It had been a long time coming, comprising of multiple spy missions, briberies, and more than one close call, but it was done. The facility was blown to kingdom come with absolutely no hope of recovery.

          Everyone gathered in the mess hall pulling out bottles and bottles of beer, vodka, wine, and any other form of alcohol they could find; including a suspicious bottle of something green which seemed to smoke as soon as it was placed in a cool glass.

          You opted to keep away from the more dangerous stuff, and stuck to your beer as you made your way around the party.  The atmosphere was contagious.  Everyone was smiling, and laughing. You couldn’t help but get caught up in it yourself.  You knew perfectly well tomorrow morning it would be back to the grindstone, but for the moment, things were looking up.

          “Y/N!” a voice called.

          You turned to see your friend, Poe Dameron, smiling like an idiot waving you over.

          You could tell, even at a distance, he was defiantly buzzed and well on his way to being drunk off his ass.  The rest of Black Squadron wasn’t in much better shape.  You smiled, shaking your head slightly at his antics.

          Everyone gave a round of “yays” as you came over, before each going back to their drinks. You took a seat beside Poe as he slid you over another beer.

           “Cheers Dameron,” you said raising your glass. “Well done.”

           “High praise,” he said smiling as you clinked your glasses.  You each took a drink, but you couldn’t help but notice how Poe had nearly missed your glass completely a moment before.

           “Quick questions before we get completely plastered,” you said, setting down your drink.  “How bad of shape is your ship in?”

           Poe let out a small groan of frustration, setting down his drink as well.

           “C’mon Y/N, let’s not think about work right now.”

           “That’s all well and good for you.  You can sleep off your hangover. I’m the one who’s going to have to fix it in the morning.”

           “It’s fine,” he assured. “Doesn’t even need a new paint job.  Have some faith in me.”

           “Commander Dameron I will go on record saying I have complete faith in you as a flyer,” you said professionally.  “But you downright abusive to your ship.”

           He gave you a lopsided smile, bringing his glass to his lips.

           “Well, how else can I find the time for us to hang out?”

           “You could always not trash your ship so I have less work to do,” you said simply.

           He took a moment to think over your words, before nodding his head from side to side in reluctant agreement.  

           “You know what? Touché.”

           You let out a small laugh causing him to laugh as well. You were happy to see him like this.  The last few weeks had been hard on him, as the stress of the mission weighed him down.

           You had to partially drag him away from the hanger and his ship a few days before the mission, promising over and over again you would run diagnostics on every single X-Wing before take-off.  Had it been anyone else, you knew he would had ignored them, but after years of working together, he knew you wouldn’t let him down.

           Just then, Snap came up behind Poe, with a huge goofy smile on his face.

           “C’mon guys, Jessika’s got shots lined up.”

           You opted out on shots, deciding instead just to keep yourself at a light buzz rather than going full drunk.  Even if Poe wasn’t lying to you about his ship, you still had repairs to do in the morning. Besides that, it was clear Poe would need someone sober to get him back to his bunk. You didn’t mind that it was you.

           The night went on and slowly, but surely the crowd seemed to disperse as everyone staggered back to their quarters. Eventually it was just you, Poe, and a couple of other communication officers slumped over the bar besides Snap.

           “How you feeling flyboy?” you asked, giving Poe’s shoulder a light nudge.  

           A big lazy smile spread across his face as he looked at you.

           “Flyboy,” he said, only slightly slurring his words. “I like it when you call me flyboy. Most people say it in a mean way, but you make it sound nice.  You’re just really nice.”  

           You tried you best to suppress a smile, but you were failing miserably.

           “How drunk are you right now?”

           His face formed a small pout as he sat a little straighter in his seat.

           “I’m not drunk.”

           You gave him a raised eyebrow making it very clear you weren’t buying it.

            His facade quickly faltered as he took on a slightly guilty look.

           “I might have had a few shots,” he admitted lamely.

           You let out a small laugh, shaking your head as you slung his arm around your shoulders and guided him away from the bar.

           “Alright Commander, time to get to bed.”

           “But I’m not tired,” he protested, stumbling beside you.

           You wrapped your arm around his waist to keep him steady as you started to walk.  

           “Trust me, you will be soon.”

           “You’re bossy.”

           “I know.”

           “It’s kind of sexy.”

           You felt a hot flash go straight to your cheeks. Luckily at the angle you were holding him, Poe didn’t notice.

           “Whatever you say Dameron,” you mumbled.

           The cool night air seemed to help Poe sober up a bit as you made you way across the base, making it a little easier on you. To your surprise, even as his steps became less wobbly, he never moved his arm from around your shoulders.

           You got him to his door, but quickly realized you needed his key card.  He wasn’t making any moves to get it though.  He only leaned slightly more against you, his faced buried in your hair.

           You tried to ignore just how fast your heart was beating as you reached around him to dig through his pockets.

           “That tickles,” he mumbled.

           “Sorry,” you said, switching to the other side.

           He nuzzled his nose further into your hair, sighing in contentment.

           “You smell nice.”

           The blush was back in full force and your hands started to shake with nerves.  Luckily, you found his key card before any further embarrassment and pulled him inside.

           You helped him to his bed, sitting him down right on the edge. You pulled off his jacket, helping him get his arms out of the sleeves.

           “You’re amazing,” he said, looking at you in complete awe.

           You tried to ignore him as you knelt down and started pulling off his boots.

           “I thought I was bossy,” you countered.

           “That too,” he said, smiling. “And sexy.  Don’t forget sexy.”

           You didn’t have anything smart to say as you jumped quickly to your feet.  You stepped into the refresher and quickly found a glass and a bottle of headache pills.

           You came back out and placed the pills on Poe’s bedside table and handed him a full glass of water.

           “Drink this.”

           Poe took it and downed the whole thing in one go without a second thought and handed it back to you.  You placed it beside the bottle of pills before turning back to him.  

           “Will you be okay?”

           He didn’t say anything right away.  He looked up at you, the gears of his mind turning a little slower than normal behind his eyes.  Suddenly, a grin spread across his face.  Before you could react, he grabbed your waist and pulled you down onto the bed beside him.

           “Poe!”

           He just laughed, tightening his hold around just enough so you couldn’t slip away.

           “Stay a bit?” he asked.

           You turned over on your side looking him right in the face.

           “You need to get some sleep,” you said sternly.

           He gave a small shrug.

           “Just until I fall asleep then.”

           You didn’t want to admit just how temping the offer really was.  You liked the feeling of his warm hands gripping your waist.  You liked being so close you could make out the dark rim of black around his eyes.  You only wished it was under different circumstances.

           In an attempted to save face, you let out an exasperated sigh.

           “Fine,” you said, rolling your eyes.

           A triumphant smile spread across his face that was the perfect balance between obnoxious and endearing.

           “You’re pretty crafty Dameron,” you said, letting out a small laugh. “I’ll give you that.”

           “And you’re pretty…pretty,” he said, his smile shifting into a look you could only describe as wistful.  

           You felt the words drive straight into your heart, making your stomach turn in a not completely unpleasant way.

           “You must be drunker than I thought,” you joked, pushing away the feeling.

           To your surprise, he didn’t smile or laugh or anything else.  Instead he gave a small frown, scanning your face carefully.

           “Why don’t you ever believe me?”

           Your brows furrowed in confusion.

           “What do you mean?”

           “When I tell you you’re amazing or pretty or well anything really,” he said. “You always think I’m joking.”

           You considered lying to him, but there was something so honest and vulnerable in his eyes that you couldn’t shake.  You supposed it didn’t really matter.  He probably wasn’t going to remember any of it in the morning.

           “I don’t know,” you said softly. “I guess it’s because I can’t imagine someone like you ever liking someone like me. At least in the same way I do.”  

           Poe’s frown only grew as he held your gaze.  

           “Well you should,” he said seriously, “cause I mean it.  Every word.”

           You felt your heart beat pick up speed in your chest.  For a brief moment, you believed him, but it faded quickly as the alcohol on his breath reminded you of his intoxicated state. You looked away from him, trying to hide the disappointment on your face.

           “Poe…”

           “I really want to kiss you,” he cut off.

           You stared at him, eyes wide in shock.

           He didn’t look put off by it, instead glancing between your eyes and your lips and back again.

 “Do you want me to kiss you?” he asked.

This man was going to be the death of you.  Even when drunk he still managed to ask permission.  

           “More than you know,” you said with a sigh.

           A small smile spread across his face as he pulled you closer to him and leaned in for the kiss.

           Despite everything in your heart telling you to let him, you placed a hand on his chest keeping him from following through.

           “Not right now,” you said quietly.

           He was so close now, you could feel his nose lightly brush against yours, but he didn’t pull away.  His eyes remained closed and his hold on you only tightened as if struggling to keep some kind of restraint.  

           “Then when?” he asked.

           You felt your heart ache at his words, put you pushed it down, giving him a sad smile.

           “Tell you what,” you said. “If you remember any of this in the morning, then you can kiss me.”

           He opened his eyes, looking at you with new hope.

           “First thing?” he asked.

           You gave a small nod.

           “Mmhm.”

           “Promise?”

           “Yeah, promise.”

           He seemed to consider your words carefully before nodding in agreement.

           “Okay, but you also got to promise you’ll remember too.”

