Chapter Text
There's nothing opportune about wartime, Poe thinks. He kicks his heel against the low bulkhead he's sitting atop and listens to the birds starting their dusk cries. He resettles his chin on his hand, watching the skies and waiting for the transport ship to come in.
It's been two days of waiting after the latest skirmish. Two days h's been sitting here on-base, sent back after his battle for debriefing. Two days that Finn has been on the ship full of new recruits, tending to the wounded.
They'd been rendezvousing with the latest wave of recruits on a not-so-distant moon when the sky had split open with TIE fighter screams. Poe rubs his hands over his face at the memory. They’d been quick enough to avoid hefty casualties, but there were still a few bodies that hit the ground. All he can do is thank the Universe that Finn's transport ship was delayed outside of atmo, and Poe was able to comm them to stay out of the way until the threat had been dealt with.
The real relief was that it had only been a handful of TIEs; nothing that he and Snap couldn’t handle on their own. Poe suspects it had been a targeted attack on this latest group of Resistance joiners, which smacks of a mole in the group. He'd been able to fire off a message to Finn about the possibility, to which he still has yet to receive a single response.
Finn is busy. Poe knows this. But it still aches, waiting for him to return. At least he doesn't doubt anymore that Finn is coming home to home to him. They've put too much love out into the Universe for Poe to believe she'll scorn them again. So he watches the sky and waits.
===
"You still out here?"
Poe turns and sees Jess's frame silhouetted by the cool glow of the hallway lights. He rolls a few responses around in his head, but everything seems to be too dramatic or too honest, so he settles for a shrug. Jess lets the door slide shut behind her as she walks out to meet him.
"Got a transmission from the ship," she says casually. Poe looks up with interest. "They should be home within a few hours."
"What's taken them so long?" Poe asks, voice scratchy with disuse.
Jess shrugs. "Finn thinks you were right about someone feeding information to the First Order about the new recruits. He wanted to be sure they weren’t bringing an informant back to base." She grins. "So he lied about the hyperdrive being on the fritz and did a little poking around with Lyz and Torpir."
Poe can't hold back the small laugh of delight that bubbles up out of him. His love for Finn glows a little brighter in his chest. "They find anything out?"
"Near as they can tell, there's no one to worry about... Their best guess is that there was an informant, but they were one of the ones shot down on the moon's surface. Whether that was intentional or not..." Jess shrugs again. "No way to know. But Finn assured me they've got a good bunch coming back to base, and he'll see you before long."
Poe sags forward, head in his hands, and nods. The relief coursing through him is tangible, filling him up and floating him right out of his skin. He nods again, and feels Jess's callused hand squeeze the back of his neck comfortingly.
“He’s alright. You do know you don't need to worry about him, right?" Jess asks, and Poe can hear the hint of a smile in her voice.
"Of course I need to worry about him," Poe mumbles, lifting his head to gaze up at the sky over the horizon. "That's what you do when you love someone."
Jess snorts a laugh and ruffles his hair. "Alright, well, don't choke yourself on those canned lines, Commander... And get some rest. Maker knows you won't be getting any once Finn gets home," she adds, almost under her breath.
Poe swats at the air behind him. "Oh, get out of here," he sighs, exasperated. Jess laughs her way back into the base, and Poe can't help a small grin at the joyful noise. He tucks his grin down into his hands, scanning the skies, trying to hold onto this feeling of sweet anticipation. Just a few more hours...
===
The ship's thrusters are wobbly, and he frowns at the control panel. There's gotta be a way to fix this. He can feel his surroundings tilting and shifting. Not right, not right... His ship spirals into a nosedive—
Poe snaps up with a start, just managing to catch himself, his feet scuffing against the tarmac. He'd dozed off and nearly pitched forward over the low wall. He blinks hard a few times and glances at the chronometer by the base entrance. He can just make out the faint glow of the time, but he can’t quite decipher it. It must be the dead of night, with how inky the surroundings are.
Heaving a sigh, Poe rubs his hands firmly over his face and lowers his weight onto the ground in front of the wall. Finn will be home any minute. Any minute. He'll be home any minute. Just a few more minutes. Just a... few more...
===
It’s the roar of the thrusters that wakes him next.
Poe's eyes fly open, his head jerking forward from where it had been resting against the wall, and there's suddenly a ship hovering to a landing just a short ways from him. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes hastily. Kriff, how long had he dozed for? He can just see the faintest limning of dawn along the horizon.
