, while no one ever remembered that the only reason his shots were so good was because she'd tinkered with the weapons system until perfection. the only reason he could ever complete any of his complicated maneuvers was because she ensured his controls ran smoothly - never jamming - and that the wings of his starfighter weren't falling off. though that may seem like a base requirement of her job, she knew that wasn't an occasional fix; no, it was much closer to weekly.
it was dark on the surface of the base, and she was beside a measly lamp to finish her work. she lightly tapped against the metal on the outside of the x-wing, satisfied with the adjustments, and, when she finally stretches out her body, standing fully upright, she feels the quirk in her shoulder from the hunching, and the cramp of her forearms and palms at her meticulous but firm grip on her tools. she sighed deeply as her bleary eyes made her see spots.
she hears footsteps approach her, and she collects her items as her close friend and fellow mechanic rose comes up behind her.
"how's it going?" she hums discontentedly in response.
"i'm done, at least." it's not a great answer, but rose understands, a soft smile gracing her lips as she grabs the lamp, holding onto it to allow her friend to place her tools away.
rose's own x-wing was one of the new recruits, given a lesser brunt during missions and scouting. thus, she'd finished ensuring it was in the best shape ages ago. she'd decided to finish up some other things in the meanwhile, before doubling back to see her eternally overworked friend's progress.
"you wanna head back to the bunks?" she rubs her nose as she thinks about rose's question. as they begin leaving the flight deck, she can hear the light echo of people from afar.
"if you want to, don't wait up for me. i need a drink, though." she finally decides, not wanting to deprive her friend of sleep, but also knowing that she needed something to help her unwind from the busy day. rose simply shrugs, gesturing to the both of them making their way to the cantina.
as they enter, a decent amount of people are still milling about, though many look ready to begin wrapping up their nights. there's a empty table a ways away from the bar so, upon taking rose's request, she urges her friend to sit down as she heads to the bar.
the bartender's a lovely guy: a weequay called aid-zarg, that everyone just refers to as 'ay' or, if they're close, 'zarg'. he'd been a bit against the nicknames, but had eventually caved to them.
"ay - how're ya?" she slides into a stool in front of him, attempting conversation tentatively. he shrugs - his expression seems cold, though she knows that's just how his face is.
"alright. long night?" she smiles, but it's almost a grimace.
"something like that." she orders for her and rose, and patiently taps against the wood counter as he prepares them. when he finally slides them over, she gives him a nod of appreciation, and he returns it with a nod of acknowledgement, before she turns back to join rose.
rose glances at her as she slumps into her seat, looking half-ready to pass out.
"maybe you should talk to the general about your schedule. you're half-asleep all the time; that can't be good for a resistance member." rose takes a sip of her drink as she presents a solution to her friend's never-ending dilemma.
"i - i would, but it's not fair to assign extra work to anyone - everyone's got a specific part of the base to tend to, or a specific ship, or fighter, or whatever." she thought about her hesitance as she watched the slosh of her drink, "everyone else's already working, and i don't want to make it anyone else's baggage just 'cause my pilot has an ego the size of a death star." rose purses her lips to keep herself from laughing - not wanting to encourage her friend's catty commentary.
"how'd you end up getting assigned his, anyway?" rose mumbled. her friend laughed into her drink, slowly recanting the reason:
even before she'd come to d'qar, it was common knowledge amongst the mechanics that being assigned to fix up dameron's x-wing meant you'd lose out on a weeknight or two, if it was temporary, and your entire night life - if it was permanent.
so, when she'd arrived, and presented her previous qualifications as a mechanic on tatooine, many knew that she was at least experienced and, at most, very efficient.
so, almost as a rite of passage amongst the mechanics, she'd been assigned the dreaded ship. and she'd fixed it up in record time. at first, it was an achievement she wore like a medal, the surprised faces of the resident mechanics enough to make her beam at her skill, and her knowledge of its contribution to the resistance's efforts.
then, though, it became a permanent assignment. and, for a while, it was manageable. but then, the fights got tougher; the first orders weapons more destructive.
"and suddenly, i'm up at 1 on a work night." she finally concludes. rose, having known her since she arrived, was privy to her friend's sometimes tired, always slightly pent-up rants on any topic that aggravated her, so she waited patiently for tonight's, "it's just-" there it is, "he's so fucking - ugh - would it kill him to just follow the plan? to listen to his instructions, to not be so reckless and not go out of his way to get himself killed - no, fuck that actually - his plane destroyed? i don't know - i get it's important to be versatile, and brave, and whatever bullshit, but c'mon - every time? keeping me up every night?"
rose was sure she hadn't even stopped to breathe in that entire time, but she definitely paused her rant to take sips of her drink, which then spurred on the vent further. she contemplated maybe removing the drink from her hand, but figured that after her long evening, she deserved it, along with a listening ear.
she sighs deeply into her drink as she finishes her story, not exactly expecting an answer from rose, but happy that she could at least get it off her chest.
suddenly, she feels a firm hand on her shoulder, making her and rose squeak and whip their heads to the person. what they hadn't realized was the volume with which they were speaking, causing her eyes to widen as she realizes that the object of her annoyance stood behind her, a goading smile plastered over his - unfortunately - gorgeous face.
“yeah - that guy’s a pain in the ass!” he hisses sarcastically, as though in his group of friends, gossiping, “what’d you say he was again?” he hunches down, so his face is in line with hers. she tries to glance desperately at rose, but all she can make out is her brown overalls behind poe’s jaw. she swallows, but looks him in the eyes, an unwavering look on her face.
“i was saying that he’s reckless. and he’s the reason i’m having a drink - as opposed to, y’know, sleeping. what anyone should be doing this late.” her voice is clear, and she watches the confidence in his face falter for a moment. then, as quickly as it hesitated, his smile returned, rising back up to his full height. he pokes his tongue into his inner cheek, looking between the both of them.
“enjoy your drinks, ladies.” he says it with a shockingly non-confrontational tone, accompanied with a shrug. she feels her cheeks heat in embarrassment as he gives her a slight nod to her, before turning and heading in the direction of one of the newer recruits - frank? flynn? - as she turns back to her drink, eyes closed in humiliation.
finally, she glances up at rose, and sees the uncomfortable grimace mirrored on her face.
“please, please, can you not shout when you complain about someone?” she chastises and begs her friend in the same tone, telling her off for her borderline rude behavior, and for the subsequent awkwardness it caused her. it makes her laugh, as she nods, assuring her that she won't. as rose bemoans she situation, she smiles into the rim of her drink, trying not to think about the warmth that she felt.
she wasn't quite sure if it was still embarrassment, or something else.
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as she and rose had finally decided they'd taken enough from the night, and were ready to pass out into the longest sleep they had time to muster, rose heads towards the exit while she rushes to the bar to bid adieu to aid, and to front over the cost of their drinks. the quiet bartender thought her to be funny, so prices were usually discounted, but what did confuse her was the shake of his head and the shrug he passed when she asked to be reminded of the prices.
"already paid for." her eyebrows quirk at the non-descriptive explanation, and she wonders who'd paid for them in the short time they'd sat in the cantina.
"huh? by who?" aid was never great at names, but even he couldn't forget her infamous donor.
"dameron."
the revelation muffled in her mind over the night, as she wondered what exactly had possessed the cocky pilot to pay for their drinks, especially after hearing her bad-mouth him.
perhaps, she figured, it was a gesture of good-will, to imply that her snarky comments did little to actually affect him. and, for a moment she thought it was sweet.
until she passed by him in that same cantina, surrounded by both the members of his squadron, as well as some others, recounting the story of how he'd narrowly ducked in and between the cliffs of some outer rim territory in order to avoid a gang of small-time pirates. he spoke animatedly of how he narrowly made it out from a 20 meter gap in the cliffs, though how, tragically, one of his wings had taken a brunt of impact.
she grimaced at the casualness of his words, and of the enraptured expressions of everyone else, only speaking in order to reiterate how truly amazing they thought he was.
of course she remembered that mission, as she'd spent a grueling 3 days fashioning a new wing tip to add to his starfighter before his next mission - pulling maybe a collective 3 hours of sleep over the 3 nights.
and, suddenly, his gesture seemed almost more of a mockery.
though she knew that he continued to leave her blood boiling, and thus attempted to avoid him as much as possible, he seemed to have a remarkably different idea, deciding that his prevalence as a topic of conversation of her yielded him permission to become the one she spoke to.
he'd greet her as he hopped off of his ship, whenever he passed the flight deck as she worked, and somehow always managed to walk past her just as she knew he was clocking out for the night, leaving her to work an additional few hours - at least - to rescue his overworked vehicle.
poe didn't believe that he was being malicious - not at all. after all, she had no idea how difficult his job was either, so what gave her the right to complain? she didn't know that the only reason he pulled off complicated maneuvers was to divert attention from less experienced recruits, or that the days of planning missions - just for many of them to fail - also left him exhausted, and owed to many of his own contemplative, long nights.
thus, a strange, very aggravating dance occurred between the both of them. she was stubborn - as stubborn as him - but, of course, she - rather stubbornly - would never believe it, owing neither to want to secede and create a more comfortable environment by discussing their issues or - and this was completely off the table - apologizing.
though, due to this, both of their friends were subject to suffer through their passing remarks, or the strange tension that seemed to follow the pair. as the days continued, rose found herself seeking out the amused eyes of finn - poe's good friend - as he took in the scene, smiling or laughing alongside him at the absurdity of their situation.
it was this growing familiarity between their friends, in fact, that had owed to her current lonely late night. the black and green squadrons were responsible for the destruction of a medium, but connected first order base in the mid rim. it was an unlikely victory - outnumbered by tie-fighters at least 2 or 3 to one, but the meticulous plan crafted by finn, poe and a few of the others, and green-lit by the general, had created it.
there was much celebration when they'd headed back - and that spirit soared through the entirety of the base, with everyone coming together to remember their primary goal: weakening the authoritative role of the first order. it had gone on late into the night, as she can still hear the loud, carrying voices from the cantina. she's headed in the opposite direction, though, as she usually does. she'd seen dameron's ship when it'd come in, and - though it didn't look all that rough, she could tell it could do with a tune up.
she hadn't asked rose to stay alongside her, seeing the twinkle in her eyes as she'd spoken to finn in the aftermath of the mission, smiling widely in a way her friend didn't see all that often. so, instead, she’s left in company of just her tools and the occasional creak of the old, overworked machines.
there's quiet squeaks as she's unscrewing the control panel of the starfighter, but the noises are dwarfed by the sounds of steps approaching her general direction. she wonders if someone's forgotten something, or if it's rose stopping by the check on her, but she decides to ignore it, unable to pinpoint how close the other person is. that is, until she sees them round the nose of the x-wing.
it makes her start violently, dropping her tools with a clatter as she jumps. her heart's beating so fast that she can't even see all that clearly, and, when she finally realizes who it is, frustration clouds over her confusion.
"what the hell are you doing here?" it's harsher than she usually is, but it'd been a really long day, and she wasn't excited at the notion of dealing with him.
immediately, poe's defensive.
"kriff, calm down! i just wanted to check in on her." he lightly pats on the nose of his x-wing, as if it were a pet, and she suddenly wonders where his actual pet-droid - the orange one - is, "wanted to make sure nothing happened to it." he continues, not looking at her.
she opens her mouth, wanting to say how dumb of an explanation it was, but she truly can't find the energy to start a back-and-forth with him, so she simply goes back to work, shrugging. seeing that he still doesn’t leave, she drops her head, sighing deeply.
“what - what exactly do you need to know about it - her - dameron? do you need to watch the circuits as i reconnect them, or maybe eyeball every screw i twist in?” he seems shocked by the outburst, mouth hanging open for just a moment, before his hands raise up in a faux-surrender.
“if you want me to leave - i’ll go.” he pauses for a second, but she can still feel that more words are soon to leave his tongue, so she doesn’t say anything, eyes falling down to the circuits she'd just spoken about, “but i’m not exactly excited by the idea of you - someone - down here all by themselves.” she purses her lips.
“well, i’m sorry to inconvenience you - but you are flying again tomorrow morning, and your ship isn’t exactly tip-top.” she’s ready to turn back, hoping it’s enough of an argument to suffice him, but’s he’s adamant.
“at least take a break? everyone else’s at the cantina - it’s not like a drink’d hurt-” she rolls her shoulders, sighing deeply.
“if i agree, will you stop talking?” his voice stops, but a smile grows in its stead. he shrugged.
“you want me to stop? i thought you adored the sound of my voice-” she rolls her eyes, the hint of a smile ghosting over her own lips at the sarcastic joke. muttering a small shut up, she raises to her feet, dusting off her outfit, before stepping away from her work. he gestures to the large doors leading out the flight bay, and she nods, walking to meet his stride.
they reach the cantina in a moment, the silence between them filled instead with the increasing sounds from everyone else. as she enters, she notices the large overflow of people around the bar, evidently still celebrating. she takes a deep breath as she looks around desperately for where exactly she's supposed to do.
poe, keeping a close eye on her so as to not lose her to the crowd, points towards the table where their friends are sitting. she nods, flitting right behind him to benefit as he pushes his way through the crowds. when they finally reach the table, he can see a calm rest on her face, especially in the presence of rose. he follows her gaze to the close proximity between rose and finn, and, when she averts her gaze, she meets his, making him smile with a shrug, as if saying i know, right?
as poe grabs a drink for the both of them, and she's finally able to actually meet finn and speak with rose, she finds herself loosening up, grinning at rose's excited expression, or finn's somewhat deadpan humor, or the sweetness of her drink. sometimes, poe's own jokes forced an unwarranted laugh from her as well - which he definitely took notice of.
for a while, he'd also noticed the apprehension of not being able to finish her work, but he reminds her subtly that his ship hadn't been too beat up: it wouldn't disintegrate if he tried to exit the atmosphere tomorrow, and she'd have time to fix it up before it got to that point. it allows her to really mellow down, and she settles - alongside rose -with a few other members of the black squadron as they discuss the day, their missions, and the base.
poe's more decent, she realizes, than she gave him credit for, as when he's reintroducing her to the other pilots, the first words out of his mouth is acknowledgement for her hard work. it almost makes her giddy, especially after it's followed by miscellaneous praise from the others. she feels a smile creep up on her countenance, and it's only bolstered by the many small, sweet glances he'd shoot in her direction.
though, like all good things, it doesn't exactly last.
as the night drags - and maybe it's also her exhaustion, or the fact that poe's a few more drinks in - she can feel that respect that grew for him begin to chip away again.
his mouth just works too fast for his brain to catch up - she supposes - as she feels annoyance creep over her as she hears him gloat about his many stories as a pilot. though many of the stories have less to do with him giving her more hardship, when she sees the more egoistic parts of his personality reveal themselves throughout the night, she feels that same aggravation that led to that one night of late drinking with rose.
at some point, she feels that hearing him boast over and over and over was just too much to bear, so she knocks the rest of her drink back, waves rose and finn off, and slips out as she came in, deciding a night of good sleep may soothe her turbulent mind.
only a moment after she left, does poe return with a drunken smile, just about to introduce her to one of the many recruits he'd mentored - in order to remind said recruit about the importance of respecting your mechanic.
the smile fell as finn - almost sadly - mentioned that she'd left.
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it's been a few weeks since then, and poe's reeled in his antics - much to her pleasure. though, she couldn't help the twang of something she'd begun to feel when he walked past her station, not acknowledging her in the slightest.
she wondered why; after all, that was what she'd initially wanted.
neither could continue ignoring each other, though, when they were called into the communications center of the base by the leader of the division, and the general herself.
she made her way up there quickly and, meeting poe at the door, hoped her confusion wasn't apparent on her face. if it was, he did little to quell it, as he instead focused on opening the large doors.
now, she'd only met the general a few times - and the other she knew only by rank. he, on the other hand, seemed very buddy-buddy with the pair, forcing her isolation for a moment as the three greeted each other. when, finally, they turned to outline the reason for the meeting, she was directed to sit down, and listen carefully.
she was told of how the resistance had recently learned from a rebel spy on an important first order ship that said ship had been collecting significant amounts of data on the resistance, and were soon hoping to transmit that data to a more central base.
the spy had gone on, stating that if there was a way to shut down the servers in the main control room of the ship, the data would be corrupted and would be useless.
there's a pregnant pause after the delivery of this information, and she swallows before speaking.
"what - um, what exactly do you want me - us - to do?" poe's role may seem somewhat self-evident - as in, flying a passenger onto the ship or jetting them out - but her own contribution was a bit more dubious.
after all, this seemed a mission best suited for the few technical analysts on the base, as opposed to the mechanic that she was, if it included corrupting intel and shutting down servers. truly, she didn't know what the first thing about that.
the general, ever so observant, smiles lightly as she understands her question. the comms leader responds for her.
"the spy has mentioned that the core system and servers are held in an old compartment - a remnant of the original empire - and, thus, much of the system is reliant on old, though complex, circuitry." she inhales deeply, better realizing her stake in this. the other person continues, "as one of our best mechanics and - obviously - our best pilot-" okay, that stung a little bit, and the smug little grin on his face definitely didn't help, "myself and the general believe it best we run a covert operation: you will sneak onto the ship, make it to the servers, destroy them, and then come back. it's a bit technically challenging, but the likes of the two of you should ensure a smooth operation."
as they finish speaking, she can feel her heart going a mile a minute - unable to believe that she - she! - was going to try and play super-spy and sneak onto a massive first order ship. she was sure poe now realized her shock, as he gave her a small reassuring nod.
it wasn't particularly reassuring, though.
they were then told that time was of the essence, and that it would be best that they leave as soon as possible. they were told to recruit another pilot and mechanic, in the case of a back-up that may exist on the ship, before being given stolen first order uniforms, correct to their assignments.
as she headed back to the flight bay, poe and the comms leader in front of her, she felt a strange, nervous churn in her stomach. she mulled over who she'd choose as the secondary mechanic, but realized the answer was - quite literally - staring her in the face.
rose joins her at the entrance of the flight bay, curious as to why she'd been called in, and, as she recounts the meeting, she posits the position to her friend. as one of the most competent mechanics she knew, but also someone who knew how to think quick on her feet, she knew that she'd be a great fit.
rose agrees in a heartbeat - her loyalty to both her friend and the resistance unwavering against the fearful mission.
she walks further up the flight bay and, upon seeing dameron similarly speaking to finn - likely to convince him as well - she joins him, now intent on how exactly they would find a ship that would go undetected by the first order.
the general - having planned ahead - had an answer for that as well, taking the four out into a forest clearing behind the main base. two large tie/sf-fighters stood, just slightly battered, on the lush greens of the ground. they're in decent condition, she supposes, for what she knew were likely captured or shot down ships by d'qar's defense system.
they're each handed earpieces, going to guide them as they entered the first order ship, and they are waved off as she and poe enter one of them, while rose and finn enter the other.
"everyone ready?" the crackling of the comms for the mission - led by a lovely ex-bounty hunter called pala - came through, as she adjusted into the gunner's seat, and poe into the pilot's. rose answers first, a chipper 'yes' coming through between the other 4 devices. she nods to no one, as though she were really just trying to convince herself.
"as we'll ever be," she mumbles, owing to a grunt of agreement from finn. taking the answers into consideration, pala transmits the coordinates of the ship to poe and finn.
both vehicles rumble as they lift up off the ground, and she feels herself white-knuckling her seat as she anticipates the flight.
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as they reach the range of the ship, poe flies ahead, surveying the entrance and - by extension - the exit points. she hears a deep voice crackle through poe's earpiece, but she can hear it echo along the narrow walkway separating her and the pilot as well. it lists off - what she presumes - is the plane's serial number, and she holds her breath as she waits for poe's response to the question, "what business do you have here?"
"the admiral sent us in for reintegration - i've got a deserter on board." she lets out a gasp at the answer he'd chosen, blatantly throwing her on the bus, but the approving echo left her annoyance to a minimum as, at least, he seemed to have bought it.
they begin lowering down into the ship's flight bay, and, before she can even stand up all the way after it becomes stationary, poe's behind her, helping her up. she doesn't know if she should thank him, but decides that she should definitely not, when she finds him grabbing both her wrists and pinning them - though gently - behind her back.
"the hell? what're you doing?" her words come out more shaky than she maybe intended, but he'd really taken her by surprise.
"you're a deserter, remember. can't exactly take you in like we're the best of friends." his tone is sarcastic and she scoffs, rolling her eyes.
