Devious
They're sitting around the mouth of the cave on Ajan Kloss with several bottles of Corellian whiskey—Finn and Rey, Snape and Karè with Jess and C'ai and Suralinda. Rose and Connix and Beaumont are there, along with a few of the other wing pilots. Finn had tried to talk Chewbacca into coming, but he'd taken the droids to work on the Falcon's latest repairs and play a few games of dejarik. Poe wishes there were more, remembers their last real party back on D-Qar when there were dozens of them celebrating some completely random (and probably made-up) occasion. Half of them had hooked up in various combinations, the others had had literally crashed and fallen asleep in the mess-hall-turned-cantina-lounge. Poe had ended up on the tarmac with Snap, staring at the stars and waxing poetic until they'd passed out. And then Karè had literally thrown a bucket of water on them at sunrise—while Leia watched.
Good times.
It's late at night and pitch dark, but they've lit the area as much as they can with lanterns and torches, and pulled up chairs, logs, and blankets to sit and sprawl out upon. In front of them, the sounds of the jungle provide the soundtrack to their impromptu gathering. They had nothing pressing at the moment, and Poe had got permission from Leia to break out the stores with the promise that he and Snap not end up lost in the trees somewhere. Karè said she'd keep an eye on Snap, and Poe is trying to pace himself. He feels good—loose and relaxed, like the war and their dismal lack of resources to fight it are lightyears away for once. It's nice.
Even better, Finn is sitting next to him, legs touching, talking and laughing and smiling more than he does in a week sometimes. Finn has a great sense of humor—dry and teasing—but he'd been far more serious lately. They all had; it's why they need a break. They're waiting to hear from their contact on Sinta Glacier Colony again, if rumors of a First Order sympathizer are true.
Someone puts on some music, and there is some dancing, and Poe tries to show Rey some steps, but she is an awkward mess who eventually collapses next to Finn. So he dances with Suralinda and C'ai, until he's hot and tired and sweaty and maybe he's had a bit too much after all. Still, he's pretty sure he'll make it back to his bunk this time. He falls down on the other side of Finn, who grins and pats his knee several times.
"Looking good, hotshot," he says, and Poe raises his eyebrow.
"Wanna try?" Finn chuckles and shakes his head.
"Where'd Chireen and Navesh go?" Jess asks out of the blue. She's lounging across their casual circle from Poe and Finn, loose-limbed and working on what should probably be her last glass if Poe knows her drinking habits.
"They left a while ago," Suralinda drawls, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Together."
Jess sits up too fast, grabs her head, waits, and then whoops. "Finally!" she exclaims, and most of them laugh, including Poe. Finn cocks his head curiously.
"Finally?" he asks. "You been waiting for them to hook up or something?"
"Well, yes," says Jess. "They've been making eyes at each other for the last month."
"Really?" asks Finn. "Do you always pay attention to that sort of thing?"
"It was pretty obvious," she says, then gestures to Finn and Poe. "Sort of like you two."
"Huh?" asks Finn at the same time Poe says, "What?"
"You two," she repeats. She points at them one at a time. "You and you. Finn and Poe. Always together, always making eyes."
"We do not," says Finn, and Poe nods in agreement with him.
"You really do," says Snap, who is sitting on the ground and leaning against his wife's legs. He's had even more than Jess if the glint in his eyes is anything to go by. Poe wonders if maybe they could sprawl out on one of the wings of the X-wings this time; it would be nice to catch up with Snap and sleep beneath the stars again. "It's sort of gross."
"We are not gross," Poe tells him. He's definitely not hanging out with Snap now, and Leia would probably have his ass anyway if they passed out on his ship. "You're gross."
"I'm married," says Snap. "I get to do that kind of stuff."
"And what kind of stuff is that?" asks Jess, leaning forward and glancing toward Finn and Poe as if setting up a punchline.
