"Finn found no better joy than spending his days playing with his dog, Bebe-eight, riding his speedor through the green fields, and harassing the pilot on his parent's farm. His name was Poe. Not that he ever called him that. Finn only called him pilot."
"That's so mean!"
"Quite now, I wasn't done."
Finn entered the shabby hanger, the smell of oil instantly flooding his nose as he removed his helmet. Old engines and batteries littered the work benches. New tubes and wires dangled over his head as he carefully walked through this death trap. He was on a man hunt, he'd be damned if he got electrocuted.
"Pilot! Pilot, where are you?" He called out, carefully avoiding a pile of rusted bolts on the ground.
The sound of a laser beam sounded from the back left corner of the hanger. Finn let out an exasperated sigh. He carefully stepped aside from dismembered wing stack.
He lifted up the dark green tarp hanging from the ceiling, and it lead to a small, vintage x-wing ship. At the spacecraft was a young man clad in an oil stained jumpsuit and a metal face protector. A laser beam was in his hand as he melded a wing to the body of the plane. More importantly, he wasn't paying any mind to Finn.
"Pilot!" Finn called out, trying to overpower the sound of burning metal. But the pilot didn't turn his head.
Annoyed, Finn took up a wrench and threw it at the wing, causing it to rattle. The abrupt movement caused the pilot to jump slightly, accidentally nicking his thumb. He cried in pain, dropping the laser as he yanked off his glove waving it off frantically. He clumsily jumped off the ship, rushing to the faucet, and shoving his into the bucket as a stream of curses sprung from his mouth. Finn felt a pang of guilt, before brushing it off and calling out once more.
"Pilot."
The pilot turned his head towards Finn, befor stiffening a bit. He removed his protector, his face stained with oil and his hair sticking to his head. He looked at Finn in shock, before sobering up and straightening his back a bit.'Finally,"Finn thought.
"Polish my speedor. I want to see my face shining in it by tomorrow morning."
"As you wish, buddy," was the pilot's automatic response.
Finn noded, before carefully making his way through the hanger. His back was turned, so he had no knowledge of the pilot's lingering stare.
"As you wish. That was all he said to Finn. For years, this exchange had been consistent."
"Pilot, fix my radiator."
"As you wish, Buddy."
"Pilot, my motor is rusted. Replace it."
"As you wish, Buddy."
"Pilot, I want blaster attached to my speedor."
"...As you wish, Buddy!"
"For years, Finn would order Poe to perform the most gruelling tasks, and Poe would respond with an 'As you Wish',and do them with no compliant. Finn thought nothing of it, until one day..."
Finn placed the emergency fuel in the tank, but it offered no sign of life. He groaned. This never happened before. He was going to have a word with the pilot when he finally made it back to the farm. If he made it back. The sky had become dark about an hour ago, and that had been an hour after his speedor gave out. He was stuck on the snow covered forests of Starkiller, grossly underdressed in his black long sleeved shirt and pants. Both were not for thermal use. He crossed his arms, muttering a few curses under his breath as he crawled inside the speedor, huddling inside the seat.
He felt his eyes droop a bit, and he shook his head, fending off the sleep. If he fell asleep in this weather, he'd surely die in his sleep. He just had to wait out until someone came for him. He had shot out a flare about half an hour ago. Surely someone was coming.
So he waited. Minutes ticked by, but it felt more like hours. He finally had enough, and hoped out. With all his might,Finn began to push his speedor towards the west. He'd either reach a town, or keep warm enough through the night. Either way, it was better than his current situation.
He trudged on through the snow, pushing with all his strength as he shivered violently. The speedor glided through the foot of snow, but Finn felt his boots become soaked through. He clenched his teeth as the snow seeped through to his toes. He needed to get to a town. Fast.
He pushed the speedor up the snow covered hill, before coming to a clearing. He could see the lights of lanterns from across the ridge beneath the hill. He sighed in relief, before stiffening as he heard the sound of something sliding on the snow caught his attention.
The speedor was slipping down the slope.
He quickly made a sprint for the descending craft. In the process, he slipped on his feet, and began to slip of the drop. He instinctively grasped onto a protruding branch, gasping for breath. He heard a crash below, and winced. He had little time to mourn it, as the root began to strain under his weight.
He desperately tried to hull himself up, his hand scarcely reaching the ledge. He felt the tearing of the root, as he frantically groped the crumbling snow, trying to dig to solid dirt. He slipped a few inches, the root reduced to a thin strip.
"Help!" he cried out desperately. "Someone please he-!"His plea reduced to a cry as the branch broke. 'I'm going to die,' he thought, horror filling him as he fell.