"they only think that because that's what you said." he doesn't dignify her with a response, honestly making her more agitated. he opens the door of the sf-fighter and tightens his grip for a moment, as the two of them are greeted by what looked to be a colonel. it's confirmed as they near him, his nameplate engraved with the title, and poe nods at him - a little too comfortable.
"they caught this one trying to flee three days ago." he gestures to her, and the unrelated sour expression on her face was definitely helping his case. the colonel nodded, looking at her with the utmost disgust.
"and she will be reprimanded accordingly. bring her to the cell bay." poe nods, pushing her lightly as he continues forward.
"you're a good actor." she can feel his goading smirk, and she shakes her head.
"i hate you."
as they enter further into the ship, he finally releases her, their clothes helping them blend in as crew members. her fingers find her earpiece, ensuring it was on, as she spoke into it.
"rose, finn? you guys get in alright?" there's a beat of silence, and her worry grows strikingly, but it quells just as quickly when she hears the familiar tone of finn's voice in her ear.
"we're fine - heading down to the storage to find those back-ups." she glances at poe, who nods at her, before speaking.
"alright - we'll meet near the flight bay after." finn and rose both agree.
pala begins speaking a few minutes later, guiding them through the base as they reach the server room. poe keeps look-out as she crouches beside the large, cylindrical structure. circuits surround it in an orderly manner, but she can tell the ancientness of it - dust floating around, pooling around every crevice.
she reaches into her deep pockets, procuring a small screw before closely eyeing the intricacies, and getting to work.
poe's eyes flit between her frame and the hallway right outside, keenly watching for stormtroopers, and praying that none would come. he feels himself blank for a moment, not used to feeling so helpless - or, at least, not the one taking charge of a solution for a situation. he resigns himself, though, to simply waiting, gripping his blaster tightly as he waits for her to finish.
finally, she stands back up, watching the lights on the server begin flicking on and off rapidly and sporadically, owing her to believe that she'd done something right, and that the information contained was - at least - corrupted due to the circuitry she'd just purposefully fucked up.
she's by his side in a moment, peering out as well to see if they had any company. for a beat, there's nothing, and they think they have the all clear, until she hears rose's voice.
"shit!" her eyes widen at the exclamation, and they both immediately leave the room, heading back in the direction of the flight bay.
"rose? what happened, are you guys alright?" there's an eerie silence, as rose nor finn reach to communicate back through their earpieces.
"-over here! poe, we gotta head back, they're right on us!" finn's voice comes though, finally, but it does nothing to quell the pair's heightened worry.
"wait - finn, they'll chase after you - wait till we-" poe begins.
"we don't have time!" rose's voice is frantic, and the sound of blasters surround it. her eyes squeeze shut as she breathes deeply.
"rose - okay, get out of here. we're right behind you." there's no confirmation from the other end, but she tries not to let that deter her as she and poe continue towards the flight bay.
there's a smattering of patrolling stormtroopers, but her sharp ears and his sharper reflexes keep them from being caught as they slink along the shadows, tattooed to the walls of each hallway.
the large hangar finally comes into view, and they can see the familiar sf-fighter exiting it, evidently being chased by single-manned tie-fighters.
knowing they were unlikely not to be caught in this last stretch, they flee the short distance between the secluded entryway and their awaiting ship, with her rapidly beating against the button to open the door as poe covered her, keeping those whose attention they'd drawn at ever-decreasing bay with his calculated shots.
finally, the panel lowered, and they swapped positions, her shoddy shots managing to continue slowing them down as poe seats himself in the pilot's seat.
no sooner than had the panel closed upon itself are they up in the air, and she desperately straps herself into the gunner's seat, knowing she had to put her limited knowledge of the position to any use. the entrance to the hangar is rapidly closing as the colonel from earlier can be heard through the ship's comms, desperately trying to keep the pair trapped within the base.
she can feel her back imprint against her seat as poe speeds the vehicle up, just narrowly exiting the snapping jaws of the base's exit. as she takes the smallest breath of relief, does it disappear once more.
"'re you guys out? we could do with some help!" finn's voice evidenced that he was trying to keep his cool, but the fear in it was also obvious. poe's responding in a heartbeat.
"we're there in a second!" she can feel the ship begin climbing as poe checked the scanner for any other vehicles. finally, they see the sf-fighter, being narrowly tailed by two tie-fighters. poe - true to his word - comes between the forces in a heartbeat, almost dancing with the tie-fighters as he weaves between the both of them. she feels dizzy at the quick movements, but suppresses the urge to pass out and grips harder at the armrests.
"finn - get outta here, i have them!" poe's speaking through the comms once more and, as he finishes his sentence, the ship's horizontal, peeling away from finn and rose - the tie-fighters hot on his trails, evidently disgruntled by the flashy flying. finn doesn't wait a second, activating the hyperdrive and inputting the coordinates of d'qar.
on the other side of the galaxy, poe's still leading the two tie-fighter's away, but the shitty ship is impeding his ability to duck and weave like he could in his x-wing.
"'m gonna need your help here!" she jolts awake at the request, realizing that she needs to man her station. her eyes desperately flit over the various buttons, before she grips the aim stick. her eyes are trained against the tie-fighter directly tailing them, and she centers it in her view, before aggressively hitting the button to shoot.
and, it's a narrow miss. she curses, trying to refocus, but a dread begins creeping up her gut.
"i don't know what i'm doing, dameron - get us out of here!" it's an order, but, really who was she to order him around.
"we've got this - we can take 'em out." she's used to his confidence and belief in himself, but she knew they truly couldn't.
"will you just-" seeing another clear shot, she takes it. it goes a bit better, with it hitting the end of one of the fighter's wings, causing the ship to dip to one side. her worry is soothed as she celebrates the small victory to herself.
then, as though a higher power was absolutely fucking with her, it all goes to shit.
she feels the ship rumble and heave sharply as she hears a loud crash, and she whips her head around, trying to find the source of it. she desperately grips at the aim stick, trying to keep it steady and ready to fire again, but she doesn't have a moment to use it when another loud blast and creak is heard.
"shit!" her eyes widened at poe's exclamation.
"what the hell just happened - whad'ya mean-?" her words are cut off due to the wind being knocked out of her as she's slammed against one of her armrests.
"we're going - fuck - the engine's been hit - hold on-" his words are breathless against the comms, and she can hear the exertion of effort by the grunts that carry through the hallway. she grips the armrests for dear life as she waits to see what would happen. she can feel the ship make a sharp turn and, behind them, the tie-fighters trail behind a little, as if they were playing with their prey.
"what're we doing?" her fear is evident in her tone, and her voice is a bit croaky in her heightened confusion.
"i'm trying to set us down on that planet over there." she can't see it, looking out from the back of the ship, but she knows that can't be the best idea in their current state. though, seeing the creeping tie-fighters makes it seem like there's no other choice.
she can see as they enter the atmosphere, hearing the shrill whistle of wings singeing on impact. then, she closes her eyes, bracing for impact as the both of them sit in anticipating silence. she's thinking we're going too fast, the ship's gonna blow up with me in it - god fucking dammit-
and that's the last thing she remembers.
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he wakes up to a mouthful of dirt, bent very awkwardly over the semi-buried dashboard of the sf-fighter. his window's broken open, and the sun - or suns? - is blinding through it. he blinks aggressively, his vision swimming a spotty as he spits the gunk out of his mouth, wiping his lips against his fucked jacket sleeve. there's enough of a space between the ground and the glass of his window pane for him to just about crawl through, feeling the heavy impact on his legs from the crash. he looks around, desperately wondering where the hell he was.
it's a grassy planet, filled with lush vegetation and small ponds and lakes. the ship was half-sticking out of one, and his pants legs are soaking wet, the skin of his fingertips pruned. he can feel a sharp sting of pane every time he moves his foot and, peeling back the end of the sopping cloth, sees the discolored swelling of his ankle - having been sprained or twisted in the crash. he lets his head fall back - could have been worse, a lot worse.
he looks up at the looming, though destroyed figure of the sf-fighter, and, seeing the other end balanced precariously above the ground. for a moment, he doesn't pay it much attention - until he remembers.
his shoddy ankle sings in agony as he makes large, limping steps towards the other end of the ship, realizing that he didn't yet know the fate of his other passenger - his mechanic.
of course, in the recess of his mind, he had a guess. but he couldn't entertain it.
finally getting to the end. he peers in to see if she was okay. he's panting heavily, desperately trying to ignore the pain as he focused on using the little light on this side to look through the broken glass. he could see her legs, bent a little awkwardly - but not broken - and he traces them up to her head and torso - which was tightly strapped against the seat. it was the only thing keeping her from falling onto the floor, and her heads hanging. she's definitely not conscious, and he can't help but feel his heart sink as he steps closer - ankle be damned - reaching through the broken glass to unstrap her. when he does, her body flops forward - as he believed it would - a bit like a ragdoll and, though the angle definitely didn't help, he did his best to pull her out. when he could finally observe her in the sunlight, he could feel his chest swell in relief at the movement of her chest up and down. pulling her towards him, he could feel her breath against his neck.
so relieved, he doesn't realize, for a moment, the shallowness of those breaths, and the dampness of the cloth around her shoulder. when he does, though, he desperately removes the fabric. he winces at the sight, having to look away for a moment, before looking back down to observe the extent of her injury.
her upper arm got a long, deep gash, and the blood from it had soaked through her sleeve. not wasting a moment, he slides the sleeves of his own jacket off, tearing a thick, long strap from the t-shirt he wore under it. he wraps it as tightly as he can manager around her arm to staunch any further bleeding, hoping it wasn't too late, and trying desperately to ignore the small whimpers or stuttered breaths that she let out at the action.
he rises to his feet, a difficult task, in his condition, and notices a small shade of trees just a bit away from the pair. breathing deeply - almost in an effort to will away his pain - he grabs her good arm and pulls it over his shoulder, hoping his good leg wouldn't give out, as he makes his way there.
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she wakes up in a cold sweat, looking up to see the large leaves of a tree under the backdrop of an orange sky. she scrambles to sit up in a moment, unable to fully comprehend her surroundings. her heart's going a mile a minute, her body entering fight or flight mode, before she hears his voice.
"you're alright - you're good. m'here." she recognizes his voice more quickly than she'd maybe be willing to admit and, when she goes to turn to the source of it, she feels a scream of agony in her arm. her sharp grunt of pain is louder than she maybe had hoped, but fuck - did her arm hurt, "yeah - uh, you've got a bad cut." his voice is soft, as if he were trying to lull her into a sense of calm.
it worked. for a moment.
until she remembered what happened. the tie-fighters, her pleads to go the hyperspace, the engine failing, the jolt of the impact of the straps holding her body in place, the blood in her hair from the open wound on her arm, her head going blank and her passing out from the pain.
she remembered all of it. including what he'd said.
'we've got this'
there's a lump in her throat, and she desperately tries to swallow it down as she stares vehemently at the dirt under her. she refuses to look up at him, and hopes he realizes why.
"do - does anyone know we're here?" her voice is more broken than she'd hoped it was but - fuck, she was scared. she can see him shrug in her peripheral.
"i'm sure they'll find us." she sighs deeply, turning away to the extent that she can. there's a calm, though cold, silence between them, before she can hear him sharply inhale.
"helluva trip, huh?" there's a jokey cadence to his voice, and it takes her a moment to actually process what he's said, his casual tongue actually igniting a rageful fire in her.
"what?" it's a whisper - backed by such an anger that she worries if she speaks louder, she'll scream.
"i'm just saying - pretty, uh, pretty crazy thing, right?" she shuts her eyes, and a small part of her brain knows that, at best, this is his way of making the best of a bad situation and, at worst, this is just some shit attempt at small talk. but - be it his words in the past, or the pain of her arm, or maybe even just the fact that all she could hear was his confident words like a low buzz in her ears since she remembered what he'd said - she was furious.
"yeah - it's fucking insane how i'm lightheaded because of all the blood i lost, and how i can't move a centimeter without wanting to cut my arm off, and how i can feel the bruises forming where the straps kept me from splitting my skull open on my broken window. it's a helluva experience." her words are softer than she'd thought they would be, but she knew if she was any louder, she may have screamed at him until her lungs collapsed or her throat gave out - whichever came later.
she doesn't have to turn back to see the expression on his face, and, truly she feels a bit shit for lashing out at him.
but she was on a random fucking planet with a mangled fucking arm and her only company was a pilot with no fucking plane.
so, excuse her for the outburst.
"i-" poe's stammering behind her, but she can't hear it, as her vision swims when she tries to get on her feet. she can see the ship in the distance, and knowing that it was her best bet at company right now, she trudges towards it, "where're you going?"
she doesn't dignify him with an answer.
when she finally reaches the large structure, she situates herself against the pilot's dashboard, gently kicking away the broken glass as she tentatively crouches down. she looks over the panel, hoping that at least one of the comms was still working. she procures her screwdriver with her good arm - well, technically not, but at least it didn't hurt all that much to move - before lightly tapping the back of it against any and all of the buttons, seeing if anything worked.
her arm now had a dull, thrumming pain, and she desperately tried to ignore it as she focuses on identifying what the comms were. she traces over a panel that seems to be promising, pulling the screwdriver towards it to see if she could meddle with any of the circuitry under it to get it to work - however briefly.
pulling it up, she realizes both the awkwardness of her position, and of her grip on the tool, unused to using this hand for it. her muscles ached, her arm ached, her temples ached as she desperately tried to slot the head of the tool into the screw, failing once, twice, thrice, before dropping the tool with a groan of anguish.
she's heaving - no, sobbing, feeling the liquid of her tears roll down her cheeks. she slumps against the glass, palming her cheeks as she desperately tried to muffle her exhausted weeping, only the sound of her small hiccups escaping.
she hated getting like this - crying out in the open, and she only reserved the ordeal for true upsets. though, this was one of them. she was so tired, and in so much pain, and she'd just been so horrible to poe as well - when he'd just tried to lighten her mood.
through the blood rushing in her ears and the motion of her hiccups, she doesn't realize the heavy thuds of poe's limping steps. she only realizes when he's in front of her, blocking the dimming sunlight from her eyes, and she covers her face entirely, not wanting to see her in this state.
he doesn't comment, though, only falling to his own haunches before sitting beside her, granting a respectful silence and, more importantly, friendly contact.
she swallows harshly as she forces her hiccups down. she doesn't look at him, worried it'd make her start up again, but he knows she's not uncomfortable with him there.
taking her good hand, he gently drops an opened bag of nuts. she looks at it, a bit confused.
"always keep 'em on me. emergency snack." he says it so casually and, it being contrasted with the slight childishness of the information, makes her crack the hint of a smile.
maybe she was hysterical.
"- hope they'll make you feel better." he continues, and she nods, popping one in her mouth and absorbing the mild, sweet taste.
"thanks - thanks." she mumbles, and they're quiet for another moment.
she hands them back to her, and, in that moment of contact, he notices her cold skin. he glances over her, realizing her thin top without a sleeve, and he shrugs off his jacket. it's a bit mucked up from the crash, but it's better than nothing.
tentatively, he moves a bit closer to her, gently placing the material around her, careful of her arm. still she winces - but only for a moment. really, she's more confused.
"what're you doing?" she whispers, and he's close enough to hear her now.
"you're cold." he's not wrong, but she still protests.
"and you?" he smiles.
"well, i'm pretty hot-headed. i'll be fine." it's a joke, and she really wants to laugh at it, but she can't help but feel bad once again for her words. taking it differently, poe continues solemnly. “i’m sorry.”
it’s a quiet mumble into the still air. it sounds foreign, coming from his mouth, as he tries to fit the extent of how apologetic and shitty he feels into the fleeting, overused phrase. she stays quiet, the only noise being her soft exhales.
“i - i know.” she mumbles back, unsure of what more to say. of course he was - he’d never intended for this. nonetheless, he’d been subject to her own emotions, to an unjustifiable degree, “i am, too.”
his contemplative expression returns a smile instead, now, and she finally turns to look at him.
"i'll buy us a drink when we get back, okay?" he offers, making her scoff.
"you're so great at apologies." he shrugs, as though it's obvious fact, and not a light jab.
"then what about dinner?" her eyes widen a little at the proposition, and she's speechless for a moment. then, she snorts, pushing her good hand across his face and playfully pushing him.
"get us out of here; then, we can talk about dinner." he smiles widely under her palm, and laughs as she takes her hand off. he leans back just that bit further against the metal, and the readjustment causes the dashboard to shift just slightly.
a small item comes rolling down, and falls right in his lap. he grasps at it and, realizing what it is, his eyes widen. he brandishes it in between the both of them, and she also realizes: it's his earpiece.
he gently presses the input button, and immediately starts calling out for finn, rose or pala. they wait a moment, with baited breath.
"poe - kriff, we thought you were dead!" finn's voice is unmistakable, and the revelation makes the pair's spirits soar.
in no less than a couple minutes were the told that a ship was coming by to collect them, and, as the earpiece's output stops for the moment, she rests more peacefully against the destroyed ship, and he mirrored her movements.
"so, about that dinner?"
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millersdjarin · 10 months
Text
I Only See Daylight - 20
Chapter Twenty
Pairing: Din Djarin x F!AFAB!Reader
Rating: E (18+)
Warnings/Tags: smut, SUPER loving sex, skinny dipping, piv sex, tenderness, found family, mentions of scars/insecurity
Chapter Length: 8k
Previous Chapter | Series Masterlist & Info | Full Masterlist
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notes: if you've seen any of my recent tumblr posts or updates on the fic tag, you'll know i've been having MAJOR tech problems, as well as various Life Problems too! hence why this took an ABSURD amount of time to update! i am SO sorry, i can only apologise and offer this new chapter that i hope was worth the insane wait. thankfully i have my laptop back and didn't lose any of the fic, so all is well again. (i'm still sick tho). anyway, enough from me - let's get to what you're here for! enjoy ♥︎
recap: reader and din are on the run from the cult that raised her, and they're escaping to D'Qar to hide out while they wait for the aid of boba fett, who is hoping to make a deal with the cult for reader's freedom.
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and now i see daylight, i only see daylight
There’s nothing but green as you fly over the jungles of D’Qar. Despite living in forestland for years, it’s never lost on you—the beauty of it.
Din finds a tiny clearing to just about fit the ship in. It’s beneath the cover of a mountain, tucked away in a huge cove of rocks, rivers, and waterfalls. When you first see the space, you’re not sure he’s going to be able to manage it; it looks so small. But he knows the size of his ship, and he knows exactly how to manoeuvre it, so he lands just perfectly on the flat, rocky ground in the clearing. 
It’s only a few hours until sunset, Din says, but you and the kid are excited to get out and have a look around. So as soon as everything’s secure, you lower the ramp, instantly hit with the warm, humid atmosphere of the jungle surrounding you. It’s somehow loud and quiet all at once; rushing water is close by and all kinds of wildlife are tweeting, chirping, croaking, whether in the trees or in the brush. The late evening sun is lowering, casting a golden-red glow through the tall, evergreen trees that surround you. 
A river runs underneath the ship. It’s only small, probably shallow enough for even the kid to stand up in. But it’s running quickly and downhill, winding around damp rocks covered in moss. The waterfall feeds into the lake just ahead; this is probably one of the offshoots from it.
“You like it?” Din’s modulated voice says over your shoulder. 
You turn to him, the kid in your arms. “We like it,” you confirm, smiling. 
Grogu is leaning over towards the river, making grabbing motions at it. He seems fascinated by the running water. He probably also wants to look for fish and frogs to eat in it, too. You know him well.
“Not tonight, kiddo,” you tell him apologetically, straightening the collar of his robe. “We can explore some more tomorrow. We’ve been travelling a while, haven’t we?” 
His ears turn down sadly. He looks at you, gives the Pleading Eyes.
As cute as he is, you’re not as much of a sucker as Din. (He’d never admit to it. Ever. But you know that he is, when it comes to Grogu.) You give him a little smile and a shake of your head. “Sorry, kid. Your dad and I are tired. We can explore all you like tomorrow, though; we’re here for a few days.” 
Grogu looks to Din, like he’s asking for a second opinion. 
He sighs, long-suffering. “Kid,” he says, so rueful it’s almost comical, “sorry, but I agree. I’m not gonna go against her word, you know that.” 
Your heart swells.
Grogu looks significantly less pleased by Din’s words, though. 
And, boy, does he let you know it. 
You’d been hoping that maybe you and Din could have some alone time tonight. Really take your time, enjoy it, make each other feel like nothing bad in the Galaxy will ever touch any of you again. It’s what you both need right now.
But Grogu has other plans. 