"You know, stuff," Snap says, waving his hand around and taking another long pull of whiskey. "Looks and touches and holding hands and smiles and kisses and f—"
"Oh my stars," gasps Jess in mock surprise. "Finn and Poe are married too!" The circle bursts out laughing. Everyone has had a lot to drink, which is probably the only reason why they are even talking about this and why Poe isn't laying into them for it. He glances at Finn to make sure he's not embarrassed, but Finn looks more amused than anything.
"So you're not allowed to look at someone or smile at them unless you're married?" he asks. "That's even crazier than the First Order rules on sex."
"They had rules?" asks Suralinda. "What kind of rules?"
"You don't want to know," Finn tells her. He holds out his glass for more whiskey from the bottle going around; when he sits back, he sort of tips into Poe, who steadies him with a grin. They prop each other up; it's nice.
"I bet it was kinky, weird shit," says Snap. "Poe would like it."
Karè bats him hard on the side of the head. "How would you know?" she asks.
"Oh well," starts Snap. "This one time—"
Karè and Jess break down into giggles. Rey looks shocked and Finn looks skeptical, so Poe slings an arm around his shoulder, gives Rey a reassuring tap. "Don't listen to him, he doesn't know a thing about that stuff."
"Hey, I'm married, not dead," Snap protests again, sending the entire circle into another fit of laughter. The bottle continues around and Poe takes half a glass. He'd rather take a full pour, but he promised Leia he'd be responsible, and he's definitely skirting the edges.
"Finn," says Jess, going back to Finn's question. "You are absolutely allowed to smile and look at and touch people here."
"Thanks for permission," he tells her drily, and Poe makes finger guns at her, because he loves it when someone gets her, and Finn is good at it. She rolls her eyes, then sits up again. The look on her face is one he recognizes: she's about to say something he's not going to like.
"You can kiss them, too," she says, then motions at Poe. "Go ahead. You guys are always making the eyes, just do it already."
"Do what?" asks Finn, and Poe frowns. Snap interrupts before Poe can say anything.
"Jess, you can't win the bet if you tell them to do it, you know."
"What bet?" Poe asks. He tosses back his drink, the pleasant warmth settling in his stomach. "Ahh, that's good stuff."
"It's vile," says Rey. "Can I have some more?"
Rose has the bottle and passes it to her. "There's an open pool," the mechanic says, not quite answering Poe's question. "Want to join?"
"And bet on what exactly?" asks Poe.
"Well, we each picked a week," Karè tells him. "And whenever you two finally figure your shit out, whoever has that week wins all the credits."
Poe stares at her. "Karè Kun, we go all the way back to Rapier Squadron, and you're betting on me figuring out my shit?"
"Wouldn't be the first time," she murmurs, and Snap snorts at her knees.
Next to him, Finn is shaking with laughter. Rey is sipping her drink, staring at them with a funny look on her face. For some reason, that gets Poe's attention. "You're not in on it, are you?"
"Of course I am," says Rey. "I mean, look at you two." She waves her hand around, takes another drink. "But I already lost."
"You can get back in for another ten credits," Snap tells her. "Pick a new week."
"Brilliant," she says. "Is this week taken?"
"I've got this week," says Rose. "And I think I might win."
Finn grins at her. "I like you, so maybe you will."
"Wait, what?" asks Poe. Maybe he has had too much, because he's not following very well. And Finn clearly is following, so he might not be as drunk as Poe thought. He's not sure how he feels about that, since he's supposed to be the responsible one.
"Let's let Rose win," Finn tells Poe, stage-whispering in his ear. "Then they can stop betting on us."
"What are they betting on again?" Poe asks, and Rose shares a smirk with Rey. Even Beaumont Kin—and he's a stuffy history professor who's older than Poe—gets it and shakes his head.
"Come on, mate," he says. "They're talking about you two having a go already."
"Oh," says Poe, drawing it out. He pretends to think about it. "Okay. I like Rose, too. I'm in."
"Hey!" says Snap, sitting up straighter, slipping slightly, and trying again. "That's not fair, you can't rig the bet for someone you want to win."
"Why not?" asks Finn. "You're the moof-milkers betting on us. We can do whatever we want."
