Summary: Time spent with his smuggler boyfriend is rare for New Republic pilot Poe Dameron. They value it all the more for it.

Notes: Written for serceleste for The Kylo|Ben x Poe Fanworks Exchange 2017

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Lift-Off From Mirrin Prime

by Artemis1000

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Chapter 1

"The Hutt got his parts, we are done here. Where to now?"

Sitting in the guts of the Millennium Falcon soldering a line that had been repaired so often it was more weld marks than anything else at this point, Ben raised his head at hearing his father's voice. A moment later he was yelping when his head knocked against a deck plate he hadn't bothered to remove. He squeezed himself through the hole in the deck plates, or rather, awkwardly squeezed his upper body through.

Captain Han Solo's once dark hair might have turned grey, but he still had the swagger of the young smuggler who had taken on Hutt crime lords and empires alike, and won the heart of a princess at the end of the day. He was also just as stubborn as ever, and while he looked very relaxed, downright bored lounging against the wall, Ben didn't buy it at all.

"Why are you asking me?" he snapped, dark eyes already narrowing in suspicion.

At 25, Ben Solo had a solid decade as a smuggler under his belt, but his Dad was still his Dad, and he was the Captain. He didn't often let Ben take the reins when it came to the Falcon, one of the many points they clashed on.

Ben had been ten when he was sent to his uncle Luke in the hope he could teach him to fight off the dark whispers that had haunted him all his life, and help him become the Jedi he was meant to be. He had been twelve when he understood that opening himself to the Force came with opening himself to a darkness within himself that terrified him. He had been fifteen when he realized one day that his nightmares of slaying his fellow students were no longer nightmares - they had become fantasies.

The following day, Ben Solo had boarded the Millennium Falcon and never returned. He hadn't touched his lightsaber for three years, till Poe Dameron smiled at him, and told him I want to see it followed by I trust you.

Now, ten years later, his Dad flashed him a lazy smirk and asked, "What, I'm not allowed to be nice anymore?"

Ben responded with a look that was only slightly more incredulous than sullen. "No."

He climbed completely out of the maintenance shaft and took a moment to roll his shoulders. As a boy, he had loved crawling around in the Falcon's innards. Now, broad-shouldered and exceptionally tall, it was an eternal annoyance.

"But if you're asking me…" Ben felt heat flood his cheeks as it fell into place in his mind. Of course. He had known all along what he would ask for, and his Dad had known so as well.

Han gave a sharp, barking laugh. "We'll be picking up your farm boy. I called it. Chewie owes me the next round at Maz's."

This time, the look Ben shot him was all incredulity. "I always ask to visit Poe. How did you get Uncle Chewie to bet against you?"

"Does it matter? He's buying me a bottle of Maz's best Corellian whiskey, and if you're good I'll share."

His father sauntered away whistling an annoyingly cheerful tune under his breath – he never whistled, except when he knew it would annoy Ben – and Ben squeezed himself back into the Falcon's guts.

He was already back to welding when he realized that of course Uncle Chewie knew he was itching to see Poe, and so was Dad. He'd been heartbroken when Poe's leave was cancelled due to increased piracy in the sector.

"Kriff," he muttered under his breath. He owed them one for this.

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Ben sighed when the astromech just whirled around in excitement, chattering a mile a minute in binary.

"I have to tell Poe! Poe will be happy! Poe missed Ben, he was sad and boring all the time!"

"No. No. Beebee, listen to me."

"Poe will be happy!" There was more whirling, and a few bumps against his shin that were bound to bruise. "Let me go, I have to tell Poe!"

He rubbed his temples, and sighed.

So much for his grand plans of surprising Poe, with BB-8 as his accomplice. The droid was enthusiastic, for sure, but too enthusiastic. Poe would figure out the source of this enthusiasm as soon as he caught sight of him.

Good news was, he had made it successfully onto the New Republic Navy base Poe was currently stationed on, thank you for being officially listed as Poe's partner in his personnel file. Bad news was, he was not permitted to be anywhere near the hangar.

Fortunately, Han Solo's son was nothing if not sneaky and very good at disappearing himself. Now he just needed BB-8 to lure Poe into this abandoned maintenance shed right by the tarmac, and preferably before Poe was informed that he had a visitor waiting for him.

Heaving a distinctly disgruntled sigh, Ben crouched down, getting on eye level with BB-8 like Poe did. "Beebee? Please"

The little droid rolled to a halt in front of him, and its head dome turned till the single large black optic looked at him. It made a big show of zooming in… on his nose.

Ben sighed. It could be just as obnoxiously stubborn as Poe.

"Can I go tell Poe now?"

"No. Not until you promise me that you're going to bring him here so I can surprise him. Can I trust you to remember that?"

The only answer Ben got was a very rude bleep.

He was about ready to get to the tearing-out-his-hair stage, the one only the Falcon's mysterious malfunctions and BB-8 ever inspired in him, when very familiar chuckles made him look up.

There stood Poe by the door, still in his sweaty orange flight suit, hair sweaty and ruffled from the helmet. Utterly gorgeous even in the dim light inside the shed.

Also: laughing at him.

Blood flooded Ben's face and turned it a bright shade of pink.

Poe's chuckles turned into full-blown laughter, and then he was running towards him, and Ben rose to his feet just in time to be hit by a Poe-shaped hurricane. Later he wouldn't be able to say who kissed whom first, just that Poe's tongue felt like heaven as it slipped into his mouth, and he gave the sweetest little moan when Ben's hands landed on his ass.

BB-8 trilled smugly and bumped into Ben's leg.

"You're here? What are you doing here? How did you get here? When did you get here?" As soon as their lips parted Poe was all questions and excitement, and then he was already yanking at Ben's hand. "Never mind, you've got to see this! I got my new X-Wing, I told you about it, it's the…"

Ben yanked back. "Poe?"

He waited till his lover's warm brown eyes were on him again. Seven months apart, and he still looked at Ben like he meant the world to him. Ben's heart skipped a beat. With every time they parted, and reunited again, he believed a little bit more that Poe would never stop looking at him like this.

Ben's hand cupped Poe's cheek, he rubbed the pad of his thumb over his bottom lip and got close again, pressed flush against Poe. They were no longer hidden from prying eyes, they stood right in front of the shed, but he didn't care, and by the looks of it, neither did Poe. "Show me the ship later?"

Poe gulped. His gaze dropped to Ben's lips, and went up to his eyes again. "Later."

Then it was Poe yanking him along again, his fingers interlaced with Ben's. His hands were calloused in different places than Ben's, but his grip was as firm as his, and his steps were just barely on the proper side of hurried as he dragged him back towards the pilots' barracks.

"Hey! What's with me? You promised me an oil bath if I fetched Poe!"