He refuses to settle. 
In hindsight, it makes sense. You’ve been in hyperspace for days with no fresh air and no opportunity for him to use up some energy. And he’s been so good with sleep all this time, despite the fact that his days have been pretty dull and routine. Really, he was overdue a hyperactive night. He’s just a little kid, after all, and he’s done this a few times while you’ve been with them, especially since extended periods stuck in hyperspace have become a thing. He usually crashes and falls asleep where he stands by a few hours before the day cycle begins.
But, kriff. You’re so tired. You hadn’t realised just how much sleep has been helping you heal until it’s been six hours since the moons rose, it’s four until they set again, and you’re not just exhausted but starting to ache. 
As you remove Grogu from one of the power line tunnels for the seventh time, you feel a soft hand sitting on your shoulder. Plopping Grogu back down on the floor, you look up to find Din beside you with a mug of something steaming in his hand. “You should get some sleep,” he says quietly, then takes Grogu in his arm and hands him the mug. You realise it’s his favourite: a malty, chocolate hot drink that Din always gives him when he’s scared, tired, or he can’t sleep. 
Grogu takes it eagerly. He wiggles to get out of Din’s arms, so Din puts him down in his hammock and sits down beside him, resting his elbow on the top of Grogu’s cubbyhole. 
“I’m fine,” you lie, suppressing a yawn. 
“No, you’re not. Go to bed. He’ll settle soon.” 
You look at him. At the tired tilt of his body, leaning against the little door. You can hear the tiny slurps of Grogu enjoying his drink. On nights like these, Din knows the exact right time to give Grogu his hot cocoa, timing it with the oncoming energy crash. It helps bring it sooner, when he does it right. 
“Cyar’ika,” Din says softly, calling your attention back to him. You hadn’t even realised that your gaze had slipped away, your eyes blurring over with tiredness. “I mean it. Get some sleep. I’ll come and hold you soon, once he’s settled.” 
You sigh. “Alright. But tomorrow, we’re taking him out there, and we’re tiring him the fuck out.” 
A tired chuckle comes through the modulator. “Agreed.” 
“I’m taking him swimming. He wanted to do that.” 
“He’ll love that. Don’t talk about it too much, though, or he’ll think we’re going to do it right now.” 
You chuckle, too, even though it hurts. Pushing yourself up from the floor with a groan, you then walk over to Din, and lean down to press a kiss to his helmet. “Call me if you need me, okay?” 
He takes a hold of your hand and squeezes it. “Promise.” 
You’re asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. 
You don’t know how much longer it is until you feel Din slide in behind you, still wearing his armour, gently wrapping his arm around your waist. “I’m here,” he whispers, quiet enough not to wake you if you were asleep, but loud enough that you’d hear it if you stirred. 
Which you do. Just enough to shuffle back into him, take hold of his hand, and fall asleep again. 
When the day comes, Grogu wakes with it.
Which you expected. But, still. 
Din is already awake and taking him upstairs for breakfast. Tiredly, you follow them, and it’s only because you know him so well that you notice the way Din is standing differently. The way he only does when he’s exhausted.
“I’ll take Grogu out this morning,” you say to Din while he cooks up breakfast for all three of you. “You can catch up on some sleep.” 
Din shakes his head. “I want to come.” 
“You don’t have to. We won’t go far.” 
“I want to come,” he says again, in that tone of voice that says Thank you, but I’m not going to change my mind. 
Knowing this, you nod, and sit down at the table beside the kid. He looks bright-eyed and innocent, like he didn’t spend over half the night trying to tear the ship apart. 
“Are you going to swim with us?” You ask Din, smiling teasingly. 
“I think the beskar might weigh me down,” he replies, and you can hear the smirk in his voice. 
“Who said anything about beskar?” 
“You asking me to scar the kid for life by going in naked?” 
“Fair point.” 
“What are you going to swim in? And the kid?” 
“I figure we can change his robe afterwards; this one needs cleaned anyway. And I’m going in my shirt and underwear.” 
His helmet tilts towards you for a second, glancing at you. “I’m definitely coming.” 
You giggle, and feign shock, “Get a hold of yourself. Not in front of the kid, Mando.” 
Chuckling, he dishes up breakfast, and slides two plates across the table for you and Grogu. He takes his own plate, and tells you he’s going to eat in the cockpit. He’s still getting used to eating in front of you. Hell, he’s still getting used to having his helmet off in front of you, period, but he hasn’t eaten at all without it yet. You understand, and it doesn’t bother you. You’re just lucky to have any part of him at all.
The waterfall is just behind the trees a few metres along from the ship, pouring down over a sheer cliff face a ways up the mountain. Green vines and long tree branches hang over it, colourful flies dancing in the rainbow water spray before it hits the lake below. The lake is big, curving around the base of the mountain before it runs down over a rock and splits into little rivers. The water is clear but looks blue and green with the small pebbles and soft, mossy plants that coat the bed of it. It’s hot out here, but pleasantly so, the sun shining brightly in the late-morning blue sky. 
Grogu is cooing excitedly in your arms. You’ve got a towel wrapped around your shoulders and a smaller one over one of your arms for him, along with a spare robe. Din follows closely behind.
You stop by the shore of the river, watching as Din lays out a blanket on the ground to sit on. As you turn to look at him, the sun glints brightly off his armour, the bright green of your surroundings reflecting in the beskar and making him look like he’s one with nature. Or, as close as someone covered in metal could look to being one with nature. Your heart swells with warmth as you’re reminded of the first few days you spent together; when so much of your mind was occupied with how he’d look in different lights, in different worlds. 
It hits you, for a second, that you’re getting to see it. That you can not only admire the way he’s somehow never looked more silver, but also looks green and brown all at the same time; but also you can tell him how you feel. You can touch that armour, touch him. 
The poor kid is trying to get a good look at the water, trying to get you to put him down. But you’re too transfixed by the sight of Din. By the fact that this is everything you ever wanted, since the first moment you heard his voice. 
“Cyar’ika?” Din questions, stepping closer. “You okay?” 
You snap back to the moment at hand. Finally you put the kid on the ground, and he runs towards the water in an instant. “Sorry,” you say, and glance back at the kid, “Can he swim?” 
Din shakes his head. “He won’t go deeper than he can handle. He likes to just splash.” He steps closer again, close enough to put his gloved hand on the underside of your elbow. “Where’d you go, in your head just now?” 
Your hand finds his chest plate. You look down, see your reflection in it, the green trees behind you. A smile is on your face before you realise. “You’re beautiful,” you say instead of answering his question. When you look back up at his helmet, it’s tilted slightly, quizzically. “We’ve come a long way,” you whisper. 
His thumb rubs over your arm. “I’ve loved every minute.” 
Your heart lurches. If you could, you’d lean up and kiss him. 
“Kid’s waiting,” Din says, nodding his head over your shoulder. 
When you turn around, Grogu is standing in the very shallows, only an inch of water above the hem of his robe. He’s looking at you with a tilted head, his ears turned in a way that asks you a question. You chuckle at the sight of him. “I’m coming, kiddo. You wanna go swimming with me?” 
Grinning, he jumps up and down on the spot and waves his hands around a little. Water splashes up around him. 
You hear Din chuckle from behind you, then feel the towel start to slip from your clothed shoulders, his hands following in its wake, slowly rubbing down your arms. He hooks his helmet over your shoulder. “Go on,” he says lowly, “I’ll keep watch.” 
You turn your head and press your nose into the hollow of his helmet’s cheek, then give him a sunny grin before you run towards the shore, towards the kid who’s looking increasingly excited. 
Happiness is warm in your veins, like the sun in the sky, like the feeling of the water on your skin. 
After a long swim and a hike around the surrounding hills and forest, the three of you are well and truly hungry. You’d let the warm air dry you out as you walked and picked berries and herbs for dinner, gathering them in Din’s satchel. Grogu started tiring an hour out from the ship, but you coaxed him along with promises of finding some nice insects for him to catch; which he did, and enjoyed every single one. 
Now you’re back at the ship, and Din is cooking up some fresh meat with the herbs you picked, while you make a little fruit salad from all the fruit you found in the forest. The sun is setting, Grogu is watching his HoloNet show, and he’s looking very sleepy. 
Dinner is what gets him truly ready to sleep. He’s snuggling into Mando’s thigh by the end of it, looking about ready to drop off right there and then and make it his bed for the night. With a soft chuckle, and a knowing glance towards you, Din lifts him up from the sofa and cradles him in his elbow. 
“Night, kiddo,” you reach out and run your hand over Grogu’s cheek. His ear twitches in response, his left eye opening just enough to look at you. Din reaches out with his spare hand to tuck a lock of your hair behind your ear, then he turns, and heads down the ladder. 
You follow after a minute, anticipation stirring low in your belly as you hope for the much-needed night alone with Din. Absently, you listen to the soft sounds of him putting the kid to bed. It doesn’t take long. 
Before you know it, Din’s standing in the bed chamber doorway. “He’s out. Like a light.” 
“Mission accomplished, then?” 
Din nods. “He’s snoring, so we know he’s really asleep.” 
You chuckle softly, letting your eyes roam over Din now that you know you have him to yourself. You reach out your hand towards him. “Come to bed?” 
He takes your hand, but doesn’t climb into bed. Instead, he smoothes his thumb over your knuckles, and says, “I thought we could go for a swim.” 
Oh. 
You weren’t expecting that. Somehow, it’s better than what you were expecting, which you didn’t think was possible. 
“Yeah?” You just about manage to say, your voice coming out as a squeak as anticipation spikes higher in your chest. 
He nods. “It’s a nice night. Moons are out, kid’s asleep…” 
You nod, too, and bite your bottom lip. “Din,” you whisper, “are you asking me to go moonlight skinny dipping?” 
A lovely chuckle comes through the helmet. He steps closer, reaches out his other hand to brush it down your cheek. “Yes, Mesh’la, I am.” 
“Well,” you push yourself up from the bed without another moment to waste, “don’t have to ask me twice. Will the kid be OK?” 
“Like I said, he’s out of it. I’ve put a live commlink in there with him, just in case,” he fishes said commlink out of his pocket. Then, with a smirk in his voice, “It’s waterproof.” 
Oh, he has planned-planned this. You could not be more thrilled. 
It’s still so warm outside. The moons are full and bright, casting a white light over the entire jungle. It reflects on the lake, glimmering in ripples of water and illuminating the waterfall as if it’s made of light itself. 
Din has taken off his armour, leaving him in just his flight suit and helmet. You’re wearing the shirt you wore to swim earlier and underwear beneath it. Din reaches for your hand as you pad towards the lake; you’ve never held hands while walking before, and it’s strange, but nice. Definitely unnecessary outside of a situation like this, but, still. 
He stops by the shore, and you stop too. The waterfall is loud at the other side of the lake, but calming. 
Then, Din starts to take his flight suit off. You’re too distracted by the slow reveal of his skin at first to realise that you should probably be getting undressed too. He just looks ethereal beneath the moons’ glow; it reflects from his helmet and makes his skin glow as he strips off his suit and lets it fall to the floor. He glances at you, knowing you’re watching, and when he pulls off his helmet there’s an amused smirk on his lovely lips. 
“You’re looking at me like I’m a show,” he says, leaning down to place the helmet carefully on the grass. 
You smile. “You are to me.” 
He leans down and kisses you, just once, chaste. Like he can’t help it. Then he takes off his boxers, and he’s naked before you, glowing white in the daylight-like lights shining in the sky. Now you’re really distracted. If you thought naked Din was perfect all wet and tousled in the shower, this is something else entirely. He’s not even wet yet. You can’t wait for him to be wet. 
As if reading your mind, he places a kiss on your forehead before whispering, “See you in there.” And he’s off, wading into the water. 
Your teeth sink into your bottom lip while you watch him go. The muscles in his back shift as he walks so casually into the lake, brushing at the surface with his fingertips. They leave diagonal trails in the water, like skimming stones. His back is so broad, so muscular, all highlights and shadows in the light. 
And his ass. Kriff, that’s the Ass of the Galaxy right there. Glowing under the moonlight, curved just right, muscles shifting with each push of his legs through the water. It’s a shame when he gets in deep enough that it covers him. He turns around when he’s waist-deep and raises an eyebrow.
“Are you coming?” 
Probably in more ways than one, yes. 
You quickly strip off, feeling self-conscious standing here on the shore in front of him, and wade over to meet him. The waterfall is close now, just on the other side of the lake, rushing down from the mountain. If you get any closer, you’ll probably feel tiny droplets of spray. 
You reach your hand out as you approach Din, and he takes it with a soft smile. As you come to a stop in front of him, you look up into his eyes, and all the breath falls from your lungs. Somehow, looking at him like this overwhelms all the other senses in your body. The water is warm around you, and the lake floor is a strange combination of soft and rocky, some plants tickling at your toes. The air is a little humid but nice, comforting, something you’ve not felt before. And the sound of rushing water is all-consuming, covering all noises of the jungle wildlife and even the wild beating of your heart.
And he’s here, naked, his bare and damp skin on show before you.
But his eyes are what holds you. They are what make you feel weak in the knees, what make your fingertips tingle. Especially when he looks at you like that. 
Like he knows you. 
Like he loves you.
“You are so beautiful,” he says into the space between you, his voice somehow coming up clearer than anything, even above the noise. 
You stroke your hand down his cheek, leaving a wet mark there. Then you move to his chest, running through the chest hairs, smiling when his skin rises into goosebumps. You wonder how many times it’s done that when you can’t see it; when it’s hidden behind his armour. 
“You’re perfect,” you tell him. 
It’s not really quiet enough to talk. Thankfully, you don’t need to.
He pulls you in by the waist and presses your bodies flush together, all warm and wet and bare here beneath the two moons. His arms wrap around your middle, and yours around his neck as you stand on your tiptoes to hook your head over his shoulder. Your hands are wet as they tangle in his hair, press against his shoulder blade, feeling his lips so hot and gorgeous against your neck. He mouths lazily at your skin. Doesn’t suck or bite or even really kiss; just touches you with his lips and his tongue, like he’s trying to take as much of you as possible, like he wants his breath to go into your skin and make you his on the inside, as much as leaving a mark on the outside would.
You let him. You let him, too, when he pulls away and takes your hand, leading you over to the waterfall. 
Your eyes don’t leave him the entire time. They don’t need to; he’s guiding you, and you don’t need to watch where you’re going. 
He stops in front of the rushing water and looks down at you expectantly, his hand still in yours. You raise an eyebrow in question, to which he responds, “We’re going under it.” 
Your eyebrow raises, too. “I love to shower with you, but I think this shower’s flow might be a little too strong.”
He grins. His skin is shining with water spray, making him sparkle. “We just have to go under for a second, then we’re going behind it. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.” 
Always trusting him, you nod, and follow when he tugs on your hand again. 
The waterfall is pretty intense as you walk under it; you do it as fast as you can, worried at first that it might hurt you, but it doesn’t. It’d probably feel pretty good against your tired muscles, actually, if it weren’t for the still-healing wounds on your back. Din seems to enjoy it; he stands under the flow for a little longer than you, letting it run over his back and closing his eyes for a second. (You make a mental note to give him a massage one of these days. You don’t know how you haven’t thought about it before.)
Standing behind the waterfall, you’re in a strange sort of cave area, a metre or so in between the flow and the cliff face behind it. The rocks are shining, glistening in the moonlight that comes through the water. When you turn to look out where you came from, you’re amazed by the sight: the bright white of the moons is shining through the wall of water that encases you in this little haven, making each large droplet look like a light, a white flame rushing down towards the lake. It’s like a cascade of stars too dense to see each individual one before it falls. 
When you look to Din, the light and shadow from it is dancing across his face. The water that you stand in is sparkling, too, casting a rippling reflection on the skin under his jaw. You’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s beautiful. He’s beautiful. 
“You like it?” He asks you, his voice surprisingly loud as it echoes from the wall. 
A smile stretches your lips. “I love it,” you tell him with a nod of your head. You reach out and hold him again, this time wrapping your arms around his neck and leaning up to kiss him, soft and sweet. “It’s like our own little hideaway.” 
He trails his lips over your cheek, your jaw, down to your neck. His wet hands sit gently on your waist. As he kisses your bare shoulder, paying special attention to the curve of your clavicle, your hands run down over his pecs, fingertips catching on his hardened nipples. Yours are hard, too; you can feel them where they press against his chest. 
You close your eyes as he starts to suck a mark at the place where your shoulder meets your neck. One hand runs down his chest, towards his belly button, the other back up into his hair. A pleasured breath releases from your mouth when his hands slide down your body, around to the small of your back and eventually landing on your ass, one hand on each cheek. He squeezes, just lightly. A soft gasp from you is rewarded with an even softer whimper from Din, breathed right into the crook of your neck as he continues to nip at your skin. 
“Din,” you whisper, not the start of a sentence, but a statement. Because you’ll never get tired of saying his name. You tighten your hand in his hair, pull on it a little, earning another one of those lovely, soft moans. You feel it vibrating in your neck. 
Then he’s moving down, his face coming to rest between your breasts. It feels colder without him pressed right against you, but he’s still close enough for you to touch him just the same, the hand on his tummy running back up through his chest hair, then down his arm.
You gasp as his mouth closes around one of your hard nipples. Your hand in his hair tightens in response, pulls him in even closer, urges him to do it again. 
He does, and he sucks it into his mouth. The pull is fucking gorgeous. He’s never done this before; you don’t ever want him to stop. His mouth is so hot and wet, a contrast to the damp sheen on the rest of your skin that’s leaving you with a bit of a chill. You feel his tongue lapping at the underside of your nipple. The texture of it has just the right amount of roughness. 
He moves to the other breast and continues his job there. You’re whimpering, barely even hearing yourself, just feeling your chest moving in his mouth as breaths escape your throat. 
“Din, that’s…that’s so good…” 
He hums his approval. When he pulls his mouth off you, you can just about hear the pop, and you definitely feel the string of spit that connects your skin to his mouth for a second. “If the water was shallow, I’d get my head between your legs, too, Mesh’la…” he breathes as his mouth finds yours again, not giving you a chance to say anything in response before he’s kissing you again, all open-mouthed and hot and breathy. You just moan, surprised and pleased. Your arms wrap all the way around his neck and pull him down into you. 
He’s so warm. He’s so him. 
His tongue is on yours in a second, pushing and pulling with each give and take of his lips. You let him guide you, pinning him to your face with a firm hand on the back of his neck. His arms are around your waist, holding the rolls of flesh in his palms. It feels so good. He feels so fucking good. 
You want him to know that. You need him to know how much you love to look at him, to touch him, to feel him. The coolness of your skin as the night air dries droplets of spray is the most beautiful contrast to the heat of his hands, his mouth, his breath. It’s intoxicating and you will never get enough of this. If his body wasn’t so irresistible to touch, you’d pull back and just stare at him. All kriffing night. 
Instead, though, you let your mouth fall from his in favour of trailing your lips across his jaw. They leave a wet trail in their wake. He doesn’t seem to care; in fact, his hands tighten against you when you start to suck at his neck. You use your teeth, pulling his skin into your mouth so hard that you hear it spluttering against the suction of your lips. You want to mark him, too; make sure his skin never forgets the way you feel. 
“Cyare…” he groans as you move your face to his chest. Your nose nuzzles into the hair there, one of your hands sliding down to play with his nipple. You suck at the other one and he’s got one hand on your breast now, cupping it in his palm and squeezing with each pull of your mouth. He tips his head back and if you weren’t so occupied with getting his nipple as hard as it can possibly get, you’d lean up and kiss the expanse of that gorgeous neck and mark it up until there were no doubts that he’s yours. 
By the time your lips are at his belly button, the water is starting to tease at your chin. You’d go lower if you could. 
You tell him as much. 
To which he responds with a desperate groan and a hand on the back of your head, bringing you back up to his face. “I need you,” he whimpers, pressing his nose into yours, “I need you, Mesh’la. Please.” 
You stroke his face. “You have me. Any way you want me.” 
A moan slips past his lips. He falls into you, kisses you slowly for a minute. 
“You wanna take me against this rock wall?” You ask him, letting your nails run over the side of his neck, just hard enough to pull a gasp into his throat. “Or take me back to land, fuck me on the shore?” 
“Kriff, Mesh’la,” he’s falling apart, his voice just a broken whimper as his hands find purchase on your ribs again and squeeze at the plump flesh. “Whatever you want. I’ll—do whatever you want.” 
