"Open it!" Rey grips Finn's shoulder as he tears the envelope.
"I got in!" he whoops.
"Yes!" Poe high-fives him.
"I'm sure your letter will come any day," Finn reassures Rey.
She smirks. "I'm not worried."
"Now we'll just have to see whether I can afford this school," Finn mumbles, scanning the letter. He won't find out about financial aid for at least another month. And he really wants to go. Poe's going to the same school, Rey might be too, it's only an hour away from where Lando lives.
We'll make it work, kid, Lando had assured him when Finn called to check in over the weekend, as he's been trying to do regularly this semester. Wherever you get in.
"I'm sure it will work out," Rey says as Ben walks by their open door. She waves. He doesn't respond.
"He's been acting weird all semester. Quieter weird," Finn comments. "Which is good for my sanity."
Rey nods, her eyes drifting towards the door to the bathroom.
"So," Poe says. "We should celebrate."
"How?" Finn asks.
"I was saving this for Valentine's Day next week, but…"
"No, save it for then!" Finn interrupts.
"Oh. Okay." Poe grins.
"What are you guys doing for Valentine's Day?" Rey questions, leaning back against Finn's bed. "Or do I want even to know?"
"You may want to, but you don't get to," Poe says. "I'm planning this shit. Well, sort of. Beebee-Ate's helping."
"Hey, why not me?" Rey makes a wounded face.
"You're helping me," Finn interrupts. He whispers in Rey's ear, "Because I'm terrible at picking out gifts." Mostly because he never had anyone to give gifts to before.
"Done," Rey agrees. "Well, it will be. Done. After you tell me what you're thinking."
After texting back and forth with Rey for an hour after she leaves, though, Finn still feels stymied. The only thing he can think of to get Poe is a computer game he knows Poe wants, but that's not special enough. What can he get the boy who makes him feel wanted, who helped him realize that he's Finn and that's the best thing he can be?
Tbh Finn, Poe won't care. Get him the game. That + u will be enough, Rey finally texts.
Finn rolls his eyes. Get some sleep.
What does he really want from Poe? Finn knows, but he wonders how they can get there here on campus. He's nervous, but he wants it anyways.
Finn meanders into the bathroom, where he finds Ben spitting toothpaste into the sink.
"You get in?" Ben queries.
"Uh—yeah." Finn nods. "We'll see whether I can afford it, though. How about you? Heard from any schools yet?"
Ben shrugs.
Is that a no or a yes?
"What do you want to study?" Ben asks.
"Not sure. I'll probably go in as undeclared." So will Poe, although he's leaning towards physics and long-term he confided in Finn that he wants to be a pilot. In order to work for a major airline, however, he needs a degree.
Ben nods.
"How about you?"
He shrugs. "Maybe poly-sci."
Finn cannot picture this kid, with his flowing black hair, draped in black ratty clothing, as a politician regardless of whom his mother is.
"Rey wants to study psychology," Finn says.
"Really?" Ben almost smiles. "She'd be good at that."
"Why're you avoiding her?" Finn presses. "Because you have her number, we saw you on that bench—you like her. You've got to make a move, man."
Ben hugs himself. "She… deserves better."
"Damn right," Finn agrees. "Way better than you."
He flinches.
"But what does she want?" Finn asks, knowing he's quoting Maz Kanata when he lamented something similar about Poe. "That's really the question that matters."
"Who sent me this?" Poe hears Hux's voice roar as he waits outside of Finn's room on Valentine's Day.
The ginger boy stumbles out of his room, holding a black mug filled with gummy bears and Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy.
"Was there a card?" Poe inquires, trying not to grin.
Hux tosses him a withering glare. "I just woke up and it was outside the door." He reads from what looks like a torn slip of gray construction paper. "'Dear Hux, don't have a mental collapse after reading this. Dionysos.'"
"What?"
"It's—never mind. Google it." Hux shakes his head.
"Great," Poe hears Ben commenting sarcastically. Apparently he understands the reference.
"You really don't know who sent that to you?" Poe asks, folding his hands behind his back and whistling, because he thinks it's fairly obvious.
"No!" Hux's nostrils flare. Clearly he does not like Poe knowing something he does not know.
"I won't spoil the surprise, then." Finn emerges and Poe kisses him. "Happy Valentine's Day!"
"You make me sick," Hux grouses.
Finn winks at Poe. "Phasma?" he asks under his breath.
Poe nods. "Phasma," he confirms.
Mr. San Tekka decides to talk about real life love stories in history class. Math class, on the other hand, does not move for love, which Poe finds fitting. He endures literature and music, where they at least sing love songs, before heading out for lunch. Poe paid Beebee-Ate to drop off small little gifts in Finn's locker between every class.
"So what are you and Finn doing tonight?" Rey asks, strolling alongside him.
"Eh…" Poe grins sheepishly. "We're going to the dance, but only for like an hour—"
"Hey!" Beebee-Ate jogs up to them. Behind him, Poe watches as Phasma keeps her head down as she stalks by Hux.
You utter idiot, Poe thinks.
Rey nods as she pauses by her locker, swinging it open. She lets out a gasp.