He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting the the harsh ground below. But it never came. Instead there was a warm clasp on his wrist. He looked down, to see he had not felt his arm being tugged up, and looked upwards. It was the pilot. His hand firmly grasping his wrist, strain marking his face as he held Finn's weight in one hand, and clasped the ledge with the other. Finn was to shocked to say anything as the pilot pulled them both up to safety.
Once in safety, the pilot collapsed on the ground, gasping heavily as he tried to gather his strength. Finn was still shocked. He almost fell. He almost died. Yet he was alive, because of his family's pilot.
He sobered up when he heard the snow crunching in front of him. He looked up to see his savior hastily take off his jacket, before he placed it around him. Finn stared at him in wonder, and the pilot gave him a warm smile. 'He has a nice smile,' Finn noticed, but that was not the dominant thought in his head. When he finally found his voice, he croaked out.
"Why?"
The pilot looked at him as if he'd asked the most ridiculous question in the world, so Finn continued.
"I have been nothing but cruel to you all these years. You were practically my slave for the most of our lives. Back there, you could've been rid of me," Finn whispered, guilt and pain flowing with his voice as the years of denying the truth of his cruelty melted away, and he suddenly felt so ashamed, that he was crying. "W-why did you save a dreadful person like me?"
Finn felt the tears run down his face, and the pilot- 'No, his name is Poe,' he corrected himself- gave him a heart warming smile before he took Finn's hands and said,
" Because you're my buddy," he said sincerely, before suddenly picking up Finn and adjusting him so he was carrying him like a backpack.
"Now come on, we have to get you home and warm. BeBe has been barking like crazy since you left."
Finn could feel his chuckle vibrate through his back as he carried him through the snow. Finn began to feel his eyes droop, and his head began to . Poe apparently noticed as he turned his head a bit to give him a reassuring smile.
"If you want to fall asleep, I completely understand. Don't worry, I'll make sure you are warm in by the time you wake up."
Finn nodded his head, slightly dozing off. In his tired state, he mumbled slightly "Will you be there when I wake up?"
There was a beat of silence, before Finn added a meek "Please?"
Poe sighed. Smiling fondly as he squeezed Finn's hand, brushing his thumb over it gently. Almost, dare Finn believe, lovingly. Before he could process this,Poe whispered, as if telling him the most delicious secret, "As you wish, buddy."
And as Finn let sleep take him, he finally realized that when Poe said, "As you wish", what he really meant was "I love you".
"HOLD ON! HOLD UP!"
"What is it?"
"Noh Wan, is this a kissing book?"
"There are...intimate parts."
"I thought you said this was a jedi fabel! Weren't Jedi circumcised warrior monks or something?"
"...For my own peace of mind, I'm not going to ask where you heard that. And second, No, we just weren't allowed relationships."
"Then why is there kissing-?"
"Do you want to hear the rest?"
"...As long as there's no more kissing."
"Well, you're just going to have to shut up and wait an see."
"...Okay."
"Now, where was I? Let's see, discovering they loved each other, their first kiss causing their hearts to burst like a million exploding suns-"
"NOH WAN!"
"Ah! Here we go. Since Poe had not a penny to his name to marry Finn he decide to set out to find his fortune on a merchant vessel for six months time. It was a very emotional departure for both of them."
"You're one twisted sadist, you know that?"
Finn knew he was being ridiculous. But Poe was traveling off the planet, for force's sake! And for what? A stupid piece of silver? Finn could tie a piece of thread and he's wear it proudly as an engagement ring, if it meant he was Poe's, and Poe was his. He had told him he would go with him, help him gain money for the rings. But no the romantic insisted on providing only the best of rings, and he told Finn that had he come, it would ruin the reveal of the ring. He was an idiot. His stupid, romantic, perfect idiot. And even now, tight in his lover's embrace, he was terrified he'd lose him.
"I'm afraid I'm never going to see you again."
Poe looked at him, his easy smile melting Finn's heart, "I will always come back to you."
Finn felt a stray tear escape his eye, and he whispered, "How can you tell? How do you know you will come back?"
"This is True Love. You think this happens every day?"
He pulled Finn in for a tender kiss,melting in their passion, before they pressed their foreheads together. "I will always come back to you. I promise."
And with that, Poe grabbed his pack from the ground, stole one more kiss from the love of his life, and began the journey to the spaceport. All the while, Finn waved at his love till his shadow was beyond the horizon. He broke his gaze as he felt Bebe-eight nudge at his leg. He bent down, scratched the dog behind his ears, before burying his face in the mutt's fur, taking comfort in the familiarity, and hugging him closely.
"He'll be fine. He'll come back."
"But Poe Didn't come back. On his way to Takodana, Poe's ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Fett was known for taking no survivors, and disintegrating them on sight."
"Getting killed by pirates is good."
"When Finn heard the news, he went to his room, shut the door. And didn't eat for three days. The only words he said within that time was this:"
"I will never love again."