Author's Note: Vaguely spoilery, but less so than early on.
And Rose and Finn are in the picture.
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.
Rey looks in the mirror in the small bathroom attached to her room, and she nods. She only has on a little make up - some sunscreen, light mascara, and lip gloss. Her hair is once again in a simple braid. She's not going to put on any airs with Poe. He seems to like her just fine natural, if the amount of kissing is anything to go by. She steps back, checking her outfit. She's in a simple, fitted long-sleeved t-shirt and cropped jeans, and she'll put her Converse back on before going downstairs.
She nods at her reflection one more time, muttering, "Just dress up Friday night. Save anything fancy for then."
As she puts on her shoes and grabs her phone off of the nightstand, she still is marveling at how quickly they went from being strangers to whatever it is they are now. She stops before she stands up, sitting cross-legged on the bed for a moment, tapping her lips with one hand.
She's only had one serious relationship before, with Ben. That, of course, ended in spectacularly bad fashion. She's dated since, both before he died (but when they were broken up) and after, but no one ever really caught her attention. She had two hook-ups back in Boston before she moved here, but it had only taken two experiences for her to realize that the dating scene and casual flings are not for her.
With Poe, though, it's different. She's felt safe with him from the first moments. Everything about him, about Kes and little Shara, just welcomes her in. She grins. She can't remember the last time she allowed herself to be silly, to do something like start a flour-flinging fight. Ben had been many things, but silly was not one of them. She'd quashed that playful side of her personality with him, only letting it loose with her students at school, for years.
Consciously, she hadn't been testing Poe earlier – she's not one for those kinds of mental and emotional games. Throwing the first handful of flour had just been an impulse. But she wonders now if her subconscious hadn't decided to see what he'd do, to see if he'd let her be her. Not only did he not get mad, he'd participated enthusiastically. He'd passed, test or no, with flying colors.
She sighs. She doesn't want to do the comparison game, but she can't begin to imagine Ben in that situation. He'd have lost it if she'd hit him with a handful of flour. Hell, he got upset when she made any kind of mess in the kitchen. He never frightened her personally, but he'd been so cold and aloof when she'd tried to be snuggly or silly.
When Ben touched her, it had felt like he was possessing her, trying to show his ownership. It was borderline aggressive and never just casual or affectionate. With Poe, she can tell that touch is meant to comfort or show love or affection. She can tell already that he has no interest in control or possession.
She shakes her head, uncurling her legs and standing up. "Stop it, Rey. Stop comparing them. It's not fair to either of them." She smooths down her t-shirt and heads out of the room, going down the stairs and into the kitchen.
When she gets there, the room is mostly clean again. She grins when she looks down and sees some flour on the floor, and she grabs a paper towel, wetting it a little before crouching down to get it. She hears a noise, and, assuming it's Poe, she stands up with a smile. "You missed a spot, Counselor."
Her eyes widen and she emits a startled shriek when she sees that it's not Poe. She stumbles back a little, bumping into the island and knocking a bowl (plastic, thankfully) off. It clatters to the floor as she stares at a surprised-looking African-American man standing there. He raises his hands, stepping back slightly. "Hey, sorry!"
"Rey?" She hears footsteps in the hall, and a moment later, Poe enters, followed by a small Asian woman. Poe, hair still a little damp from the shower, comes straight to her side, ignoring the two new people who are both clearly watching with keen interest.
"Sunshine, are you OK?" He puts a steadying hand on her elbow, and she swallows hard, nodding. Her eyes haven't left the man, and she notices that his eyebrows raise a little when Poe said her name and went into his hairline when Poe called her Sunshine.
She swallows again. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just startled." She looks at Poe, meeting his eyes. Seeing concern and even a bit of mild panic there, she covers his hand, still on her elbow, with hers. "Really, Poe. I'm fine."
He holds her gaze for a moment, then he gives her a small nod. He turns them gently towards the two newcomers, and Rey realizes that she recognizes both of them even as they scrutinize her. She's not surprised when Poe says, "Rey, this is Rose Tico and Finn Trooper. Rose, Finn, this is Rey Kenobi."
"I remember." Finn nods, holding out his hand. Rey moves away from Poe, shaking hands with him. She's surprised when Finn wraps his free hand around their joined hands. "It's good to actually meet you, Miss Kenobi, and I'm really sorry I scared you."