"What is it?" Beebee-Ate squeals.
Rey removes a shiny red heart, filled with chocolates. Fancy chocolates.
"Oh my God," Poe says.
Rey flips open the slip of paper attached to it. "'Roses and red, violets are blue…'" She starts to laugh. "'I like chocolate, I hope you do too.'"
"No way!" Poe grabs it. "Let me see!"
"Ben needs to work on his poetry skills," Beebee-Ate remarks.
Poe laughs. "It's got to be from him."
Rey glances over her shoulder and sees Ben hurrying across the quad, face lowered probably to disguise the fact that it's as red as the cellophane wrapped around the chocolate box.
After school, Rey determines to track Ben down and thank him. He wouldn't look at her in any of her classes, and she's had it with his attitude.
She checks her mailbox first and finds a letter from the same college Finn and Poe applied to. Her heart skips as she tears it open.
Congratulations, you've been accepted…
"Yes!" Rey shrieks, throwing her fist in the air.
"Accepted?" drawls Phasma, who sits on a stone bench.
"Yes!" Rey grins, and then frowns. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Fine."
Rey sighs and folds the letter, shoving it back in the envelope. She'll text Finn, Poe, and Jess later. She drops onto the bench next to Phasma. "What's going on?"
"Do you promise not to laugh?"
Rey nods. "I promise."
"I snuck out of my dorm last night to give Hux a secret gift… and he hasn't mentioned it. I mean, I know it was a secret, but I also—I wish—I mean I kind of—"
"Hoped he would realize it?" she finishes.
"Yeah." Phasma rolls her eyes and tilts her head back, the surprisingly strong winter sun bathing her face. "Whatever."
"You should tell him," Rey encourages.
"You should talk to your secret admirer," Phasma corrects, narrowing her eyes at Rey.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rey says as she climbs to her feet. But she winks over her shoulder, and Phasma actually smiles back.
Rey grabs her heart of chocolates and heads to Yavin 4, but Snap tells her Ben's not there. Rey trudges across campus, searching until she finds him sitting on a tree stump near the edge of campus and reading Henry IV.
"Hey!" she calls, waving her chocolate heart around.
His face turns bright red. Rey grins as she drops onto the half-frozen grass. "I need help eating my chocolates."
"Oh?" He looks at her, eyes squinting.
"Thank you for them, by the way," Rey adds.
He nods. "Sorry about the poem—it was three am and I—"
Rey pries the lid off. "Here. Pick one."
"They're yours," he mutters.
"Eat one!" Rey orders, reaching out and grabbing one. "Mm. Orange cream. They're delicious." She shakes the box. "Pick one now, Ben Solo, Kylo Ren, whoever you are."
Ben smirks and takes a dark chocolate truffle. "Thank you."
"I got into the same college as Poe and Finn," Rey announces. "My letter came today."
"Really?" His eyes widen. "Congratulations, Rey!" He moves as if to hug her and stops.
Oh, come on. Rey wraps her arms around him. "Thanks." She pulls away and takes another chocolate. "Have you heard from any colleges?"
"Um—" He finishes the truffle and Rey shoves the box back into his face. Snickering, he takes another one. "Yeah. Yeah, I heard from a few."
"And?"
"I got into them," he mumbles. "Including the two Ivy Leagues."
"Are you serious?" Rey shrieks. "Congratulations to you! Why haven't you said anything?"
His ears pink. "I didn't know anyone would care."
"I'm sure your family's proud."
Ben's smile disappears. "I haven't told them."
Rey takes a third chocolate, white chocolate with peppermint. "Why not?"
"They're busy. My mom had this deposition thing and it went well enough, but my dad feels bad and they're fighting. And because… because I'm not sure I want to go." He looks into her eyes, and Rey realizes their eyes are similar colors. His are browner, but there's still green glistening through, and she feels like she's looking in a mirror. "Snoke wrote those recommendations."
Rey nods, the chocolate stalling in her mouth. "I understand. If Unkar Plutt had ever done something like that… I don't know if I could."
"I don't know what to tell them. Don't say the truth. I can't do that." Ben wraps his arms around his knees. "But there are really no schools he didn't write me a recommendation for, and I've missed the deadlines for all the others places I could apply. Not that I'd ever get anyone else to write one for me, because I've succeeded in pissing off every single other teacher here. I've really screwed myself over, Rey."
"How about taking a gap year?" Rey suggests. "I thought about it. I don't think I'm going to, now, but it's not a bad idea."
"My parents would never allow it."
Rey tears up a few springs of dead grass. "I'm not sure you're right about that. I mean I know you know them way better than I do, but don't you think your ideas about them might be a little warped? I know Snoke hated them, so…"
Ben shrugs. "Maybe. I can't find out, though."
She waits to see if he'll elaborate. He doesn't. "Well, what do you want to do? Do you want to go to one of those prestigious schools?"
Ben looks at her. "I should."
"But do you want to?"
A smile starts to creep over his lips. "Finn told me you want to study psychology. You'll be a good therapist."
"Really?" Rey's face flushes as she bites into a caramel. "Oh, this one's good."
He laughs.