You smile softly. “As much as I’d love for you to take me here in the lake, the footing isn’t exactly stable, and you know I like it rough…” 
Another moan. Good. 
You press kisses to his neck, catch the fall of his Adam’s apple as he swallows heavily. “Let’s go back to shore.” 
Desperate, he nods, and leads you under the waterfall. “You okay? Does it hurt?” He asks. 
You shake your head and smile at him, always appreciating that your comfort comes first, even when he’s this desperate to fuck you. “No. I’m good.” 
He practically throws himself onto the grass bank when you’re back on land, pulling you down on top of him. You can’t help but giggle at his eagerness. It’s so fucking cute and really kriffing hot that he wants you so badly he’ll just collapse on the riverbank, beneath the silver glow of two moons, completely bare for you and out in the open air, if it means you’ll give him what he wants. 
Which you will. You always will.
You lean down over him, palms pressed to the grass on either side of his head. You’re both still wet, dripping into the ground below. Your breasts press into his chest, hair falls into his face. He pushes it out of the way and holds it there, like he doesn’t want anything getting in the way of his view of you.
“Kriff,” he curses softly. You can hear him better now you’re out of the waterfall; can hear the desperation in his voice, how even his breathing is starting to sound like a series of whines. “You’re so fucking beautiful. Look at you…” 
“Look at you,” you counter with a smile, feeling your chest bloom with warmth at his compliment. “Under the moonlight like this. Kriff, Din. Don’t you look pretty?” 
Breathy, he laughs. He closes his eyes for a second, shakes his head. “Don’t tease me.” 
“I’m not. You do look pretty,” your fingers run through the sparse hair on his jawline. And then, it escapes you in a sigh, an expel of breath like it’s releasing some kind of something by saying it out loud, “Kriff, I love you.” 
His eyes open at that. Right into yours, all glowing and watery and adoring. You could look at him like this forever. His hand strokes down your cheek. “I love you,” he tells you. Soft, shaky. Still just a hint of desperation there. 
As much as you could look at him like this forever, and stay like this for just as long, there is a distinct throbbing between your legs and a wetness there that definitely did not come from the lake. You’re sure he can feel it; your core is pressed right up against his hips and you can feel his cock there, hard and wet and ready for you. 
As if reading your mind, Din’s hand runs down your ribs, over the curve of your hips, then presses between your legs. He dips his fingers into your folds, separates them. “Kriff, you’re so wet already,” he says, gazing up at you as though he’s amazed by it. By you. 
“You do things to me,” you tell him with a grin and a shrug, to which he laughs, tipping his head back for a second. You just watch him, warmth not only spreading between your legs but around your heart, too. 
His lips kiss messily at your neck as he slips his finger inside you. It’s heavenly; a warm, slick glide of the one digit sending something hot and comforting all the way through you. Your eyes flutter closed when he slowly thrusts in and out. He’s not even trying to achieve anything; he’s just feeling you, appreciating every inch he can get his finger on. 
“Din,” you say, already feeling breathless, “more. Please.” 
He’s never turned you down. His thumb finds your clit, pushes back the hood and presses gently. Pleasure courses through you again, a jolt for each circle he makes around the bundle of nerves. His other finger joins the first after a moment, but you’re so kriffing ready for him that it’s not enough, you can feel his cock against the inside of your thigh and it’s so close but not close enough—
“Din, I’m ready for you. Are you ready?” 
He meets your eyes. He’s looking up at you like you’re the stars in the sky. It sends a shiver down you that has nothing to do with the two fingers he’s pushing in and out of your soaking heat. He nods, then, and says, “Please. I need you. Need to be inside you.” 
You nod, too, leaning down to give him a kiss. “Mind if I stay on top?” 
“Whatever you want.” 
“Mm. Are you gonna beg tonight?”
“If you want me to.” 
“You could try it,” you say with a smirk as you slide down his body, lift yourself up on your knees above him, “See how I like it.” The ground is damp below you, grass tickling at your skin. You take his cock in your hand, and it’s still wet, but you can’t wait to make it properly wet. 
Like it’s an instinct, he reaches out to take hold of your hips. He gazes up at you, and says, “Please, baby. I need to feel you.” He’s so vulnerable like this. Underneath you, naked, bathed in moonlight. He could, of course, overpower you—or anyone who got on top of him—if he wanted to. You never imagined The Mandalorian lying on his back like this for anyone; would never think that it was a place he could feel comfortable, safe. His whole life has been about fighting. About making sure he’s one step ahead.
And yet here he is, spread out before you, so open, bare underneath you, completely at your mercy. Because he wants to be. Because he trusts you.
You line him up at your entrance, but don’t slide onto him right away. You’re enjoying the desperation on his face just a little too much; the wrinkles in his forehead, his brows drawn together, bottom lip pressed under his teeth. With a grin you take a moment to admire in him in the moonlight and, with your hand wrapped around his cock, you slide him up and down through your wet folds. 
The look on his face is priceless. His neck strains, he swallows so heavily you see the movement all the way through it, and a whimper comes from him, even better than the ones he’s given already. 
“You look so pretty like this,” you tell him, still teasing him. You brush the head of him over your clit and, fuck,that feels good. His hot dick, already leaking and wet from your slick, rubbing over the bundle of nerves like his finger would, but different. Bigger. Rounder. 
“That feel good?” Din asks, and it’s only when you hear the smirk in his voice that you realise your eyes have closed. You’re focusing on the feeling, the roundness of his head. Before you know it you’re grinding on it, desperate to feel more of it. 
“Kriff,” you gasp, suddenly breathless, “that’s really fucking good.” 
“Keep going, if you want.” 
You could. You’d love to. The very fact that he’s offering this to you, knowing that it would only delay the part where he’s inside you and getting what he wants, turns you on even more.
But you know how desperate he is. And your heat is practically begging for him to be inside you. 
“Feels good for me, too,” he tells you as if sensing your hesitation. 
You smile at him. “Later,” you decide. “I want you inside me now.” With one last swipe of his head over your clit, you sigh, and then move your hips up so he’s lined up with your entrance again. Then, you sink down onto him, and kriff, it’s fucking delicious. 
The stretch, his heat, the way his dick caresses your walls like they’re something precious as they pulse and throb around him. 
He tips his head back and groans. His fingers tighten on your hips and you fucking love it. Love looking at him like this. Stretched-out, lit from the bright light of two moons, the jungle surrounding him and water still sheening over his chest.
You run your hands through his chest hair and sigh as heaven pulses through your core. “Feels so good,” you whisper, biting your lip, “Feels so good, Din.” 
“Mm-hm,” he nods and looks back at you. “You’re so beautiful.” 
Bracing yourself on his chest with your palms flat against him, you start to move. Instead of thrusting or bouncing, at first you just grind, swaying your hips in circular motions over his cock. It hits against that spot inside you with each circle, and somehow it feels like he’s going deeper than ever before, the tip of him a constant pressure against your cervix. It’s not rough like it usually is, and yet it feels just as good. 
One of his hands finds your clit and works it in time with your movements. Heat is already burning inside you, starting between your legs and smouldering up into your stomach and ribcage. You’re losing yourself in your pleasure in an instant, your eyes falling shut as you work yourself on him. 
Each grind lifts him in and out of you just a little, just enough for both of you to have some much-needed friction against your walls. But you’re still going round in circles, and it feels so fucking good, having him swirling inside you like this, coating every inch of you on the inside. 
“Fuck,” you curse in a whisper, one hand lifting from his chest to grasp at your breast. You squeeze it, remembering how your nipple felt inside his mouth. “Fuck, Din, that’s so good.” Your eyes are closed again, head tipped back towards the sky.
“Yeah?” He says. “You look so perfect. Take what you need, Cyar’ika, you can have it.” 
You’re too lost in pleasure to respond. It’s not even sparking, it’s burning, boiling, running over you in a hot wave over and over and over again. He’s so hot inside you, the contrast of his heat to the coolness of your skin just setting everything alight. The head of his cock is pushing against the highest point inside you, just like you like it, but instead of a fast, unrelenting beat, it’s stroking, so slow with each circle your hips make. His finger is still on your clit, so much slower than usual. In rhythm with your movements like he’s just going off of whatever makes you feel good.
“Kriff, Din, baby…your cock feels so good, I’ve never…it’s never been…” 
“Feels good to me, too, baby,” he promises you. 
When you open your eyes, he’s gazing up at you with such adoration, such universe-shattering perspective, that you could swear you see Galaxies in his eyes. Galaxies that you have yet to find, that you want to dive into and never leave. 
“I love you,” you whisper, leaning down so that your damp hair falls around his face, frames him like the piece of art that he is. 
His hand comes off of your hip and reaches out, stroking back a strand of hair. He rubs your cheek. His mouth is open and his breath is hot against your lips. “I love you,” he says back. His voice is raspy, low, so fucking perfect. “You look so good like this. Just using me to make yourself feel good. I’m so deep inside you, Cyar’ika, feels so good…just want to stay like this forever…” 
You nod, desperate, and lean in to kiss him messily. “So deep,” you breathe into his mouth, “so fucking deep inside me, kriff, filling me up so good, Din, you just fit…” 
His hand finds the back of your neck and holds you to him. The new angle brings the pleasure inside you to a new level; you’re leaning forward and down over him, and his cock is heavy, almost pulling at your walls as you continue to grind around and around and up and down. He’s pressing his thumb to your clit, his fingers closed around the flesh near your hip, holding tight. Holy kriff, it feels so fucking good, all hot and beautiful and just pleasurepleasurepleasure—
“Din,” you gasp, “gonna come…” 
“Come for me, Mesh’la, please, I need it…need to feel you come around me like this, so good…” 
Bracing yourself on his chest, you keep yourself at that lower angle and chase your pleasure, feeling it coiling low in your belly first but soon exploding through your entire body. It’s a flame, a roaring fire, a wave of lava through your veins. 
“Ride it out, baby,” Din tells you, and you do, you ride him until the drop comes and you’re just chasing it, chasing that high, wanting it to last forever. Wanting to be here forever, in this moment, just the two of you. Beneath the moon. Din inside you, as deep as he’s ever been. So fucking good it’s like you’ve never felt it before. 
“Oh, fuck, Din,” you pant as you come down, your aftershocks pulsing around his cock. You can’t even say that you came hard. Because it was the furthest thing to violence you’ve ever felt; it was soft but sudden and beautiful but terrifying. “Din, kriff, I love—I love you—”
His hips are starting to stutter. Like they want to thrust, but he’s holding himself back. 
You plant your elbows on either side of his head and lean down to kiss him. “Come in me,” you tell him, “please. Use me, fuck me. You made me feel so good, want you to feel the same too.” 
He strokes your cheek with his thumb. “You sure? You’re not too sensitive?” 
You shake your head. “Feels so good still. Please, wanna feel you, baby.” 
He nods, and starts to move. He shifts so his feet are planted firmly on the ground behind you, knees bent a little and pressing into your back. The hand on your clit moves and instead sits behind him on the floor so he can sit up and use it to prop himself there. Your body follows him, leaning back as he leans up. His breath is so hot on your face, your hair falling against his damp cheeks. 
You push it away, kiss his mouth. “Fuck me, baby,” you tell him, “feels so good.” 
Using his hand and both feet for leverage, he starts to thrust. Slow at first, testing the waters. His face falls in ecstasy, a broken moan leaving his lips and falling onto yours. You hold his face in both your hands, anchor him to you. 
“That’s it,” you praise, “fuck me just how you want. Come for me, Din, I wanna feel you. You’re so perfect, I love you…” it feels like it’s going to be hard to ever stop saying that. 
“I love you, Mesh’la,” he says, and it’s the last coherent thing he manages before he starts to thrust harder into you, finding a good rhythm. It’s not as rough as it’s been before—it would be pretty hard, in this position and out here on the wet grass—but it’s just perfect. He still hits the highest point inside of you, even guides your hips to do the circle thing again, like he knows that’s what feels good for you. 
It does. Kriff, it’s just as good as it was before. The aftershocks are already turning into new desire, heat bubbling low again. You bring one of your hands from his face and press on your clit. Fuck, fuck, fuck, it’s so good.
It takes you by surprise. You gasp, pulling your head back and tipping it, granting him access to your neck; access that he makes full use of, immediately leaning in and attaching his mouth to your skin. 
“Oh, fuck, Din,” you almost laugh at the feeling because it’s so unbelievably good and you’re probably going to come again and it’s so soon after the last one and you weren’t expecting it—“Fuck! Din! Baby, feels so fucking good like this…” your tits bounce against his chest, almost pressed completely into him. 
He’s mouthing at your neck and his thrusts are getting faster, more urgent. “Baby…I think I’m going to…” 
“Come for me,” you request to the stars. “Please, Din, come inside my pussy.” 
That does it for him. 
He spills inside you, his chest heaving with desperate whimpers and moans and breaths that sound like something from a different realm, panted into your neck and against your shoulder—
Then you’re coming, too, clenching around him so hard that it almost hurts. Your thighs are burning from holding yourself up, the pleasure coursing through you only adding to the strain in your muscles. But it feels so fucking good. He feels so good, chasing his orgasm for as long as he can, fucking up into you as if it’s what he was put in this Galaxy to do.
“Oh, baby…” Din says as he starts to come down. He’s kissing your neck again, all wet and messy and lazy. His hands slide up your body. Caress you like you’re something precious, a map he wishes to memorise. Eventually they settle on your back, his palms pressing into your shoulder blades. 
You realise, then, that this is the first time he’s seen you while you’ve done this. Seen all of you. Nothing separating his eyes from your scars, your stretch marks, every insecurity you’ve ever had. 
It feels earth-shattering and unimportant at the same time. Because it’s a big step, it’s huge, something you never thought you’d have with anyone, ever. But it’s also…right. Din isn’t looking at you or holding you any differently. He sees more of you than just that, and it doesn’t matter. 
You’re breathless at the realisation. Even more so, when you realise that it actually feels really fucking good to be naked with him like this. To have nothing separating you. 
Your lips meet after a moment. He kisses you so softly, so tenderly. Your hands tangle in his hair, feeling the lingering wet from the waterfall. You think about saying something, about telling him how good that was, about how much you love having him like this; you think about saying I love you one more time, just for good measure. 
But the words won’t come. Instead, you just press your forehead to his, let your breaths mingle in the humid air between you. You’re both still panting. His cock is twitching inside you, probably a little overstimulated as your walls continue to pulse and beckon him further in. But he never pulls out too soon. Even if it’s too much for him. 
He holds you like that, staying inside you beneath the moons, the sound of rushing water and wildlife all around you. He holds you like he knows. Like he knows how you feel, and wants you to know that he feels the same, too.
If you could, you’d stay like this forever. And yet, even a moment will do.
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notes: ahhhh i'm so sorry for the long wait.
i can't believe we've only got 2 chapters left. the last 2 are some of my favourites so i'm excited for y'all to read them! thank you for being here as always, i know it's been such a long time. please do leave a comment if you can, and reblogs are always appreciated <3 love u <3
taglist:
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Could I request a fluffy Anakin x General Reader? (He's a Force spirit in this one)
Reader is very uncertain in their place in the world, as they are about to be an adolescent; they're scared of failing their peers/family. Anakin then decides to give them some long-needed advice.
as I believe in you
pairing: Anakin Skywalker x gn!Reader
word count: 1k
summary: you are anxiety-riddled prior to taking on a vital mission. Luckily, your confidante, Anakin Skywalker, is there when you need him the most.
You stood in your quarters, staring at your reflection in the mirror.
Deep breaths, you think, just calm down.
It's been happening more frequently now. You would simply be going about your day, maybe heading downstairs to help train the new group of recruits, joining the others in the dining hall, standing on a balcony overlooking D'Qar. It doesn't matter when or where.
The thoughts simply rush in. And they were, unrelenting, to say the least.
They would make you want to pause and just not do anything, not feel anything. And normally, you would get over them fairly quickly.
But the pressure can be too much to bear.
You were a perfectionist, having trained every day for years, and your hardships only fueled your drive even more. So you quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the youngest General in the Resistance. You were also one of the remaining few who could harness the power of the Force.
Soon, you will lead a rescue mission to one of the outer planets, and reclaim a rebel base that has been overtaken by the First Order. This is something that you are determined not to fail, especially since two of your closest friends had been taken hostage there while on a surveillance run.
Deep breaths, you think again, and try to center yourself. Drowning out all the noise, inhale, exhale.
You reach out to the Force, and try to find him.
▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎
The very first time, he found you. You had been training by yourself at the foot of a mountain, and your efforts seemed to bear no fruit. You couldn't even raise a single rock off the ground without it suddenly falling back down, or catapulting away.
You yelled into nothing, the sound echoing through the trees. Back then, you weren't particularly skilled at combat or strategy, nor were you a good pilot. You knew you couldn't be a healer or a builder, either. Of course, by now your skills have been honed to a certain degree.
But at that age, all you had going for yourself was your connection with the Force. And even that was failing you.
You fell to your knees, but then, you hear him.
"Y/n," the voice said, seemingly coming from nowhere.
"Who's there?", you stood up, aware that someone may have seen your moment of vulnerability.
"Y/n," the voice repeated, "You have great power within yourself. All you have to do is breathe. Steel yourself. The Force is all around you. Believe in it."
"I'm losing my mind," you laughed dryly, looking around and not finding the source of the voice.
But then you see it. See him. An almost opaque, hazy figure a few feet away from you. Unruly, shoulder-length hair, wearing a dark tunic you recognized to be Jedi attire.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Anakin Skywalker," the figure declared.
"That's not possible," you responded. Maybe you truly have lost your mind. You knew that Anakin had been one of the great Jedi, if not the greatest, and his sacrifice proved to be the impetus that defeated the Empire.
"Oh, but it is," he said, amused, " I am here, if you can see me."
"A Force ghost," you breathed out, realizing what he was.
"Yes," he moved closer, "I can see that you're in distress, but you shouldn't worry. The Force is strong with you."
"Is it?" you asked, not believing him one bit, "Perhaps you made the wrong assessment. I'm nobody."
He smiled, "Nobody is ever just nobody, young one. Especially not you. I can feel it."
"How are you even here? Why are you speaking to me?"
"I suppose I had sensed you, and the Force brought me here. Maybe it thinks that you needed me. Nevertheless, one can never fully explain the workings of the force. It simply is. It's everywhere. It's there if you only reach out."
"I am reaching out," you told him, "but maybe I'm just powerful enough. I'm no Jedi like you."
He looked like he was trying to decipher you, "I used to be like you. A lot like you. Young, driven, and full of dissatisfaction and frustration."
"Really? You?"
"Yes. Maybe I can help you. I can teach you how to be one with the Force, as best I can."
You stared at him, long and hard, in disbelief that the Anakin Skywalker was offering to train you. And who were you to refuse his help?
"Okay," you agreed, feeling a sense of hope for the first time in a while, "Where do we start?"
▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎
You close your eyes, and think of him.
Anakin, you think out, I need you.
"I'm here." you open your eyes, and see him standing behind you in the mirror.
You turn around, calmer now, his mere presence assuaging your anxiety. He has grown to be more than just a mentor to you, but a friend.
"You're afraid," he says gently, sensing your emotions. He was always so in tune with how you feel.
"Yeah. I've got a lot on my plate right now, Ani. But I don't think I'm ready."
"Maybe you aren't," he says, and you fail at hiding your disappointment, your face visibly falling as a result.
"But when will we ever be ready? One can train all their life, but still not feel prepared for what's coming. The only way to truly know, is to try. To take the leap. You have to believe in yourself, as I believe in you."
"You do?
He nods, and he lifts his hand. You lift yours too, parallel to his. This is how the both of you feel each other, and when you do, there is nothing else. Only the two of you.
You breathe, feeling greatly calmer, more in tune with yourself. I believe in me, as you do, you think.
"Thank you," you smile at him, lowering your hand.
"Always."
The end.
I did enjoy writing this! Anakin is one of my all-time favourite characters 🖤 (I hope I got the Star Wars references right, since I haven't seen the films in a while)
I may have to write more for Anakin soon :)
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hopegained · 8 months
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There was a certain kind of look on his face that resembled a lost creature in the midst of a busy street as soon as he descended from the ramp of the ship. Seeing the Resistance as something real and alive—something more than flickering holograms from past interactions—tugged at his core. A figure in the corner of his eyes pulled the feeling away, approaching closer until they were merely a few feet away from where he stood. His expression morphed back into the usual blankness, leaving no trace of the previous awe behind before he began to ask, "There something you need?"