           You weren’t sure if you whether to laugh or cry at his words.  You wouldn’t be able to forget this night no matter how hard you tried.

           “I promise,” you said.

           He finally pulled away enough for you to get a full view of his face as a smile returned to his lips.

           “Good,” he said, just as a yawn escaped him. “I’m getting sleepy.”

           “Then you should sleep.”

           He shook your head in a definite no while simultaneously nuzzling his head further into his pillow.

           “But then you’ll leave.”

           You wished he hadn’t said that.  Every wall you had been trying to build came crashing down. Despite you better judgement, you reached out your hand and gently caressed his cheek.

           “I’m right here Poe,” you whispered softly. “Just close your eyes.”

           He placed his hand on top of your squeezing it lightly as he looked at you with tired eyes.  With a slow nod, he did as he was told and in a matter of minutes his breath became slow and steady as sleep over took him.

           You didn’t move from the bed right away, taking a moment of indulgence to admire him.  He hadn’t meant it of course, any of it. He wouldn’t remember a thing come morning and life would go on as it once was.  

           Your heart ached at the thought, but it was for the best.  With reluctance, you pulled away from him and slipped off the bed.  You took the empty glass and filled it once again with water, placing it back on the bed side table just before pulling two pills out of the bottle and placing it next it.

           Poe laid still the entire time, his arm reaching out to where you once were.

           You walked out the door, not having it in you to look back.

           Poe woke up slowly, and with a pounding headache. He let out a groan of frustration, not even bothering to open his eyes and he willed his body to let him sleep.  Unfortunately for him, the steady ache on his skull was making that option impossible.  There was no fighting it. Despite his body telling him otherwise, he slowly opened his eyes.

           To his surprise, it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.  It was by no means pleasant, but he had worse hangovers.

           He rolled over in bed, rubbing his hand over his face as he tried to get a bearing on the situation.  

           He couldn’t remember anything from the night before.  The last thing he remembered was he and Snap getting into some sort of drinking contest at some point in the evening and you standing close by with a bemused expression on your face.  

           He smiled slightly at the memory.  He had a feeling he was in for a huge “I told you so” speech once he got out of bed. He didn’t mind so much.  He wouldn’t admit it, but you were cute when you got bossy.

           He rolled his head to the side, noticing a glass of water and two headache pills waiting for him on his bedside table.

           He frowned slightly in confusion.  There was no way he did that.  Judging from his headache, he doubted he was capable of anything besides falling straight into bed.

           It was then he noticed he wasn’t wearing any shoes and his jacket was draped across his desk chair.  He must had gotten help getting back, and if he was remembering the night correctly, it was probably you.

           He let out a small sigh.  He owed you big time.  He had heard enough stories about him getting drunk to know he could be a bit of a handful.  

           He felt his stomach tighten involuntarily as if from embarrassment for something he couldn’t quite remember.  His brow furrowed as he tried to think about what exactly happened.

           He looked over to the other side of the bed, noting something else strange.  He was sleeping on the edge.  There wasn’t much room for more than one person and he normally slept right in the middle of the mattress.

           He rolled over back on his stomach and reached his arm out to the empty space.  A familiar sent filled his nose.  His heart began to race as all the memories of the night before came flooding back to him.

           He sat bolt upright in bed, ignoring the sharp pain in his skull as he did so.

           He knew what he had to do.

           You sat on the wing of one of the X-Wings, looking over your data pad as it ran diagnostics on the ship.  

           Much to your joy, none of the ships had sustained that much damage.  Some scratches here and there and a few lose wires, but nothing that would take too much of your time.  And considering almost every other mechanic on base was sporting a hangover, that was probably for the best.

           “Looks like we’re all good here,” you yelled down to one of the droid helping you.  “Ready for the next one?”

           The droid gave you a few beeps of confirmation as you slid down the ladder to the ground.

           “Y/N!” a voice called, earning multiple groans of pain from some of your fellow mechanics.

           You turned, surprised to see Poe up and about. And, you thought it was more than a little unfair that despite him clearly having a hangover, he still looked good.

           “Hey Poe,” you said with a smile. “Still alive?”

           “More or less,” he shrugged, before giving you nervous look. “Can we talk for a sec, somewhere quiet?”

           A spike of panic shot through your chest causing your heart to start racing, but you were able to keep the look off your face.

           “Yeah sure.”

           He followed you to one of the side offices away from the hangers and the sound of clashing metal.

          You stood straight, careful to keep a discreet distance between the two of you. He was probably just going to ask you what happened last night.  All you had to do was tell him a couple of half-truths and you could go about your day.  It would be easy enough.    

           “So, what did you want to talk about?” you asked lightly.

           “I remember last night,” Poe said simply. “All of it.”

           You couldn’t keep the panic off your face this time as your eyes went wide and your whole body froze.

           Poe looked at you uncertainly, before taking a breath and a small step toward you.

          “Look, Y/N…”

           “It’s fine,” you cut off.

           He stopped in his tracks as confusion took over his features.

           “What?”

           You took a deep breath, pushing down the heart ache and put on an easy smile.

           “It’s fine,” you repeated. “You don’t have to explain.  It was the alcohol talking.  I know you didn’t mean it.”

           “But I did mean it,” Poe said softly.

           You stared at him, once again at a complete loss for words.  He wasn’t drunk now.  All the normal playfulness gone from his voice.  He was speaking to you as honestly as you ever heard in your life.

          “Y/N, I meant every word I said to you,” he continued. “You are the most brilliant, funny, beautiful, amazing person I’ve ever met. And I’m sorry that I didn’t make that clear from the moment I met you. I guess, I always said those things the way I said them because if you didn’t feel the same way I could play it off as a joke and it wouldn’t hurt as much. But, I need you to believe me now. I don’t know what I’ve got to do to make you believe me, but I’ll do it.”

          You felt the pressure of tears start to build behind your eyes, but you didn’t let them fall.  He was telling you the truth.  You felt it in every word he spoke to you.  

           “I believe you,” you said, as you felt your heart bursting at the seams.  

           A look of pure relief took over his face.

           “Well then,” he said, stepping towards you. “I guess, the only question I have is, those things you said yesterday…did you mean them?”

           He looked a little nervous as he asked, causing your throat to tighten with emotion.

           “Every word,” you said softly.

           His eyes lit up in pure joy as he gazed down at you, the space between you practically nonexistent.

           “Including your promise?” he asked. “About me, being able to kiss you?”

           You felt a teasing l smile spread across your lips as you tilted your head up slightly to meet his gaze.

           “Yes.”

           His eyes flickered between your lips and your eyes before settling back on your lips, giving you a playful look.  

           “So, can I?  I brushed my teeth and everything.”

           You let out a small laugh shaking your head.

           “Just kiss me, you idiot.”

           He made his way to the hanger, wanting to check in with the mechanic about his X-Wing when he heard a string of familiar happy beeps coming from just outside.

           He turned his head, ready to greet his little orange droid, only to find it wasn’t directed at him.  

           BB-8 was sitting next to a little girl, chirping excitedly up at her.  

           Poe recognized her immediately as your daughter, but he couldn’t remember her name.

           Poe had known you in the academy, not friends per say, but rather friendly competitors. You gained a reputation as a brilliant flyer, and more than once he had heard your name get thrown around next to his as to who was truly the best. He never got the opportunity to test that theory though.  He had graduated a few years before you did and by the time you joined the Resistance, you had hung up your flight suit and replaced it with a communications uniform. You had also brought along your daughter, and that more or less answered the question as to why.  Poe had to respect that.

          Your daughter was doing handstands, grinning widely at BB-8 as she did so.

           The droid whistled impressed and tried to copy her.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep balance on his round head and only continued to roll.  The girl let out a loud laugh before rubbing the droid’s head.

           Poe smiled at the sight and walked over to the pair.

           BB-8’s head perked up instantly at seeing him and rolled over beeping at a rapid pace.  Poe knelt to the droid’s level giving him an affectionate pat on the head.

           “I know, I saw,” Poe said.  “Better luck next time bud.”

          He looked up then, seeing the little girl standing at a shy distance.

          “Who’s your friend,” he asked.

          BB-8 turned his head and whistled for her to come over.

          The girl was cautious, but seemed to trust BB-8 enough to do so.

          “Hi,” Poe said with a kind smile.  “I’m Poe, what’s your name?”

          “Shey,” she said. “I’m sorry.  My mommy says I need to stay out of people’s way while they’re working, but BB-8 didn’t look like he was working and he wanted to play and I wanted to play so I thought it was okay, and…”

          “It is okay,” Poe said, cutting her off.

          She was talking so fast, he was worried she might pull something.

          “Really?” she asked.

          “Yeah, you were keeping him company while I was working, I really appreciate that,” he said, smiling. “Those were some pretty cool handstands by the way.”

          Her eyes lit up, and all signs of shyness evaporated in an instant.  

          “I’m getting really good,” she said excitedly. “I can do cartwheels too.  You want to see?”

          She didn’t give him time to respond as she immediately stepped back and started turning on her hands.  She didn’t quite get her legs all the way up in the air, but she smiled proudly as she landed back on her feet and Poe applauded.

          “Wow! That’s amazing!”

          BB-8 joined in with his own trill of beeps and whistles.