Rey shakes her head and squeezes his hand. "It's Rey, and it's fine. You just startled me a bit." She likes this man on sight.
"And I'm Finn."
"Move, Finn. My turn!" Rey watches Finn snort and drop her hand, moving aside for the small woman behind him. "Hi Rey! I'm Rose, Rose Tico, and I'm with him." She motions to Finn with her head. She takes Rey's hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "I am so glad you're here. Now me and Shara don't have to be outnumbered by Poe, Kes, and this one."
Rey laughs. "Nice to meet you, Rose." She's equally charmed by Rose, and from the way Finn looks fondly at the small woman, she can tell he adores her.
Rose steps back, and Finn puts an arm around her. Rey notices that they both have bags with them just as Poe says, "You two can take the food you brought outside. Dad and Wedge are both out there, and they have the meat going. Shara's out there, too."
Rey watches as Finn and Poe nearly stare each other down. It's not aggressive, but she can tell that they seem to be having some sort of silent conversation. Rose must also notice, because she snorts and rolls her eyes before grabbing a bag with one hand and Finn's hand with the other. "You two stop that. It's annoying as hell and even a little rude. Finn, get your bag."
Finn grins mischievously, and he grabs the bag as directed, letting Rose tug him outside. "Yes ma'am."
Rey bites her bottom lip and turns to Poe. He shrugs and says, "And that's Finn and Rose." Even as he does, his eyes stray to her lip. It occurs to her that it's going to be a challenge to not kiss him whenever she wants to today. She's never felt this about anyone before.
X
Poe looks at Rey, and the way she's biting her lip is too much for him. He leans in and kisses her quickly. He leans back quickly, mindful that Shara could come in at any moment. "Are you sure you're alright, Sunshine?"
She nods. "Yes. I just had spotted some flour still on the floor and was wiping it up. I heard a sound and straightened up. It just surprised me when it wasn't you or Kes or Shara."
"Sorry, I should have warned you that they have keys and always just come right in." He winces. "The last thing you need is to bump your head or hit your shoulder again." She gives him an affectionate look, cupping his cheek in her palm. He leans into it even as he sighs in exasperation. "You're going to tell me I'm very dear again, aren't you? You're going to kill my rep as a tough-as-nails Federal prosecutor."
She laughs softly and leans up to him, pressing her lips to his. He returns the kiss quickly before pulling back. She smiles sheepishly. "Sorry. I know we probably should try to be a little more discreet. That probably means that I need to stop kissing you in the middle of the kitchen." A light blush rises on her cheeks.
He shakes his head. "Hard pass. I won't be happy at all if you stop kissing me in the middle of my kitchen." He steps back slightly. "You look beautiful, by the way." She scoffs and looks down, and he isn't alright with that. He tips her chin up gently to make her meet his eyes. "Rey, you're stunning. How do you not know that?" When she doesn't respond, he furrows his brow. "Rey?"
She blinks a few times. "You're the first person to say that to me."
He shakes his head again. "That is unfathomable to me, Sunshine. I, for one, think you are gorgeous, inside, yes, but also out. If no one's ever said that to you, that just means I need to make up for lost time." Inside, he's fuming at Ben. How could he never tell Rey how beautiful she is? He mentally just chalks it up as yet another thing he'll never understand about Ben. He leans in, and he kisses Rey this time. When he pulls back, he says, "I'm just going to keep saying it until you stop looking at me like I'm crazy."
She bites her lip again. "I can live with that." Then, she brightens again, her face taking on a teasing smirk. "But I think you're prettier."
He rolls his eyes and steps back. "Now I'm going to look at you like you're the one who's crazy."
The door opens and closes, and Rose comes back inside. "Why is Rey crazy?" She grins.
Rey shrugs, and she leans towards Rose. "I'm apparently crazy because I think he's pretty. Prettier than me, even."
Rose cackles. "Seriously, Pretty Boy? If you think that makes her crazy, you're the one who's nuts. Everyone knows you're the prettiest face this side of Boston."
Rey goes over to Rose, linking her arm through Rose's. "See. Rose thinks you're pretty, too."
