For trope_bingo
Jun. 18th, 2019 09:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: How The War Was Won
Summary: Five years after the fall of the First Order, the redeemed Ben Solo and Chancellor Poe Dameron spend time with their daughter.
Prompt: Fluff
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Special thanks to gaylo-ben for the cloning idea. *Prays they don’t mind me borrowing with a few tweaks* Also, Helena L was a huge influence on me here.
Being Chancellor of the galaxy was hard, there was no denying that fact. But it was always worth it to come home and see his husband and daughter. It had been five years since the war ended and Ben was still working on atoning for what he’d done. “Redemption is a work-in-progress,” he said. Poe couldn’t help but agree with him. There were things he didn’t necessarily easily forgive, but he loved Ben all the same.
He stopped at the door to their apartment on Chandrila and opened the door.
“Papa!”
Shara Dameron-Solo practically came barreling towards Poe, and Poe laughed as he swept her into his arms. The fact she was here was a sort of miracle — Poe and the redeemed Ben Solo had made peace with the fact that men couldn’t bear children. Ben had said that it didn’t matter, all while peppering Poe’s face and neck with kisses. Then Kamino had announced a breakthrough in creating clones, including upgrades to make sure that the clones didn’t degenerate, and the ability to create opposite-sex clones. And here was Shara, their beautiful daughter. (Ben had wanted to name her Annie, after his grandfather. Poe said another time, really)
“How’s my little warrior?” Poe crooned. “Did you have fun with Daddy?”
Shara nodded. “He taught me how to paint!”
Indeed, there were bits of paint on Shara’s face and her fingers. Poe laughed; he and his husband would definitely need to bathe their daughter later.
Ben walked towards him, clearly tired but also happy. “She’s a lot of energy,” he rumbled. “No idea that kids were like that.”
“Hey, you were a kid yourself, Ben.” Poe leaned in to kiss his cheek before setting Shara down. Of course she practically sprinted towards the table to grab her painting, a finger painting of their house. It was as good as a five year old could do it, really. Poe smiled. “It’s beautiful!”
Shara showed him her other paintings, including those of Uncle Finn and Aunt Rey, Aunt Rose and Aunt Kaydel, one of her X-wing models, and more. Ben grinned. “We spent the whole day painting,” he said. “It’s hard to paint sad things around her.”
“I can imagine. All right, sweetie,” Poe said, “I think we need to clean you up. You can’t go to bed with paint on your face, after all.”
“Why not?” Shara said.
“Well,” Poe said, “I can imagine it’s uncomfortable.”
Shara shrugged, a very Poe-like shrug, Poe noticed. Indeed, while she mostly took after Poe with her light bronze skin, she had some of Ben’s personality traits, though that was probably more imitating him than anything else.
They cleaned Shara up and dressed her for bed, Ben carrying her like she was made of transparisteel. Poe remembered he’d actually cried when their daughter was brought into existence, and Poe had kissed away his tears.
“Tell me a story!” Shara said.
Ben nodded. “Maybe we could read The Little Lost Gungan...”
Shara wrinkled her nose. “No! I wanna hear about how the war was won.”
Silence. There were, naturally, things you couldn’t tell your five year old daughter, not until she was older. But Ben smiled indulgently. “You want to hear about the prince and the pilot?”
“Okay!” Shara’s eyes were wide and hopeful, almost luminous.
Ben smiled. “Okay, once upon a time, there was a prince in a shining castle. Born to the loving king and the wise queen, the prince had everything he wanted, but he was lonely and sad. The prince’s best friend was a pilot. The most beautiful, kind, funny pilot in the galaxy, and the most skilled; it was no wonder that the prince fell deeply, irreversibly in love with him. The prince was tempted to the Dark Side by an evil Emperor, though the pilot was Light enough to keep the darkness at bay. The struggle was ever-present, and the pilot and the Emperor frequently warred over the prince’s soul.”
Poe swallowed. He didn’t want to cry in front of their daughter. But it was different hearing Ben say it.