          Shey beamed at them like it was the highest praise she could ever receive.

          “I can do more stuff,” she insisted, “but my mommy says I shouldn’t do it on the concrete. I’ll split my head open.”

          “Well, your mommy sounds like a very smart lady.”

          She gave an enthusiastic nod in agreement.

          “She is, but she can be bossy sometimes.”

          Poe had to fight back a laugh as he tried to find the most diplomatic way to respond.  Luckily, he didn’t have to as soon, your voice could be heard calling Shey’s name.

          Shey turned her head, waving to you before looking back at Poe.

          “Can I play with BB-8 again?” she asked.

          “Absolutely,” he said, “just so long as BB-8 is okay with that.”

          The droid whistled his approval, causing Shey to smile.

          “I’ll come by tomorrow,” she said, and ran off to meet her mom.  “It was nice to meet you!”

          In a matter of seconds, she had cross the entire runway and was scooped up in her mother’s arms.  Poe couldn’t make out what Shey was saying, but he could tell she was talking very quickly and animatedly pointed towards him and BB-8. You turned you head to him and gave a tired, but appreciative smile and wave.  Poe waved back in acknowledgement.  You then set Shey back on the ground and the two of you walked on back home.

          Shey was true to her word came by mid-afternoon the next day, and the next day, and the day after that.  She became just a common a face around the hangers as any one of the mechanics. BB-8 was just as excited to see her and, so long as Poe didn’t need the droid, he was happy to let the girl play with him. 

          He caught on quickly enough that she didn’t have a lot of friends around the base.  There were other kids of course, but most of them were kids of the older officers and just hitting their teen years.  Either that, or they were just babies the oldest being about two, and even they were scheduled to move somewhere off base, far away from the action as most of the Resistance families were.

          Shey was the odd one out. And from what he saw of her interactions with BB-8 as well as BB-8’s own accounts of how they sometimes talked, but he had promised not to tell anybody what she said to him, not even Poe, it was clear what Shey wanted, what she needed, was a friend.  

          So, on those occasions where he did need BB-8, for repairs or tune-ups, he didn’t have the heart to separate them.  Shey normally sat on one of the workbenches swinging her legs and asking him questions about what he was doing and how he was doing it.  He always answered her questions, pointing out different parts of the ship and showing her which tools to use and so on.  She was an eager learner and soon enough she had a tool in her hand tightening a few of the bolts while Poe watched her carefully to make sure she didn’t slip off the side of the wing.

           She was always quite pleased with herself, telling him how her mom told her everyone had to do their part around the base and that no job was too small.  

           He also found, he was starting to like you more and more.

           He didn’t really talk to you, oddly enough.  The routine had sprung up so naturally and so quickly, there wasn’t really any point in questioning it.  Every afternoon Shey would stop by to either see BB-8 or watch Poe work, and every evening you would swing by to pick her up on your way home.

           You were always kind whenever you stopped by, making a point to thank him and have Shey thank him as well.  It was clear how exhausted you were, but you put on a good front for your daughter. He suspected you had a lot of practice keeping a strong face in front of her.  

          He wanted to talk to you more, but in a strange way he felt it wasn’t his place to start that conversation.  Shey was your kid, and if you wanted him more involved then it was your call, not his.  

          Still, he got a pretty good sense of who you were just in how Shey talked about you.  She always seemed to mention you at some point, like how you were showing her how to braid her hair, or a song you liked to sing, or how she sometimes to sat with you in the command center while you worked.

          “It’s boring,” Shey lamented.  “I have to be quite so not to bother people, but mommy always makes sure I have drawing stuff.  I’m getting really good.  Do you want to see?”

          Poe told her he did and in a flash, she came back with an arm full of paper filled with drawings of different people and places around the base, but mostly of Shey and you.

          “Are there any with your dad?” he asked.

          Shey’s face fell and he immediately regretted the question.

          “No. I don’t really remember him,” she said simply.  “Mommy said he left when I was just a baby.  She says he’s too busy to visit, but I think she’s lying. I don’t think he likes me.”

          She didn’t cry, but there was an obvious hurt in her voice, and an acceptance that sounded too old on her.

          Poe felt his heart tighten as well as the sudden urge to find the bastard and punch him right in the nose.

          “Well, I like you,” he said gently.

          “Really?” she asked with wide eyes.

          “Yep, and from what you’ve told me, I know your mommy loves you very much.”

          She smiled then and nodded in agreement.

          “I know.”

          Unfortunately, it had to come to an end.  Leia put him back on active duty and soon enough he was called away on a mission with the rest of Black Squadron. Before he left, he made sure to go by the command center first.  

           He found you sitting at your station, typing away on the computer while Shey sat on the floor beside you drawing something.  She didn’t have class that day and had wanted to spend that morning with you before going to see Poe.

           Shey looked up from her drawing, her eyes lighting up as soon as she saw him and BB-8 at his side.

           “BB-8!” she shouted, jumping to her feet.

           Several of the other officers spun their heads in their direction.  It was then Shey seemed to realize her mistake.

           “I mean hello BB-8, Commander Dameron,” she said, quieter this time and she gave him a salute.

           Poe couldn’t help but laugh a little and saluted back.

          He glanced over at you and noted, how you were trying your best not to laugh by covering your hand over your face.

          “What are you doing here?” Shey asked.

          “Well, I wanted to make sure BB-8 got to say goodbye before we left,” he said.

          BB-8 gave a string of beeps and the brightness in Shey’s expression began to fade.

          “You’re leaving?” she asked.

          Poe gave a small nod.  

          Shey looked him up and down as if finally noticing the bright orange flight suit he was wearing before looking back up at him.

          “Where are you going?”

          She sounded so small all of the sudden, and Poe felt a spike of guilt go through him.

          “That’s actually a secret,” he said, kneeling to her level. “I promised General Organa I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

          “Why do you have to go?”

          “Well, General Organa told me to, and that’s my job.”

          “But why?” she repeated.

          Poe opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t find the words to explain it.  Shey wasn’t just getting upset at him, she was getting angry.

          “Shey,” you said gently.  

          The little girl immediately turned her attention toward you, her eyes beginning to water.

          “Sweetheart, remember what I told you about people doing their part?”

          Shey didn’t say anything, but nodded slowly.

          “Well, this is Commander Dameron’s part,” you continued. “He listens to General Organa and he goes off the fight the bad guys.  So, in order to do his part, he has to leave sometimes.”

          “Well, can BB-8 stay?” she asked hopefully.

          “No sweetie,” you said, shaking your head. “BB-8 is part of it too.  They’re a team.”

          Shey looked to BB-8 who gave his own whistle of confirmation.  She looked between the droid and Poe, and nodded in understanding.

          “But you’ll come back right?” she asked.

          “Of course,” Poe said, with a soft smile. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

          “Promise?”

          “Promise.”

          Shey nodded and before he could react, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.  He glanced up at you not really knowing what to do.

          You just smiled, giving him an encouraging nod.  He smiled a bit and hugged the little girl back before rising to his feet.

          Shey then turned to BB-8, kneeling down before hugging the droid too.

          “You make sure Commander Dameron doesn’t get in trouble,” Shey ordered firmly.

          BB-8 trilled a promise and Poe had to fight back a laugh from his throat.

          He looked to you appreciating the soft smile on your face as you watched your daughter.  Your eyes then turned to him.

         There was something in your look he couldn’t quite place. It was as if you had just figured out the answer to a question that had been bothering you for some time.

          You got up from your chair and walked over to him, sticking out your hand.

          “Good luck Commander,” you said.

          He took it and instantly felt a warmth spread through his fingers and all the way through his body. He glanced at you, wondering if you felt it as well.

          Your face gave away nothing, but there was something in your eyes that told him there was a lot more to your words than a simply good luck.

          He gave your hand a light squeeze in reassurance.  He was going to come back, no matter what.

          “Thank you,” he said.

          You dropped his hand then, and he felt it instantly grow cold at the loss. He then looked down at Shey, gave her one last smile, and walked out of the command center with BB-8 on his heels. 

          A week later, Poe returned with a battered X-Wing, an exhausted squad, and a droid in serious need of a new paint job, but it was done.  The mission had been a success and everyone had made it back with all their limbs still attached.

          “This is Black Leader reporting in,” Poe said as they reached D’Qar’s atmosphere. “Everyone is accounted for.”

          “It’s good to hear your voice Commander,” you said over his headset. “I’ll inform the General of your arrival.  Do you need any medical assistance?”

          He felt himself smile at the well-hidden concern in your voice.

          “We’re all good,” he said.  “Some of the mechanics have their work cut out for them though.”

          “Duly noted,” you said, your own smile obvious in your tone.  “Over and out.”

          In a matter of minutes everyone was back on the ground and out of their X-Wings. The entire squadron made their excuses to head straight to their bunks and to the showers.  Poe couldn’t blame them.  He wanted to go himself, but he still had to check in with Leia before he did so.

           Soon enough BB-8 was lowered back to the ground and the pair of them made their way to the command center.  They were only part way down the runway, when a small blur came running towards them.

          “BB-8!” Shey shouted.

          The droid heard her and rolled down the concrete as fast as his little body could carry him.

          Shey knelt to the ground, embracing the droid, before pulling back to look him over.

          “You’re all dirty,” she said, using her hands to wipe off the dirt.  “What happened? Are you okay?”

