The Resistance landed a major victory against the First Order with the collapse of Starkiller base but the war was from over for the fate of the galaxy. The First Order still had legions under their command while the Resistance had been dealt a serious blow in power with the cruel destruction of the Hosnian system, taking the New Republic Navy with it.
To make up for the staggering decrease in numbers, the Resistance opened up its recruitment to anyone willing to take arms against the Order. And after the Hosnian massacre, more systems jumped at the chance to lend their support to fight against the First Order.
Many wanted to show their support by joining the fight on the frontlines, which was great. But many of these individuals had no combat training, just the will to fight against evil.
That's where Poe came in. He and other seasoned vets formed a group to begin training the volunteers. There were training groups for espionage, ground troops, rescue, tactics, medical, engineering, and - Poe's specialty - flying.
He sat on a stair ladder docked to his X-Wing in the hangar bay of the new Resistance base waiting for his class. It was their first meeting and Poe would start them off with an intro session - getting to know them and familiarizing them with the ships they'd soon pilot.
The new recruits started to arrive, forming a half circle in front of Poe and his ship. Poe scanned their faces, all of them showing the strong determination to learn.
Very good.
With the stakes this high, Poe didn't want to or have the luxury to play babysitter to grown adults who weren't willing to put their best foot forward. He was about to recite the speech he'd spent most of yesterday night preparing - and a little this morning. But his eyes froze on the final recruit joining the others.
Poe blanketed his surprise and confusion with a neutral expression and marched forward to take the last recruit out of ear's reach from the others.
"Finn, buddy, what're you doing here? Did I leave something in our room?" Poe patted down his jacket. He was sure he'd brought everything he needed with him.
Laser pointer. Check.
Holodisk of X-wing schematics. Check.
An inspiring holo message from Luke Skywalker. Check.
A good luck kiss from the most handsome new member of the resistance before he left his room. Triple check.
"Poe, I'm here to train to be a pilot." Finn answered, puffing up his chest a bit. He showed pride to be doing his part in this war.
Poe hoped his face didn't noticeably fall into a frown. He was kind of hoping Finn would pick something more… safe. Finn was smart - absorbing knowledge faster than a puddle of water on the sands of Jakku. He figured Finn would make a great tactician by the General's side with his quick wits and firsthand account of the Order's military operations.
Poe knew it was selfish. Ever since Finn woke from his coma fully recovered, the two of them began a relationship. All due in thanks to BB-8 betraying Poe by showing Finn recordings of him over Finn's bedside praying and pleading that Finn wake up, and also of Poe cursing as he did his best to mend Finn's damaged jacket without damaging himself in the process.
Poe had wanted to kick the meddling droid into a sand trap and then dive into a sinking abyss himself, but a shocking thing happened. Finn had chuckled at Poe's blushing face then took that face into his warm hands and kissed him on the cheek.
All Poe could do was blink owlishly as Finn left his bed and dragged Poe to the mess hall so they could have their first official date. BB-8 had to lead the way since Finn had no idea where to go and Poe was too stuck on Finn holding hand.
Even though it worked out in the best way, Poe still scolded BB-8 for meddling. BB-8 paid Poe no mind and just sassed him by saying he would've waited until Chewbacca went bald before confessing his feelings. And Poe hadn't exactly disagree. Things have been going great in the months since, so Poe wanted to keep Finn away from danger and keep their good thing going.
But he knew it was a waste once Finn was determined about something, not even he could get in Finn's way, but Poe had to ask anyway. "Are you sure about this?"
"Positive. I want to be out there with you and Rey flying the stars not stuck watching you both on a holo-map."
How can Poe say no to a face so eager and full of heart?
Poe pinched the bridge of his nose. If Finn was doing this then Poe would make sure he was as capable as any pilot to fly - if not better than himself. "Okay. We're doing this."
"Then let's get to it, Commander." Finn smiled with a glint in his eye. Poe thanked the Force that Finn defected to their side. The man was already a force to be reckoned and there wouldn't be a prayer helpful enough for the unlucky soul who goes against Finn once he learned how to fly.