"You should be able to make your own choices," Rey says. "About what you want to do with your life. It's your life, after all. About where you want to go to school, when, and what you want to study. Don't tell me you're still thinking about studying whatever you think your parents want you to study, or Snoke."
"Not Snoke," Ben says quickly. "But maybe poly-sci… I don't know what else to study."
Rey picks out another caramel and places it into Ben's palm. "What subjects are your favorites?"
"Literature… math. History." He grins. "A lot of subjects."
"A gap year might help you think about it. Give you the space and time."
"Maybe."
"Make your own choices," Rey encourages. "You're your own person. You're not Snoke's pet, and you're not your parents' either. You don't have to do exactly what they want."
"That's pretty funny coming from the girl who's demanding I eat her chocolate," he teases.
"Well then," Rey says, pulling the box away from him. "If you insist."
"Never mind." He grabs another one and she snorts.
"Want to hear what your poem almost was?" he questions, tossing his black hair.
"Do I?" Rey wonders.
"'Roses are red, violets are blue, you're a Rey of sunshine, and I like you.'"
Rey closes the chocolate box and laughs. "It's cute."
"It's terrible."
"Those aren't mutually exclusive." Rey grins at him, and her gaze freezes on his lips, which are way too full for any man.
She reaches up and pulls his head down, pecking him on the lips.
Ben's eyes are wide when she pulls away. "You like me?"
"Maybe. A little. Somewhat. You're tolerable." Rey shoves him. "Yes, Ben, I like you."
He hand cups her around the back of her head as he pulls her closer, and then his lips are on hers and his mouth opens, and she opens hers, and her hands are digging through his hair and his hand is strong against her back. He moans her name and she forgets to breath.
"No PDA!"
Oh shit. Rey pulls away. I know that voice.
"Ben? Rey?" Mr. Skywalker's jaw hovers open.
"Um," Rey stammers. "Hi."
"No PDA," Mr. Skywalker repeats as he quirks an eyebrow up. He nods at his nephew, who hunches his shoulders but clutches Rey's hand.
"Finn and Poe are going to that banquet and dance thing," Rey says to Ben as Mr. Skywalker walks away. "You finally willing to eat dinner with me?"
He nods. "Yeah."
"Let's get out of here," Finn says to Poe as they watch their classmates dance. Snap came with Jess, although both of them insist it's platonic.
"Fine by me," Poe agrees.
"Come on." They head back to Yavin 4, Finn noticing how perfectly styled Poe's hair is, how stunning he looks in his dark blue suit, despite his shirt being slightly too small.
They're barely back in Poe's dorm room when Finn closes the door, kissing Poe with the same fire that they kissed with back on New Year's. Poe melts into Finn's touch, hands roving up and down Finn's torso.
And then recklessness and the delirious sense of freefalling overtakes Finn. His hands land on Poe's belt. His fingers fumble to unbuckle it.
Poe pulls away, gasping. "Are you sure?" He searches Finn's eyes, looking for any sign of a no or a yes.
"They won't be back for at least another hour," Finn points out. His heart pounds, but it's not like New Year's, when his body wanted to, Poe wanted to, and Finn's mind couldn't quite make that leap. This time, his palms ache and he wants to for Poe and for himself, because he knows Poe loves him, Poe won't make fun of him. It's a risk worth taking.
"No, they won't," Poe agrees, shrugging out of his jacket.
"Can we take it slow?" Finn requests as he sits on the bed. Poe leans in.
"Of course." He kind of laughs. "To be honest, Finn, this is only my second time. I have—I mean, I might not be—very good either."
He's nervous, too. Finn cups the side of Poe's face, feeling the stubble on his cheek. "That's okay."
Poe covers Finn's mouth with his, their kisses building with an intensity their mouths aren't going to be able to satisfy. Poe lifts up Finn's shirt, and Finn copies Poe.
Poe hesitates, his fingers tracing Finn's collarbone, his sternum. "God, you're built," he says, and Finn can't help but laugh. "I'm not so much."
Is he insecure? "Poe," Finn scoffs. "You're—why would you say that?" He presses his lips against the nape of Poe's neck.
"Do you want to be on top?" Poe asks. "Like, if I tell you how to—like whether to go faster or slower or—"
"Okay." Poe lies back, and Finn climbs over him.
Poe's arms wrap around Finn's neck, pulling him closer as he rolls his hips and Poe mirrors his movements. A groan seeps through Poe's lips as Finn's fingers dig into his shoulders. "Slower," Poe pants, grinding against Finn, his mouth open and lips curving up as they work together. His eyes take in Finn's face, and Finn remembers Poe kissing him for the first time, sending Rey to chase him down when Finn ran away, telling Finn he believed him at the tournament and leaving no room for doubts in Finn's mind.
Poe gasps and arches his head back, panting as he looks at Finn with his mouth open, limbs trembling as Finn holds him tighter, feelings and memories and fire rushing through them both. When the sensation subsides, Finn rolls off Poe, who presses his head against Finn's neck as they wait for their breathing to return to normal.
Finn doesn't know what to say, but he knows Poe won't care whether it's perfect or not. "Happy Valentine's Day."