          BB-8 started tell her everything he could in a rushed blur of whistles and beeps. Shey stared at him completely enraptured by his story, completely oblivious to Poe’s presence. He might had been insulted if it wasn’t so cute.

          It was then he noticed you standing behind her, giving him a kind smile.

          “Hi,” Poe said, wishing the instant the word left his mouth he had thought of something better to say.

          “Hi,” you said, your smile only broadening as you caught on to his embarrassment.

          Shey then looked up as if finally noticing he was there too.

          “Poe!” she exclaimed just before running up to him and hugging his legs.

          “She was asking me every day when you and BB-8 were coming back in,” you explained.  “She wanted to see you as soon as you landed.”

          “So much has happened!” Shey exclaimed, pulling away.  “I climbed a tree and almost broke my wrist and then Rian had to get me out and…”

          Poe let out a laugh, his exhaustion from the mission leaving his body as he looked down at her.

          “I want to hear everything,” he said, “but first I got to go see General Organa, okay?”

          Shey nodded vigorously.

          “Okay. Oh, I know! You can come over for dinner.”

          She turned to you with wide hopeful eyes.

          “Can he mom?” she begged. “Can he come over for dinner?”

          “Well, we don’t know if the Commander has any plans,” you said, glancing at him with an apologetic look.

          Poe tried to look nonchalant as he gave a small shrug.

          “I don’t, really.”

          “See he doesn’t.”  Shey added.

          “But I don’t want to put you out of your way,” he continued politely.

          “No, you won’t,” Shey insisted. “Mommy wanted to ask you herself, but she said it would be better if I asked.  Didn’t you mommy?”

          Poe’s eyes widened in surprised as looked back up at you.

          You didn’t say anything as your entire face went red and you tried to cover it by placing your hand over your mouth.

          That was all the answer he needed as a broad smile spread across his face.

          “Well if that’s the case…” he said teasingly.

          You took a deep breath, trying to regain what was left of your dignity before shaking your head.  

          “Dinner is at seven,” you said. “Just feel free to stop by whenever you’re done with the General.”

          “I’ll be there,” he promised.

          You nodded, and turned to leave gesturing for Shey to follow you.

          Shey gave him one last smile and trailed after you with a small skip in her step as she did so.

          Poe watched the pair of you go until you were out of sight.  He then looked down at the droid at his feet, nodding his head to the command center.

          “C’mon,” he said, “the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get ourselves cleaned up.”

          BB-8 beeped something and Poe had to smile in agreement.

          “Yeah, I think Y/N seems nice too.”

          Most of the time his duties as Commander were relatively easy; lead his squad members into battle, shoot down as many Tie-fighters as he can and try to get all his people back alive.  Yes, there was paper work, and maintenance on his X-Wing, but those were things he could deal with.  Having to play dress up among the elite of the Republic as a kind of prop while Leia went around the room trying to negotiate ships and funds to the Resistance, not so much.

          He understood why of course.  He was the best pilot in the Republic Fleet, and proud of it, but this politics stuff always left him feeling agitated.  It was too two-faced, too under the table for him to feel comfortable.  He preferred his battles to be fought out in the open, with the rules clearly established so it was be easy to tell if the other was cheating.  But, it was necessary and for the time being he would have to suck it up and do his job.

          He finished off his drink and went to go for another one when a young looking Togruta girl walked up to him.  She was the daughter of one of the senators if he remembered correctly, but he couldn’t remember her name.  

          “Excuse me, Commander,” she asked, in a soft shy voice.  “I was wondering, that is, if it isn’t much trouble, I mean, if you want to, would you possibly dance with me?”

          If he was still holding his drink, he might had spat it out.  A mild panic took over him as he tried desperately to think of some excuse.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to dance with the girl, she seemed nice enough, but he knew exactly what kind of embarrassment he’d bring, not to just himself, but to General Organa as soon as he stepped out on the dance floor.

          He then started to realize he hadn’t said anything.  He had just been staring at the girl in stunned silence, and a look of embarrassment and disappointment was starting to show on her face.

          He covered up with a fake gulp as if he just finished off his drink before slipping on an easy smile.

          “I’m honored you asked me,” he said, kindly. “But you see…”

          “Dameron,” a voice cut in.

          Poe turned, surprised to see you standing right behind him.

           “Leia needs to see you,” you said, in a clipped professional tone.

           He glanced between you and the Torgruta girl and back again.

           “Like, right now, right now,” he asked.

           “Yes, she’s waiting on you,” you said, before turning your attention to the girl behind him, smiling kindly.  “I’m sorry to take him away from you Cesha.”

           Cesha shook her head as if it wasn’t any trouble at all.

           “I understand,” she said.  She then gave Poe one last smile, before turning away and back to a group of other girls huddled in the corner.

           Poe felt a stab of guilt as he noticed her shoulders slump a little once she reached her friends.  One of the girls put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and Cesha covered her disappointment in a small smile.

           “You better start following me or she’ll get suspicious,” you said in a low voice, snapping him back to reality.  His brows furrowed in confusion, but before he could say anything you and turned and made your way out of the main ballroom.  Poe followed after you, coming to a mostly empty hallway. You paid little mind to the people around you as you found a comfortable place against the wall, giving your feet some much needed relief.  You turned to him, nodding to the place beside you.

           “Join me Commander?”

           Poe looked at you completely lost, but then, suddenly, he understood.  

           “Leia doesn’t need me right now, does she.”

           “No,” you said honestly.  “Although, she will be finishing soon.  We can make our exit then.”

           Poe couldn’t help but wince slightly at the implication.  It was no secret he wasn’t a dancer, but having to have you swoop in to cover for him was a definite low point of the evening.  He breathed out a sigh and took a spot next to you on the wall.

           “Guess I should thank you,” he said begrudgingly.

           “It’s my job to make Senator Organa look good,” you said. “I was saving us both the embarrassment.”

           Poe felt like he should had been insulted, but the irony in your voice only made him smile.

           He didn’t know under what other circumstances he would had met you.  He had spent his entire life either in the jungles of Yavin Four or on a military base, while you came from a prominent family on Naboo; every single member of which seemed to have a hand in government. Your mother had even been queen for a time, and a beloved one by all accounts.  You had been groomed to follow in her footsteps, but, you took a different path. One which lead you to the senate, Leia, and finally the Resistance. Yet, despite the comparatively low ambition of your station, you still retained the poise and cool confidence of royalty.  Poe had never seen anything like it and, in some ways, it intimidated him. But there was always a smile there, a small glint in your eye to break the façade if only for a moment and he would once again feel at ease.

           “Although I will say, you really should learn,” you continued carefully. “I can’t always come in to rescue you.”

           Poe gave a non-committal shrug.

           “I’ve had other things on my mind.”

           “Understandable,” you conceded, “but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn.  I could teach you, if you’d like.”

           This surprised Poe causing his raise an eyebrow as he looked at you.

           “You? Teach me how to dance?”

           “Is that so strange?”

           “Yeah, actually it is.”

           He folded his arms, looking at you intently. He was getting better at spotting the different masks you wore, and something told him you weren’t offering out of altruism.  

           “What do you get out of it?” he asked.

           You pursed your lips meeting his challenge with a hard gaze.

           “It makes my job easier if members of the high command can actually be sociable on these occasions,” you stated. “That is rather their purpose.”

           Poe waved you off, not buying it for a second.

           “Fine, I get that, but why would you teach me?”

           You considered him carefully with that perfect mask, but it didn’t last. Eventually, you let out a sigh, shifting your stance as if what you had to say next was physically painful.

           “I thought we could come to a mutually beneficial agreement. I find myself in need of a teacher as well.  It is becoming clear that I will need to familiarize myself with Starships sooner rather than later, and I believe you would be the best man to help me.”

           Poe looked at you in astonishment a small smile spreading across his face.

           “You don’t know how to fly.”

           “I know how to fly,” you said, a little defensive, “but a cruiser is a far cry from X-Wing and that’s not even taking into account combat situations.”

           Poe thought about it for a moment.  You were right of course.  Starships were completely different from civilian ships. He also had to admire your willingness to get into the fight, even if your image of you behind the controls of the X-Wing seemed almost comedic.

           “So, I teach you how to fly, you teach me how to dance.  Is that it?” he asked.

           “Essentially.”

           His smile grew a little wider, giving you a sideways glance.

           “You know, princess, you could had just said that.”

           He could spot just the lightest touch of a blush on your cheeks as you met his gaze, smiling a bit yourself.

           “Well I do have my pride, Commander,” you said lightly, “as do you.”

           Poe felt like he should argument the point but decided against it.  After all, you weren’t wrong.  

           “So, do we have an agreement?” you said, offering your hand to shake.

           Poe took it, unable to keep the laugh from escaping his lips.

           “Not sure how much good it would do,” he said, dropping his grip. “I doubt I’m going to need to dance for much longer.”

           The smile on your face fell, your eyes growing suddenly distant.

           “For both our sakes I hope you’re wrong,” you said quietly.

           Poe frowned, as the whole weight of the implication came down on him. But before he could say anything, Leia came down the hallway.

           “Please tell me, you’re just as ready to leave as I am,” she said briskly. “There is only so much of Senator Tarr’s monologuing I can handle.”

