Awakenings

Finn's subconscious was filled with images of Rey. Every moment they ever spent together replayed itself out over and over. And then there were the moments his imagination created from what he did not quite know. They certainly were not things he had experienced in real life.

Sometime he and Rey sat on a blanket eating their meal surrounded by sunlight and shimmering waves of grass. He knew such eating arrangements were referred to as picnics and they were generally considered fun and enjoyable, even romantic when it was only one man and one women. In his dream picnics after their meal they would lay down on the blanket and Rey would kiss him. Her kisses were always sweeter than the berries they had eaten for dessert.

Other times he dreamed of Rey as he had never seen her before, dressed up in a gown of light and jewels. She would be so beautiful in formal clothes like the angel she had been when she was sent to rescue him. He knew about dancing though he didn't begin to know how. In his subconscious however he could dance with Rey. In a dance he could hold her close to his body in the way he had never done in the waking world, but secretly wanted to.

In his favorite dreams they made love though in real life had never touched more than Rey's hand. He knew how sex was done although he had never engaged. Not that there hadn't been opportunities. But Stormtrooper barracks were segregated by sex and other men's bodies had never appealed to him. He definitely desired sex with Rey and not just because she was a young, healthy women. He wanted her not just any woman. She was his savior. She was his friend. And she was closest thing to family he had ever had. In the dream world he wasn't nervous around her. In the dream world he knew exactly what to say and do with her. He was a man in her arms and she told him she was in paradise.

Sometimes he heard Rey's voice calling to him through the fog of dreams.

"Finn, please come back to us."

He wanted to ignore it in favor of bliss he found in dreams, but the voice grew more persistent.

"Finn, please come back to me."

It was as if Rey had poured every breath of her body and soul into those words. Her plea was a hook that latched onto his ribs and pulled him from the pastel fog of dreams and into a harsh and blinding light.

Finn opened his eyes to Rey's radiant face. Her eyes were soft and wet. Had she been crying over him? He would never let her cry again. And then there was her smile. He had not seen Rey smile often, but this smile was so beautiful and generous it could only mean she was at her utmost height of happiness.

"You came back," Rey said. Then she kissed him on the forehead. "For four months you hovered here between life and death, but tonight you came back to us."

Her smile only grew. She had dimples. He had not known that about her until now. Her scent came in waves of flowers more intoxicating than alcohol. "You're beautiful," Finn said.

She must have thought he was only referring to her clothes because she stepped back from his sickbay bed and twirled around displaying her dress. It wasn't exactly like the gowns that had filled his mental visions. It was even better. He could see her bare shoulders. Somehow they had survived Jakku's oppressive heat and ultraviolet radiation as soft alabaster curves smooth as fresh poured metal. The dress covered the rest of her body, but only seemed to highlight her appealing features. And she had flowers in her hair. He had never dreamed of that, but flowers were the perfect compliments to Rey's pure, natural beauty.

"Isn't it beautiful? I borrowed it from General Organa." She said.

Finn nodded yes. He didn't have the words to describe how beautiful she was to him.

Poe stepped into Finn's range of view. He was wearing a dress uniform. He looked so strong and proud. If they could broadcast Poe's image at this moment, surely most of the First Order's forces would surrender quickly realizing they could not win against such an officer. Smoothly Poe caught Rey in mid-twirl. She laughed flowing into his arms and they returned to Finn's bedside together.

"You look so much better with your eyes open," Poe said. He separated from Rey only a moment to hug Finn.

"You both look good. You must have come from some great celebration?" Finn replied.

Rey looked up at Poe with shining eyes. "A wedding reception."

Finn knew about weddings. They were the formal ceremonies that marked the beginning of a marriage. He wondered who the lucky couple had been. "A wedding, whose?"

Poe reached for Rey's hand and intertwined their fingers. His gaze was completely focused on her. "Ours."

So this was what it felt like when Starkiller struck. "You came from your wedding reception to see me?" He was only trying to assimilate the new information. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.

Rey leaned closer. She laid her free hand on Finn's shoulder. "You waking up was the most wonderful wedding gift of all." Then her gaze went back to Poe. Her eyes twinkled mischievously in a way Finn had never seen before. "Besides if I had to hear one more pilot say 'I never thought I'd see the day,' or 'Rey, you don't know how many betting pools crashed tonight,' I might have made you sleep on the floor."