"Exactly," says Poe, and he turns to Finn, who finishes his drink and sets down his glass. Poe can't quite read the expression on his face and wonders if this is maybe a bad idea. He likes Finn—quite a lot, actually—but they are sitting around drinking in a jungle cave with an audience, so it might not be the time or place. Yet the whiskey is buzzing in his head and Finn is leaning forward and Poe really wants to, plus Rose will win the bet if he does.
So he does.
And it's nice.
Poe vaguely hears someone gasp nearby, maybe Rose. Snap and Jess are probably the ones clapping, and he's pretty sure it's Suralinda who snorts. Kin mutters something about getting a room under his breath, and then Rey is giggling. But Poe can't see anything, because his eyes are closed as Finn's tongue teases his, as his hand comes up to Poe's face, as Poe wraps his arm around Finn's neck and pulls him closer. They settle instantly into a long, warm, and exciting kiss. Poe almost forgets that they've had too much to drink, that there's a bet, that half the Resistance is watching, until—
"Kun, dump a bucket of water on them both."
They spring apart as Leia's voice echoes in the cave, blaring loudly from the Tantive IV. She's not standing behind them, watching, but she clearly saw enough from the ship, and Poe remembers his promise. He's not being particularly responsible if he's making out with Finn in front of everyone he knows, all based on a bet.
Finn wipes his mouth and Poe runs a hand through his hair, as everyone around them breaks down. Jess and Snap are literally rolling on the ground, and Rey is laughing so hard tears are coming down her face. Poe is rarely embarrassed, yet Leia manages it more than anyone, no matter the situation.
"Sorry, General," he calls into the cave, and Finn echoes him, but then turns to Poe and grins. Poe grins back, claps him on the back, and looks at Rose.
"You win!" he exclaims, and the circle loses it again.
"Congratulations, Commander Tico," Leia says in that dry way she has. "Well-played."
"Thank-you, General," says Rose. Connix gives her a high five, but Kin is shaking his head next to her, and Snap seems to agree with the historian.
"That was the biggest cheat I've seen on this soggy planet," he says. "I expected better from you, Tico."
Rose almost looks sorry, but not quite. "I'll buy some spice brew for our next party," she offers, and everyone cheers.
"So?" says Jessika. She leans too far forward and Suralinda grabs her before she topples over. "How was it?"
Finn puts his arm around Poe's shoulder. "Great. Want to try?"
"With you? Or him?" asks Jessika, then shakes her head. "Never mind. Neither. No, thank you. Forget I asked." She turns to Rose. "Congratulations, Rose. What's our next bet?"
"No idea," Rose replies, but Beaumont suggests something about Snap and Karè that has them frantically shaking their heads.
"We're married, all bets are off," he says. He stands and holds his hand out to Karè, pulling her close and kissing her temple. She pulls his arm around her shoulder, supporting him as he stumbles. "We need to stick with them." He jerks his thumb toward Finn and Poe. "Because they are totally messing with us." Rey seems to nod in agreement.
"Maybe," says Finn, "but Rose still wins the original bet."
Snap snickers, which sends Jess into another fit of giggles. He and Karè say goodbye (Snap with a rude gesture) and leave the circle, and Connix soon follows. Finn, Jess, and Rey have another drink, which makes Rose shake her head. "Come on, Rey, you need to drink some water before you crash."
Rey doesn't even protest, but gives both Finn and Poe extra-long hugs before heading toward the Tantive IV with Rose, both of them looking over their shoulders at him and Finn and giggling some more.
Beaumont begs off, then C'ai, and finally Jess is the only one left along with Suralinda, Finn and Poe. She stares at them, her gaze piercing.
"You're not fooling anyone, you know."
"Not trying to," says Poe. He glances at Finn, who's smirking.
"Well, you're definitely not fooling me," says Jess. She tries to stand, stumbles a little, and sniggers at herself.
"Need an escort?" asks Suralinda, her voice dry as she stands.
"I'm walking across a cave," says Jess. "I'm not going to get lost."
