For allbingo
Feb. 14th, 2020 03:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: You And Me
Summary: It’s college graduation, Poe and Ben aren’t speaking...and Ben has an unusual solution.
Prompt: Heartfelt Serenade
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
If it wasn’t for the fact that they were all graduating from college, Ben doubted that he would even be at this bar. With people that included Poe Dameron, really. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was Maz’s request (“It was a tradition when your grandfather graduated, a tradition when your mother and uncle graduated, and it’s no exception for you, young Solo!” she said), Ben would have been content to stay home and catch up on his reading books he hadn’t tried before, as opposed to going to a karaoke bar that included a man that he’d had an inexplicable fight with.
Poe. Someone who’d been his friend ever since elementary school, had followed him through middle school, high school, and college — and who it had been getting awkward for Ben to talk to before their fight ever since Ben realized that (a) he liked guys, and (b) Poe was possibly the most beautiful man he had ever seen, bar none.
And now Poe was angry with him. Somehow, Ben couldn’t bear it. Just the idea, just the thought, that Poe might be angry with him. That he might have fucked up big time.
He sat at one of the tables, watching as some poor fool who had one too many beers and fancied himself to be the next Jon Bon Jovi decided to wail “It’s My Life”, sounding more like a cat stuck in a garbage disposal than anything resembling singing. Phasma turned to look at him. “You know, if you’re hiding behind me from Dameron, you’re not fooling anyone.”
“I’m not hiding,” Ben argued. “He just...doesn’t wanna talk to me.”
Phasma sighed. “Honestly, both of you...I swear it’s like you’re both in sixth grade. As opposed to, y’know, being grown men.”
“I am not!” Inwardly, Ben cursed himself for sounding almost exactly like the sixth grader Phasma accused him of being.
“Not helping your case, Solo.” Phasma said. A beat. “Incidentally...you could get on stage after that banshee up there. You’d do a better job than him. Anyone would.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Ben said wryly.
Mercifully, the Jon Bon Jovi wannabe got off the stage. Phasma nudged him. “Well, that’s your cue.”
“I couldn’t...wait. No. No, no, that’s an awful idea. No.”
Phasma raised an eyebrow.
Ben whispered the plan to her. Phasma’s eyes widened, and then she said, “Well, don’t just sit there! Go!”
She all but nudged Ben out of his seat. Ben was almost tempted to sit back down, but something in him decided that he was all but done avoiding, done running. He had to do something to make amends.
He headed towards the stage. He could all but hear his heart hammering against his chest. Maybe it was also getting into a boxing match with his Adam’s apple, to paraphrase that one so-bad-it’s-hilarious comic that among other things had spawned the “goddamn Batman” meme. (Fuck, of all the comics to even think about when you wanted to apologize to Poe for thinking Kaydel was hitting on him...)
He got in front of the mic, and he could all but feel everyone’s eyes on him. He didn’t know what exactly he was going to say at first, but then he said, “Hi, I’m Ben Solo, and...I’m singing ‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse.”
Chewie was at least kind enough to cue the music. Ben could only assume his uncle (and Maz’s recent boyfriend) just had the necessary YouTube video (or whatever) on standby. Ben cleared his throat; he knew this by now, at least. All the while, he kept looking over at Poe, wondering, somehow, if he was already doubling down on his bad decisions. All the while, as he took advantage of the karaoke instrumental to change the female pronouns to male pronouns, he kept praying, hoping, somehow that he didn’t fuck it up.
Eventually, the song ended. There was cheering, clapping — Ben couldn’t say he expected that, really. Poe, meanwhile...Ben didn’t stay long enough to know what Poe’s reaction would be.
***
It was outside the karaoke room that Poe stopped him. “What is it with you?” Poe said. “You...somehow thought Kaydel was hitting on me, you’ve been avoiding me, and now this? Ben, why are you acting so weird?”
Ben took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize,” he said. “By...singing. I messed things up with you.”
“No fucking shit,” Poe said. “I mean...why do you care about Kay anyway? I’m sure she’s with Beau.”
“Right. Poe...I just worry that you’re too good for me.”
Poe furrowed his brow — and then that expression softened. “You know, you really are oblivious,” he said.
“Enlighten me.”
Poe kissed him then. It was soft, tentative at first, testing the waters, at least before Ben allowed it to deepen, tangled his hands in Poe’s hair. His hair...God, he had great hair. Fantastic hair. You could lose yourself in that hair...
Eventually, they broke away. Ben was gasping — definitely in shock, but not unpleasantly so.
“So, you...”
“Ben,” Poe said, “Even before I knew that shit had a name, I longed for you.”
And there was that moment, just that sweet moment where it felt like Ben’s world was blindingly bright, that he wanted Poe to say that again.
"It took a while for me,” Ben said. “I wish I’d known earlier. Karaoke night’s not over, y’know — and you’ve got a beautiful voice. Everything about you is beautiful, but still...”
Poe chuckled. “You are a flatterer,” he said. “But yeah — the night’s still young. And I intend on telling everyone in that damn karaoke room that I am stupidly in love with you.”