           The smile on your face returned as you nodded in agreement.

           “You’ll hear no complaints from me,” you said.

           Leia then turned to Poe, meeting him with a half-smile.

           “You can go ahead and loosen that collar Dameron, we’re getting out of here.”

           “Yes ma’am,” he said, gladly unbuttoning the first few buttons of his uniform, finally giving himself room to breathe.

           “C’mon Y/N, I need your ear while we walk.”

           You nodded in compliance and quickly took a place beside the general, walking in step.

           Poe followed behind only catching bits and pieces of the conversation talking about which senators were or were not on her side, supply chains and all the other behind the scenes mechanics that made the whole Resistance run. However, his mind wasn’t on the conversation in front of him.  Instead, he found himself thinking about what you had said.  

          War was coming, you both knew it.  But, you had still offered to teach him.  You still had hope. He had to admire that.

          You stole a glance behind you, catching his eye and offering a small eye roll as Leia continued to prattle on.  He gave you a smile in return, feeling his heart beat just a little faster in his chest.

          Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

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           You gave a small sigh but couldn’t think of anything to counter his point.

           The pair of you had been sent out on a scouting mission to Jedha.  There had been some buzz about the First Order sending scouts into the mines of the Empire had left behind, searching for kyber crystals.

          Normally Poe would had just gone himself, but all the messages coming in and out of the system were encoded, which was where you came in.   You were brilliant with numbers and encryptions.  The down side was your limited field experience.  Most days your job barely required you to leave the command center, but with Poe beside you, you knew you had nothing to worry about. The pair of you landed on the ground and in no time Poe was able to discover how many scouts they had sent and you were able to decipher what they found and what they planned to do next.  

           After you had sent the information along to Leia and the Resistance, Poe had insisted the pair of you hit the local cantina to celebrate.  Jedha wasn’t the most dangerous place you had ever been, but it wasn’t exactly the sky view of Coruscant either.  Still, it was hard to say no when Poe laid on his charming smile and puppy eyes.  You caved in seconds.

           Poe grabbed your first round of drinks from the bar and the pair of you found a small table in the corner out of people’s way, but while still having a clear view of the room.

           You felt your stomach do a small back-flip as he slid you the drink.  You tried to suppress the feeling, but even as you did, you could feel a blush start to creep up your neck.

           It was really the first time you’d properly been alone with Poe.  Whenever you would hang out it had always been with a group of people, making it easy for you to blend into the background while the others talked and laughed.  You had gone on some missions together before, but you always had the job to occupy your mind. Now that the job was over, your natural shy state was starting to take over.

           You took a sip of your drink and immediately started to cough as it burned down your throat.

           “Sorry,” Poe said, wincing.  “Are you okay?”

           The heat in your neck had now taken permanent residence on your cheeks as you did your best to swallow the rest of the drink down.

           “I’m fine,” you said, your voice a little rough. “I guess I’m just not used to it.”

           Poe’s hand went to the back of his neck as he rubbed it awkwardly.  

           “That’s my fault,” he said. “I guess I’m just used to ordering for star pilots.”

           You couldn’t help but raise both eyebrows at the statement.

           “You all drink this stuff?”

           “More or less,” he shrugged.

           He then took a sip of his drink and immediately started to sputter.  

           “Kriff! Not this stuff.”

           You felt some of the tension leave your shoulders as you let out a laugh, feeling not small amount of relief to know it wasn’t just you.

           It was probably the alcohol, but you could start to see a blush rise to Poe’s cheeks as he tried to get a hold of himself.

           “What’s even in this,” you asked, swirling the drink around in the glass.  

           “I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice clearing.  “I just asked for the house special.”

           He looked down at his drink as well, examining it carefully as if he had just spotted something unpleasant swimming along the bottom.  

          “Well, lessons learned.”

            He met your eye then.  There was a small pause and the pair you started to laugh.

          You shook your head, getting a hold of yourself and your laughter calmed smile.  You looked up, surprised to see Poe looking right at you, his eyes never straying form yours.  

          Your stomach started to twist again.  Losing some of your nerve, your eyes went down to your drink and you took another sip.  It wasn’t good, but it didn’t burn quite as hard as the first time around.  

           “You really don’t have to drink it,” Poe insisted.

           “It’s fine,” you said, only slightly grimacing.  “It’s not that bad.”

           “You sure?” he asked, with a raised eyebrow. “You’re looking a little red.”

           You were fairly certain your heart stopped in your chest as your hands went instinctively to your cheeks.  An even bigger wave of embarrassment over powered you as you felt your fingers nearly burn at the touch. The need to escape became overwhelming.

           “You’re probably right,” you said, quickly slipping out of your seat.  “I’m just going to grab some water and other drink. Be right back.”

           You didn’t even bother to ask if he wanted anything and practically ran to the bar.

           You were able to wave down the bartender easily enough and took the moment to calm yourself.  Your breathed in and out slowly and soon you could feel your heart start to slow to a steady pace.  It was going to be fine. You were just having a drink with a co-worker, absolutely nothing to get excited over.

           “Well hello beautiful,” a slightly slurred voice said, snapping you out of your thoughts.

           You glanced to your left, seeing a rather large looking man with blonde hair staring down at you.  His smile might had been charming, but the alcohol on his breath and the way his dark eyes were leering at you were doing him no favors.

           “Hi,” you said, before politely turning your attention straight ahead of you.

           You could sense him taking a small step closer to you out of the corner of your eye.  You didn’t dare to look up, hoping giving him the cold shoulder would dissuade him.

           “What’s your name?” he asked.  You could feel his breath near your ear, making your hair stand on end.  Every instinct told you to get away, but you stood your ground.  You just needed to wait another minute for your drink.  You could handle that.  

           “Y/N,” you said shortly.

           “Pretty,” he commented, almost thoughtfully. “Can I buy you a drink, Y/N.”  

          You felt his hand brush down your spine, and you whole body shuddered unpleasantly.  You pulled his hand away from you and took a step to the side, out of his reach  

           “I’m fine,” you said.  “I just ordered one.”

           “Well, I’ll just buy you another one.”

           He reached this time for your shoulder, but once again you pushed his hand away.

           “No, thank you.”

           “Why not?”

           “Because I don’t want to,” you said, this time looking him straight in the eye so there could be doubt you meant it.

           You moved to step away from the bar, deciding the man wasn’t worth the trouble of a bad drink. You barely took a step when you felt his large hand wrap around your arm and jerk you back to face him.  

          “Hey,” he snapped angrily.  “It’s rude to walk away when someone is talking to you.”

          Your eyes hardened as you looked down at the hand gripping your arm then to the man’s face.  

          “Let go of me,” you said sternly.

          The man was clearly taken aback by your reaction not being immediate obedience.

          “Or what?”

          You didn’t answer.  You yanked your arm closer to your body forcing him to move forward. With a loud “crack”, you head-butted him right in the face.  The man staggered backwards blood dripping front his nose and into his hands.

          “What the hell?” he sputtered out.  

          “I suggest you leave,” you warned, but it fell on deaf ears.

          The man shook his head and pulled himself up to his full height. Well, as best as he could given how drunk he was.  

          “You’re going to pay for that.”

          He took a step towards you, but before he could come any closer, you kicked your leg out hitting him right where hit hurt the most.  He fell to his knees with a painful moan.

          “God damn—”

          He didn’t even finish his sentence as you hit him across the jaw and with a loud “thud” he fell to the floor, knocked out cold.

          You looked up, finally noticing all of the patrons of the bar looking on in silence.

          “Somebody help him out,” you said, gesturing to the body at your feet.  

           Immediately two droids came through the crowd, pulling him up, and dragging him out of the cantina.  

          You gave another quickly look around. Everyone looked away, going back to whatever it was they were doing before.

          You turned to the bartender, pulling out some spare credits.  

          “Sorry for the mess,” you said, giving an apologetic smile.  

          You then turned and were immediately surprised to see Poe standing behind you, staring at you in complete awe.

          “What,” you asked, feeling the familiar heat of embarrassment creep up your neck and onto your cheeks.

          Your question seemed to knock him out of his daze, as he shook his head.

          “I was just coming to help,” he said lamely.  “But I guess you got it.”

          You rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly.  Any confidence that came from the adrenaline of the incident was starting to fade.

          “Yeah, I guess.”

          Something in Poe’s expression changed, as if he had just figured something out. 

          “C’mon,” he said with an easy smile.  “Next round is on me after that.”

          You yourself smiling in return as you gave a small nod.  He did make it hard to say no.  

Permanent Tag: @sassy-satanunicorns, @roseslovedreams

           You smiled in appreciation just as your phone rang.

           You checked the number, and you smile grew a little wider at seeing your boyfriend’s name flashed on the screen.

           “Hey babe,” you answered.

           “Hey Y/N,” he said tiredly.

           Your smile instantly vanished at the rather formal greeting.

           “Something wrong?”

           He let out a sigh and you could practically see him run his hand through his hair.

           “I can’t make it tonight.”

           You felt your stomach sink at the news.  You were preparing for a holiday party hosted by your boss Senator Leia Organa. You were her assistant, and she had personally invited you to meet many of the other movers and shakers in the state and national government.  You had invited Mark as your plus one and were relying on him to be with you.  You were a good assistant, a great one even, but you still had a lot to learn when it came to socializing with the elite. You imagined that was why Leia had invited you, as a kind of practice run.