There's a click and a hiss, and then the gangplank is lowering slowly. Poe stifles a yawn.
"You'll be glad this isn't a formal event, Commander Dameron," a dry voice says behind him, and Poe nearly jumps out of his skin. General Organa walks up to the edge of the bulkhead, towering over him with a small smirk. Of course she'd be here to greet the new faces. "I'm fairly sure your instructions immediately following the debrief were to get some rest , Commander."
"Instructions, but not orders," Poe says vaguely as he pulls himself to his feet. Leia gives a faint snort at that.
The loading dock doorway finally finishes opening, and Doctor Kalonia is the first out. She leads a small gaggle of ragtag recruits, small suitcases in their hands that Poe is sure contain all their possessions. They look strong and fit, though, and sharp. He watches as Kalonia leads them into the base, the General joining them, Torpir and Lyz bringing up the rear.
"Where's—" Poe starts to yell after them, until his eye catches Finn.
He's coming down the loading ramp, all smiles and warm energy. There's tension in his posture, Poe can see, but he knows it's just from Finn holding himself back from running over and body-slamming Poe into the nearest rigid surface.
"Nerfherder," Poe laughs as he stumbles forward, relief flooding his body again. Finn chuckles and jogs the last few steps until he can pull Poe into his arms and crush him against his chest. "Couldn't even answer one kriffing message?"
"I'm sorry, ysal," Finn mumbles, tucking his face into Poe's neck and breathing him in. "Busy, y'know? I'm okay," he assures Poe before he can ask. "I'm fine. And so are all of them, thanks in part to me. I had to be away," he reasons. "It's my job."
"Sweetheart, I'm not upset at you," Poe says with a small but startled laugh. "I just missed you is all..." He tries to squeeze Finn as tightly as he's being squeezed himself, but Finn's arms are a force to be reckoned with.
"I missed you too," Finn breathes. "And every single moment I thought about you, and me, and us , being together forever, and..."
"And how I'm gonna marry the shit outta you?" Poe says with a grin.
Finn laughs, lifting his head to beam at Poe. He nods, gazing at him for a moment, before he untangles his arms and lifts his hands to hold Poe's jaw. He pulls Poe into a kiss, and Poe goes willingly, putting his weight into it, holding Finn close as the world spins under his feet.
"I love you so much," Poe mumbles against Finn's mouth, his hands scrabbling for purchase along Finn's waistband.
"I love you too," Finn says, smearing kisses along Poe's jaw, his hands having dropped to Poe's neck. "Missed you so much..."
Poe tips his head up and digs his fingers into Finn's hips, biting his lip to hold a noise in. "Buddy... Hey— nnh, Finn, wait..."
Finn pauses instantly, pulling his mouth off of Poe's neck. He looks up, concerned. Poe's heart breaks into a million little pieces at that, and he strokes a hand over Finn's hair.
"Sorry, I... You feel really good, it's just..." Poe stumbles.
Finn gives him a soft smile and reaches up to run a thumb gently under one of Poe's eyes. "You haven't been sleeping. You can't fool me." Finn leans in and presses a sweet kiss to Poe's lips. "You need to sleep. Come on."
Poe doesn't even argue. He just takes the offered hand and lets Finn guide him back to their room. Beebee is powered down in her station, not having been worried like Poe was. He hardly gives her half a glance as Finn undresses him methodically.
"Have you slept?" Poe asks as Finn pushes him gently into bed and strips himself quickly.
"Little bit," Finn answers. "Never as well as when I'm beside you, though..." He crawls into bed and uses his whole body to push Poe over, nestling them into place. "No more questions, now. Go to sleep."
Poe hums and settles down into the pillows. He snuggles back into Finn's solid warmth as Finn tugs the light covers up over them. He's already falling fast asleep when he feels Finn's lips behind his ear, hears him murmur, "I love you..."
===
“When?” Finn asks, scraping his spoon over the bottom of the bowl as he tries to round up the last of his eggs. Poe chews the last of his hunk of bread, trying to bring the mouthful down to a manageable level to be able to talk. It gives him a moment to gather his thoughts.
Poe doesn’t even have to ask what Finn is talking about anymore. The question comes out of the blue more often than not, anytime from mealtime like this, to when they’re in the ‘fresher, to when they’re tangled up in each other in bed. Poe used to answer it with platitudes like ‘soon’ and ‘before long’, but that was up until Finn started pressing for a date. It wasn’t so easy to try to deflect the question when Poe was pinned with a very imposing-looking Finn looming over him, demanding, “Are you going to pick a wedding date or not?”
