Both soccer teams win their first games, but winning isn't Poe's happiest moment on the field. No, his happiest moment comes when they lose their second game, but Finn manages to score a goal and keep them from being completely shut out.

"Did you see that?" Finn yelps at Poe.

He laughs. "I saw it!" He can hear Beebee-Ate cheering from the sidelines and bites his lip, clapping Finn on the shoulder. "Good job, man."

"So," Beebee-Ate says after the game, as Poe chugs Gatorade.

"Yeah?" Poe asks.

"So." Beebee-Ate wiggles his eyebrows and jerks his head in Finn's direction.

"Nope." Poe walks away, leaving Beebee-Ate shaking his head.

Rey wraps an arm around Finn's neck. "Good game, guys."

Poe snorts, "We were horrible. Except for you, Finn."

Finn shrugs. "You win some and you lose some, right?"

"Exactly." Poe smiles again.

"Want to go into town?" Snap asks them, jogging up. Saturday is the one day of the week when they can get passes to eat lunch and buy things in town.

"Yeah," Finn agrees.

"Our snack supply is getting low," Poe concurs, even though he can't go.

"I'm in," Rey says. "I'm sure Jess is, too." She scans the field for her roommate.

"I have to call my dad," Poe says, deflating. "We've been playing phone tag all week."

"Anything you want me to get you?" Finn asks, watching Poe with concern.

"With what money?" Poe snorts and pulls out a bill. "We need snacks. Surprise me." Poe walks towards the locker room and showers. When he's done, he heads back towards Yavin 4, his phone in his hand.

"Hey," says a voice from a bench near the dorm.

Poe yelps. "What?"

Ben's lips curve in amusement as he leans against a tree. "Heard you lost."

Poe shrugs. "Why are you talking to me?"

"My mom's coming for parents' weekend next week," Ben mutters. "And she wants to meet with you. I don't know why, so don't ask me, but it probably has to do with your mom."

"Probably," Poe says, his heart racing. Leia Organa wants to meet with him? "Yeah, tell her I'd be happy to get lunch with her or something. Anything."

Ben rolls his eyes. "Sure thing."

Poe turns back towards the dorm, feet crunching against leaves.

"She wants your number!" Ben yells after him.

"She does?" Poe turns around and hurries back, rattling it off. "This isn't just a ploy so you can get my number, is it?" he asks slyly.

Ben glares at him. "No."

"Do I have to get yours now?"

"No. I wouldn't call you. Ever."

"Oh, that's right," Poe muses. "It's Rey's number you want."

"Excuse me?" Ben jumps to his feet, eyes sparking and face flushed.

So much for playing it cool. Poe grins as the autumn wind whips around them. "So you do like her."

"I do not!"

Poe crosses his arms and plants his feet, nodding. "Uh-huh. You're not subtle, Solo."

"Don't call me—"

"You might wanna rethink your technique," Poe informs him. "With Rey. Don't act like you're a seven-year-old with a crush. You're supposed to be seventeen. Act like it."

"Fuck off!" Ben storms away.

"Do you want me to tell your mom that you said that?" Poe hollers after him.

"Do you want me to tell Finn who you like?" Ben shouts back.

"I don't like anyone!" Poe yells. Liar.

Ben laughs as he stalks away, off to menace someone or something else. Maybe to smoke more pot. Poe's pretty sure he smelled it again two nights ago, though that could have been Hux. Who knows with that kid?

"Hey, Dad," Poe greets his father. He's alone in the dorm courtyard, swinging on a hammock.

His father's voice is warm, and Poe melts into it. "Hey, sport. How was your game?"

"Eh…" Poe launches into the details of the game, of his classes, of his friends. "Are you coming next weekend?"

"Well—" Dad sighs. "No, Poe. I'm sorry."

"Why not?" Poe demands, sitting up and almost flipping over on the blasted hammock. Shit!

"You okay there?"

"I'm fine. But why aren't you coming?" Poe tries to keep the pleading out of his tone. He's almost an adult. He'll be eighteen in just a month or so. Be mature.

But Mom and Dad always came to visit him. "I want to see you," he insists.

"I want to see you too, Poe. I just—the drive up there—I'm not prepared to make it by myself. Not without Shara. I'm sorry."

"You just don't want to see me," Poe hears himself saying, because his worst fear has somehow unlocked its cage and escapes through his tongue, and he's angry and he wants to hurt because he's hurt. "Because I remind you too much of her, don't I?"

"Poe, you're being ridiculous," Dad snaps.