           “Can you make it a little later,” you asked.  “We can be an hour late, I don’t think it would make much of a difference.”

           “I can’t Y/N, I’m swamped,” he said, irritation coming into his voice.  “It’s not a big deal, you can go on your own.”

           You wanted to bring up the fact that it was the third time this month he had canceled on you.  You also wanted to add that you had planned this a good two months in advanced and had reminded him again and again how important this was to you, but you kept your mouth shut. Having that conversation over the phone wasn’t going to help anyone.

           “Fine,” you said tightly. “Do you want to try and meet tomorrow at least?”

           Another sigh came.

           “I’ll see what I can arrange.  I gotta go.”

           He hung up before you could say anything back.  

           You held your phone tight in your hand, and had half a mind to throw it against something, but you let it go.  You wished you hadn’t just put on your make-up. You needed to rub your face in frustration.

           You liked Mark, you really did, but after six months it seemed the pair of you had hit a wall that neither of you could climb over, and you were starting to think maybe you weren’t inclined to.

           You settled on running a hand through your hair instead, letting out a long breath.  It wasn’t the time to think about that.  You had a party to get to.  You were going to be nice, and charming, and have a lovely time.

           Half an hour later, you found yourself standing on the front porch of an expansive property.

           You had been over to Senator Organa’s home a hundred times, but you never managed to get over how luxurious it actually was.  It stood on a hillside overlooking the ocean with other houses of equal splendor peppering it up all the way down to the sea. You knew she came from old money, but felt it wasn’t your place to ask exactly where it all started.

           You rang the doorbell, and in a matter of seconds, you were surprised to see Han Solo answer the door.

           “Hey kid,” he greeted.  “Was wondering when you’d show up.”  

           You felt some of the tension leave your shoulders immediately upon seeing him. You always liked Han from the moment Leia introduced you.  He was a little rough around the edges, but he was always kind to you.

           He made no secret of his general disdain for politics and most politicians, but he loved Leia and he knew you were always trying your best to make her life, and by extension his life, easier.

           “Nice to see you Mr. Solo,” you said smiling.

           “Just Han, kid,” he corrected gesturing you inside. “Hey, isn’t that boyfriend of yours coming?”

           You felt your smile falter, but you covered it as best you could.

           “He couldn’t make it,” you said politely.  “Work stuff.”

           Han made a face.  He looked like he wanted to say something along the lines of “no good asshole”, but he kept it to himself.  

           “Well, probably for the best,” he said.  “God knows I’m going to need someone to talk to beside these old crows.”

           You laughed, and you felt a little better.

           “Is there anything you need help with,” you asked.

           He waved you off.

           “You’re off the clock, kid, try and relax.  Drinks are in the kitchen.  I’ll see if I can find Leia for you.”

           He made his way to the living room where a group of men and women were already eating and chatting amongst themselves.  

           You decided to take Han’s advice and made a bee-line towards the kitchen.  You could feel your nerves starting to come back to you.

           Luckily, most of the guest were already in the living room, and the few milling around were too engrossed in their conversation to notice you.  You grabbed a glass, and quickly found a bottle of your favorite drink.

           It was all going to be fine.  You were a bright young woman working for one of the most influential senators in the country.  There was absolutely no need to be nervous.  

           You took a long sip of your drink, anyway, just to cover your bases.

           “Y/N, you made it.”

           You glanced up, smiling as Leia walked into the room.  She gave you a brief hug, which you returned before pulling away.

           “Thanks for inviting me,” you said.

           “Don’t thank me just yet,” she said with a wry smile.  “You might regret it once Akbar starts recounting his war stories. C’mon, let me introduce you.”

           You followed her into the main living room and started making the rounds. Leia introduced you to everyone. You recognized some people from around the capitol, but were relieved to realize many were old friends of Leia and this truly was more of a social gathering.  You started to relax after that and after a few more drinks, you were even starting to have a nice time.

           “Oh, Y/N, there’s one more person I want you to meet,” Leia said, before pulling you to a corner of the room.

           It was then you noticed an extraordinarily tall young man leaning against the fireplace with a drink held lazily in his hand.  He was handsome, with thick black hair and dark brown eyes contrasted against pale skin.  You felt like you recognized him, but you couldn’t for the life of you remember where.

          He seemed completely at ease in his surroundings, but at the same time out of place.  While everyone else was wearing some designer label, he wore simply dress pants, and open white collared shirt rolled up at the elbows. You couldn’t understand how you missed him, but judging by his stance and where he was positioned in the room, that was probably his goal.  

           “Y/N, this is my son Ben,” Leia said.  “Ben, this is my assistant Y/N.”

           Then in clicked.  You had seen his college school graduation photo sitting on Leia’s desk in her office. The photo really didn’t do him justice.  You always thought it was Leia’s shorter stature making him look bigger than he was, when in reality he was dwarfing her.

           It also explained the get up.  Leia had mentioned a few times how Ben was determined not to rely on her family name to get ahead, opting to use his father’s last name instead.  You had to admit, there was something admirable about that.

           “Nice to meet you,” you said, holding out your hand.  “Leia’s told me a lot about you.”

           He gave you a quick once over, before shrugging.

           “Can’t say the same,” he said, not bothering to take your hand.

           You let it fall limply at your side, feeling a sudden rush of embarrassment.

           “Ben,” Leia snapped.

           To his credit, he didn’t flinch at her tone.  A lesser man would had run straight to the hills.

           He looked like he was about to say something back, when one of the guest stepped in the middle of it all.

           “I’m terribly sorry,” he said in a rushed tone, “but it looks like Han and Mon Mothma have started getting into something.”

           A look of annoyance and mild panic spread across Leia’s face.

           “I’ll be right there,” she said quickly, before looking back to Ben and giving him a hard glare. She then spun on her heel and followed the guest outside leaving you alone with Ben.

           There was a beat of awkward silence which seemed to stretch on forever. You waited for him to say or do something, but he simply stood there, making a point not to look at you.  You realized soon enough he wasn’t going to be the one to break it.  

           “So,” you said, taking on a light tone.  “What do you do?”

           He at least had the decency to look at you then, raising one of his eyebrows.  

           “I thought you said you heard a lot about me?”

           “More bits and pieces, but that’s generally not a good way to introduce yourself to someone,” you clarified.  

           He gave you an odd look, but conceded the point with a nod of the head.

          “So, what do you do?” you repeated.

          He didn’t answer right away, taking the time to sip his drink.

           “I’m a musician.”

           “Like a in band or…?”

           “Piano.”

           A small smile spread across your face at the explanation.  You had always wondered about the piano in the front room. You knew neither Leia nor Han played and it was too nice to just be used for decoration. You also noticed it was always in tune whenever you sat down to tap at the keys.

           “That’s actually really cool,” you said, meaning it. “So what…”

           “Look, I don’t know what my mom said to you, but you don’t have to talk to me.”

           You found yourself taken aback, and your brows furrowed in confusion.

           “What makes you think I’m talking to you because I have to?”

           “Well, you work for her right?” he said simply. “I’m just saying, I’m not going to rat you out if you don’t want to talk to me.”

           You couldn’t help but feel insulted by the implication. Did he really think that you were the type of person to kiss his ass to stay on your boss’s good side?

           “That’s very generous of you,” you bit back, crossing your arms. “What exactly do you take me for?”

           You had the satisfaction of seeing a look of surprise and discomfort finally take over his face as he came to realize he had just stepped into some pretty hot water.

           “I don’t know how to answer that,” he said lamely.  

           You didn’t know if it was the sudden rush of anger or maybe the booze shaking off your inhibitions, but you held your ground staring straight in the eyes.

           “I’m talking to you because it’s what you do in polite society when you want to get to know someone,” you said simply. “But if you’re the type of person who thinks their mother has to pay their assistant to be nice to them, then I think I’ve learned enough. Excuse me.”

           And with that you turned and walked away, not bothering to look back.  

           The rest of the night remained mostly uneventful.  Leia was able to clear the air between her husband and Senator Mon Mothma deciding to spend the rest of the night by his side.  

          You chatted with a few of the other senators, and actually did pretty well all things considered.  But, you couldn’t help your eyes drifting to the corner of the room every now and then.

           Ben stayed where he was most of the night, only really leaving his spot to get another drink or when his mother pulled him away to actually be sociable. He caught your eye every now and then, and you were satisfied to find he couldn’t hold eye contact for long before looking away a little embarrassed. You also got the impression he was watching you even when you weren’t looking directly at him.  You couldn’t prove it of course, but you couldn’t shake the slight tingle on the back of your neck no matter what part of the room you were in.

           More and more people drifted out of the party until there was only you, and the Solos left.  You offered to stay behind and help clean up, but Leia waved you off.

           “You go home and get some rest,” she said.  “I’m going to be working you like a dog come Monday anyway.  By the way, where did you park?”

           “Just a little ways up the hill.”

           “Would you like someone to walk you back?”

           “No, I’m alright,” you said, shaking your head.  “It’s not that far.”

           “I don’t know, it’s getting dark.  I’d feel better if someone walked with you.”

           She then turned, partially yelling into the kitchen.

