flightforfreedom | A stupid post for stupid threads

"No, no. You've- this is a great place."

He looked out away from Kes, towards the door and at the trees beyond. They'd had a chance to explore during the weeks. Well, explore for him. Revisit old ground for Poe.

"Great," he repeated softly. "Peaceful."

Kes watched him for a long moment.

"... I'll make up a room for you," He said finally. "I mean-- obviously you're welcome to Poe's whenever you like, but - I'll make one up for you, too. You can come whenever you like."

"Thanks, that's...thanks. But, uh, how much space is there? For people."

There is a false idleness to the question that probably reads as instantly suspicious, the choice of people over guests odd enough. Finn never was much for lying. He had an estimate, anyway, but it would be helpful to have confirmation from the man himself.

That made Kes frown - not because he was offended, but because he was confused. "Ah - it was built for five, originally," He admitted, which was telling. Poe was an only child.

Apparently he wasn't supposed to be.

"But I could house more, if emergency required..."

"Rey grew up on Jakku, big waste of a desert."

Rey had been mentioned enough in the weeks, no need to explain more.

"No family either, fighting off other scavengers for...more of that. But it's nice here."

Finn took a small drink of tea, before looking up at Kes again.

"Can't even imagine, how different every thing would have been for us, for every orphan fighting because they have nothing else instead of because it's for the right thing, growing up in a place like this."

Rey had indeed been brought up a few times, and Kes smiled, finally thinking he'd figured out what Finn had been trying to ask for. "Of course, your friends are always welcome."

He looked out as Finn continued speaking, nodding quietly.

"I can. I saw it." Poe was proof. And he'd gone and fucked it up. His smile faded. "And then they'll make more, because war requires endless canon fodder."

"The war never ended at all, for some of us."

He isn't even sure it is the best idea to bring up, but without Poe here to risk making feeling slightly guilty over the differences in their pasts, it seemed the best time to mention what had been gnawing quietly at the back of his skull in this large, essentially empty place. Anyway, he had just sworn to die for Poe. Hard to find a bigger opening than that.

"And your son makes up a full half of my friends. Curious why you never drafted any kids into the compound yourself. You've got better food than the Order."

"Drafted kids--" He looked a little horrified at that, as if trying to figure out why he would need a child army, but then he seemed to figure out what Finn meant. "Adopt them, you mean." He frowned slightly, before turning to look out the window.

"I... I don't know. We'd always wanted- We were going to have more children, but..." He trailed off, his brows furrowing. "After I lost Shara, and Poe left..." He trailed off.

Finn, in his way, tries to be sympathetic. In that he takes a long moment to drink some more tea- and he might be a tea person now, he had never had much in the Order but Kes was winning him over- before he replies.

"Poe signed up a long time ago."

"I didn't want to have to say goodbye to anyone else." Kes admitted, almost ashamed. No. Not almost. Very ashamed.

"I didn't even think I would last this long."

Finn nodded, he wasn't here to torment the man, after all. Or judge. It was more a question born of pure practical curiosity than anything. Wasted space was still a foreign concept.

"I know the resistance runs into our share, if you ever think about it. It's an incredible feeling...Having someone that wants to welcome you back."

Poe is nowhere in sight, of course. Probably doing more flips and tricks out of finn's view than was strictly wise, even now. But he turned to look in the direction where he had taken off anyway. Clearly theirs wasn't a paternal relationship. But it really did change the way the world looked, having Poe in his life.

Kes had already been looking off in that direction - though every time he did, he kept half expecting Shara to fly up over the horizon.

"... Yes, it is." He whispered, and then shook his head hard of the daze and stood up. "You'll - you'll want to keep an eye out for Poe, I imagine. I'll... I'll think on it." That was as much as Finn was getting, at the present moment. Kes had only just opened up his heart to someone new - the idea of continuing to do it, after so long... It felt nearly as terrifying as it felt amazing.

Even if he knew he would miss his son even more, after having had him, for a few weeks.

Finn took his tea and left the man in piece. They'd both said what they had for the moment, maybe there'd be more before they left in the next couple days. But for now, he'd enjoy having nothing to do but sit in the grass and wait for Poe.