When Poe turned to head back to the front of the class, he felt a firm swat on his backside. He looked back at Finn with a quirked eyebrow and Finn answered it back with a sly grin and a wink. The pilot ignored the snickering among the group and began his speech.
Or at least he tried until Finn interrupted two sentences in with a lowered tone (Poe thinks that's what Finn was going for. It sounded more like whisper yelling under the guise of being discreet. It was a good thing Finn never joined the espionage group.). "Psst. Poe, I think you should go with the second speech. You know the one you practiced when we were in the shower this morning."
The class responded with wolf whistles and cheering as Poe scratched awkwardly at his stubbled face.
"Alright, alright. Settle down, everyone." Poe called out to the rambunctious group.
What did he just sign himself into?
It turns out Poe was signing himself for torture.
Okay, maybe not First Order interrogators with a side of a psycho Force user digging into his mind type of torture.
This was a special type of torture Poe wasn't accustomed to. His work life and his love life had never intermingled before. He never dated anyone he had a working relationship with. There had been a few opportunities but Poe feared that it could possibly distract him from his duty.
And now his worst fears about interpersonal relationships were coming true.
Just when Poe was regaining his focus he saw Finn mouthing 'you're doing great babe' while hiding a thumbs up so only Poe can see. And right beside Finn was BB-8 displaying a similar gesture with his built-in lighter.
That was great - just great - now he's influencing the droid.
Too bad Poe didn't have the option of pawning Finn on someone else with superior flying skills like Rey, Chewbacca or his own squadron. Everyone was spread thin doing their hardest to win in this war.
At least Finn was being more discreet now. No one had noticed and Poe could keep going with his lesson.
That discretion didn't last long though.
Poe hovered over the side of the X-Wing from a stair ladder with Finn seated inside to show him and the rest of the class watching the ins and outs of the cockpit. But Finn had a hard time focusing.
"You smell really nice. Is that a new hair gel?"
It would've been a sweet compliment normally but they were currently being watched by a dozen or so pairs of eyes. "Um, yeah it is. So right here is the boost-"
With Poe so close, Finn leaned in easily brushing his nose at a particularly sensitive spot on the nape of Poe's neck. He struggled not to shiver in response to the contact. "It smells… forest-y?"
Poe swallowed around a large lump forming in his throat. First, the nose thing and now, Finn was talking lowly so close to Poe's ear. He loved when he could feel the warmth from Finn's breath in his skin and his body would hum feeling Finn's voice vibrate through him at this close proximity. But time and place… He had to get things back on track. "Uh, I'm not sure what scent it is. I sent BB-8 to buy some during the last pick up. Now back to this boost dial, when you twist to the right -"
"BB-8 went on a shopping run? I wish you would've told me, I needed some more bags of moss chips."
"Finn, buddy, I need you to focus. Twist to the left, no sorry I meant the right - wait, you already finished them? You've gotta slow down, they're not easy to get our hands on."
"I know but they're just so easy to pick up and pop in your mouth. And that crunchy texture is sooo satisfying." Finn practically moaned at the thought of his new favorite snack Poe turned him onto. It brought a smile Poe's face whenever he introduced something new that Finn loved.
"Y'know if you love that maybe when things slow down enough we can hit this amazing restaurant with a beautiful sandy ocean view and try this dish that's just as crunchy and has this sweet, spicy -
"Mr. - er, Commander Dameron, sir? I don't mean to interrupt but could you continue explaining about the boost mechanic." One enthusiastic recruit spoke, pad in hand ready to take notes.
Poe apologized and resumed his demonstration. Fortunately, Finn seemed to get the message that they should remain professional and stayed on point throughout the lesson.
Keeping their love life outside of class didn't last for long though.
Like when one of the trainees was nervous, seemingly intimidated by Poe which surprised the commander. Poe wasn't sure if he had laid on the repercussions of failing too heavy or if his reputation as the best pilot in the Resistance went against him. Whichever it was, he didn't want her to drop out because of him. He could tell she was determined and smart too. He had a plan to ease her nervousness but Finn decided to snatch the role to soothe her instead.
Normally, Poe would be touched by Finn's compassion. Normally.
"You've got nothing to worry about Poe. He's just a regular guy, and he wants you to succeed." Finn tried to reassure her.