"No, I'm not," he says, sounding like he's five and knowing it and yet he can't stop. Desperation surges out from him in a torrent. "I really want you to come." I need you to come.

"Well, I'm not able to come, Poe. I'm sorry."

Poe hangs up and throws his phone down onto the grass. "Fuck!"

The door creaks, and Poe looks up to see Ben watching him. "What do you want?"

Ben shakes his head as if to say nothing and slips into his room.

Poe retrieves his phone and heads to his own room. He definitely smells pot and doesn't care. He crawls into his bed, tears leaking out from his eyes. I miss you, Mom.

I miss you, Dad.

Poe's always been close to his father. His father was the one Poe turned to when he slept with that guy he'd been on three dates with and instantly regretted it, because the only reason Poe went through with it was why not? only to find out that he felt no more adult afterwards than he had before. Poe never wanted to bring it up to his mother, but his father listened. His father hugged Poe. His father comforted him.

Laughter tears through his thoughts as the door opens. "Poe! I bought—hey, are you all right?"

"Yeah," Poe groans, sitting up. "Just tired."

"Um, no. You've clearly been crying." Finn drops a bag of chips onto the floor and takes a seat next to Poe. "What's going on?"

Poe shrugs, shame prickling down his back. You're a spoiled brat. Finn is the last person he should complain to, and yet he knows he's going to say it before he does. "My dad decided not to come for parents' weekend this year."

"I'm sorry," Finn says, voice low and sympathetic.

Poe shrugs. "I know it's not a big deal. I mean, I have parents—or one anyways—I should be grateful—oh, God, I sound like a total jerk now."

"No, you don't," Finn states. "Look at me, Poe."

Poe turns his head and realizes that Finn is inches away from his own face. His breath catches.

"Your mom died. That's awful. It's okay to be sad about it, and to want your dad to visit and it's okay to be sad that he won't come for… whatever reason. I'd be sad, too."

"I just feel—like kind of spoiled. Like—"

"My sad life doesn't make yours less sad," Finn scoffs.

Poe starts to smile. "I guess not." He can feel the warmth of Finn's breath on his cheeks, and he knows this might not be a good time and that Finn's his roommate and dammit this is a bad idea but—he presses his lips against Finn's, half expecting Finn to push him away, but he doesn't. Instead, Finn opens his mouth, kissing him back.

Poe's not sure how long they kiss for, but when they finally pull apart, both panting, Poe offers Finn a small smile.

"I'll talk to you later," Finn says, avoiding Poe's eyes as he gets up and rushes out of the room.

Ben watches as Finn darts by his open door and frowns. He pries himself off the bed, pausing by Hux's desk to fiddle with Nietzsche's The Gay Science, arranging it at an odd angle.

Ben staggers out of the dorm and meanders down the stone path, not sure what he's looking for or where he's going. Mr. Snoke's on one of his many business trips, and as much as Ben misses his stable routine meetings, he also feels relief. And guilt for that relief, and disgust with himself.

"Ben!"

Shit. Ben rolls his eyes as he turns around. "Hello, Mr. Skywalker."

Uncle Luke shakes his head. "How's it going?"

"Fine."

Uncle Luke steps closer and sniffs at him. Ben backs up, straight into a tree. Dammit.

"Are you high, Ben?"

"Of course not!" Ben defends himself, chest tightening so hard he feels as if his ribs could crack.

"Are you lying to me right now?" Uncle Luke demands, his eyes flashing fire. "Because I could drag you down to Dr. Kalonia's right now and have her run a test."

"No!" Ben scratches his palms against the trees. "I haven't been doing anything. You don't need to."

Uncle Luke puts his hands on his hips, and Ben resorts to desperate measures.

"Please."

Uncle Luke exhales. "I got your quarterly reports, Ben. Your grades… aren't quite as high as I expected."

Ben glances up at the branches sprawling overhead in a tangled web, sporting dying leaves. "Well, I don't earn my grades to please you." You don't care. You don't care. Except he does care.

"Colleges will look at your senior year too, Ben. Don't let senioritis derail you," Uncle Luke warns, clapping him on the shoulder and walking away.

Ben glowers after him, but he also wants to shriek for Uncle Luke to come back, to somehow keep Mr. Snoke from seeing his grades. They can't be that low. He knows he's slacked off a little, but surely he's not flunking anything.

What if you don't get into any decent school? What if Mr. Snoke refuses to send your rec letters now? What if he sends them and it doesn't matter, because your essays suck just like you suck and you become the bum son of a diplomat, the son who takes after his weak and foolish father?