@datapadz // sc
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fluffyprettykitty · 2 years
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Can I have poe dameron x reader where they kiss reuniting at the base in D'qar in the force awakens?
aw this is hella cute and thank you for choosing something new for me &lt;3
pairing: poe dameron x reader
word count: 350 words
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You are afraid.
You know you shouldn't be because he is arguably the best pilot in the galaxy but you can't help yourself.
You were an engineer, working at the base at rebellion sight and even though your relationship went way back, your feelings when he was away, for more than a few days were always the same. Worry.
You are pacing back and forth glancing around the sky, even though you know you won't see him coming in but again, you can't help yourself.
"Missed me?"
You hear his strong baritone voice, a hint of chuckle in his voice and you turn around completely confused.
"Poe!" You exclaim and run unto his arms as he is opening them for you.
He squeezes you so close, forcing your legs to wrap around his waist as he is cupping your face, leaning forward to seal your lips with a kiss. It's desperate. It feels like coming home though, it feels like a promise and a hope. A reburning of a flame. And it ignites you.
You kiss him back with a smile, trying to touch his face, impossible for you to match his tight grip on you.
"Where did you come from?" You ask him as he spins you around with a thunderous laughter.
"I took a shortcut, came from the other side."
"Are you okay?" You ask him as he places you on the ground touching his chest and arms for any injuries.
"All here, nothing missing."
"I've missed you."
"I can tell you but how desperately you kissed me."
"Oh, no that was you."
"Pretty sure that was you."
"You're the one who went lips first, questions later."
"You didn't even answer my first question."
You scoff and shake your head. "You know you're great at kissing not much at conversation."
"oh, is that how you want to play it?"
"Precisely so."
And he cups your face kissing you again. Maybe he truly wasn't good at conversations, why argue anymore with you?
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storyarcscribe · 2 years
Text
Lighten Up | Part II
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Poe Dameron x Fem!Reader
Part 1 Part 3
Word count: 4.8K+
Summary: On the way back to camp, reality sets in. You did the unthinkable. How can you complete the mission tomorrow after what you two did together in that alley? To make it worse, Dameron has a funny way of avoiding you by doing the exact opposite.
A/N: Oh boy... y'all wanted more.. okay okay here we go!!! Thank you for the love on part 1. This has been a blast to write and can't wait for you all to read what I have in store!
Warnings: language, warfare, angst, Poe Dameron (need I say more??)
Masterlist & How to Send a Prompt | Read on AO3
Reblogs and feedback are always appreciated!
-
You tossed the water back like jet juice before leaving the cantina with the others.
Finn shared the good news as you exited that he had a lead on the suspected warehouse. According to the locals, the warehouse was abandoned on the city's outskirts. No First Order has been in town for months. The information should have been great to hear, but all you felt was a twist in your gut. 
You kept your eyes to the ground on the way back to camp. Any view was better than having to look at Dameron walking ahead. 
He was quiet and visibly ignored you, driving even more mortification through your stomach. But wasn't that what you wanted? To be left alone? After all, you were just a 'rookie' to him. He made that clear in the end.
"You okay?" Rose asked, gently looping her arm through yours as you both walked behind Finn and Dameron. 
It was pointless to lie. Rose was one of your earliest friends on base after a lousy test flight you went through on the first week. She scanned your emotions then as she did now. 
"Ready to get this over with,�� you confessed truthfully. 
Ahead, Dameron and Finn walked side by side in silence. Usually, by now, after a long night of drinks on base when off-duty, the two of them would be singing horrible shanties, burning the ears of all living lifeforms in proximity. But, tonight, you saw them stride side by side without a tune or melody. 
As you all returned to camp, you were never more thankful for the dark. 
The dark would prevent you from looking at him.
The dark would hide the slickness running down your thighs as you crawled into your mat. 
The dark hid the shame in your face as you buried it into the ground.
"We'll speak to the General in the morning for orders," Dameron emitted aloud to the group.
If it wasn't for the alcohol coursing through your veins, you might not have fallen asleep as fast as you did on that hard ground. 
-
Dinner had turned into a giant party on base. Red Squadron took out an entire star destroyer, and General Organa permitted a celebratory feast in the mess hall. 
Instead of joining your comrades and friends, you decided to go to the training room to practice hand-to-hand combat techniques from a datapad you picked up from the archives. Having just joined Black Squadron, you were keen to level up to your fellow team members and perhaps outshine a particular Commander. 
Maker, Dameron was out to get you.
He had been that way after you made Black Squadron. You had just managed to get out your X-Wing after the D'Qar run success when he shouted down the hanger, yelling about how you broke formation and almost got another pilot killed. It was brutal, the way he ripped you apart. Instead of ripping back into him about why you made that choice, you took it, but not without glaring at your soon-to-be commanding officer.
Dameron was aggravating. You were methodic and studious in your piloting, whereas Dameron moved on feeling. Nevertheless, he never failed to give you a correction during training with the squadron. Why? You couldn't fathom anything other than his disdain for your early success. 
Instead of joining the celebrations, you went to the training room to practice. The first mission of Black Squadron would commence tomorrow and consist of ground support, and you weren't going to bed unprepared.
You jabbed the punching bag while glancing down to the datapad.
Kick. Jab. Punch. Sweep. Repeat. 
Sweat bubbled on your forehead, and for once, you were grateful for the light workout clothes you decided to wear for this practice. 
Kick. Jab. Punch. Sweep. Repeat. 
Kick. Jab. Punch. Sweep. Repeat. 
Kick. Jab. Punch. Sweep. Repeat. 
Kick. Jab. Punch-
A throat cleared from behind.
You dropped your formation and stood at attention. 
Speak of the Sith's Devil.
Commander Dameron was out of his flight suit, a rare occurrence as you tried only to see him when necessary. He wore a cream long sleeve and green standard military pants, unlike your light attire. A soft smile danced on his lips as he leaned against the training room door. 
He had the same smile he gave to you before a backhanded comment came after it.  
"What are you doing?" He asked. 
You brushed errant hair from your face. "Practice, sir."
He waved a hand in the air stepping into the room. "Please, drop the formalities. We're off duty."
He never reserved the right for you to call him something other than Commander, but then again, you've seen other peers refer to him by Dameron, but close friends only spoke Poe. You wouldn't want to fall into that latter category.
"What are you doing?" You echoed his question.
His hands slip into his pockets. "On my way to the mess when I heard… well, I guess you could call it grunting… and was curious.”
Mortification seeped into your head. You weren't that loud, were you? 
"You know," he said with a nod to the datapad on the ground, "that won't teach you much."
You glanced down to the fight sequence you just poured your heart into learning. "What's wrong with it?”
He crossed the floor, his boots thudding softly on the mat ground. "You learn how to fight by example.”
You blinked. "Example?"
Dameron pointed opposite of his position. "Stand over here."
"Why?"
He smirked. "You want to learn or not?”
"I don't think-"
"Everyone on my squadron spares with each other at least once," he countered. "Unless you think you're too good for us?”
Of course, he would stoop as low as to pull on your loyalty to Black Squadron. Being on Black Squadron meant everything to you. After another moment, you warily moved to stand a few feet away from him. 
"Alright," he gestured with his hands, beckoning you forward. "Attack me."
You couldn't contain the huff escaping your mouth. “You sure?"
He smirked. "You couldn't take me down even if you trie-"
Your body took over as you attempted to kick him. Dameron easily evaded it. 
"Well that was average," he scoffed.
You jab, punched him again, hitting only air.
Son of a bantha.
"Really? That all you got?" He taunted, evading your attempts. “Stop thinking, Five. Hit me."
The hair from your tied-back bun was coming loose. Maker, you wanted to punch him square in that carved jaw so badly it hurt. You advanced. 
Kick. Jab. Punch. Sweep. Kick. Punch.
He met you hit for hit, dodging every attempt to knock him to the ground. You two might have looked so engaged in this dance to anyone looking. You may have been on the attack, but you knew Dameron was calling the shots in this fight at your core. 
He pushed you to the ground at some point. Victory lined his face he grimaced. "That had to hurt."
You stood, blood boiling. He almost looked bored, and that pissed you off. You charged, ready to tackle him to the ground. He was prepared for that and maneuvered you into a headlock. Everything came to a halt as you struggled for balance. His arm hooked around your windpipe, not crushing but pressuring your airflow enough that your eyes widened. 
Dameron was breathing hard, holding you against him. 
"Never," he fumed into your ear, "attack with anger."
 Panic began to sink into your brain. Maker, if this was the situation in the mission tomorrow, you were as good as dead. 
"You're gonna get out of this," Dameron stated. "Because that's what we do, yes?"
You nodded as much as you could in his arm.
"First," he said, his grip on you unwavering, "don't panic. You do, and you die. So breathe."
You sucked in a breath you had not realized you had been holding back.
"Good," he approved. "Now, push your hand up here and throw your head back. You'll let your body weight do the rest."
You attempted, but failed to grip his arm.
"Again," he commanded. 
This time, you threw your weight back. Nothing. 
"Don't be a pussy, Five. Hit me-"
You snapped, releasing yourself from his hold, perfectly knocking his ass to the ground. Satisfaction did not begin to describe how you felt.
Dameron wiped his mouth. He was bleeding.
Kriff. 
You just hit Commander Poe Dameron, Black Leader of the Rebellion. As you stood there, watching Dameron's reaction, you prepared for the worst. You've seen him dish out reprimands or worse if anyone even looked at his X-Wing wrong.
Instead, the man smiled, blood in his teeth. His eyes sparkled with surprise and something else.
Commander Poe Dameron, decorated karking Black Leader of the Resistance, was smiling at you. 
"Not bad, rookie," Dameron praised, standing up.
"Rookie?" you repeated. 
The masochist was still smiling.
Suddenly, you finally understood the enigma of Commander Dameron. He stared at you with those dark eyes and only saw you as a newbie, fresh out of basic… A joke to Black Squadron and the Resistance.
"Don't call me that," you spat. 
You were not the butt of some punch line… Not for anyone and not for him. 
He tried to stop you with a hand as you moved past him. "Lighten up, rookie. You're on my squadron, now. Get used to it."
Lighten up, rookie. 
Lighten up, rookie.
Lighten up, rookie. 
Suddenly you were standing in that cantina. It was empty, and Dameron stood at the bar. He was not the Commander in the training room but the man who shattered your very being in an alleyway. This Dameron… no Poe… worshipped you like it was his dying wish.
And then he buckled over; a blaster shot burning right through his stomach. 
He convulsed in pain, staring at you in disbelief as he whispered your first name like a prayer… The same way he moaned it hotly against your mouth. 
You screamed his name…. not Dameron… but Poe.
POE.
He bled out on the floor, eyes shuttering as he fought to breathe. You couldn't move. Why couldn't you move? 
Falling to your knees, you tried to crawl. It was only then that you realized one of your hands held the blaster, still smoking from the shot to Poe's gut.
-
You pushed up from your mat to heave the remaining liquid in your stomach. By the time you came up for air, Finn was the one with a hand on your back, looking at you with concern. 
"I'm fine," you answered before he could question you. 
You glanced at Dameron's mat. Empty.
"He's patching into the General with Rose," Finn said, standing. 
You were more relieved than you liked to have been. 
"You good?" Finn asked gently. He kneeled to the end of your mat. He was worried, and nothing stopped him from finding the truth if Finn was concerned. 
"Yeah," you assured. "I'm fine."
You attempted a smile. Finn wasn't buying it.
"Last night… I went looking for you in the fresher."
Kriff. 
"Must have missed you,” you shrugged.
Finn eyed you once more. "Yeah... Must have."
It hurt... Finn's disappointed in you. If it were any other day, you'd yell the truth, laugh, and go with him to the mess hall for an early breakfast. He was your neighbor on base and a friend from that first day. 
But today was the mission you'd all come to see through to the end. A mission had no room for feelings or thoughts on Dameron. The mission always came first... No matter what.
"We have orders," Dameron dictated, walking with Rose from the trees. "The General wants that warehouse eliminated."
His voice felt like a blaster sound to your ears, which was fitting because Dameron looked ready for combat. He had donned tactical gear with two blasters strapped to his thighs. You could tell he was as visibly exhausted as you were—no sleep for either of you last night. 
Good. 
He deserved it. 
“Airstrike?" Finn asked. 
Rose shook her head. "She wants this done discretely. We'll need to set explosives from within."
Dameron wasn’t looking at you. So typical. He must have hated the very thought of you last night. As Finn asked more questions with Rose, you stared at Dameron, letting the rage you felt the previous night topple your anguish from this morning. But, instead, you tapped into that anger, that hatred you felt for him. 
Finally, he turned his gaze to you, absorbing every bout of rage you gave him. The look in his eyes hardened to the Commander you needed him to be… Black Leader of the Resistance who thought you were the scum under his boots. 
"Finn," he interrupted, cutting the cord of your stare, "You're on perimeter."
Finn nodded and prepared his pack.
"Tico," Dameron continued, “you're on comms.”
"I'll get the channel ready," she said, walking off her case.
He addressed your last name with a nod in your direction, "You're with me."
The blood rushes directly away from your face. "What?" 
"Didn't hear me?" he asked, scooping up the remainder of his sleeping mat.
"You never put me on ground," you gritted. Instead, he typically had you up on air support or permitter in a sniper position. 
"Congratulations," he responded with feigning cheer, "you've been promoted."
This idea of his was not happening.
"Commander," you voiced, your hands shaking, "I'm better served on the perimeter. I-"
"-am the best shot we have on base, which is why you're with me," he interjected. 
Damn him. "Dameron-"
"Am I clear, Black-Five?" He asked, his voice snapping your head to attention.
The mission came first, and it always would. You wouldn't let Dameron affect your mission no matter how you felt. 
"Yes, sir,” you responded, the mask finally slipping into place. 
His face remained grim. "Gear up."
-
This planet's sun had not risen as you went into the U-Wing. The General wanted to keep the X-Wings on base for discretion. The entire galaxy could spot Black Squadron's signature black hull a light-year away. You missed your ship now more than ever. The solace you felt in your cockpit was the best feeling in the world.
There was no solace that you'd find today on this mission with Dameron. 
He wasn't lying when he said you were the best shot. You had come a long way since those self-training secessions and practices off duty late at night. Now, you cursed yourself for being so damn good at it because the skill landed you with Dameron on this mission. 
In the ship, you geared up quietly for this mission, grabbing a rifle, two pistols, and your armor plates. You prepped the blasters methodically, attempting to focus. But, unfortunately, your mind had plans of its own. 
I'm giving you what you need. 
Like that?
There you go. 
Let go for me.  
You did so good, baby. 
"Five."
You nearly dropped the rifle in your hands. 
Dameron stood in the grass outside of the ship. It felt like an ocean stood between you both when in reality was just a few feet away. You closed the hatch to the U-Wing with shaky hands, joining him on the ground. 
He met you in the middle as you approached. The curls in his hair were more prominent with the humidity. The expression he wore was unreadable. You pledged to yourself that the mission would always come first, yet you couldn't contain a shiver down your spine as you met his eyes… the same eyes glazed over last night with his hands in your core. 
You suppressed a shutter as his hand outstretched toward yours with a comms device. 
"Channel H525," he said. 
The frequency crackled to life in your ear, a live feed that connected you all. 
"I'll be taking point," Dameron said, leading you both to the forest. 
You nodded, willing all thoughts from earlier to leave for good. The mission was what you had to focus on. The mission was all that mattered.
"How long are we in there?" You asked, swinging the rifle across your back. 
"Ten minutes." He walked to the tree line and you followed.
"Any other targets?" You asked, catching up to his speed. 
"No. We focus on the warehouse." 
Easy enough. This sounded like a shoo-in.
"Explosives?" Rose mentioned rigging it.
His hardened expression cracked. "The Tico Speciality. "
On any other mission, you would have rolled your eyes. "The Tico Specialty" was something Dameron coined when he didn't quite know what Rose made for him. Instead, you called him an asshole only a week ago for using it to reference the Sunday breakfast special on base. 
Today though, his little smirk warmed your cheeks. You couldn't see past the curve of his mouth or the playful look in his eye. He had to have realized it, too, because he dropped his expression as you walked past him. 
You broke first, brushing past him to go deeper into the foliage. You needed to get this mission done. You needed an out. You needed to get far away from Poe Dameron and his smiles, his eyes, his lips, his smell, his… everything.
And it was too dark for a morning in this damn forest… Almost as dark as it was last night in the alley. 
He called you by your last name. 
You ignored him and kept walking… away from him or yourself? Perhaps both. 
He jogged up to you, the leaves crunching under his boots. 
"Five-"
"I'm transferring out," you blurted, coming to a standstill. 
The words fell from your mouth, and you didn't even realize that you'd consider them. You felt his eyes boring into your back as you let your gaze fall to the ground.
"As soon as we're back to base," you said, swallowing a lump in your throat. 
Black Squadron was your dream, but Poe Dameron had turned it into your nightmare. You couldn't think when you were around him now. The Resistance cause was everything to you, but he destroyed you inside and out. 
How could you continue as normal if you could barely function after a tryst in the alleyway?
"It's for the best,” you added. 
He stepped closer. You could feel the heat of his body now, just a foot away. 
“If it’s what you want,” he said gently, voice steady. 
You barely managed a nod, and he continued to lead you to the rendezvous with Finn.
Once again, Dameron surprised you more times on this mission than ever before. You expected more of a fight. He'd never been shy in telling you to buck up on a mission, but now, Dameron was acting like the Commander you heard of before joining the team… Patient, considerate, and worth fighting along with in this bloody war.
You kept your head level as you followed him through the forest, no matter how badly you wanted to keep it fixed to the ground. 
-
"Finn to Tico, over."
"Go for Tico."
"We are approaching the warehouse. Standby for building scan."
"10-4, Finn. Standing by, over."
Finn turned on the scanner he brought to the warehouse. You stood with them on the hill overlooking the abandoned warehouse as it flew over the old building. 
"Tico to Black Leader. Scans received. The explosives will need to be put on two main pillars holding the structure together. Transferring the building schematic now."
Dameron lifted his holocomm for the group to see. 
Rose continued. "Zero life forms detected throughout the facility. The marked pillars are where you'll need to place the explosives. Attached to your comm is the detonator. "
"Roger that, Tico. Black Leader out." 
 Dameron looked to Finn. "What do you think?"
Finn studied the map further and then pointed to the mid-upper levels. "Place them here. Level 8. The weight of the upper floors will do most of the work we need."
Dameron closed the comm. "Level 8 it is."
Finn nodded. "Watch your backs. "
“Always,” Dameron responded, exchanging a look with Finn. 
On the slope down to the warehouse, you transformed into the soldier the mission needed. You unclipped a blaster out of your holster, slipping the safety off. As you approached a ground-level blaster door, Dameron linked his scomp to the door pad. 
"Tico to Blacker Leader, blaster door lock mechanism received," Rose sounded in your ear. "Standby for door open in three…"
You gripped your blaster right. 
"… Two."
Dameron shouldered next to you in a defense position as well. 
"… One."
The door slid open slowly to the warehouse, and you and Dameron walked into abandoned enemy territory. 
-
The ceiling went up nearly forty feet and was lined with old durasteel shelves. A few rusted machines sat on top of the shelving. They were huge, massive-looking weapons unlike any you had ever seen. What looks to be a few impressive shelves spanned back to the other side, encompassing the entire warehouse.
"Stay sharp," Dameron said, leading you both inside. 
You spotted what looked to be a turbo-lift to the right. “Tico, are you reading a turbo-lift?”
“Yes,” she chimed back. “Auxiliary power should still be running.”
Nodding to Dameron, you both entered the lift. You hit level eight on the pad, the lift groaning to life as it carried you both to your destination.  
The lower levels passed slowly, and you stood with him in that cramped space. The light was so dim you could barely see your fingers. You didn’t know what to expect on that final level. Despite the numerous galactic battles you've fought in, you felt frightened for the first time since joining the Resistance. On the other hand, Dameron was calm, as if he was made for this exact moment. You didn’t realize until the door opened that you had begun to breathe in sync with his calm breath. 
Dameron led point while you trained behind him, checking all corners with a sharp eye. At some point, the level was some command center, with fried military operation boards and multiple holoscreens. Shattered glass crunched under your boots. You didn't spend long looking at the tech graveyard before you spotted the first beam.
He slipped off the pack housing the explosives, attached one to the beam, and began the active signal back to Rose to confirm its connection to the detonator. The action took longer than you anticipated due to the connection with Rose being so far away to ensure everything was sound. 
