Finn woke up with a start and his face dripped in sweat from his nightmare. He hyperventilated as he took in his surroundings. Thankfully, he was far away from the horrors of the StarKiller Base, both in time and distance. Despite that, the memories lingered in his mind. General Organa had assured him that Rey was safe when he first woke up, which calmed him somewhat.
As he had not been cleared to walk around the base, Finn was not happy to be confined to the bed. However, Poe had been a great help over the past couple of weeks. He was busy carrying out highly dangerous missions for the Resistance most of the time but he made sure to visit him every day that he was able to. Their relationship had evolved over time, but it was left unspoken as they discussed everything but their feelings. He only hoped that Poe felt it too as their hands found each other each day.
Like clockwork, Poe strode into the room. He was grinning from ear to ear as his eyes met Finn's. He was holding a piece of chocolate and Finn's stomach growled at the smell. He had never had chocolate before in his life: the first order was very strict about the diet of Stormtroopers. In fact, Finn couldn't remember a time where he had eaten anything other than the slop dropped onto his plate in the cafeteria.
"Good afternoon," Poe said cheerfully before taking a bite of his chocolate. "How are you feeling?"
"Another nightmare," Finn admitted, glad that he had cooled down from his anxiety attack.
Poe grabbed a chair from the side of the room and pulled up next to him. His hand slipped into his and Finn clasped it, feeling more at ease. "I'm sorry," said Poe, "Do you want to talk about it?"
He shook his head and said, "It's the same one. No use rehashing it." He looked at the chocolate in Poe's other hand. "Can I have some?"
"Sure," Poe grinned, breaking a piece off. Finn took the chocolate and tentatively put it in his mouth. As soon as the chocolate hit his tongue, Finn was in heaven. It was sweet, with a hint of bitterness. It was the best thing he had ever tasted.
He chewed slowly, savoring the taste. As soon as it was all gone, he looked over at Poe. "So that's what chocolate tastes like."
Poe gaped at him. "You've never tasted chocolate before?"
"Never," Finn replied, "We weren't allowed to have candy in the First Order."
Poe looked him in disbelief. "No candy? No gummy ewoks or fudge?" Finn shook his head and Poe gave him a sympathetic look. "You poor deprived soul."
Before Finn could respond, Poe ran out of the room. After a couple of quiet moments, Poe came back with an armful of what seemed to be every piece of candy on the Resistance base.
"I didn't know there was a candy shop on base," Finn joked. Poe dumped the candy on his lap. Everything looked tempting and Finn wanted to try everything.
Poe sat back down in his chair. "This is my personal stash." He paused before adding, "I kind of have a sweet tooth." He picked up a chocolate and nut cluster and handed it to him. "We need to rectify your situation."
Finn examined the cluster before taking a bite. He definitely preferred the chocolate, but the chocolate and nuts went well together. Poe looked at him eagerly, clearly waiting for a response. Finn nodded his approval. "It's good."
Poe barely gave him time to savor the chocolate as he gleefully handed him things to try. At first Finn ate the entire piece of candy, but he realized that he would have to pace himself. Everything from the chocolate to the gummy Ewoks tasted good, but he was worried about how his stomach would take this new culinary venture.
Once Finn had tasted everything in Poe's stash, Poe gave him some water to wash all of the sugar down. "I never knew food could taste that good," he admitted, as Poe settled back into his seat by his bedside.
Grinning, Poe excitedly said, "There's a whole world to explore."
"There's more candy in the galaxy?" Finn asked, his eyes widening.
Poe laughed, "I'm sure there is, but that's not what I meant." He took a deep breath, and it almost seemed like he was working up his courage for something. Finn's heart raced as their eyes met and he saw the way that Poe was looking at him. Clearing his throat, Poe asked, "When you get out of this bed, come over to my quarters and I'll cook for you." Did Poe mean what Finn thought he meant by the question?
"Like a date?" Finn blurted out. He flushed as he realized what he had said. "It doesn't have to be," he stuttered nervously, "I was just curious."
Poe flushed red and smiled at him. "Yeah, like a date."
Finn grinned, "I'd like that." Before they could talk about it any further, General Organa called Poe to the briefing room to discuss the newest mission. He quickly said goodbye to Finn before leaving Finn alone with his thoughts.
As he lay in bed, Finn felt a sudden burst of energy. Most of it was due to his excitement, but a good amount of it probably had to do with all of the sugar sitting in his veins. He had learned two important lessons today. First, that he had a big sweet tooth and loved chocolate and candy. Second, that Poe was as sweet on him as he was on Poe. He thought excitedly about his date, and was glad that the flirtation between him and Poe no longer unspoken and their feelings were out in the open. He was eager to learn more about life outside of the First Order, and he hoped that Poe could introduce him to all of the things he had missed out on throughout his life.
