A/N: I know other people have tackled this kind of fic before, but I really wanted to try my hand at it. :3
"Just take off your shirt." Rey glared at Finn, but he stood with his arms crossed. Defiance was written all over that face and she knew it would be like pulling teeth to get this man to do as she requested.
"Finn, please. You're hurt and I don't know when we'll meet up with the resistance."
"I told you that I'm fine. This isn't the first injury I've gotten in my life. You don't have to baby me."
It was just like Finn to be stubborn. He and Rey had been traveling with Chewbacca, to find food supplies for the resistance. The planet they chose for their new base was rich in plant life and vegetation, but they needed meat and protein rich foods. Luckily, Rey, Finn and Chewie found someone willing to sell them large quantities of everything they needed for a good price.
Finn and Rey had loaded the last of the supplies onto the Millennium Falcon when they'd been spotted by storm troopers. There was an intense firefight before take off and Finn had been injured by a blaster bolt that hit his lower back. Rey was glad that it only seared his flesh and didn't kill him on impact. However, the burn needed bacta gel or it could become infected.
Rey thought of using the force to hold him in place so she could apply the gel. She quickly shook it off, though. Finn trusted her not to use her abilities against him and she wasn't going to jeopardize that trust for anything. "I am not babying you. You don't even have to take your shirt off all the way, just...lift it enough so I can put the gel on your skin."
"I told you that I can handle it, Rey. Just leave it alone." He turned and started walking away from her, but she grabbed his arm before he could leave her cabin.
"No, I will not! Stop being so kriffing stubborn! Are you shy about me seeing you half naked? Don't worry, I'm not going to ogle you if that's what bothering you."
Finn said nothing, just stood there for a long moment and Rey began to worry that she took things too far. But then he said in a quiet voice, "That's not it."
"Then what? You know you can tell me anything." She reached out to touch his back, but he flinched in response. And just like that, she knew what he meant.
His scar.
Rey bit her lip, feeling foolish for not realizing. Finn had fought with Kylo Ren and was nearly killed in the process, but he did it to save her. She remembered how terrifying she felt when she shook Finn and called his name, only to hear silence in return. When she cried and laid her head on his chest, she believed that was the end and they would die there. Things blurred together when Chewie came to rescue them.
They returned to the resistance on Yavin 4 as quickly as possible so Finn could be treated. Sleep had been scarce for Rey unless she spent her nights at Finn's bedside. She talked to him a lot regardless of his unconscious state and when he woke up, she was so happy that she gave him a passionate kiss. They tentatively began a relationship afterwards, soon becoming inseparable.
Starkiller base was still a raw and extremely painful memory for them both, so they always avoided the topic. Now, it seemed, things were going to finally come out in the open.
"You don't want me to see your scar. That's why you keep refusing to let me put the bacta gel on your back, right?"
"Yes..." His voice sounded strangled.
"Finn, it's me. We're alone and in my cabin. Chewie is piloting the ship, so you don't have to worry about anyone else seeing it." Rey took his hand and guided him to her bed. Her hand caressed his cheek and he leaned into her palm, breathing evenly.
"I feel so safe here."
Rey kissed Finn's brow. "You are safe with me. Always. Please let me see."
He stayed still and Rey could tell that he was fighting back hesitation, so she just waited patiently. Eventually, Finn drew back and lifted his shirt up and over his head, baring his exposed flesh.
"Oh...Finn." Rey's eyes filled with tears as she touched the scar on his back. It hurt to think how he'd been critically injured protecting her. A rush of anger flowed through her when she thought of the person responsible for doing this. Kylo.
That bastard tried to kill Finn and left him with this horrible reminder of that day. Rey hated Kylo with every fiber of her being, possibly even more so than she and Finn did combined. Seeing the scar with her own eyes made Rey understand why Finn hadn't wanted her to help him. He was ashamed of his scar.
Rey wiped the tears from her eyes and opened the container of bacta gel, dipping her fingers inside. She applied it to his burn and he shuddered. "Did I hurt you?"
"No. It just stings a bit."
She nodded and made sure to rub the gel in until it was absorbed by his skin. Finn moaned softly beneath her touch, but Rey could tell from his posture that he was relaxing. "I told you that you wouldn't like it."
"Finn, I don't care about your scar. It doesn't change who you are or what you've done in my eyes. You protected me and this is what you received for it. Don't think of this as something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of. No one has ever thrown themselves into danger at the real possibility of dying for me. I'm honored that you care for that much."
"You're a hero to the resistance now, but you're also my hero." She stroked the raised flesh along his spine and kissed it. "That will never change."
Finn let out a shaky sigh and turned, burying his face in Rey's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his back, careful not to graze the area where she applied the bacta gel. They stayed in each other's embrace, leaning back until they were reclining on the bed.
"I love you, Rey," Finn said in a whisper.
"I know." She kissed his forehead. "I love you, too."