Poe wasn't much longer - the sound of the A-Wing zipping through the atmosphere arriving far before the sight of it did, zipping in along over the trees. He did a lap around the compound before he lowered the ship - the grass rippling around it as it landed. With a loud woosh, the engines powered down, and Poe popped the cockpit open, grinning, pulling his helmet off. His hair was slightly matted to his forehead, and he put the helmet down on the seat before climbing out.

He hadn't gotten up until the fighter was actually in view. Those last few minutes, as all the time since Kes had left, dedicated to mulling over various things the man had said over the past few weeks, this most recent conversation first among them.

Don't let Poe die alone.

Finn didn't really wait for Poe to get his bearings on the grass, practically sweeping him up for a kiss.

"Welcome back."

Poe was a very physically affectionate man - and was all too happy to let Finn be affectionate with him - but he still wasn't quite expectly to be nearly literally swept off his feet. He laughed against Finn's lips and slid his arms around to loop loosely at his waist.

"I was only gone a quarter of an hour," he teased.

He shrugged as best he could with Poe still in his arms, possibly moving the pilot himself a bit with the motion thanks to that grip. He kept close, though, resting his chin on Poe's shoulder, partially to hide his expression. He really didn't have a fast an easy excuse for the warmer than normal welcome, and when it came to Finn talking on his feet...

"Just thinking too much."

The smile faded slightly, concern taking its place - he was expecting a laugh, back, maybe some teasing - not a shrug and a mumble about how much he'd been thinking.

He leaned back a little though didn't break away from Finn's arms - just enough to be able to quickly look over his face.

"Hey - you alright?"

Finn leaned in for another kiss, slow and thoughtful and only a tiny bit buying time.

"Yeah....yeah."

Another kiss before he finished that eloquent little reply, then a hand came up to try and push back the mess the helmet had made of Poe's hair. The frown doesn't quite go away, but his expression softens, all fondness for the man in front of him.

"Just time to wake back up. The galaxy's waiting."

Poe tilts his head, raising a hand to scrub a thumb through Finn's hair - getting a little longer, now, though still tightly woven against his scalp.

"Getting used to vacation life, huh?" He teased quietly. "I admit that it's going to be hard not being able to drag you into every corner on base whenever I want, but you might get to spend less time trying to fit a leash on me."

Now there was an image, one able to push Kes and his promises right out of Finn's thoughts for at least a few seconds. His eyes flickered down to Poe's neck, not all of the bruises visible but very easily pictured. There may be a faint blush rising, he's pretty sure there is, but it could just be having been out in the sun so long....no. It's there.

"Wouldn't count on that...you, uh." He had to clear his throat a little. "You're still you."

He caught that. That was the look Finn got when Poe unknowingly said something incredibly sexy, and he immediately re-winded his words to figure out what had triggered the response -

And then grinned slowly.

"Hey. You're more than welcome to keep trying."

Caught. Finn gave a small groan, but a fond smile stayed. As he very strategically, slipped an arm around Poe's waist and started leading him towards the compound so he wasn't looking directly at him as the thoughts continued. Not leashes, so much, but just holding Poe still-

"I'll see what I can do."

Poe's thoughts continued, too. Not that they had ever really ended. He'd been planning their return since that afternoon on the temple steps - and it only kept getting more and more elaborate. He really was bored, if he was fantasizing this much.

He let Finn lead him on, sighing wistfully to himself.

"Not going to lie, Finn, I'm glad we're going back. Another week of this and I think I would have eaten my own arm."

"Never woulda noticed."

He gives Poe a sideways glance, still not fully done blushing. But he'll probably never manage that last part, and he's gotten used to it.

It's a fight, when they get back in the compound, to not pull out chairs and fall into the nursemaid pattern. Poe didn't need it now, he was close enough to fine. Half a dozen aborted gestures later, Finn gives a small shake of his head. He'd seen where Kes kept everything, and after sitting outside for so long another round didn't seem like a bad idea.

"What tea?"

A stupid post for stupid threads

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