Poe throws his hands up. "Really? You two are ganging up on me. You literally just met."
Kes comes in at that moment. "Aw, mijo, are the women being mean to you?"
Rey laughs, and Rose grins at Kes. "Kes, we just both called out the fact that your son is pretty."
Kes grins back. "Dios mio, yes. The teenage girls were swooning over him from the time he wandered into the high school, maybe before."
Kes eyes him, and Poe just drops his head to the counter, groaning. "We look alike, Dad."
"And yet, you're a lot prettier." Without raising his head, Poe shoots an obscene gesture at Kes. They all laugh, and Kes shrugs. "Sorry, mijo, but you know it's true. I think it's the hair. Blame it on your mother."
From his place on the counter, Poe mumbles, "I should just shave my head."
He finally looks up when Rey and Rose, in unison, yell, "No!" He smirks at their horrified expressions.
"So, you have opinions on that, ladies?" He straightens fully, putting his hands on his hips, and he is happy to see that while Rose rolls her eyes, grabs a tray, and heads back outside, Rey just looks at him, swallowing hard.
At that moment, Shara bursts into the kitchen. "Rey, you braid my hair?"
Rey looks a little relieved when she crouches down in front of Shara. "Of course, sweetheart. Go get your brush and a comb and the elastics to hold it. Do you want one or two?"
He warms all over when Shara's eyes widen almost comically. Her little voice is nearly reverent when she says, "You can do two? Grandpa Kes can only do one."
Rey gently brushes a hand through Shara's curls, still damp from getting cleaned up. "I can try. I've never tried with hair like yours. The fact that it's still a little wet will help."
"OK!" Shara bolts out of the room and up the stairs, and Rey straightens back up.
She looks at Poe. "We tease you a lot. If it bothers you, I will stop."
He blinks. He hadn't expected that. "Rey, Sunshine, no. I like it. I know it isn't meant to be mean." He walks over to her. "At the risk of playing the comparison game, Zorii never teased. She was, in a word, intense. I can be a little intense myself when I need to, but I try to leave that at the office."
She nods. "I couldn't tease Ben. You probably remember that."
He swallows, his throat feeling a little thick. "Yeah, I do. He never could handle teasing of any kind. It led to a lot of friction, especially with Luke." He reaches up, cupping her cheek. "And something else, Sunshine. You can talk about it with me. It may be really weird by normal relationship standards, but our mutual history exists. I'll probably be able to understand most of it better than just about anyone else."
She cocks her head at him. "And you can talk about Zorii. She's Shara's mother. I would never ask you not to mention her or talk about her."
"I appreciate that. But honestly, she gave birth to Shara, but I wouldn't say she's her mother. You've shown Shara more warmth in two days than Zorii did in over a year." He looks down. "I only have eight years of reference of what a mom can be. Zorii wasn't anything like that, not by a longshot. And I know that's not fair – like I said, she's not a bad person. But she was a shit parent, and there's no sugar coating that."
He hears footsteps on the stairs, and he and Rey put a little space between them. A moment later, Shara tears back into the kitchen. Rey motions to the breakfast bar. "Up on the stool, sweetheart." She looks at Poe. "OK, lesson number one, Counselor. You can just watch this time."
He nods and comes around to stand behind Rey and Shara such that he can see what Rey is doing. Rey looks at Shara's hair for a moment, and then she nods. She takes the brush and gets Shara's hair untangled. She then takes one of the elastics, slipping it over her wrist. She picks up the comb, and she glances back at Poe. "I use the comb to get an even part."
He watches, eyes wide, as she parts Shara's head down the middle. Using the elastic on her wrist, she takes half of the hair and loosely moves it out of the way. "I'll get you some clips to use to get one side out of the way when you're doing this."
She keeps working, and he watches in amazement as Rey efficiently braids Shara's hair into two neat braids. The braids are considerably thicker than Rey's, but she says, "That was honestly easier than my hair. My hair is too fine to stay put." She pats Shara's shoulder. "All done, munchkin."
Shara jumps down and runs towards the bathroom on the first floor. Poe and Rey both laugh out loud when they hear Shara squeal. The girl runs back in, almost tackle-hugging Rey around her waist. Before he can admonish her, Shara bounces as she hugs Rey. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Rey!" She releases Rey and heads straight out the back door. "Grandpa Kes! Look at my braids! Rey did two, and they better than your one!"
