Author's Note: FIRST OFF – as much as there can be spoilers in an AU, here be spoilers. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN RISE OF SKYWALKER, THIS MIGHT CLUE YOU INTO SOME PLOT POINTS THERE. Come back later if you haven't seen it and don't want any clues. TROS has been out 10 days, so I'm going to be less cautious, especially with this AU, which is now veering away from most spoilers.
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I'm not certain where I'm going with this, so I hope y'all can be patient with me.
Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.
When Poe pulls into his driveway, true to his word, barely ten minutes from her own house, she can't help but smile. It's an older but clearly completely updated Colonial house, painted a soft grey and with crisp white shutters. It has a nice sized lot with beautiful trees and plants all over, types she knows to be able to withstand the cold Maine winters.
There's a large truck already parked in the driveway, behind, to her surprise, her own Jeep. "I'd forgotten about my car!"
Poe looks at her, clearly a little surprised and a little worried. "You gave Dad the keys yesterday. Did you forget? Are you OK? He and Luke got it for you and brought it here. I figure you'll be cleared to drive by the time the doc clears you to go home, otherwise you might need to stay here, as I can just take you to work when I drop off Shara."
"I'm fine. The doctor said I might be a bit forgetful. But now that you said it, I remember." She rolls her eyes. "And do you always think that far ahead?"
He gives her a rueful smile. "Again, think about my job. It kind of comes with the territory. That, and being a working single parent. Planning is key."
She nods. "Good point. And thank you." He pulls his car into the garage, attached to the house and obviously an addition. "I love your house."
"Thanks." He grins. "It took me and Dad about a year to fix it up, but it's great now. It's not as old as it looks, just about thirty years, but it was a late-80s, early-90s nightmare inside. Lots of heavy paneling, wallpaper, and carpet. Dad and I did everything ourselves except for the plumbing, wiring, getting the wallpaper down, and painting the exterior."
"Really?" She lights up. "Please tell me you have pictures. I really enjoy ugly house pictures."
He gets out of the car, and she follows carefully, still a little unsteady on her feet. Poe only lets her carry her light day pack. He grabs her duffel of clothes, the two shopping bags of things from her kitchen, and her pillow and blanket. Motioning towards the door with his head, he replies, "I do. It really was gloriously bad. The carpet was old, worn, and a different color in every room. There was foil wallpaper. Foil. And grass cloth in one room. Dad was so entertained by it that he put together a before and after photo album that he titled 'No Wonder You Got It So Cheap.'"
She snorts. "I like your dad."
He smiles at that, something soft that makes her a little jealous again of someone who grew up in a life of smiles like that one. "Me too."
She follows him inside, and after they pass through a mudroom that has a nice, new washer/dryer set in it, she gasps a little. The mudroom leads into the kitchen, and it's beautiful. The cabinets are white, the backsplash a simple white subway tile, and the counters are a nice, dark counterpoint in mottled black granite. The window over the sink is open, and a cool breeze is filtering in. In the middle of the room, there's a large work island with a butcher-block wood top instead of the granite. All of the appliances are stainless and new, and she can also see that they're high end.
The room opens into a large family room, divided by a nice woodburning fireplace. There's a breakfast bar with three comfortable looking barstools. It's a wonderful space. The floors are wood, wide planks covered with pretty area rugs so they won't be too cold. She can see a large TV and a basket full of toys on the floor, and the large sofa and chairs all look almost ridiculously inviting. There's even a large window with a seat in it, and she can see a child's blanket and pillows there, clearly a little nook for Shara, and a huge dog bed below it with "Bee" embroidered on the side.
As he puts down the bags from her kitchen, she looks at him, wide-eyed. He looks confused. "What? Is something wrong?"
She shakes her head slightly. "Poe, this is beautiful. You and your dad did this?"
He shrugs. "Dad did a lot of it. I helped in here in particular, though. Like I said, I like to cook, and I wanted to design the space myself. I did have professionals do the plumbing and gas appliance work, though. You like it?"
