"Okay, stay calm, stay calm." Finn says, over and over again, as he methodically cuts little pink hearts out of an enormous pink sheet.
"I am calm." Rey emerges from the kitchen, carrying a heart shaped cake, and the smell of chocolate fills the air. Finn takes a deep breath. "I just finished baking the cake, so now we're on flower duty."
"I was talking to myself." Finn can't stop his own voice from breaking in a nervous sob. "Remind me again why we're doing this."
"It's because Jessika told us to." Rey shrugs. "Jess said he likes us back, and that the mutual pining is getting annoying. Then she gave us the key to his room so we could surprise him."
"Yes, but why did we take her word for it? How can she possibly know what's going on in Poe's head? Is she a mind reader? I don't think she's a mind reader, Rey!"
"I don't think she's one either, but what if she's right? What if Poe likes us back and we're wasting all this time when we could be together, and happy, and touching his hair."
Finn has to stop the freaking out for a moment to nod because he doesn't really understand Poe's hair and its ability to look amazingly soft and beautiful in every possible situation, including after being tortured by the First Order. It's inhuman, it's unfair and Finn hates it, - and by 'hate,' he means he loves it so much he hates it,- but he wouldn't object to touching it or playing with it or brushing it off of his stupid face so he could kiss the pilot senseless. He lets himself get lost in that imaginary for a second because yes,but then the second's gone, and he's back to losing his mind.
"But what if he doesn't? Rey, we could ruin everything with this."
"He said he loved us once." Rey points out, trying to stay positive, but it's hard when they can't tell if Poe's flirting with them or just being nice. And it's very, very hard because Poe is the nicest guy they'd ever met.
"Yeah, but he also loves flying, bb-8 and mashed potatoes!" Finn throws his hands up in the air, exasperated. "I've heard him talk about love a lot, you know, he says there are all different kinds of love, there's romantic love, there's platonic love, and friend love and even family love! What if he doesn't love us in the 'all the above' way we love him?"
"If he doesn't, then we'll figure it out." Rey pulls him into a hug before Finn can dwell anymore on the worst case scenario. "It's gonna hurt a little, but, whatever happens, it's going to be better than all this lying, all this... Waiting." She averts her gaze as soon as she finishes the sentence and Finn understands.
He cups her face in his hands, and slowly brings their lips together. Rey smiles right into the kiss and Finn feels better already, he feels like he's about to take over the world.
"Okay, okay, we're doing this." He says, as soon as they part. "Since this valentine's day is a thing, we're following Jessika's advice to shower him with hearts, flowers and chocolate."
"Well." Rey snorts. "I wanted to get him..."
"Some super complicated mechanic stuff for him to build more super complicated mechanic stuff, I know." Finn finishes it for her, which earns him a scoff. "But those things aren't really romantic, Rey. If we're indulging in this crazy holiday we just heard about, we'll do it right."
"Fine. And we're almost done, anyway. I'll hang these little hearts over there, and then add some rose petals to the bed, but it won't take me long, so go get him."
"What? Now?"
"Yes, now! Go, Finn! Before you change your mind."
Finn wonders if he should tell her that he already did,- this is a bad idea, this is a horrible idea, worst idea ever, - but loses courage when Rey stares him down. "I'm going!"
xxx
Valentine's day is such a weird date, Finn thinks, as he passes a pair of girls giggling and exchanging gifts in the hall. It sounds made up, it sounds dumb, but dangerous at the same time. All his life he's been told that love makes them vulnerable, weak, and the idea to spend a whole day celebrating it is absurd, but he's trying his hardest to unlearn it. He thinks about wanting to run away to the Outer Rim, and coming back to Starkiller for Rey, he thinks about Poe's face lightening up when he saw him for the first time after Jakku, and how warm his embrace was, and it's easy. It's easier than he thought it would be. He loves Rey, he loves Poe. He's a better man for it, and thatis worth celebrating.
His new found resolution lasts less than a minute, though, because a couple of mechanics walk past him and they're talking about Poe.
"Did you see what Dameron got the General for Valentine's day? Man, I think it's safe to say the commander never outgrew the crush he had on her."
"Shut up, I think it was very sweet of him to care for her, especially after Solo... I mean, after all she's been through." The other talks quietly, which leaves Finn no choice but to follow them, so he can continue to eavesdrop.
"I know, I know. But this year he really raised the bars, you know? Makes me wonder what he's getting me."
"Dude, why would he get you a gift, you don't even work with him?!" The guy laughs.
"Yeah, but we bonded two years ago in the medbay, he was recovering from a crash and I had that really nasty fever, remember? He gives me valentine's gifts ever since."
"Oh my god." The guy says, externalizing Finn's exact thoughts, but not with nearly as much angst. "Do you think I can get at least some chocolate if I introduce myself to him now?"
Finn stops and watches the pair walk away, feeling dead inside. Okay, so apparently Poe enjoys giving away valentine's day gifts. Not only as a treat to his commanding officers, or his squadron, but to everyone in the resistance. He's probably getting him and Rey something thoughtful and sweet, which is going to make them fall a little more in love with him, but it's not going to mean anything because he's getting everyone thoughtful and sweet gifts because he's a nice person. He's the nicest, and Finn wants to hate him so bad, but how can he?
"Hey, buddy." A voice brings him back to reality and Finn turns around to meet Poe's warm brown eyes, because that's his luck. "You okay?"
