Notes:

For Finn Week - Free day
For Flufftober - Game Day (Sports)

Stopping the Score

Finn had been playing soccer since elementary school. He'd played forward and mid-fielder and fullback and goalie, with goalie being the position he ended up both liking the best and being best at playing.

In fact, by the time high school rolled around, Finn had been good enough to net a sports scholarship to the college he wanted to attend most - a state university on the east coast - which also happened to have a really good pre-med department. Since Finn wanted to be a nurse, it was the perfect fit for him. Unfortunately, it also meant leaving all his closest friends behind, though when he attended the summer sports camp Finn wound up meeting Poe and Rey, both of whom he fell for awfully fast.

Rey became Finn's best friend within minutes of introducing themselves properly, after successfully pulling off a three-legged race together. And Finn fell head over heels for Poe the first time the charming man flirted with him.

They'd all made first string on the team and all their practicing was about to pay off. Assuming Finn didn't get cold feet and proceed to bomb the game, letting through every single goal. Which he was currently terrified he was going to do.

"I'm gonna let everyone down," Finn worried.

"No you aren't," Poe assured him, pecking a kiss against Finn's temple.

"I mean, everyone's already let down that the game is being called by the wrong name to make the off brand rugby players with too much padding feel better about themselves," Rey said, perfectly seriously. "You couldn't possibly make it worse."

Finn snorted in amusement despite himself. "I don't think anyone cares that it's called soccer and not football here."

"You try and announce this as a football game and then you'd wind up with a confused and disappointed crowd," Poe agreed, giving Rey a bewildered look.

"American football fans," Rey huffed. "If they knew what a real footie match was like -"

"Oh boy," Finn muttered.

Poe sighed, "here she goes again."

"- then the boring American wanna-be rugby game wouldn't stand a chance. Why is American football even called football when only the kicker actually uses his feet?" Rey demanded in despair.

"I think it's something about the football resembling a foot?" Finn offered.

"If that's what Americans think feet look like, then I am afraid to see what you have below your ankles," Rey muttered petulantly.

"Soccer is a form of association football from Europe," Poe said. "It used to be shortened to be called assoc football. And then just 'soc football. Before finally soc grew back into soccer. Meanwhile rugby was also known as rugby football and also started as a primarily kicking game, before someone picked up the ball to run it over the goal and it was determined not against the rules. In Europe it became largely known as just rugby while over here in the United States it went by football instead, picking up a few new rules over time that differentiated it from rugby - enough to be considered a separate game. But both games actually grew from the same origin, or at least a very similar one, so both have equal claim to being called just football."

Two blank stares focused in on Poe.

"What? I'm a history major," he grumbled, blushing.

"That was actually kind of cool to learn." This time it was Finn's turn to reassure Poe with a kiss on the cheek.

Rey nodded slowly. "Does this mean I have to stop making fun of American football?"

"Nope," Finn and Poe chorused.

"Oh thank god."

They all laughed.

"Feeling better about the game?" Poe asked Finn.

He nodded slowly. "I think so. Just... nerves getting in the way. But we should head out now, or we're going to be late." Finn stood up and grabbed Poe and Rey's hands, dragging them both off with him.

(They win the game. And not a single attempt to score by the opposing team makes it past Finn.)