They both laugh as Shara leaves, and Rey turns to Poe. "We'll do a hands-on lesson this afternoon, but if, after I go home, you need to bring her to me at school in the mornings, I can braid her hair and then walk her to her class."
Poe stares at her, stunned. "You don't have to do that, Sunshine."
She shrugs lightly. "What? Go home, or help her with her hair?"
His heart stutters at that, and he doesn't respond, just pulls her to him and kisses her hard and deep. He steps back a moment later, and he has to work hard to get his breathing under control. She leans in, hugging him close. Quietly, she says, "And I know I don't have to help with her hair. I want to. I like your kid a lot, Poe." He nods, holding her close to him. She goes on, "But I do need to go home once the doctor clears me. I think you know that."
He sighs, dropping his head to her shoulder. "I do. If it was just me – "
"But it's not. We have to do this right, Poe." He moves slightly back again. She pecks him on the lips. "I said I like your kid, Poe. That's a lie." He flinches, but she goes on, "I don't just like her, Poe. I love her. I am not going to risk her. We'll do this carefully. It's been two days, and this could be emotion based on what happened."
He kisses her again, his heart soaring at what she said about Shara. He leans back then, and she looks up and meets his gaze. He eyes her, an eyebrow lifted. "Do you really think this is just emotion from Saturday morning?"
She bites her lip. "I don't. I think this is entirely real. And that scares the shit out of me, Poe. I don't feel comfortable needing people, Poe. Ben wasn't the kind of person that you need. I loved him, but need? No. I've never allowed myself to need anyone, but I suddenly find myself feeling bereft at the idea of going home. I have to process this for a bit. That doesn't mean I'm uncertain. I'm not. You are just terribly unexpected, Poe Dameron, in the best possible way."
He can't help but wonder how he got this lucky, to be wrapped around this woman, who says she even loves Shara, in his kitchen. "I'm not either, uncertain, that is. But I understand, Sunshine. And it means more to me than I can even explain that you love Shara."
"She's awfully easy to love, Poe." She reaches up and brushes a thumb over his cheekbone. "I have a strange feeling that you will be, too." His mouth opens in surprise at that, and he finds himself speechless. He blinks, and she laughs softly. "Now, we should probably go outside before someone comes in and busts us like Kes did this morning."
"Too late." Poe turns his head, and he sighs when he sees who spoke.
"Finn." Poe lifts an eyebrow at his friend.
Finn gives them both a shit-eating grin, but Poe can see beyond the veneer, can see concern in Finn's eyes. "You going to come outside any time soon, Dameron? Kes asked me to have you bring him the long tongs and to come help him."
Poe hesitates. "I was going to bring the iced tea out, too."
"I know where all that stuff is. Rey can help me, right?" Finn looks at Rey.
"Of course." She turns to Poe. "It's fine. Go ahead and help your dad." Poe observes her for a moment. She nods. "I'll be fine, Poe." She leans up and kisses his cheek.
He takes her hands in his, squeezing them. "OK. I'll be right outside, Sunshine." She nods again, and he drops her hands. He turns and gets the tongs for his dad. He walks over to Finn, and he waves them at him. "Behave, Trooper. I will sic Rose on you if you act like a jackass to my," he pauses, "To Rey."
Finn holds his hands up. "I'll have you know I'm always on my best behavior, Dameron." Poe rolls his eyes, and with one more soft look back at Rey, he heads outside.
X
Rey watches Poe leave, and then she turns her gaze on Finn. He's silent for a moment, and she gets impatient. "I know you know who I am, Finn, and I have a feeling you just heard a lot of our conversation. Say what you need to."
Finn ducks his head for a moment, and when he looks back up, she's surprised by the concern in his face. "Zorii Bliss hurt him badly and abandoned Shara, and she did it not two months after Ben, his childhood best friend, was gunned down. I know who Ben was to you, too. I actually did a lot of the field work before I realized the depth of Ben's involvement. I was good friends with Poe by then, have been since law school. I had the investigation reassigned to another field agent."
"All right." Rey motions for him to continue. "And?"