It’s not that Poe is procrastinating. It’s just that, as he constantly reminds himself, nothing about wartime is opportune. The weight of possibility hangs heavy on his heart. What if they leave for their wedding and the First Order takes that moment to strike? He’d never forgive himself.
But he can’t keep putting this off. Every second he lets slip by is another chance that he and Finn could be pulled apart without having this opportunity. And it seems like it’s the only thing that keeps running through his head when he looks at Finn anymore: We’re getting married. When are we getting married?
Poe swallows his mouthful and pulls up the calendar application on his datapad. He syncs up the standard calendar they’ve been using for Resistance functions with the traditional Yavinese year, taps onto the current month, and slides it across the table to Finn.
“A few more days,” Poe finally answers. He watches as Finn scrutinizes the schedules. “These days... These whole two standard weeks we’re almost through with...” Poe gestures to the datapad. “They’re unlucky. On Yavin IV.”
“...And?” Finn asks, slightly petulant. “You’ve been living away from Yavin for how many years? And I guarantee you’ve done things on these days and no ill has befallen you,” he says with a dramatic wiggle of his fingers.
“Yes, well...” Poe sighs and shrugs. “That’s the way things are. I didn’t write the customs. And we’re going back to Yavin to get married, so...” He pauses. “ And , for your information, I never do anything... important then. On the Iyb,” he explains awkwardly. “I still keep to some traditions from my homeworld. It’s only ever in the small things anymore, but the Iyb...”
Finn sighs and looks down at the datapad. He taps through a few things, looking at dates and things on the schedule. Most of it is irrelevant to their lives, briefings and scheduled maintenance and the like. Poe lifts his eyes from Finn’s fingers to his face and finds him biting his lip in contemplation.
“So... we just have to wait a few more days?” Finn asks.
“Just until the start of the next standard month, yeah. Otherwise I can guarantee you my auntie won’t leave the house,” Poe says with a grimace. “And she’d never forgive me for bringing you home during the Iyb, either.”
“That is so frustrating ,” Finn groans, leaning back from the table dramatically and heaving a sigh.
“Sweetheart, it’s... part of the way things are there,” Poe reasons patiently. “Things are different. There’s... It’s gonna be...” He sighs. “Let’s just say I doubt you were allowed much culture of your own in the Order,” he says delicately.
Finn mulls that over. “You’re not wrong. None of us really remembered any cultures we came from, anyways. But we had our own.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” Poe says with a grin. “Culture tends to just crop up in gatherings of beings. Yavin’s is just... Well, it’s had a lot of time to stew and strengthen, and...” He shrugs. “There’s gonna be a lot to get used to, especially surrounding something as significant as a wedding...”
Finn reaches over the table to slip his hand into Poe’s, smiling. “I can’t wait.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to,” Poe chuckles. “Just a few days.”
“ Okay ,” Finn sighs, “we’ll... wait a bit longer,” he mumbles. “What’s a few more days?”
“Especially,” Poe says dryly, “when we have to request leave anyways.”
Finn’s face falls. “...Oh yeah.”
“Maker, at least one of us has his head screwed on right enough to remember,” Poe teases with an easy grin. “Relax, the General will grant it, no problem. She owes me by now, and I doubt she’d want to incur the wrath of my dad,” he says with a chuckle. Finn seems pleasantly surprised by that.
“Your dad would call the General? ”
“Oh, of course ,” Poe laughs. “They’re old friends, from around the time I was born. Used to fight together, along with my mom, of course.” He squeezes Finn’s hand and wiggles it a bit, grinning softly at him. “We’re gonna be just like them, two lovebirds in the middle of a war...”
“You mean like you already are?”
Finn and Poe’s eyes snap up from each other to see Rey standing at the end of the table, her staff in one hand, a dryly amused look on her face.
“I came to see if you two were done with breakfast yet,” Rey explains. It’s doubtless that she’s been up since sunrise, training with Luke, and is now wanting to make good on their standing arrangement of mid-morning sparring.
“Nearly,” Finn says, and shoves the last of his eggs in his mouth.
Poe watches him fondly as he scoops up his datapad. He takes one last glance at the calendar before powering the screen down. He’ll talk to the General about leave this afternoon.