But it didn't stop the jittering leg as she recovered on the step ladder after a minor panic attack inside the cockpit.
"Easy for you to say. I don't take showers with the teacher."
"Yeah, it is easy for me to say because I know him. Like I know how he sings - badly - in the shower. And he talks in his sleep, weird stuff too - for some reason he has the entire New Republic law memorized for operating a cantina onboard a ship."
She looked up at Finn skeptically while Poe could hear stifled snickering from his class.
At the insistence of Finn's pushy eyebrows, Poe begrudgingly recited the law from memory. He had been thinking about a new line of work once the Order was defeated. He even came up with some signature drinks he could serve.
And just to make sure the trainee really was comfortable around Poe, Finn told her (and the class by association since they were all listening) about how sweet he was while Finn was in a coma. And right on cue, his traitorous droid rolled in to show the footage of him mending the jacket.
Why hadn't Poe delete that footage already?
Despite the class laughing and cooing in equal measure, it did work. She was comfortable sitting in the pilot's seat. Sure, Finn got the job done but Poe could've done it without his trainees finding out how much of a sap he is when it comes to his boyfriend.
General Leia left her meeting with Admiral Ackbar to meet the newest recruits of Poe's training group. A week into the sessions, Leia figured at that point if they stayed this long they wouldn't be backing out of the program. So she wanted to give her thanks to the many groups preparing themselves to fight against the Order any way they can.
Her first stop for the day was Poe's class (she might've been playing favorites coming to him first). She noticed Finn straight away among the recruits when she walked into the hanger.
After she was done inspiring the group with uplifting words that even made Poe want to quit just so he could rejoin, she took Poe to the side while the trainees prepared themselves for their first exam. The closeness of their relationship meant with only a head nod and an inquiring brow raised toward Finn, already fast making friends among his new peers, Poe knew what she was thinking.
"Surprised me too, General."
She could tell Poe was having conflicting feelings about Finn being there. And she could guess why. Leia had her share of experiences working with someone you were romantically entangled with. "Can I give you some advice, Commander?"
Like she really needed to ask. Poe leaned in waiting for her to continue.
"I know working with your partner can have its shares of disadvantages…"
As if Leia used the Force to conjure an example, Finn came rushing up to Poe.
"Sorry to interrupt, General, but this is important. A kiss for luck, Commander?"
"Finn…" Poe whined. He couldn't believe his boyfriend was doing this now in front of the whole group and Leia.
"Please." Finn pouted. And Poe rolled his eyes at how easily he caved into his boyfriend's request. If the Order had sent in Finn back when Poe was captured to interrogate him, he would've revealed every secret he had from that one look on Finn's face.
With a defeated sigh, Poe went for a peck on Finn's cheek to try to save some air of modesty. But the quick shot that Finn is, turned at the right moment to land his lips on Poe's.
Someone from the group asked for a good luck kiss as well followed by a hearty round of laughter, including his traitor of a boyfriend and his mentor.
"You were saying something about disadvantages…" Poe muttered once Finn was out of earshot.
"Didn't look like a such a disadvantage to me. Which brings me to one of the advantages…" The sly smirk on the general's face gave Poe a big clue as to one of the advantages.
"I have a test to give, General!" Poe interrupted and left her to chuckle by herself.
No surprise to Poe, Finn ahead of his class, acing his test and was picked first for a test run to the Raddus orbiting the planet's base. They didn't have enough ships for the whole class to fly together but that was for the best. Poe was able to focus better with one trainee at a time. And it helped to see how well they could fit in with experienced pilots.
In normal circumstances, they would've used training simulators to start the recruits off with flying, but with the limited resources available to them they didn't have that equipment to teach them.
Although Finn proved himself with his knowledge of the ins and outs of the X-Wing, his practical application was a little shaky. That was okay. It happened to a lot of first timers, Poe reassured Finn after giving him a brief evaluation as they flew into orbit.
Poe led the small convoy of X-Wings, his Black squadron joining him and Finn, to a nearby asteroid field. Sometimes a push in the deep end was needed to really loosen those nerves. And Poe had full confidence in Finn.