"Yeah, sure. I... I... I mean, why wouldn't I be?" Finn stutters, defenceless. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Poe says and doesn't comment on the fact that Finn's almost hyperventilating because he's a nice person. "On my way to give my squadron their valentine's day present." He shows Finn the guitar, and the ex-stormtrooper narrows his eyes, studying it. Just one gift to almost a dozen people? It sounds like a bad gift, and Finn grows hopeful for a moment. "Testor told everyone I like to play it, so now they've improvised a small stage and emotionally blackmailed me into doing a valentine's day show, filled with all these corny romantic songs Snap picked for me to sing."
Poe laughs and Finn tries really hard to mimic it, but the sound doesn't come out right. He remembers Poe singing to him when he was at the medbay, recovering from the Starkiller battle, and he has to take it back; Poe's singing and playing to these people is an amazing gift, it's the best gift ever.
"You and Rey should come." Poe shrugs, the smile still in his face. "There's actually something I wanted to show you two, so maybe later..."
"Yeah, no." He spits out, and Poe's face falls, but Finn doesn't notice, he doesn't notice anything, but the ABORT MISSIONsign that is flaring up on his head. "We're busy, I'm sorry. I have to go, don't follow me!" He's probably going to regret this later, but he runs.
xxx
As soon as he gets to Poe's room, he starts tearing the little hearts apart and Rey yells at him to stop. "Oh my god, there are so many of them!" Frustrated with the hearts, he desperately starts picking up rose petals from the floor, and Rey has to physically stop him.
"Finn, what happened? Where's Poe?"
"We need to get rid of everything before he comes back, Rey, this is a bad idea, I knew it was a bad idea..."
"Finn." Rey takes his hands in hers and makes him look at her. "Take a deep breath and tell me what's wrong."
"He's... He's giving these amazing, romantic valentine's day gifts to literally everyone in the Resistance." It takes him a lot of effort to get the words out, but as soon as he sees the devastated look on Rey's face, he regrets them.
"If he's giving everyone gifts, and he's giving us gifts, then we're nothing special." She lets out a defeated sigh, and Finn wants nothing more than to hug her dearly and tell her that if Poe doesn't think of her as special, then he's as stupid as his hair, but that will have to wait.
There are too many heart shaped stuff in the room, and too little time.
"Help me with the petals, come on. If we get everything cleaned up, we can pretend this never happened." Finn says and, - because he has the worst luck in the entire universe, - that's when Poe opens the door, and comes in.
The pilot halts to a stop when he sees what has become of his bedroom; there are rose petals everywhere, little hearts are hanging from the ceiling, and one big chocolate cake with "be mine?" written with chocolate confetti lies on the table.
"I...Uh, I just came to change." Poe says, dumbfounded, and drops the guitar by the wall.
Finn's arms give out and now there's even more rose petals on the floor. "Uhh..." He starts, not knowing how to finish it.
"Happy valentine's day?" As always, Rey comes to his rescue.
"Is this... Is all of this for me?" Poe's face turns even more confused, and Finn feels his heart swell up with hope because maybe they can tell Poe it isn't really for him, they can say that they only did it in Poe's room because... Well, okay. Next plan.
He's trying really hard to think of another plan, - any plan,would be good, - but Poe's looking right at him with those eyes, and his mind's a blank.
"Yes." Rey answers for him. "It's valentine's day and we were told that's what you do to..."
"To thank people for being nice and helping us, to appreciate them, but in a totally platonic way!" Finn's trying, he really is.
"Yes. But also to tell people we love them, right?" Rey says and Finn whines at her honesty.
"I don't..." Poe starts and Finn shields himself because there it is, Poe doesn't love them back, he was just being nice to them like he's nice to everyone else, he knows that, it's okay, it's okay, it's going to be okay. It has a 40% chance of it being okay because Poe's suddenly smiling and his smile is so bright it makes everything better. "I can't believe you surprised me before I could surprise you!"
Wait. What. Finn looks over at Rey, and she seems as astonished as he feels, so he turns over to Poe, who's somehow teleported himself and is now standing really close to his face. "What? What's happening?"
"I love you." Poe says, and it feels like something hit him over the head, knocking him uncounscious, and he's dreaming it all. This time, there's no mistaking what kind of lovehe's talking about. "I love you both, so much, but I didn't know if my feelings were reciprocated, so I just... I tried to hide it and pretend everything was normal, but then Testor..."
"Jess spoke with you too?" Rey asks, and Poe opens his arms, inviting her in for a hug.
"Yeah, she called me an oblivious idiot, told me you liked me back, and that I should get over myself and do something, so... Uh, you guys haven't been to your own quarters today, have you?"
Finn doesn't find any words, so he just shakes his head from one side to the other.
"Because it's also filled with badly shaped pink hearts, flowers, glitter, and..." He doesn't get to finish his sentence, because suddenly Rey's lips are on his. Poe makes a choked, surprised sound, but recovers quickly, and then he's cradling her face in his hands, and kissing her back with all his might. It's hungry, but loving at the same time, and Finn can't look away. When their lips finally part, they both turn back to Finn, blushing and smiling.
It's the most beautiful sight in the entire galaxy, it's the best valentine's day gift ever.
Finn realizes he may have said that out loud when Rey laughs, wholeheartedly, and Poe smirks, taking a step towards him. "Wait for it, buddy."