           “Ben, would you walk Y/N to her car?”

           You felt your heart rate spike in a mild panic, but you tried your best to keep it off your face.

           “Oh no, he doesn’t have to.”

           “I don’t mind,” he said walking into the room.  He then turned to you giving a small shrug.  “Mom’s right, the road’s pretty narrow and people tend to not look where they’re going.  Better to walk with someone who’s hard to miss.”

           He said it so matter-of-factly you fought the urge to laugh.

           “Well, that settles it then,” Leia said.

           You tried desperately to think of a counter argument, but by then Ben had grabbed his jacket and was waiting patiently for you by the door. You walked passed him into the evening air.  He quickly followed behind you and your steps quickly fell into sync. 

          You didn’t want to admit it, but you were happy he had decided to walk with you. You hadn’t realized just how low the sun had gotten and there were hardly any street lamps lining the road away from the house. Even still, it felt strange and once you were out of view of the front door, you felt the need to speak up.

          “You really don’t have to walk me back,” you said politely.  

           “Consider it an apology, for being rude,” he said.

           You raised an eyebrow, at the understatement.  

           “Rude?”

           “A dick,” he corrected.  “I was being a dick.”

           He let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head before continuing.

          “Look my mom has been getting on my ass about finding someone, so when she introduced us I assumed she was trying to set us up and… well, sorry.”

          You couldn’t help but be surprised by his apology.  Ben Solo struck you as the type of person who never apologize to anyone.  His tone was sincere, if not a little tired, but you figured it was about as good as you were going to get.

           “Apology accepted,” you said with a nod.

           That earned you a small smile and the air between you suddenly felt much more comfortable.

           You took the opportunity to examine him properly.  You stood by your initial assessment of him being handsome, though maybe not in the most conventional sense of the word.  His nose was a little bigger than one would consider normal.  His smooth face was spotted in freckles, and as he brushed some of his hair out of his face, you caught a glance of some rather large ears.  You wondered briefly if he kept his hair as long as he did to hide them. Separately, all those things might had been off putting, but they seemed to all fit together perfectly on him.

           An image suddenly came to mind of Leia sitting with Ben at the dinner table asking when she was going to have grandkids.  You never saw her as the matchmaker type, but then again, the Solos were proving to be full of surprises.  A small laugh escaped your lips as you pictured those ears of his going completely red with a flustered expression to accompany it.

           “What’s funny?” he asked glancing over at you.

           “Nothing,” you said, pushing down the laughter into a smile. “Just the idea of Leia trying to set us up.”

           Apparently, he didn’t find it nearly as funny as you did, as his mouth twisted into a frown.

           “I didn’t realize the idea of dating me was so humorous.”

           You cursed yourself inwardly, realizing your mistake.  You seemed to finally be getting along too.

           “That’s not…” you let out a frustrated sigh, trying to figure out a way to explain it. “That’s not what I meant.”

           “Then what? You have a boyfriend or something?” he asked.

           It was your turn to frown, one part out of confusion and one part in annoyance at how the entire conversation seemed to be going.

           “Okay, first of all, I don’t need to have a boyfriend in order to not want to get into a relationship with my boss’s son,” you explained sternly. “Second of all, yes I do.”  

           Ben raised his eyebrows in insultingly clear shock.

           “Really?”

           “Yep,” you said, snapping the p for emphasis. “Been dating for about six months.”

           “Six months,” he repeated, nodding his head. “What’s he like?”

           You opened your mouth ready for an onslaught of adjectives to describe Mark to pour from your mouth, but nothing came.

          All you could come up with was a rather defensive, “He’s nice.”

           “Nice?”

           “And smart,” you managed. “And he has a job…”

           “Sounds dreamy.”

           You felt yourself get hit with a wave of embarrassment, making you feel all the more hostile towards the man.

           “You know what? I don’t have to explain this to you,” you said sharply.  

           “Sorry for asking.”

           Another silence fell between you and you felt a sudden impatience to just get back to your car and go home.

           You glanced over at Ben, surprised to see him smiling at something in the distance.  

           “What are you so happy about?”

           He turned back to you, raising an eyebrow.  

           “Can’t a guy enjoy the view?”

           You paused a moment taking the chance to look out onto the horizon and immediately had to agree.  

          From the hilltop, you could see the sun was setting across the water.  The pink of the sky was starting to disappear, transitioning into shades of purple. Lights from the streets and buildings were only just starting to turn on, finding a perfect balance between day and night.  It reminded you of some romantic comedy you watched years ago, the two lovers walking along the road while cheesy montage music swelled. The whole scene was tailor made for it.

           “It is kind of romantic isn’t it.”

          The words slipped out before you had a chance to stop it.  You froze taking a cautious look over at Ben, who was standing right beside you.  He didn’t look at you, instead he kept his eyes forward maintaining a completely passive expression.  

           “Shame it’s just you and me then,” he said, with a shrug.  “We don’t have much of a shot.  You’re not my type at all.”  

           He glanced over at you and you couldn’t tell if he was joking or trying to insult you.  You decided better safe than sorry, and stuck out your chin in defiance.

           “Really?”

           “Yep, not spark in sight,” he said before looking back at the setting sun, and letting out a mournful sigh.

          “Waste of a lovely night.”

          He then started walking, while you stood frozen in your spot.  You didn’t know why you felt so angry.  You weren’t looking for his approval, but the casual way he just dismissed you only sparked your anger.

          Before you had a chance to think clearly, you ran to catch up, stopping just as you got in front of him making him stop in his tracks.

          “You say there’s nothing here?” you said, straining your neck to meet his eyes. “Let me make something perfectly clear. I’ll be the one to make that call.”

          He then had the audacity to smirk at you.

          “But you’ll call?”

          You felt a small blush on your cheeks at your mistake, but brushed it off quickly only using that embarrassment to fuel you.

          “I’ll admit, you look cute in that polyester suit.”

          “It’s wool,” he corrected, looking at least mildly insulted.

          “But you’re right,” you continued. “I’d never fall for you at all.”

          You then turned and started walking.  You could hear his footsteps behind you.

          “Maybe this would appeal to someone who hasn’t been in heels for over four hours,” you said casually.  “Or to some girl looking for a chance at romance, but I’m frankly feeling nothing.”

          “Is that so?” he said, his voice growing noticeably irritated.

          “Or it could be less than nothing,” you added.

          “Good to know. So, you agree?”

          “You were right,” you nodded. “What waste of a lovely night.”

          Before you had time to react, you felt him grab your hand pulling you back to face him.  You stumbled slightly making you step closer to him so you were practically chest to chest.

          He seemed just as taken aback by how close you were as you were.  

          You got the impression he had some clever zinger to shut you up with ready to go, but it had died on his lips the moment you turned around. He didn’t step away though, and after a beat of silence, you realized you weren’t stepping back either.

          At this distance, you got a real appreciation of just how tall he actually was. Even on an incline and in heels, the top of your head barely reached his shoulder. He was looking down straight into your eyes and you felt your heart start to hammer in your chest.  His eyes weren’t as dark as you originally thought.  They were outlined with a thin dark line which quickly turned to a caramel color around the edges. They then transitioned into a darker shade as they neared his pupils turning into a chocolate brown.  You had never thought of brown eyes as anything extraordinary, but he was certainly making a case for them.

          A part of you wanted to look away.  You knew you had been staring too long, but then again, if you were, he was too.

          His eyes then flickered downward lingering just a second too long on your lips before looking back.

          You felt your breath catch in your throat.  It wouldn’t take much effort for him to kiss you.  All he would have to do was lean down slightly and you could finally discover if his lips were as soft as they appeared.

          Your cheeks grew hot as soon as the thought crossed your mind, but you couldn’t find it in you to feel guilty about it.  Unfortunately, you never got the chance to find out.  

          At the moment, a car horn honked.

          Ben looked up, and his eyes went wide.  Before you had time to turn around, he pulled you towards the side of the road just in time for a car to come roaring past you.  

          “Speed limit is 25 asshole!” Ben called after them.

          It of course did nothing, but it seemed to make him feel better. He turned back to you, looking you up and down.

          “Are you okay?”

          You nodded your head, trying to catch your breath after the sudden rush of adrenaline.

          He then seemed to notice the limited amount of space between you and took a step back.

          “We better find your car before something like that happens again,” he said roughly.

          “Good idea,” you managed, knowing the moment was gone.

          You felt a sudden sadness take over you, but you shook it off as best you could. You turned up towards the road, pulled out your car keys and pressed the lock button vaguely into the distance.

          Just a few car lengths ahead of you, you saw the back lights of your car turn on and off.  You let out a sigh of relief, before turning back to Ben.

          He looked awkward all the sudden, like a teenager who hadn’t quite gotten hold of his limbs.  He put his hands in his pockets, and kept his head down, not quite looking you in the eye.

          You weren’t doing much better yourself as you held your arm as some sort of comfort.

          You felt like you should say something substantial, or clever, but all you managed as a quiet, “Thank you” before turning back around toward your car.

          You stepped inside and checked your rear-view mirror to see Ben standing there for a brief moment before turning back down the hill.

          You didn’t move from your seat until he was out of sight and even then, you lingered a little while longer.  You looked out the passenger window, looking toward the horizon which was now only illuminated by the moon and the speckled lights of the city below.  