"Trying to split your skull?" comments a sweet voice, a strong voice, a voice with a smile hidden behind it, somewhere.

Ben lowers his hands from his head. His scalp throbs. "Hey."

"You okay?" she asks.

"Yeah. I'm just—going for a walk." A walk in circles. A walk to nowhere.

Rey nods.

Why can't anybody see through my shit?

"I'm heading to Yavin 4 to see Poe and Finn," she says, crossing her arms. "Want to walk with me?"

His heart skips. "Finn ran out of there just a little while ago," Ben tells her, peeling himself off the tree.

Rey's eyebrows knot together. "Ran?"

"He looked upset," Ben admits.

"Oh!" Rey pulls out her phone and texts.

"Are you still going to Yavin 4?" Ben inquires. He notices Uncle Luke passing by again. The man scowls when he sees Rey talking to him. Ben starts to hunch in on himself, but no, dammit, he can't show that weakness. He straightens to his full height.

"Uh—maybe not," Rey says slowly, studying her phone. "Uh—Poe texted me. I'm going to go find Finn, actually." She flashes Ben a smile and scurries back the way she came. But she looks over her shoulder at him.

Uncle Luke strides away, and no one's around to see Ben pound his fist into his own thigh—stop feeling, why do I still feel, why do I think anyone would like me, stop it, go numb. No one except that round kid, Beebee-Ate.

"What are you looking at?" Ben snarls.

Beebee-Ate runs in the other direction.

Rey. I kissed Finn and he ran out of the room and idk what to do

does he hate me or does he like me

I am so confused right now

rey

answer your texts rey

help rey

I need advice

REY!

why do you even have a phone if you never answer it

HELP ME REY YOU ARE MY ONLY HOPE

Ignoring Poe's series of frantic texts burning through her phone, Rey calls Finn. "Where are you?"

"Upstairs in the cafeteria. Studying. What's up?" He sounds so nonchalant. Too nonchalant.

"I'll join you." She hangs up before he can answer and texts Poe that she'll talk to him. Why Poe thinks she can help, she doesn't know. She's never dated anyone, and watching her mom and Unkar Plutt didn't exactly give her a keen insight into relationships.

Finn stares down at his phone when she climbs the stairs. "Yeah, you're studying hard," she says, sliding onto the stool across from him.

He snorts.

"So." Rey folds her hands and rests her chin on them. "Do you have something you want to talk to me about?"

Finn groans and leans forward. "Poe told you?"

"Yeah. I think it's awesome."

"Really?" Finn snaps his head up, looking at Rey with his eyes shining. "I mean—I just—it's like—how could he actually like me? He's gorgeous, Rey, he's kind, he's smart and he's like the best soccer player in the school and he's my roommate. I mean, it's stupid—"

"Oh, for God's sake, Finn," Rey says, reaching out and grabbing her friend's wrists. "You are kind. You're friendly. You've been so nice to me from our very first class. You're humble. You care about your friends—like, a lot. And you're pretty handsome yourself. Why wouldn't he like you?"

"No one's ever liked me before," Finn mumbles. "I mean, there was a drunk girl once who acted like she did, but I doubt she did. I've never been kissed before, Rey."

"Neither have I," she says. It's technically true, she reminds herself, swallowing.

"No cute boyfriend?" he teases her.

"You could have one," Rey points out, turning her phone over and over in her hand. "I really don't understand why you, of all people, would think you didn't deserve one. Especially someone like Poe. Finn, he's smitten with you."

Finn laughs. "Oh, stop."

"He is!" Rey insists, grinning. "I could tell from the moment I saw you two together. I mean, you like him, don't you?"

Finn nods.

"Here, I'll text him right now."

"I'll text him," Finn interrupts.

"Even better," Rey affirms. Pots and pans clang in the background. "I can still third-wheel, can't I?"

Finn snickers. "Yeah."

Footsteps thump against the stairs, and Poe appears in the stairway at the center of the room. He hurries towards them, and Finn gets up and rushes towards him.

"I changed my mind about third-wheeling," Rey calls as they kiss.

"No PDA allowed!" shouts one of the kitchen workers. "Or I'll write you up for it!"

Poe winks. "Let's go outside."

Rey shakes her head, but she feels like skipping.

Thanks to everyone for reading! At least one of our couples seems to be figuring it out :) Ben and Rey will get there, rest assured... eventually.