Though as stray asteroids pelted Finn's ship as the novice tried keeping up with Poe's starfighter, Poe began to feel he may have put too much pressure on his boyfriend.
Finn's breathing was coming through Poe's earpiece with a panicked edge while the commanding pilot did his best to encourage Finn through his jitters.
"You can do this, buddy. You spent every day being tested on what to do in this situation."
"A-actually more like every night and day. I would sneak out of bed in the middle of the night to study some more." Finn confessed.
No wonder Finn was so ahead of the rest.
But then why was his flying so unsteady? He had this stuff memorized to the back of his eyelids. And Finn was never one to choke under pressure in battle.
It just hit Poe then that he had the experience to answer that question. It may have felt like a lifetime ago but he remembered well enough. "Finn, you're thinking too hard. Just use your instincts - feel your way through. Control the ship as an extension of yourself." Poe had never given Finn that advice before because he thought Finn would've been a natural in the cockpit. He was such an expert at practically everything involving combat but it turns out Finn had one weakness.
Finn tried to calm down but his ship scrapped its left side against a meaty sized asteroid. His astromech beeped angrily at what Finn could understand were jabs about his piloting.
"I think this was too soon. Let's call it a day and we can work on the areas he needs to improve back on base." Snap said.
Finn squawked as he weaved skittishly past another asteroid. "Yeah he's right. I was never a confident flyer back in the Order with Phasma breathing down my neck, it's why I was a trooper. It was stupid of me to think it would be different here."
"No, not yet. Finn. Finn, listen to me." Poe was going to regret his next action but he knew Finn could do this if he could get out of his head.
"Poe, what're you doing?" Snap questioned while Jess and Kare snickered.
But Poe ignored them to continue singing. Badly. It was a popular song that he managed to completely butcher the lyrics even though everyone knew the words. Whether on purpose or as a joke, no one knew - not even Finn. Because even though Finn had never heard the original, he was sure no one would use 'wrap me around your waist before we eat a bowl of paste' as lyrics.
It didn't matter to Finn because he hummed along to the song he and Poe would sing while in the privacy of their room. Finn matched Poe's mistranslated song and instantly began flying through the cluttered space with ease.
And the show off even managed to slip through two colliding asteroids like he'd been flying for years.
Poe couldn't help but cheer Finn on, completely uncaring of how he would be teased by his squadron once they hit ground. Finn's excitement over his new skill was more than enough to make it worth it. He couldn't wait to show him how proud he ie.
"Alright, let's see how you land this bird when we go the Raddus."
"You're Finn! The Finn!" The mechanic exclaimed, surprised to see anyone in the escape pod room aboard the Raddus.
"The Finn?"
"Sorry. I work behind pipes all day. Doing talking with Resistance heroes is not my forte." Rose paused realizing what she just said. "Doing… doing talking?" Nice job. "I'm Rose."
"Breathe." Once she did as instructed looking a bit calmer, Finn continued. "Look I'm not a Resistance hero, but… it was nice talking to you, Rose." Finn hoped that would end their interaction but she stood there with the same starstruck look on her face. "May the force be with you."
"Wow. you too."
Rose turned to leave and Finn sighed in relief. But that was premature because Rose returned coming even closer.
"I just want to say how brave you are. Even my sister said 'Rose, that's a real hero.' I mean, you left the First order, and what you did on the Starkiller base, and now you're flying with Commander Dameron's squad…" Rose paused. Her high hero worship was beginning to taper down. She wasn't used to meeting heroes but she didn't imagine they would be so… unkempt. Finn's shirt was rumpled and he had his fly open. And he seemed a bit out of shape for a guy just standing there, leaning awkwardly to the side of the wall - panting… and sweating. Wearing a mismatched pair of boots.
Oh. Oh!
"Uh, is there someone else there?"
Someone out of sight muttered something about wishing he hadn't listened to Leia about advantages before stepping out of the corner behind Finn. It was Poe Dameron! With the same disheveled, worn out look as Finn. "Finn here was, uhm, earning extra credit."
"In an escape pod room?"
Both men talked over each other, each trying to cover up what they were doing there.
Rose couldn't stop grinning to herself. She couldn't wait to finally have a good story to tell her sister that wasn't about maintenance.