"We're taking too long," you said. "Let me take the other-"
"We stay together," he brushed off. 
"We need to move faster."
The clock was ticking, and they were in the building for five minutes. 
Dameron looked to have battled with his inner thoughts until he finally reached into the bag, carefully pulling out the other explosive.
He gripped your outstretched wrist, forcing your eyes back to his. They swirled with an emotion you were all too familiar with last night.
"Shoot anything that isn't me," he pressed, the glint in his eyes darkening.
Kriff. Your heart rate quickened. This grip on your wrist was the first time he'd touched you since- 
No. 
None of that would do right now. 
You nodded. He let go, his eyes still tracking you as you went to search for the other beam in the dark.
You pressed further into the room, the light flickering on inch by inch by your motion. Then, seeing the beam behind another command center, you instantly went to work. 
You worked with Rose quietly to set the signal up. As you waited, so did your gaze wander. The level was trashed but purposely trashed. The blows to everything were self-inflicted rather than in defense. 
What exactly did they try to cover up?
"Tico to Black-Five. Signal is made."
You breathed a sigh of relief. "10-4, Tico."
"Black Leader to Black-Five, come in," Dameron's voice crackled over your earpiece. 
"Explosives are set, Black-Leader," you signaled back. 
“Roger that. Meet me at the turbo-lift."
"Roger that, over."
Dameron was there by the lift as you expected. You both were still keeping a wary eye out with blasters in your hands, but a look of ease crossed his face before hailing Rose. "Black-Leader to Tico and Finn, all explosives have been set."
"Copy that. Commencing flight prep now," Rose chimed from the other side.
"Finn to Black-Leader and Black-Five… who did a better job between you both?"
You caught Dameron staring at you as he responds. "Black-Leader to Finn. Myself, of course, over." 
"Finn to Black Leader, that's a lie, and we all know it, over."
You bit back a smile. Usually, this kind of teasing would have irritated you, but the tone of Dameron's voice had shifted to create a new meaning behind his words. Or perhaps… something in you had shifted. Dameron caught your smile, his eyes lighting up for the first time since last night.
As quickly as that joy came, so did it leave. 
Soon the mission would be over, and soon you would be leaving this team. 
It was for the best… That was what you would tell yourself on the way back to base. 
Dameron let his smile drop as well, hitting the turbo-lift button.
Nothing.
A moment passed before he hit the turbo lift again, but the door remained closed.
"A short circuit?" You thought aloud.
"… Must be," he agreed.
You both gripped the pistols in your hands a little tighter. 
"Rose," he signaled, "we're going to need another way out."
"Scanning the level 8 now," she replied. "You should have a stairwell forty-five degrees east of the turbo-lift."
Dameron assumed point position as you both moved toward the stairwell. However, you didn't get to a stairwell but walked up to a large blaster door instead.
Dameron cursed. "Tico, there is no stairwell."
She shuffled around behind the comes before answering. "That's… impossible. According to your position, you aren't even remotely close to the stairwell. It's at least fifty feet from you. 
"Fifty," you echoed. Something wasn't right. "Are you not seeing this blaster door?”
"No," Rose said. “Not seeing anything.”
You ran a hand across the blaster door's edges. As your hands grazed the cool durasteel, you felt cold air on your fingertips through the overlapped panels.
"There's an air current," you murmured aloud, walking over to Dameron.
Dameron stepped forward, aiming his blaster at the panel door. "Time to improvise.”
He shot the panel, frying the circuits. The blast door groaned open. 
“Shit,” he breathed. 
He was putting it lightly.
"Rose," you hailed, “are you seeing this?" 
You were looking at a full-scale First Order hanger bay … lined with TIE starfighters.
A static sound came back through your earpiece. Then, finally, your gaze fell to Dameron, who leveled his blaster up, taking in small step over the hanger threshold.
The hanger felt like a ship graveyard. Some ships had their solar wings shattered, while others didn't have a scratch on them. 
"I've got a bad feeling about this," he warned, eyes scanning the hanger. You couldn't help but agree, gaping at the number of ships. 
If it wasn't for the faint beeping sound echoing from somewhere in the hanger, you might have made it to the stairwell. 
Dameron signaled you to stop. "You hearing that."
"Wish I wasn't," you responded. 
Maker, this could not be good because he began leading you both in the direction of whatever was making that noise.
You crept forward to the front of the hanger bay near where a magnetic field projector would be but what looked to be a giant blaster door. 
Hidden behind a busted TIE sat an Upsilon-class command with the ramp down. The beeping came from the ship. What the hell was a shuttle craft doing here?
Dameron gestured to begin the approach. You moved toward the ship's left side while Dameron flanked the right. He signaled you to hold at the bottom of the ramp while he slowly crept up. 
He was up there for what felt like a minute too long. Time was up, and you both needed to escape this hell hole. You were there to watch his back and get you both out of there.
It was not his back, though, that you had to worry about in this mission.
You realized too late that you both had walked into a trap as you felt the cold metal of a blaster barrel pressed against your head. 
-
A/N: Oops... did I do that? :) What can I say I'm a sucker for some good angst. Don't worry, our fair lady smut will be back. For any film fans, the training sequence was inspired by one of my favorite films, The Mask of Zorro. If you haven't seen, I highly recommend!
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downbadf0rficppl · 3 months
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i didn't mean to love you so much
Poe Dameron x F!Reader
Summary: You don't know what you have until it's gone. Or is it?
Word Count: 6.0K
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It took 3 days to arrive on D'Qar.
The Naboo N-1 Starfighter that you stole from the junkyard on Bracca was one wrong move away from falling out of the sky. Even with your constant mid-flight repairs, only prayers to the Maker were keeping her together. The BB unit you found kept you posted with constant, and frankly worrying, updates on how the ship was holding. Let's just say the plane was soon to be out of use.
When you entered the atmosphere in D'Qar, the landing gear erupted into flames, eliciting a series of explicit beeps from the BB unit. If not for the life-or-death in front of you, you would have burst into a fit of giggles.
Instead, you just grit your teeth: "Happy beeps, bud."
You and the BB unit left the carnage that used to be a starfighter flaming in the trees, bickering the whole time, and heading towards the Resistance Base. Towards new beginnings. Towards freedom.
Bracca was a junkyard, where scavengers and smugglers looked for parts to sell to the highest bidder. It was dark and dangerous at the best of times, and work was never-ending. It wasn't the kind of place you would want to grow up, but it was better than Kessel. Anything was better than Kessel.
It took a week to get to the Rebel base. Your head throbbed painfully with each passing day, with hardly any food in your system and little water to quench your thirst, the journey to salvation seemed almost unattainable. You had thanked the Maker for rain when it first came, but after 4 days of non-stop rain, you had cursed the skies for it. It only seemed to fall harder.
By day 5, the BB unit was running out of power, its movements slower than before. It was far too heavy for you to carry and without it, you would never reach the Resistance base. There were no sarcastic quips or complaints for its master anymore. No, the two of you traveled in silence, aside from the odd groan from either one of you. Its tiredness mimicked your own. You could only pray that the base would come into view soon. You weren't sure how much longer you would last.
When the planes came into view, you almost cried with joy. With newfound energy, you and the BB unit near-ran the way to the tarmac runway that signaled life on this dratted planet.
And while the BB unit was welcomed with cheers and open arms, you weren't so lucky.
You were marched to the medical bay by two men almost twice your size, flanked on the left and the right so you couldn't run if you tried. Your heartbeat in your throat. Of course, the resistance had to be careful, but surely this was excessive.
After you received treatment for your assortment of cuts and burns, you were delivered to a small room, adorned with only a bed and curtains to block out the light. Before you could say anything, let alone protest, the doors shut, leaving you alone in a small cell deep in the heart of the Resistance base.
As terrifying as the whole situation was, when you laid your head to rest on the bed in the dingy room, sleep came. It beat thorns and nettles on the forest floor of D'Qar. It beat sitting upright for 3 days, trying to avoid meteors and Tie Fighters. It beat restless nights on Bracca, hoping to gather enough for a meal. Sleep came to you better than it ever had before, and you reveled in it.
You woke up to familiar beeping outside the large metal door.
"BB-3?" Your voice came out as a hoarse whisper. The beeping got louder, almost unbearably loud, "Calm down, bud. I don't know how to open the door."
"Step back." A male voice came from behind the door, startling you. You stumbled backward, falling on the floor as the whooshed open. A tall man stood there, and if he were surprised you were on the floor, he didn't show it.
You scrambled to your feet, brushing the dust off your clothes as BB-3 rolled in, circling around you like a vulture would his prey. The man stood there observing you and the droid got reacquainted, before clearing his throat.
"Vice Admiral Holdo would like to speak with you." His tone was authoritative. You didn't want to be on his bad side. He led you toward an office on the opposite side of the building, your legs shaking as you walked. He shot you a pitying glance as BB-3 followed at your heels, before returning his face to its emotionless expression. You hated it.
It must have been early, as only a few people were up, and those who were seemed to want to rather be asleep. But no one batted an eye your way, despite the grime you still felt clinging to your face, and the ripped clothes you were wearing. You wondered if this was normal to them. People coming home grimy, hurt, and disgusting.
Only one man seemed to notice you on your journey.
"Snap!" A voice called out to you. The man in front of you - presumably Snap - broke into a huge grin. "Long time, no see, buddy!" Snap clapped the other man on the back, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
You stood there as the other man regaled the story of whatever mission he'd been on to Snap, and for a moment, you thought you were forgotten.
Until he turned. His eyes seemed to scorch your soul with their searching gaze. It was heavy, but you felt safe under it. Almost as if you knew that he would do nothing to hurt you.
"Heard all about how this one came in yesterday." He stretched out his hand, "Captain Poe Dameron. Pleasure to meet you."
You shook his hand and returned the favour, telling you his name. He tested it on his tongue, repeating a few times. Once he seemed satisfied, Poe turned back to Snap.
"How come you got stuck on babysitting duty?" He asked, mirth dancing in his eyes. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes or butt in - you wanted these people to like you. Sarcasm could be saved for later.
"Kid brought back my droid."
"BB-8 told me the story. Something about running from a resistance fighter, blowing up a depot train," you kick BB-3 gently, "and exploding an N-1. It was impossible. Maybe you should get your droid checked for gossiping?" Snap punched him in the arm, "Hey, it was just a suggestion." Poe grinned widely, "Oh, and the shootout. How could I forget the shootout?"
"It wasn't a shootout." You slapped your hand to your mouth. You hadn't meant to say that out loud. So much for saving the sarcasm for later.
Poe turns to look at you. "Oh?" his grin infuriatingly wide. "That's not what the droid said."
"It wasn't a shootout, we were shot at." Your confidence floods back into you. "And the depot train wasn't us. Wrong place, wrong time. Am I right, bud?" You glare down at the BB-unit.
He mumbles something about ruining a good story before whirring off to stop behind Snap. Stupid BB-unit.
"Guess you're more interesting than I gave you credit for kid." Snap stepped towards you, hand coming to rest on your shoulder. "The name's Temmin, Temmin Wexley. But everyone calls me Snap."
"Pleasure to meet you Snap," you echo Poe's words from earlier.
Your meeting with the Vice Admiral went well. She believed your story, well corroborated by both BB-3 and the bounty on your head placed by a well-meaning neighbour. She cleared you to start training with the resistance, though you surprised both her and Snap when you asked to be a mechanic.
Though when you started working on ships, it was clear to see why. It was almost like there was a secret language that ships spoke that only you seemed to understand. You scoffed at that. Beginner's luck you called it. Still, there was no denying that you loved working on the ships and that you were good at it too.
Months went by and you settled into the routines of the Resistance. You were given a room closer to the other mechanics, who, despite the constant tension of competition, seemed to like you well enough. You often sat with them for meals, although passing up on opportunities to spend more time with them. They seemed content with that. You got used to the early morning wake-up calls when the sun streamed through the window and urgent repairs needed to be made. You learned to enjoy the quiet evenings when everyone else had closed up shop and you could finetune repairs for those who needed it. You finally felt like you had a purpose. It was freeing.
Snap kept you up-to-date on the comings and goings of the First Order - never in much detail of course, but enough to satiate your desire to know more. In return you smuggled him extra jogan fruitcake when it was served while he was away. Sometimes, in thanks for saving your life, you made extra updates and repairs to his X-Wing when he came back from long missions - more often than not to save his those extra hours of tedious work.
Black Squadron had come home after a week long mission the night before. You had worked late into the night the day before, and you were now regretting it. Blue squadron had come into contact with a few Tie Fighters on night patrol, and the damage was hair-pullingly extensive. You were in for a long day. It didn't help that you could barely keep your eyes open, hands glued to a cup of Caf that was doing little for the tiredness clouding your brain. You didn't even notice Snap come storming in.
"WHO WORKED ON MY SHIP LAST NIGHT?" He yelled over all the mechanics. Shit.
You had done some basic repairs for him the evening before last and had spent the better part of last night finishing up repairs and repainting his ship. You knew how pilots were with ship paint. Maker, you were screwed.
After a few moments of silence, you decided it was better to own up than let everyone suffer. "I did, Wexley."
He slowly turned towards you, before grabbing you and pulling you into a bone-crushing hug, lifting your feet off the ground. You were shocked. He was happy - no, elated. The rest of the mechanics, equally as confused as you, turned back to their work, ignoring the scene in front of them.
He still had you gripped tightly when Poe walked in. "Easy tiger, you'll kill the greenie. What did she do to deserve your wrath?"
"My wrath?! No, no, no, Poe. This kid is my new favorite person on base."
"I'll try not to take offense to that," Poe grumbled jokingly, "What did she do to deserve such high praise then?"
"Have you seen my ship? She's beautiful, more beautiful than Jess that one time." He started, about to regale a story, you did not need to know. You elbowed him hard in the ribs.
"My sentiment exactly," Poe said to you, giving you a fist bump before walking over to Snap's X-Wing, closely followed by Snap himself. You trailed behind them, still unsure of what was going on. Poe dragged his finger across the paintwork, "He has a point though. I've never seen Snap's X-Wing look this good." Poe turned towards you, his warm brown eyes sparkling with pride. "Good job, Greenie."
You smiled gently, before turning away. It was high praise from Captain Poe Dameron, flyboy of the resistance.
"Maybe I'll snap her up, you know, give her a real ship to work on?" Poe said, his flirting tone making an odd double entendre that made your face light up in flames.
"Not a chance. Kid, you're my new mechanic. Officially."
"What if I don't want to be?" You countered, your sarcastic tone making both Snap and Poe burst into laughter.
You accepted the role though. There was no world in which you didn't. You enjoyed the perks of being Snap's favored Mechanic - you could sleep in more often, you were privy to more information than the average mechanic. He would tell you if he was to leave the base soon, you were often told just how bad a situation was. Snap trusted you. And if Snap did, so did the others.
'The others' being the other pilots on Black Squadron: Jessika Pava, Karé Kun, L'ulo L'ampar. And of course, Poe Dameron. It was almost like you couldn't escape him. His infectious laugh, his boyish grin, his boisterous personality. His ability to make even the most mundane task into a story for the ages.
No wonder he was so popular.
You began to sit with them in the cantina and you frequently ended up leading the repairs on Black Squadron, no one else being as trusted as you. You opened up to them slowly, telling them about growing up on Kessel and being brought to the Scrapper’s guild on Kessel. You told them the truth about your escape - Poe ended up on the floor laughing, saying “the real story’s so much better, BB-3”. They found out about your impeccable aim after a fun night in the cantina that ended in a tense game of holodarts. They became your family - more of a family you had ever had in your life.
And while, you saw Snap, L’ulo and Karé as your brothers, you could not say the same for Poe. Poe was a flirt, everyone knew that. But as you got closer and closer, it was harder to ignore the way you're heart sped up when he looked at you. How you're palms grew clammy when he smiled in your direction. How his praises and compliments made your knees weak. God you were in love with him.
You knew that half the women on the base had either slept with him or wanted to, and yet not one of them got even a second of his time. None of them except you. Poe would walk you to your room in the evening, and to the cantina in the morning, regaling stories of his adventures before he knew you. He’d bring you caf when you were working late, and sit under the stars with you at the end of a long day. He’d tell you stories of Yavin 4 and his mother. He showed you the ring that hung on the end of his necklace. 
“I want to give it to the one, you know?”
“Don’t get all sentimental on me, Captain.”
He groaned, “Don’t rank me.” You just smiled.
“So, no lucky lady in your life, Dameron?”
“No lucky man in yours, greenie?” 
You scoffed, “If there was ever a chance, they’ve all been scared away by you.”
“Good.”
You laughed it off, but inside your guts twisted at the idea that Poe was happy you were single. Your insides warmed at the idea that he might just feel the same. 
The next morning, you walked out of your room to the sight of Poe sneaking out of the room opposite yours. Half-naked. His eyes widened at the sight of you, and your hand quickly hid your eyes from the view. Your heart dropped. He lied to you. 
Poe sought you out later on in the day. He came up behind you on the landing deck, with a cool glass of jogan juice in hand. You had stripped out of your mechanics jumsuit, the arms tied loosely around your waist. Your tank top was almost a shade darker with the sweat of exertion and ridiculous heat. And yet you declined it, your face barely concealing your childlike annoyance. You knew it was stupid. You and Poe were barely friends, let alone anything that would justify your anger.
“I’m sorry.” Poe huffed, still standing underneath you in the beating sunshine. You were surprised: Poe Dameron never apologises.
“For what?” You said, your back still facing him. He sighed - he didn’t like it when anyone was annoyed at him. Least of all you.
“For this morning.”
“Why does it matter, Poe? You can sleep with who you want to.” You said, anger colouring your voice.
“It matters,” he yells, “because it upset you. Because, for whatever reason, the idea of me sleeping with other people, made you mad at me.”
His obliviousness tugged at your heartstrings, as if to say ‘he doesn’t feel the same’.“I’m not mad that you’re sleeping with other people.”
“Then why are you ignoring me?”
“Because you lied to me, Poe.” You say, dropping down from the ladder, sweat dripping down your back. 
“What are you talking about?”
“You said there was no one special in your life.”
“There isn’t.” You raise a brow, before grabbing the glass of jogan juice from his hand. “Just because we had fun for a night, doesn’t mean I’m getting down on one knee.”
“I think you’ve done it enough times for that to be proven, Poe.”
His cheeky smile returned, “Glad we’re back on first name terms.”
You shook your head at him, “For the record, if I ever catch you sneaking out of a room in my wing again, I’ll skin you myself.”
“If you catch me you say? Well, I like myself a challenge.” You slap him on the head, before climbing back up the ladder.
“Leave me alone, Poe. I don’t need your love troubles plaguing my every hour.”
“There’s no place for things like love in the middle of a war, greenie. First thing you learn in a place like this.”
If he hadn’t been walking away, he would have heard your heart burst into a thousand tiny pieces. Maybe it was for the best if you didn't love him.
Instead of wallowing in undeserving heartache like an idiot, you forced yourself to forget all about the way Poe made your heart feel. He became just another friend, pushed so far into the friendzone that was no conceivable way out. To his credit, you didn’t hear of another escapade of his again. He probably just got good at hiding them.
That always got difficult when he was sent on week-long missions. Your heart would migrate into your throat and even swallowing became difficult. Your mind would swim with worry, all for him to come back completely fine, his ship always seemed to come home the least scathed. A fact for which your heart was grateful.
"Hey, flyboy," you called, as you walked into the cantina. There were less than 10 people in the whole room - probably due to the ungodly hour of the day.
Poe was sat in the corner, the light of his datapad shining on his face. He ran his fingers through his hair. It was unusually disheveled, which could only mean one thing. He was nervous.
You walked up to him. Evidently, he hadn't heard you from across the room, because when you came up to him and rested your hand on his shoulder, he flinched and grabbed your hand. You winced at his tight grip as he turned to face you.
Poe released your hand when he saw it was you. He leaned back into your chest, eyes fluttering shut. "I'm sorry," he whispered, gently.
You grabbed the datapad from his hands, and placed it face down on the table, "It's ok. What's going on?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
You absent-mindedly run your hands through his hair as his head remained leaned against your chest. "It's not nothing. Is it a mission? You're leaving again soon?"
He hummed in agreement.
"You're leaving today, aren't you? That's why you're up early."
"Why do you think Snap got you to wake up early? You're not just a sight for sore eyes, you know."
His words made you blush. Never have you been more glad that he isn't staring right at you - it would give your heart’s deepest darkest desires away. 