===
Finn shuffles into the General’s briefing room with a sinking heart. It’s been a few days since Poe said he’d ask her for leave, and there’s still been no confirmation from her. At this point, the only thing he’s starting to find plausible is another assignment bound to tie them up for another few weeks, postponing their wedding further...
“Sir,” Finn says quietly, snapping a salute as he finds his way in front of her desk. When he glances at her, she’s impassive, though her eyes seem on the verge of amused.
“At ease,” Leia returns, and Finn lets himself relax. After a pause, he swallows and shifts his weight slightly.
“Permission—”
“No need,” Leia dismisses with a wave of her hand. “This isn’t a formal meeting, Finn. There’s no need to stand on ceremony.”
“If...” Finn pauses, processing, and then barges on. “Well, in that case, if this... isn’t a formal meeting, then I’ll just put this out there. I... It’s my opinion that...” Leia’s amusement becomes clearer on her face, until Finn can’t take it any longer. “I’d like for myself and Commander Dameron to be grounded until after we’ve been given leave to be wed.”
The words spill out of Finn’s mouth in a tangled rush, and he watches Leia pull herself to her feet with a small smile. He takes a breath and holds it, worried that he’s overstepped his bounds, even in the lax setting.
“If you’d have just given me a few moments,” Leia starts goodnaturedly, gesturing to the door behind Finn. He turns to see Poe standing in the doorway, looking confused but uplifted. Finn lets the breath out in a soft whoosh .
“...Sorry I’m late,” Poe mumbles, stepping in beside Finn and letting the door snick shut behind him.
“Not at all,” Leia says with a widening smile.
“You’re not... sending us out again, right?” Poe asks tentatively. Finn can only imagine that Poe had caught the tail end of Finn’s request.
“In a way,” Leia replies with half a shrug. “I’m granting your leave.”
“Thank you,” Finn says automatically, his eyes wide. He’d hoped, sure, but to actually be given it... To actually have an ending in sight for all of this waiting...
“Thank you, sir,” Poe reiterates beside him, and Finn turns to see Poe smiling ear to ear.
“It’s my pleasure,” Leia says with a grin. “Though I hope you’ll forgive me for giving your betrothed a near-panic attack,” she jokes. Poe turns to Finn with a laugh.
“Were you actually worried?” Poe asks.
“Can you blame me? I never get called in here,” Finn reasons. “And leave is literally unheard of where I’m from.” Poe laughs and pulls Finn into his arms, squeezing him tightly. Finn has just enough time to glimpse the General smiling at them before he shuts his eyes and hugs Poe in return.
“Alright, alright, you two. You’ve got three standard weeks off, and I’ve authorized a shuttle for your use,” she informs them. “That’s the most I could do for you.”
“Three weeks? I was expecting three days! ” Finn exclaims. “How long does it take to get married, anyways?” he asks Poe.
“Well, you’ve gotta leave room for the honeymoon,” Poe reasons. Finn gives him a confused look, and sees Poe toss a carefree wink to the General. “Gotta do a little more cultural education. Thank you, again. We’ll bring back a souvenir.”
“Say hi to your father for me,” Leia says, dryly amused by Poe’s charm, as Finn lets himself be ushered out into the hallway.
“What’s a honeymoon?” Finn asks once they’re headed down the hallway back to their room. Poe nearly leers at him.
“Well. In some cultures, individuals don’t, uh... Well, they don’t get naked and touch each other, in whatever form of... recreation their species partakes in, until after marriage. The honeymoon is special. It’s like the big event,” he explains with a grin.
“But we’ve... done that,” Finn says skeptically.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get to do more of it.” Poe smirks. “With you as my darling, handsome husband.”
Finn rolls his eyes and pushes Poe along down the corridor. “Come on, we’ve gotta pack so we can get out of here. The sooner we pack, the sooner we leave, and the sooner we get to your precious honeymoon.”
Poe grins as he steps backwards along the hall, keeping his eyes on Finn. “You’ll come to appreciate it, don’t you worry... We’ll fill you in on all the little customary details...”
Finn can’t help the little shiver of anticipation that slides up his spine.
===
“Are we there yet?” Finn sighs, hanging over the back of Poe’s chair as he pilots the shuttle. He lets his arms dangle down over Poe’s front, pressing his face into Poe’s neck, breathing him in.
“I just answered that half an hour ago,” Poe says patiently, tipping his head aside for Finn.