Ben continued. “The prince was sent away to his cruel uncle, a skilled wizard with a cold heart. Though the training he endured was hard, the pilot was always a source of Light. The Emperor knew it, and so cast a spell on the uncle to delude him into thinking the prince was an enemy that needed to be fought.”
“But families don’t hate each other!” Shara protested.
“Sometimes they do, little one,” Ben said. “We don’t. As I was saying, the prince fled, seeking to protect the pilot, but the Emperor knew of the prince’s love for him and cast a spell on the prince, forcing him to hurt his beloved.”
“How awful!” Shara said.
“Awful was the Emperor’s forte. A cruel, sadistic, coldhearted man, he cared nothing except for dominating others. The prince...did many terrible things in his name, and once he killed the Emperor and took his place, he was consumed by anger and pain. It was the pilot who saved him and broke the spells the Emperor put on him, and the pilot who brought him home. The prince worked for forgiveness, still works to this day. Can I say that everything was perfect? No, little one. But there was happiness, and he did live, with his husband the pilot and their beautiful daughter.”
Shara watched, wide-eyed. Then, “I’m glad the prince...wasn’t under a spell forever.”
“So am I, little heroine. So am I.”
Poe spoke up. “And me.”
They tucked her in, turned on her tape of old Alderaanian lullabies that Leia had gotten her when she was first conceived, and walked away.
“We’ll have to tell her more,” Ben said, “When she’s older.”
“When she’s older.” Poe smiled. “You did good. Though I think you laid it on thick when you were complimenting me.”
“You are beautiful,” Ben said. “And kind, and funny and skilled. I’d be doing a disservice to say otherwise.” A beat. “Besides, angel, it’s a fairytale. Of course the characters are larger than life.”
Poe laughed, honest to stars laughed. Then, more seriously, “You are beautiful, kind, funny and skilled as well, Ben. I couldn’t ask for a better husband or father to our baby girl.”
“The only thing right in all I’ve done is both of you,” Ben said with a sad smile.
Poe stood on tiptoes and kissed him. “I love you,” he said. “My prince of the galaxy.”
“And I love you, my beautiful pilot.” Ben smiled. “I love you more than you could ever know.”
Summary: Five years after the fall of the First Order, the redeemed Ben Solo and Chancellor Poe Dameron spend time with their daughter.
Prompt: Fluff
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Special thanks to gaylo-ben for the cloning idea. *Prays they don’t mind me borrowing with a few tweaks* Also, Helena L was a huge influence on me here.
Being Chancellor of the galaxy was hard, there was no denying that fact. But it was always worth it to come home and see his husband and daughter. It had been five years since the war ended and Ben was still working on atoning for what he’d done. “Redemption is a work-in-progress,” he said. Poe couldn’t help but agree with him. There were things he didn’t necessarily easily forgive, but he loved Ben all the same.
He stopped at the door to their apartment on Chandrila and opened the door.
“Papa!”
Shara Dameron-Solo practically came barreling towards Poe, and Poe laughed as he swept her into his arms. The fact she was here was a sort of miracle — Poe and the redeemed Ben Solo had made peace with the fact that men couldn’t bear children. Ben had said that it didn’t matter, all while peppering Poe’s face and neck with kisses. Then Kamino had announced a breakthrough in creating clones, including upgrades to make sure that the clones didn’t degenerate, and the ability to create opposite-sex clones. And here was Shara, their beautiful daughter. (Ben had wanted to name her Annie, after his grandfather. Poe said another time, really)
“How’s my little warrior?” Poe crooned. “Did you have fun with Daddy?”
Shara nodded. “He taught me how to paint!”
Indeed, there were bits of paint on Shara’s face and her fingers. Poe laughed; he and his husband would definitely need to bathe their daughter later.
Ben walked towards him, clearly tired but also happy. “She’s a lot of energy,” he rumbled. “No idea that kids were like that.”
“Hey, you were a kid yourself, Ben.” Poe leaned in to kiss his cheek before setting Shara down. Of course she practically sprinted towards the table to grab her painting, a finger painting of their house. It was as good as a five year old could do it, really. Poe smiled. “It’s beautiful!”