He left that afternoon. After you completed routine checks for him, he was off on a top-secret adventure. Sometimes, it was easy to hate his rank, because it made it so hard to find out where he was, or what he was doing. But as always, you let him go and, as always, you prayed he'd come home safe. To you. You always pray he comes home safe to you.
Hours turned to days, days turned to weeks. And while it wasn't unheard of for Poe to be gone this long, your heart could barely take him being gone for a day. That's the price of being in love. You'd never thought of yourself as still being in love with Poe until he left on that mission. You'd never thought much of the way your heart still raced when he talked to you. You'd never thought much of the way your heart still ached when he left for missions. You'd never thought much of the way your heart still burst when he smiled at you. But without him there, it's like your heart could not find a reason for beating. 
You continued on with your job, trudging through daily repairs and meals, trying to keep your mind away from Poe. You forced a smile when you talked to Snap - missing Poe hit him just as hard as it hit you. You forced a smile when you taught new recruits - you couldn't afford to have them hate you just because the Captain was missing. You forced a smile when you came down for dinner - there was no use in moping around in the middle of a war. But when you were in the comfort of your own room, you let the smile fall and the tears drip down your face. You cried almost every night for the first week that he was gone, trying to reconcile your newly found feelings and your newly lost friend.
It was a surprise to everyone when Poe crash-landed back on D'Qar with burns and cuts littering his body. You were up at an extremely early hour as working on Snap's ship when he landed, and you were immediately filled with concern. A tight knot wound its way around your throat, as you watched the scene unfold. BB-8 was nowhere to be seen. The ship is smoking dangerously, and parts of it are falling off, but most worrying of all, Poe was struggling to get out of the cockpit. You quickly threw yourself onto the X-Wing, hitting the emergency ejection latch with the spanner in your hand. The cockpit lid flew open and Poe climbed out, coughing heavily and clutching his side.  Snap came running out of the base, and grabbed Poe's arm. You ran up and grabbed the other, and the two of you dragged him towards the med wing. 
Two nurses snapped him up, cleaning his wounds and applying bacta spray where necessary. Snap turned away, mumbling something about an early morning briefing, but you stayed rooted to the spot. You couldn't take your eyes off his broken state, and tears slipped out of your eyes before you could control them. After a beat, you spun around on your heel and sprinted to your room. 
When the door clanged shut, you slumped onto the floor and burst into tears. You couldn't bear to see Poe in pain. You hated yourself for not being strong enough to fight through your tears to be with him. And you hated yourself for still being in love with him, when you promised you would be. When your datapad lit up with tasks for the day, you made the rash decision to call in sick. In the time you had been on the base, you had never called in sick. This job was your lifeline, your passion, and nothing, not even illness, would affect that. At least, that's what you had thought. You spent the majority of the week in that same spot, tears subsiding when you became so dehydrated that your body refused to let you cry.
On the fifth day of your hibernation, you finally left your room, having showered and gotten ready. Few people were on the base, apart from the mechanics and medics, and the injured - which included Poe. Given the lack of a real threat in the vicinity, General Leia had given the day off. You didn’t want to relax. You couldn’t relax.
You snuck over to where Poe’s beat up X-Wing was parked, and the sight of it almost made you tear up. The memories hit you like a brick. Poe barely limping towards the med wing. BB-8 being carried to the droid repair room. Fire extinguishers coating the X-Wing with hopes that it may be able to fly again. You got to work.
You were finally satisfied as the sun set over the vast treescape of D'Qar, covered head to toe in oil and grease. After some gentle coaxing by Paige - the only one aware of your all-consuming feelings for Poe - you agreed to grab something small to eat with her.
What you didn't sign up for was to see a broken and battered Poe sitting at the table, laughing at some stupid joke that Snap had probably made. He looked up as you walked in, almost as if he was expecting you. His eyes met yours, and you felt the tight knot in your throat begin to form again - just as it had the morning Poe crash-landed on the base.
Poe tried to lift his arm up to wave but winced at the action, the stitches keeping his wounds bound together stretching at the extreme action. You pressed your lips into a tight smile, willing the Maker to take your tears away. Paige handed you a bottle of water, before leading you toward the table. She left you standing in front of the table, where you awkwardly shifted your feet.
"Gonna sit down?" Snap asked, mirth dancing behind his eyes, "Or are you planning to put on a show? Wouldn't put it past you to have hidden another talent."
You smiled weakly, sitting down next to Jess and unscrewing the cap on the water bottle you had been given. Jess leaned over and whispered gently, "Feeling ok? Paige came up to ask if you were ok when you didn't show up at drills this morning."
"Yeah, felt a bit under the weather after morning rounds."
"Probably the shitty sleep you've been getting worrying about this guy." Karé said, pointing his knife at Poe.
Poe looked at you, his eyes wide, but you tried to brush off Karé's words, sarcastically replying, "Oh please Karé, the only thing you're worried about is whether or not they have that drink that you like from Sorgan, which is disgusting by the way - I don't know how you can drink it."
Everyone laughs as Karé splutters about how delicious spotchka is, the anxiousness wracking your body easing its reins slightly. Under the table, you feel Poe's foot nudge yours gently. You smile lightly at him, careful not to let him have a good look at your red-rimmed eyes and splotchy face. As much as it shouldn't matter, you don't want him to know how much you care.
"You don't have to pretend you don't care for the captain, kid. You should have seen how she leaped to open the hatch Poe, something from a Naboo holodrama. Or one of those superhero films." Snap laughed, as your face burned red.
Poe raised his eyebrow, "Now that's something I would like to see. Maybe I'll get myself stuck in a cockpit again, just to see you in action." He laughs, but you don't laugh with him. You feel your chest tighten, and the knot in your throat return. Your vision clouds with tears, and you quickly got up, excusing yourself on the notion that your headache has returned, and that you should probably get some rest before drills the next day. You stumbled out of the cantina, breaking into a sprint as soon as you were out of sight. 
Poe’s eyes followed you as you left, worrying tinting his gaze. The group had fallen almost silent at your abrupt exit, looking at where you’d run, before turning back to Poe. Snap slapped the back of his head.
“Why, in the Maker’s name, would you say that?”
“What?” Poe said, rubbing the back of his head. Jess gave him a pointed look, “What did I say?”
“You joked about getting hurt, Poe! Why would you do that?”
“He didn’t just joke about getting hurt, Wex! He joked about almost dying!”
"Oh please, it's not that big of a deal. Everyone knew it was a joke. Right?" No one looks at him. "Right?!"
Jess waves at Paige, whose eyes were trained at the door. She meekly walks over, leaning down to talk to Jess. 
"Is she ok?" Paige asked, her eyes brushing over the group until they landed on Poe, "What did he do?"
Poe's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I'm so confused," he muttered under his breath.
"He made a joke.”
Snap butt in, “About almost dying."
Paige’s eyes widened, "You're not serious."
"Look, I don't know what's up with her today, but something tells me that that was the last thing she needed right now."
Paige turned towards Poe, "If you weren't injured right now, Captain, I would beat you up." 
"Hold up. I don't even know what I did." He said, standing up. "I get that the joke was a little misplaced, but it was a joke. I didn't put myself in this situation willingly."
"We get it, Poe. But you haven't been here. She's literally been destroyed - she's barely sleeping, I barely see her come down to eat, she spends all her time working on different ships, drowning herself in work. Today was the first day in the year she's been here that she's called in sick." Paige said, her eyes flitting between Poe and the door. She was in a half-mind to run after you, to console you. 
Poe beat her to it. He got up, ignoring the protest from his teammates, and headed towards your room. He knocked lightly on your door, hearing the gentle sobbing from your room.
His heart broke. He knocked again. 
“I’m fine Paige, I just need sleep.”
“Nice to know you’d lie to Paige.” Poe said, his voice steady and gentle. You open the door to you room, the door whooshing up to reveal Poe in all his glory, “Would you lie to your Captain?”
“Don’t pull rank with me, Poe.” You joked as he bent to meet your eyes.
He reached out to caress his fingers against your cheek and wipe away the stray tears. You leaned your head into his hands, the callouses on his hands like comfort against your cheek. He touches his forehead to your eyes, his eyes closed as if he couldn’t quite believe you were here. That this was happening. 
“I’m sorry.” You whispered. Poe’s eyes met yours, softly searching for something. Answers, probably.
“Why are you sorry, darling?” The pet name gripped your heart, so familiar and yet so foreign. The tears begin to flow freely again. He soothed you, mindlessly carding his fingers through your hair, “Don’t cry, don’t cry.” 
You look into his eyes, and can’t help but to sob harder. Why did you have to fall in love with him?
Your head curled into his chest, seeking the comfort only he could give. “Tell me what’s wrong.” He asked, whispering into your hair. 
“I didn’t mean to.” You said through tears. Poe looked at you.
“You didn’t mean to what, love?” He asked. You repeated it over and over, your tears soaking through his shirt. He lets you cry until your weak, pulling you further into his arms. 
He asks you again. 
“I didn’t mean to love you so much.” You confessed through whispers. It was so quiet that you thought that Poe didn’t catch what you said.
His widened eyes told you otherwise. 
“You…?”
“I love you.” You whispered.
“You-you love me?”
“I love you so much that whenever I see you my heart quickens until it’s uncomfortable.”
“Love -”
“I love you so much that my hands become so sweaty that I can barely keep a hold of my datapad.” You showed him your hands that were covered in a sheen. He gives you a watery laugh, before wiping your hands on his already soaked shirt. 
“I love you so much that when you leave, I can’t bear to survive.” 
“Love-” You interrupt him again.
“There’s no life without you, Poe.” Your voice broke as you dissolved into another bout of tears. 
“Love, please.” Poe sighed, kissing your forehead, “Please, just-”
“I know. It’s a war. I shouldn’t have, but I did and I can’t help it. Please don’t hate me, please-”
Poe grabbed your face, pulling you into him. He grazed his lips over yours, before pulling away way to fast. 
“I could never hate you, love.”
You pull him back towards you, smashing your lips onto his. He pulls you into his lap deepening the kiss further. You run your fingers through his hair, and over where the bandages cover his fresh wounds. Poe winced, and you pulled back. 
“You should rest. And heal up.”
He looked at you with such adoration, that for a moment you thought you’d melt away. “I have the rest of forever to heal up. I want this now.”
“You have me for the rest of forever. I think you should heal up now.” He rested his forehead against yours, sighing and closing his eyes. You kissed his nose gently.
“The rest of forever is too far away.” He whispered.
“You made me wait for this long. I think you could wait for a little longer.”
“Only a little bit, love. Only for you.”
He stood up, holding his hand out to you. You grabbed it, and he pulled you to your feet. The sudden motion had you dizzy, head pounding due to the dehydration. He caught you gently, lifting you into his arms, before gently depositing you on the bed. He left light kisses on your forehead, and left with the promise of coming back with water and a little food. 
He walked out of the mechanics wing and back towards the cantina, intent on his mission to get a little food and water into you. 
The whole of black squadron watched him walk in. Poe nodded to them lightly, not knowing exactly what they had been expecting. Apparently it was enough for them, as they turned back towards each other. 
He grabbed a small muffin and a bottle of water, before heading back to your room. He walked into see you asleep on the bed, and he couldn’t help but smile. God, she’s beautiful. 
Poe sat down on the bed, rubbing your arm gently. You opened a bleary eye to see Poe crouched next to you, blocking the moonlight streaming in from the window. He pulled off his shirt, and lifted your head up to get you drink some water, before settling down next to you. You rested your head on his chest before falling back to sleep.
Poe moved under you, pulling his necklace from around his neck and placing it around yours. Your hand immediately migrated to the metal ring strung on the end. Poe froze. What if it’s too soon. He relaxed almost immediately, as your fist closes around his rings.
He relaxed, pushing his nose into your hair. You smiled as he whispered something that he probably only said because he thought you were asleep.
“I love you too."
fin.
buy me a coffee
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buffshipper8490 · 6 months
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Rated Mature
Chapter Summary
The Resistance plans to break through the transmission blockade on Coruscant with an ancient beacon at the Jedi Temple while Poe offers to help Rey find the hidden Sith planet Exegol...
Excerpt
Poe watched as Resistance leadership filed into the briefing room, his gut churning. He shouldn’t have been nervous, not when the faces were so familiar, all the people with whom he’d spent the last couple years rebuilding since Crait, earning back the trust and confidence he’d lost in those days after the evacuation of their old base on D'Qar. He knew all of their stories by heart, the families lost and homeworlds overrun by the First Order.
Not to mention that he’d been to thousands of these over the years. Only this time, it was his show to run, with Leia looking on from the back of the room.
Once everyone had gathered around, Poe took a deep breath. It was now or never.
He hit a button, and a hologram of the First Order Capitol sprang to life over the table.
“As you know,” he started, and the whole room sat up and paid attention. "The First Order has silenced all communication between neighboring systems. The source of the blockade is a transmission jammer located deep in the First Order capitol on Coruscant, here.”
Poe hit another button, and the hologram zoomed in on a cube in the heart of the Capitol. “So far, we’ve been unable to find a weakness. No thermal exhaust port, no oscillator. In other words, they’re on to us.”
He gave the room a wry smile, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught Leia smiling at him in response from the back of the room. A tip of her head urged him on.
“While our forces are still too depleted to mount a direct assault, we think we found an alternative," Poe keyed in a new code, and the Capitol was replaced by a rendering of a five-spired building.
“Here, in the Jedi Temple, lies an analog system back from the days of the Old Republic.” Another click brought them to a closeup of the machine, an ancient contraption powered by a kyber crystal-- like a lightsaber. “A small team will activate the beacon, and we’ll be able to summon the galaxy to war.”
The hologram lit up, a beam of light bursting through the center of the temple to link with hundreds of planets above, creating a web of connections spanning the entire known galaxy.
“And when they succeed, we’ll be ready," Poe concluded.
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d0wnb4df0rf1cm3n · 1 year
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I didn't mean to love you so much.
Poe Dameron x Reader
Summary: You don't know what you have until it's gone. Or is it?
Word Count: 6.0K
AN: Hello lovely people, sorry the ending to this one's kinda shitty! Kinda got lost while writing it, but I hope y'all enjoy it anyway. All love!
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It took 3 days to arrive on D'Qar.
The Naboo N-1 Starfighter that you stole from the junkyard on Bracca was one wrong move away from falling out of the sky. Even with your constant mid-flight repairs, only prayers to the Maker were keeping her together. The BB unit you found kept you posted with constant, and frankly worrying, updates on how the ship was holding. Let's just say the plane was soon to be out of use.
When you entered the atmosphere in D'Qar, the landing gear erupted into flames, eliciting a series of explicit beeps from the BB unit. If not for the life-or-death in front of you, you would have burst into a fit of giggles.
Instead, you just grit your teeth: "Happy beeps, bud."
You and the BB unit left the carnage that used to be a starfighter flaming in the trees, bickering the whole time, and heading towards the Resistance Base. Towards new beginnings. Towards freedom.
Bracca was a junkyard, where scavengers and smugglers looked for parts to sell to the highest bidder. It was dark and dangerous at the best of times, and work was never-ending. It wasn't the kind of place you would want to grow up, but it was better than Kessel. Anything was better than Kessel.
It took a week to get to the Rebel base. Your head throbbed painfully with each passing day, with hardly any food in your system and little water to quench your thirst, the journey to salvation seemed almost unattainable. You had thanked the Maker for rain when it first came, but after 4 days of non-stop rain, you had cursed the skies for it. It only seemed to fall harder.
By day 5, the BB unit was running out of power, its movements slower than before. It was far too heavy for you to carry and without it, you would never reach the Resistance base. There were no sarcastic quips or complaints for its master anymore. No, the two of you traveled in silence, aside from the odd groan from either one of you. Its tiredness mimicked your own. You could only pray that the base would come into view soon. You weren't sure how much longer you would last.
When the planes came into view, you almost cried with joy. With newfound energy, you and the BB unit near-ran the way to the tarmac runway that signaled life on this dratted planet.
And while the BB unit was welcomed with cheers and open arms, you weren't so lucky.
You were marched to the medical bay by two men almost twice your size, flanked on the left and the right so you couldn't run if you tried. Your heartbeat in your throat. Of course, the resistance had to be careful, but surely this was excessive.
After you received treatment for your assortment of cuts and burns, you were delivered to a small room, adorned with only a bed and curtains to block out the light. Before you could say anything, let alone protest, the doors shut, leaving you alone in a small cell deep in the heart of the Resistance base.
As terrifying as the whole situation was, when you laid your head to rest on the bed in the dingy room, sleep came. It beat thorns and nettles on the forest floor of D'Qar. It beat sitting upright for 3 days, trying to avoid meteors and Tie Fighters. It beat restless nights on Bracca, hoping to gather enough for a meal. Sleep came to you better than it ever had before, and you reveled in it.
You woke up to familiar beeping outside the large metal door.
"BB-3?" Your voice came out as a hoarse whisper. The beeping got louder, almost unbearably loud, "Calm down, bud. I don't know how to open the door."
"Step back." A male voice came from behind the door, startling you. You stumbled backward, falling on the floor as the whooshed open. A tall man stood there, and if he were surprised you were on the floor, he didn't show it.
You scrambled to your feet, brushing the dust off your clothes as BB-3 rolled in, circling around you like a vulture would his prey. The man stood there observing you and the droid got reacquainted, before clearing his throat.
"Vice Admiral Holdo would like to speak with you." His tone was authoritative. You didn't want to be on his bad side. He led you toward an office on the opposite side of the building, your legs shaking as you walked. He shot you a pitying glance as BB-3 followed at your heels, before returning his face to its emotionless expression. You hated it.
It must have been early, as only a few people were up, and those who were seemed to want to rather be asleep. But no one batted an eye your way, despite the grime you still felt clinging to your face, and the ripped clothes you were wearing. You wondered if this was normal to them. People coming home grimy, hurt, and disgusting.
Only one man seemed to notice you on your journey.
"Snap!" A voice called out to you. The man in front of you - presumably Snap - broke into a huge grin. "Long time, no see, buddy!" Snap clapped the other man on the back, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
You stood there as the other man regaled the story of whatever mission he'd been on to Snap, and for a moment, you thought you were forgotten.
Until he turned. His eyes seemed to scorch your soul with their searching gaze. It was heavy, but you felt safe under it. Almost as if you knew that he would do nothing to hurt you.
"Heard all about how this one came in yesterday." He stretched out his hand, "Captain Poe Dameron. Pleasure to meet you."
You shook his hand and returned the favour, telling you his name. He tested it on his tongue, repeating a few times. Once he seemed satisfied, Poe turned back to Snap.
"How come you got stuck on babysitting duty?" He asked, mirth dancing in his eyes. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes or butt in - you wanted these people to like you. Sarcasm could be saved for later.
"Kid brought back my droid."
"BB-8 told me the story. Something about running from a resistance fighter, blowing up a depot train," you kick BB-3 gently, "and exploding an N-1. It was impossible. Maybe you should get your droid checked for gossiping?" Snap punched him in the arm, "Hey, it was just a suggestion." Poe grinned widely, "Oh, and the shootout. How could I forget the shootout?"
"It wasn't a shootout." You slapped your hand to your mouth. You hadn't meant to say that out loud. So much for saving the sarcasm for later.
Poe turns to look at you. "Oh?" his grin infuriatingly wide. "That's not what the droid said."
"It wasn't a shootout, we were shot at." Your confidence floods back into you. "And the depot train wasn't us. Wrong place, wrong time. Am I right, bud?" You glare down at the BB-unit.
He mumbles something about ruining a good story before whirring off to stop behind Snap. Stupid BB-unit.
"Guess you're more interesting than I gave you credit for kid." Snap stepped towards you, hand coming to rest on your shoulder. "The name's Temmin, Temmin Wexley. But everyone calls me Snap."
"Pleasure to meet you Snap," you echo Poe's words from earlier.
Your meeting with the Vice Admiral went well. She believed your story, well corroborated by both BB-3 and the bounty on your head placed by a well-meaning neighbour. She cleared you to start training with the resistance, though you surprised both her and Snap when you asked to be a mechanic.
Though when you started working on ships, it was clear to see why. It was almost like there was a secret language that ships spoke that only you seemed to understand. You scoffed at that. Beginner's luck you called it. Still, there was no denying that you loved working on the ships and that you were good at it too.
Months went by and you settled into the routines of the Resistance. You were given a room closer to the other mechanics, who, despite the constant tension of competition, seemed to like you well enough. You often sat with them for meals, although passing up on opportunities to spend more time with them. They seemed content with that. You got used to the early morning wake-up calls when the sun streamed through the window and urgent repairs needed to be made. You learned to enjoy the quiet evenings when everyone else had closed up shop and you could finetune repairs for those who needed it. You finally felt like you had a purpose. It was freeing.