She grins, still slightly stunned. "Like it? It's heaven. I bet you two spend most of your time in here."
He nods, putting her other bags down and placing the pillow and blanket on the breakfast bar. "Here and outside when the weather cooperates. That's probably where Dad, Shara, and Bee are." He pauses. "I'm glad you like it. The rest of the house is fairly boring. Home office and more formal dining area at the front, three bedrooms, each with a bath, upstairs, and a finished basement which is currently a workout room for me and play space for Shara." He motions to her to sit at the bar. "Tea?"
She settles on a barstool. "Do you have any green tea bags? If you don't there's a box of them in my kitchen stuff, along with some honey." He nods, putting the kettle on but also flipping on his coffee maker before getting two mugs from the cabinet right above the coffee maker. "How did you find a place with three and a half baths up here? I assume there's a half bath on this floor?"
"It's actually sort of a fourth full bath, or maybe a three-quarter one, as it has a small shower." He puts some local honey from his cabinet and a spoon in front of her. "There were actually five small bedrooms and only two tiny bathrooms and almost no closet space up there," he indicates the upstairs, "So we remodeled it. Took two of the bedrooms together to expand the master, adding closet space and expanding one of the bathrooms. Then took another bedroom and made it into the third bathroom and closet space."
"Wow." She's amazed. "I can't wait to see it."
He nods and smiles. "So now, it's three bedrooms and three baths. The room I made an office down here could definitely be a bedroom, it has a closet and is right next to the bathroom. There's room in the basement to move the office down there if I needed to." He shrugs. "It's more house than we really need, but I like having the basement for Shara to play in the wintertime, and I like having the guest space."
She sighs. "My house is nice, but it's honestly more than I need, too. I have an office and a guest room, both I almost never use. But I love having my porch. It's so peaceful outside. And Leia's management company takes care of the snow for me, which is convenient."
"I have a service, too. I should just buy a big snowblower, and I do have a smaller one I can use when I need to, but I prefer to just spend that time with Shara outside. She loves the snow." He grins. "She was three last winter, and she kept trying to beat me and Dad in snowball fights. She was sneaky. Loved a good ambush."
"You let her win, though, didn't you?" She looks at him sternly, though she can see that he knows she's teasing.
"Yes. And we both got pretty good at going down dramatically just to make her laugh. Dad said I could flop like a European soccer player, and I think he meant that as a compliment." He has that soft smile again, and she nearly melts into the floor.
"Football. European football," she unconsciously corrects, eyeing Poe. These two men, she thinks to herself, are going to ruin her for other men, if not for other people in general. She can already tell that Kes is salt of the earth and a sweetheart, and Poe is, damn – so different from Ben but sparking something inside her that she thought died with him. "That sounds really nice."
X
Poe watches Rey, and he has the fleeting thought that maybe he can figure out how to get her to stay with them indefinitely, because he really likes how she looks so at home at the breakfast bar. He then admonishes himself and tries to distract himself. He begins to unload one of her kitchen bags, starting with the three rolling pins, French style ones, she'd said, on the center island. "So, three different rolling pins? And what does it mean that they're French style?"
She rolls her eyes. "French means one piece, no handles. And we needed three because the one I can use is too small for your hands but too big for Shara's. The big one is for me to show you with, and the small one is for Shara to use."
She says it like it's obvious, but he's just struck by the fact that she'd specifically considered Shara. He swallows, making himself not get moony over that. "Understood. Where should I put the crust dough and everything else?"
"Fridge if you want to make it in the morning, out if you want to do it this afternoon." She takes a sip of her tea.
He eyes her critically. "Are you really up for it today? Would it be better in the morning?" She visibly bristles a little, and he holds up his hands. "I just don't want you to overdo it, Sunshine. I probably would. I hurt my back last year and Dad basically had to tie me down to make me take it easy."