"It's dark, I'll make sure you don't trip," Suralinda replies, with a wink at Poe. He's not entirely sure what that wink means, but he grins and nods.
"Good night, ladies," he says, and he stands to say goodbye. Jess gives him a long hug.
"It was good, wasn't it?" she whispers in his ear, opposite of Finn so maybe he doesn't hear. Of course, maybe she's talking about the party, or the whiskey, but probably not.
"It was good," he tells her. "See you in the morning, Jess."
She throws her arms around Finn as well, then her and Suralinda make their way over to the small area of the cave where several of the pilots sleep. Poe glances around their makeshift party at the cave entrance; it's a mess, and no one else bothered to clean up, which means he's stuck with it.
"Well, shit," he murmurs, eyes slipping closed as the world spins more than he expected. He feels suddenly warm and dizzy and decides that the best thing he can do before he starts picking up bottles is to step outside. He jerks a thumb toward the ships.
"Want to get some fresh air before we clean up?" he asks, hoping Finn will help him even though the gathering was his idea. Finn nods.
"Absolutely."
They head outside, stumbling slightly, arms bumping against one another and igniting little sparks each time their fingers touch. All of a sudden, all Poe can think about is that kiss from earlier. About Finn's hand on his neck, Finn's lips against his. About the bet. He glances sideways at Finn, who somehow seems to sense Poe watching and turns toward him. With a small, crooked smile almost bordering on a smirk, he raises an eyebrow. Poe nods with his own grin and leads them around the back of the Falcon, behind the ramp.
And as soon as they stop, they're kissing again. Hot and bothered, it's clumsy after all the whiskey, but still amazing. Their hands are everywhere and someone is making noises and Poe thinks he's saying things he probably shouldn't be saying, but then Finn makes more of the noises and damn, they need a surface—horizontal, vertical, anything to lean against before they tumble over. Only privacy is so hard to come by on Ajan Kloss, even with so few of them. It's a wonder they've pulled it off at all.
Finn doesn't seem quite as bothered by the lack of comfort, or privacy; his hands are everywhere, and Poe follows his example, pulling back to work on the buttons of Finn's shirt. Finn nuzzles at his neck, in the spot right behind his ear that drives Poe wild. His hands slip to his side and he lets his head fall back so Finn can have complete access. For some reason, a laugh bubbles from his mouth instead of the expected moan.
"Do you think they have any idea?" he murmurs, bringing his hands back up to work on Finn's shirt, because he wants to slip his hands inside, feel the other man's broad chest. Skin to skin is always better, and Finn seems to agree as he pulls Poe's shirt from his pants and works on undoing it as well.
"I don't think they did," Finn replies in between kisses. "Well, maybe Rey."
"Yeah, I don't think Jess is entirely convinced either." Poe barely manages to reply, because Finn's hands are not only running up and down his body, but they've made their way down the back of his pants to cup his ass and pull him closer. Naturally, there is some grinding, and Poe abandons his pursuit of Finn's chest to unbutton his pants instead, earning him a delicious moan as his fingers brush against a lovely bulge, and then a sharp nip to his ear that makes him shudder hard.
"It's been weeks and they were still on that ridiculous bet," Finn breathes into his mouth. "We got them good."
Poe hums in agreement, slipping his hand into Finn's pants at the same moment he bites down on Finn's lower lip. Finn moans loudly and jerks his hips hard into Poe's hand.
"So what do we do with them next?" Poe murmurs. He trails kisses down Finn's neck all the way to his collarbone, his hand doing its best in the confines of fabric. Unfortunately, dropping their pants is probably not the best idea in such a public area, even if it would make things easier. Last time Poe got caught with his pants down his squadron teased him for a week.
"I say we let them figure out their shit," Finn murmurs into Poe's mouth as they meet for an intense kiss. Poe grins against him, pulls his lower lips into a long, slow suck, then releases it with a pop.
"You're devious," Poe tells him, his voice low. "I like it."
Finn drops his hand back to Poe's pants and works it inside. "And you're—"
"You're both idiots."