"Don't hurt them." Finn says, impressing Rey with his direct approach. "Poe doesn't deserve it. And Shara, she really doesn't. She's a total innocent. Poe is a lot kinder about Zorii than I would be. I grew up in the system, and I know what it's like to be abandoned."
"So do I." Rey meets his eyes. "My parents dumped me at an orphanage when I was little with a note asking to get me to the man who raised me, essentially a foster father." Finn blinks, and she takes advantage of his surprise. "Looks like you lot did rather poor research on me. And I won't hurt them. I love Shara, and I have little doubt that I'll be willing to say the same about Poe very soon. It's hard for me to trust, but I trust him. I'm not sure at all that I've ever trusted anyone this quickly, and certainly never this completely."
Finn observes her again, and she wants to roll her eyes. He's apparently trying to go full FBI on her. Eventually, he says, "He doesn't let people in easily. He didn't really ever let Zorii in, though to be fair, she wasn't an open book either. They were a bad match on a good day. On a bad day, they damn near hated each other. I know he never gave her his mom's ring."
"Sorry?" She furrows her brow. She feels a little uncomfortable with this conversation, feels like Finn is sharing things that Poe should be given the chance to share himself.
"The wedding band he wears on the chain around his neck. It was his mom's. He told me once that he would find someone to give it to, someone he knew would be with him forever. He never gave it to Zorii." Finn shrugs. "That should have been the first sign that they weren't right. They managed to make one hell of a kid, so really pretty worth it, all told, I imagine. They were all combative friction and heat, though, nothing else in common."
Rey looks hard at Finn for a few moments. "How much trouble would you be in with him if he knew how much you are telling me?"
He tries to return the hard look, but he ends up chuckling and shaking his head. "A lot. I'd be in a lot of trouble, and not just with him. Rose'd be pissed at me too."
She's amused, but she's also curious. "Then why are you telling me so much?"
He sighs. "I met Poe in law school, like I said. I went home with him at Christmas when we were one-Ls – he found out I didn't have anywhere to go and wasn't OK with that. We were roommates, found each other through a service the school had. He and Kes, they kind of adopted me. Hell, I even made a point of joining the FBI to work with him. I wanted to be in law enforcement, but I knew that the US Attorney's office or a DA gig weren't my path. He and I work well together. When he moved up here with the Share-bear, it was a no brainer to follow. He probably didn't say this, but he purposefully found a posting where there was a similar open posting for the FBI Field Office."
She feels a wave of affection for Poe at that. "Of course he did." She meets Finn's eyes. "He's like your brother, isn't he?"
Finn nods. "He is. He's had my back since I met him. And I know some of what I just told you should have come from him, but honestly, Peanut, I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. I just want you to understand that while he's not really fragile, he's also not as tough as he tries to appear. It's important to me that he and Shara are OK."
"What is it with the two of you and nicknames?" She says, exasperated, drawing a laugh from him. Then, she smiles. "And I get it, Finn. I think I fell in love with Shara the minute I saw her. As for Poe, I am certain that this thing growing up between us is real, and it scares the bloody crap out of me. I do need some time to process this. I went from being almost entirely alone to suddenly feeling like I could be a part of something. I need to be one hundred percent clear that this is about more than not wanting to be alone anymore. I'm ninety-nine percent there. I just need some quiet and a clearer head to unpack all of this a bit."
"OK. That's fair." Finn grins. "Now, we should get the tea together and take it outside before loverboy out there comes in like the cavalry. You might've noticed that he's a little overprotective."
"No, not Poe! Surely not!" She laughs, going to get a tray from where she saw Poe get the one they used for the tacos, and Finn collects the tea from the fridge. A minute later, they have it together.
Before picking up the tray, Finn looks at her. "By the way, thank you."
"For what?" She's confused again.
"Since Ben and then Zorii, it was like there was a cloud over him. I've been around him all of five minutes today, and I can see that he's nearly back to normal. It's like a fog lifted." He picks up the tray. "No wonder he calls you Sunshine."
Rey blinks in surprise, a small smile blooming on her face at that. She follows Finn outside, and she's not at all shocked to see Poe by his dad at the grill but with his eyes intent on the backdoor. As she comes out, she smiles at him and mouths, "I'm fine," at him. He visibly relaxes, and she walks over to join them.