She relaxes. "Morning would be better, if you're sure it won't throw off your plans for the day?"
"It definitely won't. Dad is making a big salad and potato salad at home tonight, we're grilling or smoking the meat, and my friend Finn and his girlfriend Rose are bringing drinks and chips and dips. I was going to go buy something for dessert, so you're saving us." He smiles at her again. "Are you all right with brisket? Dad makes a great rub for it. There's also hot dogs for Shara."
"Yes, brisket's fine." She brightens up. "Can your dad teach me how to do the rub and what spices he uses? I've never done one."
"I'm sure Dad'll be happy to show you." He gives her a half smile, loving that something like that would make her perk up.
The back door to the deck opens, making both of them jump. "What'll I show her?" Kes grins as he comes in, stepping quickly to the side.
Poe sees Rey tense a little, but he knows what's coming. "Time for the thundering herd."
They then hear pounding and scrambling on the deck, and Bee skids into the room, his giant paws unable to get any traction on the wood floor. Rey giggles at the sight, and she grins when Shara follows the dog in, hair askew and carrying a huge bunch of scraggly wildflowers. "Miss Rey! Grandpa Kes said you were coming here, so I putted a softie by your bed so you won't get scareded, and I put a picture on your table in your room, and I got you flowers!" The girl runs to Rey, holding out the flowers. Rey takes them, and Shara hugs her legs.
Poe is about to admonish her to be gentle, but Rey must notice – she holds up her free hand at him, waving him off as she softly says, "Thank you so much, sweetheart. I love them. And I can't wait to see my room." Rey puts the flowers on the counter and leans down, hugging Shara with her good arm. Bee bumps Rey, and she tries to scratch his ears too.
Over their heads, Kes gives Poe a look, waggling his eyebrows as he gestures at Rey and Shara. Poe furrows his brow and mouths, "Behave!" at Kes before Rey can catch him. He then grabs a small glass from the cabinet, one encrusted with shells and rocks Shara collected at the beach and then glued to it, filling it with water before putting the flowers in it next to Rey.
Kes chuckles and goes into the living room, dropping to the sofa and turning on whatever football game is on, calling that he left clean clothes on Shara's bed for her. Rey releases Shara, and as the little girl starts to climb onto the stool next to Rey's, Poe stops her. "Nope, baby girl, you are covered in dirt and dog hair. Grandpa Kes put clean clothes on your bed. Please go change before getting up there."
She pouts briefly, but Poe gives her a look. She sighs dramatically, and then she says mournfully, "C'mon Bee. Daddy's bein' mean again," and flounces out of the room, curls bouncing and Bee following dutifully.
X
Rey has to swallow a laugh at Shara as she looks at Poe. "Oh my. Are you as dramatic as she is?"
Poe says, "No!" at the same time that Kes yells, "Yes!" from the living room. Poe flushes pink and rolls his eyes, going back to unloading her kitchen bags, clearly trying to ignore them both.
She laughs, and she picks her mug back up. She feels like she should be feeling like an intruder here, but for some reason, she just feels light. She watches him for a moment before saying, "She's lovely, Poe. You know that, right? You're doing a really good job."
He pauses as he goes to put the cherries and pie dough in the fridge. After finishing that and closing the door to the fridge, he comes back over to the other side of the bar. He leans forward, resting on his forearms and looking up at her, hair falling into his eyes. "You think so?"
She gives in to her urge from the night before, reaching out with her good arm and brushing his hair back from his eyes. "I do. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. You'll find I'm far too brutally honest and candidly too concussed to bullshit you very effectively." She yawns, but she tries to hide it, saying, "What's a 'softie,' by the way?"
He chuckles, capturing her hand with his as she pulls back, and she entwines her fingers with his. "Softie is what Shara calls her stuffed animals. You should feel honored. She doesn't hand those out lightly." He squeezes her hand before releasing it. "And don't think I didn't see that yawn. Let's get you upstairs for a nap."