“Yeah.” Ben smiled faintly. “So am I.”
Summary: It’s college graduation, Poe and Ben aren’t speaking...and Ben has an unusual solution.
Prompt: Heartfelt Serenade
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
If it wasn’t for the fact that they were all graduating from college, Ben doubted that he would even be at this bar. With people that included Poe Dameron, really. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was Maz’s request (“It was a tradition when your grandfather graduated, a tradition when your mother and uncle graduated, and it’s no exception for you, young Solo!” she said), Ben would have been content to stay home and catch up on his reading books he hadn’t tried before, as opposed to going to a karaoke bar that included a man that he’d had an inexplicable fight with.
Poe. Someone who’d been his friend ever since elementary school, had followed him through middle school, high school, and college — and who it had been getting awkward for Ben to talk to before their fight ever since Ben realized that (a) he liked guys, and (b) Poe was possibly the most beautiful man he had ever seen, bar none.
And now Poe was angry with him. Somehow, Ben couldn’t bear it. Just the idea, just the thought, that Poe might be angry with him. That he might have fucked up big time.
He sat at one of the tables, watching as some poor fool who had one too many beers and fancied himself to be the next Jon Bon Jovi decided to wail “It’s My Life”, sounding more like a cat stuck in a garbage disposal than anything resembling singing. Phasma turned to look at him. “You know, if you’re hiding behind me from Dameron, you’re not fooling anyone.”
“I’m not hiding,” Ben argued. “He just...doesn’t wanna talk to me.”
Phasma sighed. “Honestly, both of you...I swear it’s like you’re both in sixth grade. As opposed to, y’know, being grown men.”
“I am not!” Inwardly, Ben cursed himself for sounding almost exactly like the sixth grader Phasma accused him of being.
“Not helping your case, Solo.” Phasma said. A beat. “Incidentally...you could get on stage after that banshee up there. You’d do a better job than him. Anyone would.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Ben said wryly.
Mercifully, the Jon Bon Jovi wannabe got off the stage. Phasma nudged him. “Well, that’s your cue.”
“I couldn’t...wait. No. No, no, that’s an awful idea. No.”
Phasma raised an eyebrow.
Ben whispered the plan to her. Phasma’s eyes widened, and then she said, “Well, don’t just sit there! Go!”
She all but nudged Ben out of his seat. Ben was almost tempted to sit back down, but something in him decided that he was all but done avoiding, done running. He had to do something to make amends.
He headed towards the stage. He could all but hear his heart hammering against his chest. Maybe it was also getting into a boxing match with his Adam’s apple, to paraphrase that one so-bad-it’s-hilarious comic that among other things had spawned the “goddamn Batman” meme. (Fuck, of all the comics to even think about when you wanted to apologize to Poe for thinking Kaydel was hitting on him...)
He got in front of the mic, and he could all but feel everyone’s eyes on him. He didn’t know what exactly he was going to say at first, but then he said, “Hi, I’m Ben Solo, and...I’m singing ‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse.”
Chewie was at least kind enough to cue the music. Ben could only assume his uncle (and Maz’s recent boyfriend) just had the necessary YouTube video (or whatever) on standby. Ben cleared his throat; he knew this by now, at least. All the while, he kept looking over at Poe, wondering, somehow, if he was already doubling down on his bad decisions. All the while, as he took advantage of the karaoke instrumental to change the female pronouns to male pronouns, he kept praying, hoping, somehow that he didn’t fuck it up.
Eventually, the song ended. There was cheering, clapping — Ben couldn’t say he expected that, really. Poe, meanwhile...Ben didn’t stay long enough to know what Poe’s reaction would be.
***
It was outside the karaoke room that Poe stopped him. “What is it with you?” Poe said. “You...somehow thought Kaydel was hitting on me, you’ve been avoiding me, and now this? Ben, why are you acting so weird?”
Ben took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize,” he said. “By...singing. I messed things up with you.”
“No fucking shit,” Poe said. “I mean...why do you care about Kay anyway? I’m sure she’s with Beau.”
“Right. Poe...I just worry that you’re too good for me.”
Poe furrowed his brow — and then that expression softened. “You know, you really are oblivious,” he said.
“Enlighten me.”
Poe kissed him then. It was soft, tentative at first, testing the waters, at least before Ben allowed it to deepen, tangled his hands in Poe’s hair. His hair...God, he had great hair. Fantastic hair. You could lose yourself in that hair...
Eventually, they broke away. Ben was gasping — definitely in shock, but not unpleasantly so.
“So, you...”
“Ben,” Poe said, “Even before I knew that shit had a name, I longed for you.”
And there was that moment, just that sweet moment where it felt like Ben’s world was blindingly bright, that he wanted Poe to say that again.
"It took a while for me,” Ben said. “I wish I’d known earlier. Karaoke night’s not over, y’know — and you’ve got a beautiful voice. Everything about you is beautiful, but still...”
Poe chuckled. “You are a flatterer,” he said. “But yeah — the night’s still young. And I intend on telling everyone in that damn karaoke room that I am stupidly in love with you.”
“Yeah.” Ben smiled faintly. “So am I.”