“I know...”
“And what did I tell you?” Poe prompts.
“That it’d be another hour until we hit atmo.”
“Which means...?”
Finn sighs and flops down in the copilot chair. “I know, I know. I’m just bored. There’s not even Bee to talk to.”
Poe had left Beebee behind with Rey, who was planning to join them for the ceremony soon. She’d need Bee to navigate for her, without prior knowledge of hyperlanes and such like Poe had, and she’d also need Bee to show her the way to Poe’s home once she landed. Finn can’t deny how much he misses having the little droid rolling around his ankles.
Poe looks over at Finn with a soft smile. “Just eager to get there, right?” he asks quietly.
“Can you blame me? All the anticipation you’ve built up?” Finn chuckles and shakes his head.”I can’t wait to even just see the trees there.”
Poe smiles fondly at him. “Soon, ysal. We’ll be there soon. And it’ll be midday when we land at my home, so you’ll be able to see absolutely everything.”
For all of Finn’s impatience, Poe is right. It really doesn’t take that long before they’re breaking atmo and cruising above a wide, grassy field cleared away in the midst of thick jungle. Finn can catch the thrum of excitement that seems to be radiating off of Poe. He hasn’t asked how long it’s been since Poe has been home, but he’d bet the answer is a long, long time.
Once the landing gear hits turf, Poe nearly springs out of his seat. Finn watches him, wide-eyed, as Poe does the last-minute shut downs to the ship’s functions. Finn stands slowly and pauses.
“...Is there anything I can help with?” he asks timidly. “Don’t we have to taxi somewhere?”
“Taxi?” Poe laughs. “This sucker? Nah. Too big to fit in the Hangar.”
Finn frowns. “It fits in the one on base just fine...”
Poe chuckles, a bright and excited sound. “Not just any old hangar, love. The one at my home . It’s only big enough for Mom’s old A-Wing and a little junker speeder bike I used to tinker with as a kid.” He finishes flipping switches and turns to Finn, beaming. “You ready?”
The pieces start to fall together in Finn’s mind.
“We’re... here?” Finn asks, peering out the cockpit window. “Already? Just... here? Where we are right now?”
“Well, not here here, but a short walk.” Poe shrugs, slipping his hand into Finn’s. “This is Mom’s old landing strip. Never did want a tarmac one.” He smiles and squeezes Finn’s hand. “...Is that okay? Walking?”
“It’s fine,” Finn says as Poe starts to lead him back to the aft exit of the shuttle. “I’m just... trying to process everything— You live in the jungle? ”
“It’s not all that different from Yndiri II,” Poe chuckles.
“Yeah, but we didn’t necessarily choose Yndiri II. Your parents could’ve lived anywhere... And they picked here, rather than a city?” Finn’s not trying to sound judgmental, but it’s just so confusing—
Until Poe opens the door.
A hot, humid breeze washes over Finn, smelling like eons. Eons of plants and animals living and growing, then dying and being reborn into others, on and on for centuries. He steps out onto the grassy soil as bird calls echo through the limbs of the surrounding forest. The sun filters down through the wide, waxy leaves, glittering gold and green as the branches dance in the breeze. He takes a deep breath, filters that ancient air into his lungs, and turns to find Poe watching him with a small, smitten smile.
“Well yeah, they’re both from Yavin, originally. Of course they picked it. Wouldn’t you?” Poe says, quiet and belated. He steps out of the ship and comes to wrap his arms around Finn’s waist. “...You like it?”
“I love it,” Finn breathes, tipping his face up to the wide blue sky—a different hue than the one on Yndiri II, slightly more to the indigo side, but only just enough to be noticeable. Finn feels Poe’s lips at his throat, nipping and sucking softly.
“We can move back here, y’know,” Poe murmurs against Finn’s skin. “After the war.”
“Mmm...?” Finn prompts, lifting his hands to run them through Poe’s hair. He can already feel it curling in the humidity, and he can feel the pooling of desire in his gut. Those curls are going to be absolutely irresistible by bedtime...
“Mhmm... In a cozy little home right out here in the jungle, where you can hear the whisperbirds.”
“You’d better make good on that promise,” Finn mumbles, tugging Poe’s head up so he can press their foreheads together. “I’ve been waiting too kriffing long to settle down with you for a lifetime.”
“This time,” Poe whispers, nodding softly and holding Finn close. “This time.”