She protests, "I'm all right, Poe, I promise." Then, she betrays herself, yawning again. "Bugger."
He snorts. "You know Shara's going to be saying bugger soon if you keep doing it." She starts to apologize, but he just laughs and grabs her bags, pillow, and blanket, pointing to a hallway. "I'm fine with that, by the way, we just need to warn her teacher." He also hands her a bottle of water.
She takes it and picks up her little jar of flowers. He smiles at that, and then he calls, "Dad, I'm taking Rey upstairs."
Kes waves them off. "Mijo, I'm going to leave in a minute. Wedge just texted. He'll be here in an hour."
"OK, Dad. See you in the morning? Rey wants a lesson on the spice rub for the brisket." Poe pauses, and she stops with him.
"Sure thing. Hug the little Bee for me and tell her I'll see her tomorrow. She can call me later if she wants to." He comes over to them and pats Rey gently on the shoulder. "You take it easy, mija."
Rey warms a little at the endearment. She leans up and kisses Kes on the cheek. "I will."
Kes blinks, and she then lets Poe guide her towards the front of the house, chuckling as he calls, "Bye, Dad." As they get to a pretty wood staircase, he leans in and stage-whispers, "Well done. Not many people can say that they've ever rendered Kes Dameron speechless."
Kes yells, "I heard that," from behind them, making them both laugh.
When they start up the stairs, she tucks the water bottle into the pocket of his hoodie (which she still wears even after changing into clean yoga pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt at home), and she grips the rail while holding the flowers in her other hand. "Careful," Poe warns, "They can be a little slick."
She shakes her head lightly. "I'm fine, Counselor."
Despite her reply, he stays close behind her, and if his hands weren't full, she'd guess that he'd have a hand on her back. She yawns again as they climb the stairs, and she has to admit that he's right. Her energy is all but gone. By the time they're to the top, she's relieved when he points out the door nearest to the stairs. "In there, Sunshine."
Before they get in, he points to a door at the end of the hall. "Me." Then the one near his. "Shara." They go in the room he indicated, and she sighs at how nice it looks. It's simple, a pretty old wood bedframe with a queen mattress, an old quilt covering it, and a soft comforter at the foot. He puts her pillow and blanket on the bed, and she sits carefully, suddenly dizzy after the climb, putting the flowers down on the nightstand. She puts a hand to her head, and he clearly notices, dropping her bags and crouching in front of her. "Sunshine, you OK?"
She nods. "Yes. Just a little lightheaded."
He stands and rearranges the pillows, putting hers on top of the pile. He crouches again, pulling off her Converse tennis shoes for her before straightening to help her lie down on the bed. He covers her with her blanket as she pulls out the water bottle and puts it on the nightstand. Then, she notices a stuffed puffin bird toy and a picture Shara must have drawn, of her, Poe, Shara, Kes, and Bee at the beach. She tears up a little, hugging the puffin to her.
Poe perches on the edge of the bed. "Porg." She must look confused, so he explains, "The bird's name. She named the bird Porg. No idea where it came from."
She smiles. "Thank her for me again."
He nods, him brushing some of her hair back this time. "Will do. Should I tell her to leave you alone? If I don't, you may wake up with her next to you. Like I said, she can be wary, but I'll add that she's tactile and affectionate once she deems you to be OK."
"Just like her Dad." She blushes slightly, but she's too tired to be too embarrassed. She just softly adds, "That's fine. I don't mind company." She yawns again, closing her eyes.
He gently cups her cheek in his palm, and she leans into his warm touch. "Sleep well, Sunshine. Call for me if you need help down the stairs later, OK?"
"Hmm. 'K." She snuggles deeper into the pillows, feeling warm and completely safe. She hears the door softly close, and it occurs to her that she might even be oddly grateful for her collision with Shara yesterday, bruised shoulder and concussion notwithstanding.