Inspired by the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special from 2020

Tip-yip

"What is that burning smell?"

Both Poe and Finn looked up at Rey's question, more than a little guilt on their faces.

"That's the Tip-yip," Finn said.

"But it's not burning!" Poe defended. "That's just a little bit that got caught up in the engine that smells. The rest of the Tip-yip is fine!"

"What is Tip-yip?" Rey asked. "I've heard more than one person mention it, usually in association with Life Day."

"It's a bird, actually," Finn told her. "Native to Endor. When the Rebellion- slash- New Republic celebrated their first Life Day after the war, they roasted Tip-yip for their meal. Word got out, and it's become a Life Day tradition."

"You can find Tip-yips all over, now," Poe added. "Anyway, we thought you might like to have a traditional Life Day meal this year, our first Life Day since our war ended."

"I don't know," Rey said, eyeing the men warily as they turned the Tip-yip on a spit behind Poe's X-Wing while BB8 controlled the thrusters from his droid socket. It looked more than a little dangerous. "I'm not really liking that smell."

"I promise once the burned smell goes away, the aroma will make your mouth water," Poe smiled.

Finn shook his head. "Provided we don't burn the whole thing up." He looked at Rey. "I know what you like to eat, Rey, and you'll love Tip-yip!"

"Hmmmm…" Rey voiced noncommittedly.

"Hey, Rey!" Rose shouted from behind her. Rey turned. "Come help with the rest of the meal. It may be all we get!"

"I am truly appalled by your lack of faith in us, Rose!" Poe called out as Rey turned to help Rose. "Hey! Hey! Hey!" he suddenly shouted. Rey looked back to see him slapping the Tip-yip with a rag, dousing the bit of flame that had appeared on the bird. Laughing softly, she joined Rose.

"I'm assuming that was Poe's bright idea?" she asked.

"He said he's done it before, but I have my doubts," Rose answered. They grinned at each other.

Thirty minutes later, the meal was ready, and the Tip-yip was surprisingly not burned to a crisp. In fact, when Rey finally got her first taste of it, she was amazed. "This is really good!"

"Told you!" Poe said with a smirk. "Granted, it might have tasted almost as good if we had just stuck it in an oven, but that takes so long!"

"Well, even I'm impressed," Finn said. "When you said it was the best way to cook Tip-yip, I was sure we weren't going to get anything but ashes for dinner." He nodded solemnly toward his friend. "I concede that you are the master Tip-yip chef extraordinaire."

Poe snorted a laugh. "Yeah, I think my greatest achievement was not getting killed while cooking this thing."

Everyone laughed at his comment, then continued to eat.

They hadn't planned on celebrating Life Day here on Candidus. Rey and Finn were travelling to the sites of old Jedi temples, looking for any information they could find on the teaching of new Jedi so that Rey could finally start a school of her own. Rose had come to be with Finn, and Poe had also followed along, uncertain of his future now that the war was over, and just wanting to be close to his friends. They had camped just outside the main village a week or so ago, and just yesterday while shopping in town, Rose had been reminded that it was almost Life Day. She had quickly purchased a Tip-yip and brought it back to camp.

After the meal, they all sat around the table with drinks and just talked. Rey had never felt so full and content before. She found herself staring at Poe. The graceful way his hands moved as he talked, the errant curl that fell over his forehead, the tiny gap in between his canine and incisor teeth, the slight imperfection endearing… Kriff, she had it bad. Sadly, he would never look at her as anything but a friend.

"What do you think, Rey?"

Finn's question jerked her out of her brooding. "I'm sorry, what?"

"If Rose and I go to the Life Day ball at the Auditorium in town tomorrow night as a couple, would you be willing to go with Poe?"

Rey stared at her friend for a moment, then looked at Poe, not sure how to respond.

"Yeesh," Poe said, eyes wide. "If her expression is anything to go by, I'd say that's a no."

Rey shook her head. "No, that's not a no," she denied. "I'm just… you mean like… a date?"

Poe suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Well, you don't have to think if it that way. I mean, we could just be two friends escorting each other."

"Friends," Rey breathed. "Of course." She nodded, looking down, not wanting them to see her disappointment. For one second there, she had been so hopeful. She composed herself and looked back up. "Yeah, I could do that."

Poe was staring at her, his brows furrowed. It was the most serious he had looked all night.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I am ready for bed," Rose told them. As if that was everybody's cue, they stood, saying their goodnights and heading for their individual tents. Rey knew Finn would end up in Rose's for the night.

Rey was half-way to her tent when she heard Poe call her name. She turned to find him running up to her, his expression worried.

"Hey, if you don't want to go to this thing with me tomorrow night, I'm okay with that."

Again, Rey felt her heart lurch. "You don't want me to?"

"No! I want you to," he said. "I just don't want you to feel pressured into doing something you don't like."

"I want to go," Rey told him. "I think it sounds fun. I just don't want it to get awkward with people thinking you and I are a couple." She smiled, but she was sure it looked as fake as it felt. "It might get in the way of you finding a real date."

"What if… I want you to be my real date?"

Rey's heart started pounding. "Really?"

Poe nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Yeah, really."

"I'd like that," Rey said softly.

Poe's smile got bigger. "Good. Then it's a date." He paused. "A real date."

Rey couldn't help but smile back, and this time it was real. "Okay. Goodnight, Poe."

"Goodnight."

As Rey turned back toward her tent, she looked over her shoulder. "And thank you for the Tip-yip."