          You shook your head, buckled your seat belt and switched on the engine.

           “That bad, huh,” Poe asked, taking a sip of his own drink.

           “I’m pretty sure gasoline would taste better,” you sputtered, trying your best not to cough.  “Not to mention be safer to drink.”

           Poe fought down a smile, taking a quick glance around the room.

           “I would expect nothing less from this fine establishment.”

           You looked around as well, conceding silently that he was completely right.  

           You and your boyfriend had found yourselves in one of the seediest bars on lower levels of Coruscant which was a statement in itself. You were fairly sure the smell had permanently attached itself to your clothes. Unfortunately, it was also one the best places to go to get information.

          After the fall of the Empire there were some attempts to reconcile the upper and lower halves of the planet, but to no avail. The system was sunk down into the very foundation of the city, and the New Republic decided it would be best to locate elsewhere far from the echoes of past mistakes. So Coruscant became a neutral ground for Rebels and Empire supporters alike.  This also meant smugglers, assassins, gamblers, and every other type of unpleasant person who straddled the fence could still be found in the depths of the city.  

          “There goes our girl,” Poe said, glancing over your shoulder.  

          You didn’t turn your head, instead catching the reflection off of one of the dingy mirrors lining the wall.

          Jessika kept her head down as she weaved her way through the bodies of people towards one of the back rooms.  

          This particular bar was infamous as a hangout for some of the finest smugglers in the galaxy. The owner had made quite a living off of gathering contacts, and recommending the best smugglers for any particular job, with a promise of five percent of course.  It also meant, he kept a ledger of all the comings and goings of every smuggler that came into his establishment.

          You knew from intelligence the First Order was gathering more weapons and supplies by the day with no clear path as to who was providing them with the material.  Smugglers was the best guess, and this was the place to be to confirm it.

          The plan was simple.  Jessika would sneak into the back room using a special slice to get into the door, download the information on a data card, and slip out. You and Poe were there to run interference should the occasion arise.  

          You held your breath as she came to the door, forcing your eyes away to check and see if anyone was looking.  By the time your eyes came back to the door, she was gone.

          “You hold that glass any harder it’s going to shatter,” Poe said lightly.

          Your eyes darted to his and then to your glass. Your knuckles had practically turned white. You felt a small twist of embarrassment and took a swig to take the edge off.

          “The sooner we get out of here the better,” you mumbled.

          “Jess has got this,” he assured.  “Besides, you’ve got the best getaway driver in the galaxy on your side.”

          He shot you a cocky grin and you couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping your lips.

          “Whatever you say Dameron,” you said, rolling your eyes.

          It was then, you caught some movement in the mirror, and your back immediately tensed.

          “Poe, my five o’clock.  See them?”

          He stole a glance and cursed under his breath.

          “Security droids,” he said sharply.  “They’re heading towards the door.”

          Your stomach twisted and your mind went into overload.  You couldn’t make your way through the crowd in time to get rid of the droids quietly. You also couldn’t shoot them as the entire bar would go immediately on lock down and that included the back room.

          You looked to Poe, but he looked just as lost as you felt.  Then, something hit you.

          “You kriffing bastard,” you shouted loudly.

          Many of the patrons suddenly stopped their conversation looking over to you.

          Poe’s face shifted to utter confusion.  You decided to use it.  

          “Do you think I’m an idiot,” you said, allowing your body to slump and adding a little more slur into your voice.  “Well I’m not.  I just did some calculations, and I’ve been able to determine that you’re full of shit. You really think you could take ten percent off the top and I wouldn’t notice?”

          Poe gave you one more strange look and he got it.

          “Calm down Y/N, you’re drunk,” he said, adding a bit of gruff to his voice.

          “The hell I am,” you said, making a show of straightening your stance, and placing your hand over your blaster.  “I outta shoot you right now.”

          “You’re not gonna do that,” Poe said evenly.

          The air in the room suddenly tensed.  Your eyes darted to the mirror, stealing a quick glance at the security droids and then back to Poe. He gave you a small incline of the head. Then, in flash, you pulled out your blaster.

          Poe was ready for it and grabbed the blaster pushing it upward, making a show of the struggle.  You pulled the trigger, and two blasts hit the ceiling, sending some clumps of the roof down on your heads.  

          Everyone in the bar scrambled for cover as Poe yanked the blaster out of your hand and twisted both your hands behind your back.

          You were now facing the back door and, to your satisfaction, the security droids heading right towards you.

          “What’s going on here,” one of them said in a calm mechanic voice.  

          “No trouble,” Poe said, shooting them an easy smile.  “Just keeping my associate from doing something stupid.”

          “Kiss my ass,” you bit back.

          “Charmer ain’t they?”

          Poe let you go and you stumbled forward almost falling right into the droids.

          “See?” he said, placing the blaster he had just taken from you on the bar.  “No trouble.”

          The two security droids looked at each other as if silently conversing.  You then saw Jessika sneaking silently out of the back and the two droids starting to turn towards her.  

          You didn’t think.  

          In one quick motion you spun back towards Poe and punched him square in the jaw making him stumble backwards.  

          “What the hell?” he snapped.

          “I’m going to kill you with my bare hands,” you shouted, making a lunge towards him only to be held back by the droids, one holding each arm.

          “You are to be escorted off the premises,” one of them said, the pair of them half lifting, half dragging you out the door.

          “Wait a second, I wanna pay for my drink,” you said indignantly.  

          “That will not be necessary,” the other said.

          You shouted and cursed the whole way until the pair of them literally threw you out onto the street.  You landed face first onto the pavement, spinning back around clumsily just in time for the bar door to be shut in your face.  

          You waited a beat to make sure the cost was clear. Nobody else came out and you allowed yourself a small smile as you rose to your feet.  Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Jessika waiting in the alleyway.

          “That was quite a display,” she said with a smirk.

          “Not bad right,” you said, dusting yourself off. “Did you get it?”

          Jessika held up the data card before quickly slipping it back into her jacket.

          “Do we wait for Poe,” she asked.

          “No,” you said, shaking your head, “we’ll meet him at the ship.  It’d probably be best if nobody saw all of us leaving together.”

          Jessika nodded in agreement and not fifteen minutes later the pair of you were back at the landing pad where the freighter you had come in on was waiting.  You made yourself busy getting the ship prepped while Jessika kept an eye out for Poe.

          You did have to wait long.

          You were making the last checks when your comm beeped.

          “Poe just pulled up,” Jessika said.  “Let’s get out of here.”  

          You didn’t need to be told twice.  After a quick confirmation, you guided the ship out of the atmosphere and with a few more punches on the computer, you were in hyperspace.

          Jessika joined you soon after wearing a half smile.

          “Poe’s in the cargo bay,” she said.  “I’ll take over.”

          “Is he mad?”

          “Nah,” she waved off, “just a bruised ego…and face.”

          You weren’t sure whether to laugh or to feel guilty and ended up doing both.

          “I better make sure he’s alright,” you said, getting up from your seat and making your way towards the back.

          You found Poe exactly where Jessika had said; in the cargo hold, sitting on one of the crates, holding an ice pack to his face. He had apparently heard you come in as he turned to face you with a mildly annoyed expression.

          “Was this really necessary?” he asked.

          “Sorry,” you said, shooting him an apologetic smile.  “I panicked.”

          He raised an eyebrow at you, but let it go with a sigh.

          “Well, it could have been worse,” he said.  “At least you didn’t get my nose.”

          He pulled the ice pack away, moving his jaw experimentally, before wincing.

          “Your right hook has certainly improved,” he mumbled, placing the pack back on his face.  

          You smiled a little, relieved he hadn’t taken the punch as personal.  You walked over to him stopping just in front of him.  

          He tried to keep his annoyed expression, but a small sideways smile was starting to appear on his face as he looked up at you.

          Gently, you reached out pulling the ice pack away from his face and examined him carefully. You hadn’t done too much damage, but chances were he was going to be sporting a bruise for at least a few days. You ran your fingers across his jaw, causing him tense slightly under the pressure.

          “Sorry,” you said.

          “It’s not that bad,” Poe said, just before giving you his most charming smile.  “Kiss it better?”

          You rolled your eyes, but obliged.  Cupping the other side of his face in your hand, you leaned down you brushed your lips softly against his jawline. As you pulled away his head turned towards you in a not so subtle attempted to capture your mouth onto his.

          You only smirked, moving your head back far out of his reach.  

          “Feeling better then,” you asked.

          “A little bit, you might want to try that here though,” he said, pointing to his lips while staring blatantly at yours.   “I think you might have clipped it.”

          He then glanced up at you with the most innocent expression on his face, you just had to laugh. 

          Once again, you closed the gap between you, gently pressing your lips on his.  Poe, however had other plans.  He wove his fingers into your hair, pulling you harder against him while simultaneously nipping at your bottom lip. You got the message, opening your mouth enough for him to deepen the kiss. To your surprise he took his time, savoring your taste and smiling against your lips. Eventually, you both pulled away enough to breath while still keeping your noses brushed against each other.

          “You’re such a dork,” you said, grinning like an idiot.

          “Well I’m your dork,” he said.  “And don’t think you’re off the hook yet.  I expect a full examination when we get back.”

          You shook your head, capturing his lips once more. You couldn’t wait.

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