Poe pulled Rey's hand up to his mouth and kissed it. "Hey, the past is the past. Tonight's a whole new beginning for both of us." Poe turned back to Finn. "It took me four months to convince her this was right. But I knew. The first time I saw her, it was like a laser struck me. This woman was going to change my life."

Finn could appreciate the sentiment, but he knew not to express those feelings. He should display happiness for them. Rey had always longed for a family. Poe was a hero of the Resistance. He would be a good husband. Finn could tell that from the way Poe's gaze rarely left Rey, in the way he pulled off his jacket and placed it across her shoulders at the slightest shiver, and by the fact that he didn't seem to mind spending the first hours of his wedding night with his beautiful bride just sitting on his lap while she comforted an injured friend.

Friend was all Finn could be now. He knew there were couples where that wouldn't necessarily be the case, but he didn't see that as Rey and Finn's way. They would be faithful to each other always and create the family Rey always wanted. Finn was sure their children would be beautiful and very much loved. It would be the absolute opposite of what he had endured growing up. Maybe he could even become Uncle Finn.

Eventually visiting hours had to end. As he watched them leave together to start their new life, the sickbay became as cold and desolate as any Stormtrooper barracks.

Rey had trouble going to sleep that night. Eventually her twisting and turning woke Poe. "Are you okay?" he asked.

A moment later he turned the lamp on. It was just a single soft beam illuminating their new shared quarters. Earlier there had been candles which were supposed to be more romantic. She much preferred the lamp. It gave more clarity than dozens of different sources of light. "I'm all right," she said quickly. Then she amended her words, "I'm a little thirsty."

"Wine or water?" he asked.

"Half of each in one glass," she said. She still didn't like the bitterness of wine at full strength.

"Your wish is my command," he said.

He got out of bed naked. That was going to take some getting used to. The first time she saw him unclothed she had been more than surprised by own body's reaction. Even now when she should be exhausted, looking at his chiseled muscles incased in perfect caramel skin still glistening from the sweat of their mutual exertions stirred desires in her that she had never believed would be so compelling.

On Jakku she had watched people trade sex for valuables all the time. It repulsed her. Rey thanked whatever the Force was that had prevented her from never becoming desperate enough to earn her food that way. But she had always known even if only from half remembered children's stories that there was more in the universe. Escaping Jakku and joining the Rebellion had opened the possibility of that more for her. However Poe's pursuit had been an almost shocking surprise. She knew he had been with women before her, a lot of women, but when everyone started to tell her how his behavior was different with her a strange sort of hope had started to grow. He had been humble. He had been gentle. And he spent so many hours at Finn's bedside with her that after a while she couldn't think of a life without him, especially with Finn trapped in his coma. Now she had her friend back and something more. She had a family.

Poe returned to the bed and gave her a glass of water and wine with quite a bit of precious sugar also added to the mixture. While she drank his fingers gently caressed her shoulders and arms. He kissed a spot on her neck that he had been especially attentive to earlier. His touch made her body hum.

"Are you really okay? You're not in pain, are you?"

She stretched slightly which only led to her coming in contact with even more of him. "No, I feel wonderful. I never really believed anything could feel so pleasurable as lovemaking was described. But that was better even than the feeling of victory after Starkiller was destroyed."

He sighed and she had the awful realization that it was from relief. Poe, how could you ever believe you wouldn't satisfy me? Strange, knowing his ego broke down when it came to matters concerning her was thrilling.

Seconds later his lips were back at her ear. "So I accomplished my first mission as a husband?"

She sat her empty glass on the nightstand and turned back to him. No man, except maybe Finn, had ever looked at her with such care and concern. She traced his lips with her fingers. "You were perfect. The mission was a great success." Her fingers moved lower exploring his chest again. She kissed his collarbone and felt him tremble beneath her lips. He was feeling this primal recharging of their bodies also, but hadn't acted on it. Was he afraid she would reject his advances so soon after the first time? Probably, Poe had moved at infinitesimal speed during the time before she agreed to marry him. She pulled his face down to her.

"You really like kissing." Poe said between touches of their mouths.

"I really like a lot of things you do to me," she replied.

Luckily he got her meaning and she didn't have to be bolder. He wrapped her in his arms. His lips traced their way across body charting a perfect path until that moment when his gaze met hers. The one light was so much better than the candles. "I love you, Rey. We are going to be so happy together."

Afterwards he fell asleep, but she had expected that. All the women she knew had told her that was supposed to happen. She got up from their bed, drank more wine and water, slipped back under his arm, and concentrated on falling asleep. Strange, she had thought she would be more exhausted by now.