They jump apart and scramble at their clothes; Finn barely catches his pants before they fall, and Poe pulls his shirt closed, frantically trying to do up the buttons before he turns around. He runs a hand through his hair, glances at Finn, and tries not to laugh hysterically. It's like they've been caught by their parents, only worse.
"General," Poe says when he turns around.
"Commander." One eyebrow goes up, but no smile.
"General," says Finn. He looks far more put together than Poe feels, until he spots a missed button and holds back a slightly hysterical laugh.
"Captain," she says, and now both eyebrows are up, with a frown.
"Um," says Poe. Finn shifts nervously.
"Well, it seems you've played us all," says Leia, crossing her arms over her chest. "You knew there was a bet."
"Er," says Finn.
"Yes," answers Poe. "Kind of hard not to when everyone is whispering about it all the time."
Leia sighs. "Of course. It's been some of the best gossip ever since we left D'Qar."
Which is when Poe realizes. "You're in on it."
"Of course I am. Only I figured it would take another six months for you to pull your head out of your ass."
Finn tries to hold back a chuckle and ends up covering it with a cough. Poe swallows hard to avoid the same fate, but his chest is shaking with amusement. He should be mortified, but he's not; he's definitely had too much to drink. And Leia knows it.
"So when was it? It's clearly not…" She waves her hand at their lower extremities. "Your first time."
"Ah," says Poe, and Finn loses it, bending over at the waist with an explosion of laughter. "Hey!"
"Sorry, sorry," says Finn, standing up straight and trying not to laugh, let alone smile. He covers his mouth with his hand when he fails and turns his head to the side. "But it is kind of funny."
"Best show I've seen in a while," says Leia. "Now, do I tell the others or do I let the game continue?" She pretends to think about it.
"We'll come clean," says Finn, but Poe frowns. He kind of liked having a secret, knowing everyone was waiting for them to get together and had completely missed it. To his surprise, Leia simply shrugs.
"If you think you should," she says, turning away. She pauses, gives them a look that is as cool and calculating as any she's given the First Order. "Although I do like kavasa fruit and a good bottle of Toniray. If you see any on your next mission." And with that she walks away.
"I don't get it," says Finn.
"I think she's blackmailing us, buddy," Poe tells him. "We are being played by General Leia Organa."
Finn shakes his head. "So what do we do?"
Poe shrugs, tucking his hands into his pockets as he watches her walk back into the cave. "Not sure. Want to see how long we can keep them all guessing?"
"A week, if we're lucky," Finn replies dryly.
"Or two, if we play it right," says Poe. He moves closer, takes his hands from his pockets and puts them around Finn's waist. "Maybe we should make a bet of our own."
"Oh." Finn looks immediately interested, but that could also be Poe rolling his hips against the other man. "You think we can keep it up, I think they'll figure it out tomorrow. What's the wager?"
Poe grins and whispers something exceptionally filthy in Finn's ear, and is rewarded with a sharp intake of breath. "I don't know whether I want to win or lose," Finn murmurs, his hands starting to roam Poe's back once more.
"The way I see it, we both come out winners," Poe murmurs back.
"I like it," Finn says. "What about the General?"
Poe takes his hand and leads him up the ramp to the Falcon, hoping Chewbacca is asleep and they can find somewhere private to finish what they've started. "I think we find some kavasa fruit and Toniray," he says. "If we want to keep playing the game."
"Deal," says Finn, pulling him toward the crew quarters in the back. "Now let's practice so you're ready to pay up when they figure it out tomorrow."
"You really are devious," Poe tells him. "And I really do like it."
Chewbacca shouts at them to keep it down as they stumble into the crew quarters, or they'll have to pick up some more Kashyyyk ale and kabatha guts for him along with everything else. Poe adds it to the list, because the game is too fun—and he's already won no matter how it ends.
Author's Note:
I don't know where this came from, but I hope it was fun. Sometimes we need fun in Star Wars. And maybe Poe and Finn really were devious about it. I kind of like the idea of them sneaking around. Thanks for reading!