Several hours later, Rey is back in the rocking chair on the deck. Poe turned the deck heater back on, and Shara is in her lap again. She gently rocks back and forth, the girl a dead weight. It's after eight, and Shara fell asleep a few minutes ago. Poe is out front saying good night to Finn and Rose.
Today was one of the best days she can remember ever having. Kes's friend Wedge was hilarious, telling stories about young Poe that had them all howling. Rose is wonderful, and they already have talked about having a girl's day, taking Shara to lunch and to go get her little nails painted. Finn surprised her, too. After their rather serious conversation in the kitchen, he clearly decided that she's OK. He laughed and joked with her all afternoon.
Poe was also never far from her side. He and Shara both seemed to stick to her like glue. He mostly kept his hands to himself, clearly being careful around Shara. But as promised, they slipped away twice, once to take some dishes inside and the other time to get the pie and bring it outside. On that second time inside, he tugged her into the pantry. She's fairly sure there's still a few things on the floor in there that they knocked off.
She thinks back to her conversation with Finn. She's determined to not hurt Poe and Shara. Some people might be upset at Finn's approach with her, but she's not. He meant well, and they honestly have a shared goal, protecting Poe and Shara.
She'd honestly been amazed today – his family and friends have just sort of accepted her without question. Even with Finn, it was as if once an understanding was reached, it was all fine. They'd talked quietly after most of the others left, sitting on the deck watching Poe, Shara, and Rose play a variation on soccer out in the yard. They'd bonded over their similar upbringings, though she'd been taken in by Ben Kenobi while Finn never really settled, bouncing around the system until he aged out and went to college on a scholarship.
A moment later, Poe startles her, dropping into the rocking chair next to hers. This time, instead of bringing her tea, he puts a small glass of red wine down on the table next to her, also bringing one for himself. The doctor had told her that a little was OK, but nothing too strong and to wait until she was steady first. She has one arm wrapped around Shara, so she picks the glass up with her free hand, lightly tapping her glass against Poe's before taking a sip.
He takes a sip of his, and then he looks at her closely. "I really hope Finn didn't upset you or make you uncomfortable, Sunshine."
She shakes her head, putting the wine glass back down. "He didn't. He was sweet. And he is awfully protective of you and Shara."
He nods, looking at Shara in her lap. "I know. That's why I was a little concerned."
"He was fine, Poe, I promise. And we bonded over our shared orphan status. This was a really good day." She smiles at him. They rock quietly for a while, Shara emitting little sounds now and then as Rey smooths her hair down. Eventually, she says, "Kes is going to pick me up when he gets Shara tomorrow, to take me for my check up with the doctor. If I'm deemed to be OK, I'll head home tomorrow evening."
He frowns. "OK."
"Poe," she begins.
"No, I know. It's the right thing. I just like, well, this. This moment. We've done this two nights in a row, and I like it." He sighs. "We're going to miss having you here." He reaches over and grasps her free hand, entwining their fingers. "I am going to miss having you here."
"I'm going to miss being here." She is a little dismayed by how sad the idea of her house is making her.
"Can I at least make you dinner before you go tomorrow?" He sounds as sad as she does.
She squeezes his hand. "Of course. I'd like that. And it's not like we won't see each other, Poe. You'll see me every morning when you drop Shara off." They'd proposed their idea to Shara earlier, to drop her with Rey every morning, and Shara had enthusiastically agreed.
"And we have a date Friday night." Poe gives her a half-smile.
She nods. "And we have a date Friday night."
"OK."
"OK."
After another moment, he says, "Tell me I'm not the only one feeling this, Sunshine. That I'm not the only one who feels like this is something big, something a little like destiny."
She blinks. "You're not the only one feeling that, Poe. I don't know if I believed in destiny until this weekend, but it suddenly feels a lot more like it's real."
"Yeah. I know what you mean." He nods. "So, dinner tomorrow?"
"Dinner tomorrow." She squeezes his hand again. "And a date Friday night."
"And one step at a time after that?" He brushes his thumb over hers.
"Yeah. One step at a time after that." She bites her lip and keeps rocking. He does the same, keeping her hand in his, and for the first time in a long time, she truly feels like she's not alone.