flightforfreedom | A stupid post for stupid threads

Finn swallows, knowing way too well that statement's true. Poe was brave to the point of reckless. He'd die in that ship. More a matter of when than if. So he can't quite meet the older man's eyes as he replies, looking out over the green instead.

"I- I was a stormtrooper from a long time. No one asked what we wanted, just told us what was best. And all I learned was...A life has to mean something. To the person living it. Not anyone else."

If that meant Poe's life would be a short one, Finn has to accept it. But he can't find it in him to push the point any harder than that.

Kes just studied him silently for a long moment, as if weighing him, assessing... and then finally turned his eyes away.

"Come on. I'll show you where your rooms are," He said, with an almost weary sadness to his voice. It was a fight he'd long since been forced to give up, but that still managed to kill him slowly whenever he thought about it. "It's Poe's old rooms, obviously - I haven't really changed them, since he left." Just in case he ever decided to come home, is what he didn't say.

Finn's sure no where near all that could be said had, but he's happy to let the subject drop. He can get the stuff into the room then, if Poe was still knocked out, carry the man. He was curious exactly what a young Poe's quarters looked like, anyway. Though there was one thing that seemed a safe bet.

"Am I gonna need to pack up any fighter models to fit in the room?"

"Depends on how cozy you want to be," Kes replied, looking over his shoulder at Finn with a bemused smile, as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of that particular train of thought.

The house itself was more of a series of interconnected pre-fabricated buildings, but that had been worked on in the decades since. There were farm more windows, now, and a large porch made of wood from the surrounding area. It was minamalist, but nice. Poe's room was it's own little building, and it was very much a teenager's room. Pictures of fighters and other star ships took up the majority of the walls, and half built ships, pieces of droids and plenty of other things littered the shelves. It was, however, pretty clean.

There was, however, only one bed, and while it might fit two people, it would only do that if they were spooning. So Kes raised an eyebrow as he looked back at Finn.

Finn considers the bed topic to have been pretty well- if in no way subtly- covered by Poe earlier, so his attention goes right to the droid parts. He picks up a couple with a small, affectionate (and slightly amused) smile before putting them right back in place. It was pretty easy to picture Poe growing up here, waiting for the day he could go fly. So far as peaks into a childhood went, Finn liked this one as his first.

"I think we'll manage."

Yeah that was pretty firm. But that just made him wonder about the 'good friends' part. Poe wasn't usually one for hesitating. So Kes just nodded. "I'll give you the rest of the tour," He added, and then proceeded to show Finn around - the kitchen, small and utilitarian but bright, and the living quarters which were obviously the most lived in.

"There's a little hangar on the other side of the compound, but-- I don't know what state it's in. It was his mother's, then his. I only use the speeder."

Finn opens his mouth to ask about that, about how he could just let it...sit. When it'd been so important. But he knows Poe's looks when he talks about his dad, the talk he'd just had with Kes, and closes his mouth instead. No point poking around a kinrath's nest for no good reason.

"We should take a look. Just let me get Poe in a real bed first."

Before he managed to agitate something curled in the backseat for too long.

Kes smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I think I'll leave that to you," He said. "I'll make us up something to eat. You boys must be hungry."

"Meet you in the garage."

Finn wasn't sure this was the wisest choice, but it was the one he was making. Along with walking back out to the car to open Poe's door as fast as he could.

Poe was actually climbing out of the speeder as Finn approached, rubbing a hand over his eyes before looking up to offer Finn a sleepy, slightly sheepish, dimpled smile.

"Hey. I swear this never happens to me," He said, the sheepish smile sliding into a grin. But then he saw the oddly determined set to Finn's features and raised an eyebrow, glancing around for his father. "Where is he?"

The determination takes temporary leave, along with Finn's processing of that last question. Hard to keep them up, when his heartbeat stumbled for a moment at the picture Poe presented climbing out of the speeder, an answering fond smile forming without him thinking about it.

The hand that reaches out to smooth Poe's hair down is also automatic. Well, the hand run through Poe's hair with the excuse of fixing it. It's probably more of a mess by the time the hand has made it's way through and comes to settle lightly on the back of Poe's neck.

"Never figured speeder rides'd be the key."

Poe completely forgot the question too, thanks to the hand running through his hair. He leaned forward almost automatically for a kiss, though he caught himself before he fully committed.

"Like singing me a lullaby," He admitted with a grin. "That and probably all the moral wounds." He finished his action then, finally ducking in to take a slightly indulgent kiss.

"You alright?"

Who was Finn to refuse that? He had to work to keep the pressure on Poe's neck light out of respect for all those mortal wounds, but he made up for it by pressing back for a second after Poe's question. It was a couple more seconds before there was room for an answer.