Shara showed him her other paintings, including those of Uncle Finn and Aunt Rey, Aunt Rose and Aunt Kaydel, one of her X-wing models, and more. Ben grinned. “We spent the whole day painting,” he said. “It’s hard to paint sad things around her.”
“I can imagine. All right, sweetie,” Poe said, “I think we need to clean you up. You can’t go to bed with paint on your face, after all.”
“Why not?” Shara said.
“Well,” Poe said, “I can imagine it’s uncomfortable.”
Shara shrugged, a very Poe-like shrug, Poe noticed. Indeed, while she mostly took after Poe with her light bronze skin, she had some of Ben’s personality traits, though that was probably more imitating him than anything else.
They cleaned Shara up and dressed her for bed, Ben carrying her like she was made of transparisteel. Poe remembered he’d actually cried when their daughter was brought into existence, and Poe had kissed away his tears.
“Tell me a story!” Shara said.
Ben nodded. “Maybe we could read The Little Lost Gungan...”
Shara wrinkled her nose. “No! I wanna hear about how the war was won.”
Silence. There were, naturally, things you couldn’t tell your five year old daughter, not until she was older. But Ben smiled indulgently. “You want to hear about the prince and the pilot?”
“Okay!” Shara’s eyes were wide and hopeful, almost luminous.
Ben smiled. “Okay, once upon a time, there was a prince in a shining castle. Born to the loving king and the wise queen, the prince had everything he wanted, but he was lonely and sad. The prince’s best friend was a pilot. The most beautiful, kind, funny pilot in the galaxy, and the most skilled; it was no wonder that the prince fell deeply, irreversibly in love with him. The prince was tempted to the Dark Side by an evil Emperor, though the pilot was Light enough to keep the darkness at bay. The struggle was ever-present, and the pilot and the Emperor frequently warred over the prince’s soul.”
Poe swallowed. He didn’t want to cry in front of their daughter. But it was different hearing Ben say it.
Ben continued. “The prince was sent away to his cruel uncle, a skilled wizard with a cold heart. Though the training he endured was hard, the pilot was always a source of Light. The Emperor knew it, and so cast a spell on the uncle to delude him into thinking the prince was an enemy that needed to be fought.”
“But families don’t hate each other!” Shara protested.
“Sometimes they do, little one,” Ben said. “We don’t. As I was saying, the prince fled, seeking to protect the pilot, but the Emperor knew of the prince’s love for him and cast a spell on the prince, forcing him to hurt his beloved.”
“How awful!” Shara said.
“Awful was the Emperor’s forte. A cruel, sadistic, coldhearted man, he cared nothing except for dominating others. The prince...did many terrible things in his name, and once he killed the Emperor and took his place, he was consumed by anger and pain. It was the pilot who saved him and broke the spells the Emperor put on him, and the pilot who brought him home. The prince worked for forgiveness, still works to this day. Can I say that everything was perfect? No, little one. But there was happiness, and he did live, with his husband the pilot and their beautiful daughter.”
Shara watched, wide-eyed. Then, “I’m glad the prince...wasn’t under a spell forever.”
“So am I, little heroine. So am I.”
Poe spoke up. “And me.”
They tucked her in, turned on her tape of old Alderaanian lullabies that Leia had gotten her when she was first conceived, and walked away.
“We’ll have to tell her more,” Ben said, “When she’s older.”
“When she’s older.” Poe smiled. “You did good. Though I think you laid it on thick when you were complimenting me.”
“You are beautiful,” Ben said. “And kind, and funny and skilled. I’d be doing a disservice to say otherwise.” A beat. “Besides, angel, it’s a fairytale. Of course the characters are larger than life.”
Poe laughed, honest to stars laughed. Then, more seriously, “You are beautiful, kind, funny and skilled as well, Ben. I couldn’t ask for a better husband or father to our baby girl.”
“The only thing right in all I’ve done is both of you,” Ben said with a sad smile.
Poe stood on tiptoes and kissed him. “I love you,” he said. “My prince of the galaxy.”
“And I love you, my beautiful pilot.” Ben smiled. “I love you more than you could ever know.”