Snap kept you up-to-date on the comings and goings of the First Order - never in much detail of course, but enough to satiate your desire to know more. In return you smuggled him extra jogan fruitcake when it was served while he was away. Sometimes, in thanks for saving your life, you made extra updates and repairs to his X-Wing when he came back from long missions - more often than not to save his those extra hours of tedious work.
Black Squadron had come home after a week long mission the night before. You had worked late into the night the day before, and you were now regretting it. Blue squadron had come into contact with a few Tie Fighters on night patrol, and the damage was hair-pullingly extensive. You were in for a long day. It didn't help that you could barely keep your eyes open, hands glued to a cup of Caf that was doing little for the tiredness clouding your brain. You didn't even notice Snap come storming in.
"WHO WORKED ON MY SHIP LAST NIGHT?" He yelled over all the mechanics. Shit.
You had done some basic repairs for him the evening before last and had spent the better part of last night finishing up repairs and repainting his ship. You knew how pilots were with ship paint. Maker, you were screwed.
After a few moments of silence, you decided it was better to own up than let everyone suffer. "I did, Wexley."
He slowly turned towards you, before grabbing you and pulling you into a bone-crushing hug, lifting your feet off the ground. You were shocked. He was happy - no, elated. The rest of the mechanics, equally as confused as you, turned back to their work, ignoring the scene in front of them.
He still had you gripped tightly when Poe walked in. "Easy tiger, you'll kill the greenie. What did she do to deserve your wrath?"
"My wrath?! No, no, no, Poe. This kid is my new favorite person on base."
"I'll try not to take offense to that," Poe grumbled jokingly, "What did she do to deserve such high praise then?"
"Have you seen my ship? She's beautiful, more beautiful than Jess that one time." He started, about to regale a story, you did not need to know. You elbowed him hard in the ribs.
"My sentiment exactly," Poe said to you, giving you a fist bump before walking over to Snap's X-Wing, closely followed by Snap himself. You trailed behind them, still unsure of what was going on. Poe dragged his finger across the paintwork, "He has a point though. I've never seen Snap's X-Wing look this good." Poe turned towards you, his warm brown eyes sparkling with pride. "Good job, Greenie."
You smiled gently, before turning away. It was high praise from Captain Poe Dameron, flyboy of the resistance.
"Maybe I'll snap her up, you know, give her a real ship to work on?" Poe said, his flirting tone making an odd double entendre that made your face light up in flames.
"Not a chance. Kid, you're my new mechanic. Officially."
"What if I don't want to be?" You countered, your sarcastic tone making both Snap and Poe burst into laughter.
You accepted the role though. There was no world in which you didn't. You enjoyed the perks of being Snap's favored Mechanic - you could sleep in more often, you were privy to more information than the average mechanic. He would tell you if he was to leave the base soon, you were often told just how bad a situation was. Snap trusted you. And if Snap did, so did the others.
'The others' being the other pilots on Black Squadron: Jessika Pava, Karé Kun, L'ulo L'ampar. And of course, Poe Dameron. It was almost like you couldn't escape him. His infectious laugh, his boyish grin, his boisterous personality. His ability to make even the most mundane task into a story for the ages.
No wonder he was so popular.
You began to sit with them in the cantina and you frequently ended up leading the repairs on Black Squadron, no one else being as trusted as you. You opened up to them slowly, telling them about growing up on Kessel and being brought to the Scrapper’s guild on Kessel. You told them the truth about your escape - Poe ended up on the floor laughing, saying “the real story’s so much better, BB-3”. They found out about your impeccable aim after a fun night in the cantina that ended in a tense game of holodarts. They became your family - more of a family you had ever had in your life.
And while, you saw Snap, L’ulo and Karé as your brothers, you could not say the same for Poe. Poe was a flirt, everyone knew that. But as you got closer and closer, it was harder to ignore the way you're heart sped up when he looked at you. How you're palms grew clammy when he smiled in your direction. How his praises and compliments made your knees weak. God you were in love with him.
You knew that half the women on the base had either slept with him or wanted to, and yet not one of them got even a second of his time. None of them except you. Poe would walk you to your room in the evening, and to the cantina in the morning, regaling stories of his adventures before he knew you. He’d bring you caf when you were working late, and sit under the stars with you at the end of a long day. He’d tell you stories of Yavin 4 and his mother. He showed you the ring that hung on the end of his necklace. 
“I want to give it to the one, you know?”
“Don’t get all sentimental on me, Captain.”
He groaned, “Don’t rank me.” You just smiled.
“So, no lucky lady in your life, Dameron?”
“No lucky man in yours, greenie?” 
You scoffed, “If there was ever a chance, they’ve all been scared away by you.”
“Good.”
You laughed it off, but inside your guts twisted at the idea that Poe was happy you were single. Your insides warmed at the idea that he might just feel the same. 
The next morning, you walked out of your room to the sight of Poe sneaking out of the room opposite yours. Half-naked. His eyes widened at the sight of you, and your hand quickly hid your eyes from the view. Your heart dropped. He lied to you. 
Poe sought you out later on in the day. He came up behind you on the landing deck, with a cool glass of jogan juice in hand. You had stripped out of your mechanics jumsuit, the arms tied loosely around your waist. Your tank top was almost a shade darker with the sweat of exertion and ridiculous heat. And yet you declined it, your face barely concealing your childlike annoyance. You knew it was stupid. You and Poe were barely friends, let alone anything that would justify your anger.
“I’m sorry.” Poe huffed, still standing underneath you in the beating sunshine. You were surprised: Poe Dameron never apologises.
“For what?” You said, your back still facing him. He sighed - he didn’t like it when anyone was annoyed at him. Least of all you.
“For this morning.”
“Why does it matter, Poe? You can sleep with who you want to.” You said, anger colouring your voice.
“It matters,” he yells, “because it upset you. Because, for whatever reason, the idea of me sleeping with other people, made you mad at me.”
His obliviousness tugged at your heartstrings, as if to say ‘he doesn’t feel the same’.“I’m not mad that you’re sleeping with other people.”
“Then why are you ignoring me?”
“Because you lied to me, Poe.” You say, dropping down from the ladder, sweat dripping down your back. 
“What are you talking about?”
“You said there was no one special in your life.”
“There isn’t.” You raise a brow, before grabbing the glass of jogan juice from his hand. “Just because we had fun for a night, doesn’t mean I’m getting down on one knee.”
“I think you’ve done it enough times for that to be proven, Poe.”
His cheeky smile returned, “Glad we’re back on first name terms.”
You shook your head at him, “For the record, if I ever catch you sneaking out of a room in my wing again, I’ll skin you myself.”
“If you catch me you say? Well, I like myself a challenge.” You slap him on the head, before climbing back up the ladder.
“Leave me alone, Poe. I don’t need your love troubles plaguing my every hour.”
“There’s no place for things like love in the middle of a war, greenie. First thing you learn in a place like this.”
If he hadn’t been walking away, he would have heard your heart burst into a thousand tiny pieces. Maybe it was for the best if you didn't love him.
Instead of wallowing in undeserving heartache like an idiot, you forced yourself to forget all about the way Poe made your heart feel. He became just another friend, pushed so far into the friendzone that was no conceivable way out. To his credit, you didn’t hear of another escapade of his again. He probably just got good at hiding them.
That always got difficult when he was sent on week-long missions. Your heart would migrate into your throat and even swallowing became difficult. Your mind would swim with worry, all for him to come back completely fine, his ship always seemed to come home the least scathed. A fact for which your heart was grateful.
"Hey, flyboy," you called, as you walked into the cantina. There were less than 10 people in the whole room - probably due to the ungodly hour of the day.
Poe was sat in the corner, the light of his datapad shining on his face. He ran his fingers through his hair. It was unusually disheveled, which could only mean one thing. He was nervous.
You walked up to him. Evidently, he hadn't heard you from across the room, because when you came up to him and rested your hand on his shoulder, he flinched and grabbed your hand. You winced at his tight grip as he turned to face you.
Poe released your hand when he saw it was you. He leaned back into your chest, eyes fluttering shut. "I'm sorry," he whispered, gently.
You grabbed the datapad from his hands, and placed it face down on the table, "It's ok. What's going on?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
You absent-mindedly run your hands through his hair as his head remained leaned against your chest. "It's not nothing. Is it a mission? You're leaving again soon?"
He hummed in agreement.
"You're leaving today, aren't you? That's why you're up early."
"Why do you think Snap got you to wake up early? You're not just a sight for sore eyes, you know."
His words made you blush. Never have you been more glad that he isn't staring right at you - it would give your heart’s deepest darkest desires away. 
He left that afternoon. After you completed routine checks for him, he was off on a top-secret adventure. Sometimes, it was easy to hate his rank, because it made it so hard to find out where he was, or what he was doing. But as always, you let him go and, as always, you prayed he'd come home safe. To you. You always pray he comes home safe to you.
Hours turned to days, days turned to weeks. And while it wasn't unheard of for Poe to be gone this long, your heart could barely take him being gone for a day. That's the price of being in love. You'd never thought of yourself as still being in love with Poe until he left on that mission. You'd never thought much of the way your heart still raced when he talked to you. You'd never thought much of the way your heart still ached when he left for missions. You'd never thought much of the way your heart still burst when he smiled at you. But without him there, it's like your heart could not find a reason for beating. 
You continued on with your job, trudging through daily repairs and meals, trying to keep your mind away from Poe. You forced a smile when you talked to Snap - missing Poe hit him just as hard as it hit you. You forced a smile when you taught new recruits - you couldn't afford to have them hate you just because the Captain was missing. You forced a smile when you came down for dinner - there was no use in moping around in the middle of a war. But when you were in the comfort of your own room, you let the smile fall and the tears drip down your face. You cried almost every night for the first week that he was gone, trying to reconcile your newly found feelings and your newly lost friend.
It was a surprise to everyone when Poe crash-landed back on D'Qar with burns and cuts littering his body. You were up at an extremely early hour as working on Snap's ship when he landed, and you were immediately filled with concern. A tight knot wound its way around your throat, as you watched the scene unfold. BB-8 was nowhere to be seen. The ship is smoking dangerously, and parts of it are falling off, but most worrying of all, Poe was struggling to get out of the cockpit. You quickly threw yourself onto the X-Wing, hitting the emergency ejection latch with the spanner in your hand. The cockpit lid flew open and Poe climbed out, coughing heavily and clutching his side.  Snap came running out of the base, and grabbed Poe's arm. You ran up and grabbed the other, and the two of you dragged him towards the med wing. 
Two nurses snapped him up, cleaning his wounds and applying bacta spray where necessary. Snap turned away, mumbling something about an early morning briefing, but you stayed rooted to the spot. You couldn't take your eyes off his broken state, and tears slipped out of your eyes before you could control them. After a beat, you spun around on your heel and sprinted to your room. 
When the door clanged shut, you slumped onto the floor and burst into tears. You couldn't bear to see Poe in pain. You hated yourself for not being strong enough to fight through your tears to be with him. And you hated yourself for still being in love with him, when you promised you would be. When your datapad lit up with tasks for the day, you made the rash decision to call in sick. In the time you had been on the base, you had never called in sick. This job was your lifeline, your passion, and nothing, not even illness, would affect that. At least, that's what you had thought. You spent the majority of the week in that same spot, tears subsiding when you became so dehydrated that your body refused to let you cry.
On the fifth day of your hibernation, you finally left your room, having showered and gotten ready. Few people were on the base, apart from the mechanics and medics, and the injured - which included Poe. Given the lack of a real threat in the vicinity, General Leia had given the day off. You didn’t want to relax. You couldn’t relax.
You snuck over to where Poe’s beat up X-Wing was parked, and the sight of it almost made you tear up. The memories hit you like a brick. Poe barely limping towards the med wing. BB-8 being carried to the droid repair room. Fire extinguishers coating the X-Wing with hopes that it may be able to fly again. You got to work.
You were finally satisfied as the sun set over the vast treescape of D'Qar, covered head to toe in oil and grease. After some gentle coaxing by Paige - the only one aware of your all-consuming feelings for Poe - you agreed to grab something small to eat with her.
What you didn't sign up for was to see a broken and battered Poe sitting at the table, laughing at some stupid joke that Snap had probably made. He looked up as you walked in, almost as if he was expecting you. His eyes met yours, and you felt the tight knot in your throat begin to form again - just as it had the morning Poe crash-landed on the base.
Poe tried to lift his arm up to wave but winced at the action, the stitches keeping his wounds bound together stretching at the extreme action. You pressed your lips into a tight smile, willing the Maker to take your tears away. Paige handed you a bottle of water, before leading you toward the table. She left you standing in front of the table, where you awkwardly shifted your feet.
"Gonna sit down?" Snap asked, mirth dancing behind his eyes, "Or are you planning to put on a show? Wouldn't put it past you to have hidden another talent."
You smiled weakly, sitting down next to Jess and unscrewing the cap on the water bottle you had been given. Jess leaned over and whispered gently, "Feeling ok? Paige came up to ask if you were ok when you didn't show up at drills this morning."
"Yeah, felt a bit under the weather after morning rounds."
"Probably the shitty sleep you've been getting worrying about this guy." Karé said, pointing his knife at Poe.
Poe looked at you, his eyes wide, but you tried to brush off Karé's words, sarcastically replying, "Oh please Karé, the only thing you're worried about is whether or not they have that drink that you like from Sorgan, which is disgusting by the way - I don't know how you can drink it."
Everyone laughs as Karé splutters about how delicious spotchka is, the anxiousness wracking your body easing its reins slightly. Under the table, you feel Poe's foot nudge yours gently. You smile lightly at him, careful not to let him have a good look at your red-rimmed eyes and splotchy face. As much as it shouldn't matter, you don't want him to know how much you care.
"You don't have to pretend you don't care for the captain, kid. You should have seen how she leaped to open the hatch Poe, something from a Naboo holodrama. Or one of those superhero films." Snap laughed, as your face burned red.
Poe raised his eyebrow, "Now that's something I would like to see. Maybe I'll get myself stuck in a cockpit again, just to see you in action." He laughs, but you don't laugh with him. You feel your chest tighten, and the knot in your throat return. Your vision clouds with tears, and you quickly got up, excusing yourself on the notion that your headache has returned, and that you should probably get some rest before drills the next day. You stumbled out of the cantina, breaking into a sprint as soon as you were out of sight. 
Poe’s eyes followed you as you left, worrying tinting his gaze. The group had fallen almost silent at your abrupt exit, looking at where you’d run, before turning back to Poe. Snap slapped the back of his head.
“Why, in the Maker’s name, would you say that?”
“What?” Poe said, rubbing the back of his head. Jess gave him a pointed look, “What did I say?”
“You joked about getting hurt, Poe! Why would you do that?”
“He didn’t just joke about getting hurt, Wex! He joked about almost dying!”
"Oh please, it's not that big of a deal. Everyone knew it was a joke. Right?" No one looks at him. "Right?!"
Jess waves at Paige, whose eyes were trained at the door. She meekly walks over, leaning down to talk to Jess. 
"Is she ok?" Paige asked, her eyes brushing over the group until they landed on Poe, "What did he do?"
Poe's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I'm so confused," he muttered under his breath.
"He made a joke.”
Snap butt in, “About almost dying."
Paige’s eyes widened, "You're not serious."
"Look, I don't know what's up with her today, but something tells me that that was the last thing she needed right now."
Paige turned towards Poe, "If you weren't injured right now, Captain, I would beat you up." 
"Hold up. I don't even know what I did." He said, standing up. "I get that the joke was a little misplaced, but it was a joke. I didn't put myself in this situation willingly."
"We get it, Poe. But you haven't been here. She's literally been destroyed - she's barely sleeping, I barely see her come down to eat, she spends all her time working on different ships, drowning herself in work. Today was the first day in the year she's been here that she's called in sick." Paige said, her eyes flitting between Poe and the door. She was in a half-mind to run after you, to console you. 
Poe beat her to it. He got up, ignoring the protest from his teammates, and headed towards your room. He knocked lightly on your door, hearing the gentle sobbing from your room.
His heart broke. He knocked again. 
“I’m fine Paige, I just need sleep.”
“Nice to know you’d lie to Paige.” Poe said, his voice steady and gentle. You open the door to you room, the door whooshing up to reveal Poe in all his glory, “Would you lie to your Captain?”
“Don’t pull rank with me, Poe.” You joked as he bent to meet your eyes.
He reached out to caress his fingers against your cheek and wipe away the stray tears. You leaned your head into his hands, the callouses on his hands like comfort against your cheek. He touches his forehead to your eyes, his eyes closed as if he couldn’t quite believe you were here. That this was happening. 
“I’m sorry.” You whispered. Poe’s eyes met yours, softly searching for something. Answers, probably.
“Why are you sorry, darling?” The pet name gripped your heart, so familiar and yet so foreign. The tears begin to flow freely again. He soothed you, mindlessly carding his fingers through your hair, “Don’t cry, don’t cry.” 
You look into his eyes, and can’t help but to sob harder. Why did you have to fall in love with him?
Your head curled into his chest, seeking the comfort only he could give. “Tell me what’s wrong.” He asked, whispering into your hair. 
“I didn’t mean to.” You said through tears. Poe looked at you.
“You didn’t mean to what, love?” He asked. You repeated it over and over, your tears soaking through his shirt. He lets you cry until your weak, pulling you further into his arms. 
He asks you again. 
“I didn’t mean to love you so much.” You confessed through whispers. It was so quiet that you thought that Poe didn’t catch what you said.
His widened eyes told you otherwise. 
“You…?”
“I love you.” You whispered.
“You-you love me?”
“I love you so much that whenever I see you my heart quickens until it’s uncomfortable.”
“Love -”
“I love you so much that my hands become so sweaty that I can barely keep a hold of my datapad.” You showed him your hands that were covered in a sheen. He gives you a watery laugh, before wiping your hands on his already soaked shirt. 
“I love you so much that when you leave, I can’t bear to survive.” 
“Love-” You interrupt him again.
“There’s no life without you, Poe.” Your voice broke as you dissolved into another bout of tears. 
“Love, please.” Poe sighed, kissing your forehead, “Please, just-”
“I know. It’s a war. I shouldn’t have, but I did and I can’t help it. Please don’t hate me, please-”
Poe grabbed your face, pulling you into him. He grazed his lips over yours, before pulling away way to fast. 
“I could never hate you, love.”
You pull him back towards you, smashing your lips onto his. He pulls you into his lap deepening the kiss further. You run your fingers through his hair, and over where the bandages cover his fresh wounds. Poe winced, and you pulled back. 
“You should rest. And heal up.”
He looked at you with such adoration, that for a moment you thought you’d melt away. “I have the rest of forever to heal up. I want this now.”
“You have me for the rest of forever. I think you should heal up now.” He rested his forehead against yours, sighing and closing his eyes. You kissed his nose gently.
“The rest of forever is too far away.” He whispered.
“You made me wait for this long. I think you could wait for a little longer.”
“Only a little bit, love. Only for you.”
He stood up, holding his hand out to you. You grabbed it, and he pulled you to your feet. The sudden motion had you dizzy, head pounding due to the dehydration. He caught you gently, lifting you into his arms, before gently depositing you on the bed. He left light kisses on your forehead, and left with the promise of coming back with water and a little food. 
He walked out of the mechanics wing and back towards the cantina, intent on his mission to get a little food and water into you. 
The whole of black squadron watched him walk in. Poe nodded to them lightly, not knowing exactly what they had been expecting. Apparently it was enough for them, as they turned back towards each other. 
He grabbed a small muffin and a bottle of water, before heading back to your room. He walked into see you asleep on the bed, and he couldn’t help but smile. God, she’s beautiful. 
Poe sat down on the bed, rubbing your arm gently. You opened a bleary eye to see Poe crouched next to you, blocking the moonlight streaming in from the window. He pulled off his shirt, and lifted your head up to get you drink some water, before settling down next to you. You rested your head on his chest before falling back to sleep.
Poe moved under you, pulling his necklace from around his neck and placing it around yours. Your hand immediately migrated to the metal ring strung on the end. Poe froze. What if it’s too soon. He relaxed almost immediately, as your fist closes around his rings.
He relaxed, pushing his nose into your hair. You smiled as he whispered something that he probably only said because he thought you were asleep.
“I love you too."
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