"Yeah. No Sith invasions. Your dad showed me the tree. And your room," the smile grew into a slightly teasing grin. "You really did used to be a kid."

He didn't seem to mind having to wait through the kiss for an answer - probably could have waited longer, really, but he wasn't about to complain.

"What, you think I was born fully grown in a cockpit?" he teased back. "I think we'll be able to render that room a little more adult friendly, later."

"If I hadn't seen the vids, I'd have doubts."

He only partially stepped back, letting the hand that had been on the back of Poe's neck gently slide down to his lower back to guide him towards the compound.

"Told your dad all of us should check out the hanger. After lunch."

That got a raised eyebrow. The words, not the hand. The hand was perfect exactly where it was. Poe slid an arm around Finn's shoulders, just to secure it further.

"Yeah? I mean - I was going to show you in there, anyway, but... What'd he say?"

"I think the gist was we should have a good time."

If Poe had hoped the fussing might be reduced here, in his father's house and so far from the war, he best abandon that now. Finn's eyes were only on Poe as they walked, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of excessive discomfort or trouble.

"Think I should drop it?"

"Nah," Poe immediately said. "It won't kill him. And I want to show you a couple of the ships I still have kicking around somewhere in here."

He said it extrememly casually, mostly because he didn't believe that Kes would actually want to go in. For the moment, however, he was all too happy to let Finn fuss, grinning at him fondly as they stepped into the compound.

Kes was true to his word - already setting the table with some basic, but whole-some looking meals that he had prepared earlier and kept stored. All three were different - they were obviously individual meals that he prepped early for himself, rather than something he had planned for multiple people.

"Look who's awake," Kes said, the smile coming to his lips honest. "I've been talking to your - friend - here," he said, the word friend exaggerated just a little bit, with that question that he still was not entirely sure about hanging over it, "And showed him around a bit. But I'm sure there's something you'd like to get up to, today."

Replies could wait until Poe was settled into his seat of choice. Chair pulled out for him, pushed in as he sat, hand lingering on his shoulder a few moments too long, the whole package.

Finn wasn't hesitant with the affection in front of Kes now and continued to miss the emphasis on the word friend. He was Poe's friend, and Poe his. A friend he kissed and sucked and fought for and would burn cities down for.

You know. Friendship.

"I was just telling Poe about our plan of you two showing me the hanger later."

Poe patted Finn's hand, a little amused, before gesturing at him to finally take a seat. Kes, in the meantime, frowned as he took his own.

"I don't think you require me for that," He said a little awkwardly. "I'm sure the two of you will manage just fine."

"No, I think Finn's right," Poe immediately said, even though he'd already stuffed a spoonful of his food into his mouth and was talking around it. He swallowed. "You should come with us. I think it'd be good for you." He wanted to make a jibe about the friend thing, again, but held himself back. Not his place. Though that was a conversation he should probably have, with Finn.

If he could ever actually bring himself to do it.

Still blissfully uninvolved in the side conversation continuing on between father and son, Finn focused on the conversation about the hanger, waiting to take a bite until after he was done talking. Poe.

"I bet you and Poe've got some different takes on the stories he'll have in there."

Poe snorted - that was an understatement - and Kes merely furrowed his brow, looking down at his food, before nodding.

"Alright, alright. I can see I'm out numbered, I'll come. But then you should rest, Poe," He said firmly, looking up at him. "That's what you came here to do, not play with your old toys."

"Rest, yeah. Got it."

He totally didn't get it.

"It was a long trip. A couple hours of rest first, anyway. Then we'll finish the tour."

Finn looked straight at Poe as he said it, all too aware how little the man 'got' needing to rest. But it was a good plan, strategically as well as for Poe's health. Give Kes a little while to adjust to the idea before opening such as old door. Or for the man to vanish into the woods for the rest of the day, but Finn could wait. He'd wait the whole damn week if that's what it took to get both of them to show him around.

'A couple hours rest' was not what immediately came to mind when Finn said that. Poe's mind when somewhere much warmer, if he were honest. Which he was, because even though he'd been asleep for most of the interaction, he was already getting weary of having a silent battle with his father in the background.

"Alright, alright," He said, grinning at Finn in a way that was far too mischievous. "A nap, then I can show you where everything started."

The rest of lunch was easy enough, Finn figuring the agreement to visit the hanger was more than enough of a victory for the day. Small talk, keeping Poe hydrated, the almost normal by now game just made a little more interesting by the presence of Kes. But soon enough Finn helped clear dishes and herded the pilot back to his private section of the compound.

"Your dad wasn't sure we'd have enough room. Not sure he remembers barracks life."

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