For genprompt_bingo
Jul. 25th, 2020 11:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: From The Rooftops
Summary: It’s when Ben’s a young adult that Poe comes back.
Prompt: Coming of Age
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It was after the Naming Day celebration that Ben couldn’t help but feel terribly lonely. He shouldn’t have, of course — not when he was surrounded by people.
But he felt like nothing was really the same with Poe gone.
He should get used to it. Should. It had been five years, after all. Five years since Poe had run away. It was something that Ben couldn’t get used to, this all too conspicuous absence. The fact that Poe was out there in the universe, alone.
Well, he had Zorii. Was she kind to him? Was she good to him? That was the question, and Ben could only hope she was good to him. Poe needed a friend. Someone to save him.
He didn’t have to call Poe first. Poe called him — and there was something about just seeing Poe that was enough to make his spirits feel like they were lifting. Like they were lighter somehow.
“Hey, Ben,” Poe said. Stars, that smile — he already felt like he was someplace beyond Ben’s reach. Untouchable. The way it shone, the way it gleamed. It was like a ray of sunlight. And it hurt, Ben thought. Someone shouldn’t be so lovely, compassionate, and unreachable.
“Hey!” Ben said. How could he sum up what he felt for Poe? The almost staggering happiness. The wanting, the despair. “How are things going?”
Poe sighed. “Fine.” He didn’t look fine, though. At least that’s what Ben thought. It was like Poe had lost his light, if temporarily.
Ben didn’t want that. He wanted, more than anything, for Poe to be happy.
Poe continued. “It’s been hard, that’s all. Don’t tell Zorii or Delia, but I do miss you.”
“Yeah. Me too. With you.” Ben sighed. “I mean...I’m eighteen. I don’t think I’m ready for this.”
Poe laughed sympathetically. "Just wait until you get to twenty-one.” He sighed. “It hasn’t been the same. Knowing you became an adult far away from your family.”
“You’re so lonely,” Ben said. “So afraid to leave.”
“You’re right. Ben...” Poe actually sounded pained. “I’ve just been noticing things. How they treat the other spice runners, for instance. I’ve tried to step in for the other Spice Runners. Zorii might have called me an idiot for that.”
“Not an idiot,” Ben said. “A good man.”
“But I can’t go back. Half the things I did or didn’t do...”
“I forgive you,” Ben said.
That look on Poe’s face — how could Pos show kindness and forgiveness to people so easily but refuse ot when it came to himself?
Ben loved him and believed in him. Why couldn’t Poe see himself as Ben saw him?
“You don’t understand, do you?” Ben said. “I forgive you. I more than forgive you. It wasn’t your fault that you got sucked into this. And...there is nothing that you could ever do to make me love you less.”
Love you. He’d been thinking it for some time. It was just now that he actually said it out loud.
“You love me?” Poe said.
Ben nodded. “I...” He was about to justify it, say that of course he loved Poe; they were friends. But he couldn’t lie. Not to Poe.
“Ben...you can’t possibly love someone like me.”
“Yes, I can,” Ben said. “You’re incredibly rare. Do you know how rare people like you are?” And maybe it was based on the view of the galaxy the Voice had shown him, but it was true.
“I...” Poe sighed. “I love you, Ben. And being away — doing all this isn’t right for me. It doesn’t make sense.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll come home. To make things right. And for you. You think they’ll accept me back?”
“I’ll help you,” Ben said. “Because I love you and believe in you.” A beat. “And you’ll stay?”
“Always, Ben.” Then, “You should sleep. I should get packing, and quick. Find a way to get Zorii out, if I can.” Then, “I love you, Ben. I’ll come home.”
***
Poe was good as his word. A day after Ben’s eighteenth Naming Day, Poe landed on Adani — and Ben dropper everything to run towards his lover.
“You’re here," he said. “Dear Force, you’re here...”
“I wasn’t about to let you down.” Poe said softly.
They kissed then, soft at first before growing more intense, more feeling. And in that moment, Ben didn’t care who saw. Let them all see. He was Poe’s. Forever.
They broke away, Ben gasping for breath. Then, “You could stay a while? Before going to Yavin?”
“Yeah. A while.” Poe smiled as he spoke. “I assume you’ll enjoy saying I’m your boyfriend too much?”
Ben snorted. “I’d shout it from the rooftop of the Academy if I could.”
Poe smiled. “Feeling’s mutual.”
Summary: It’s when Ben’s a young adult that Poe comes back.
Prompt: Coming of Age
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It was after the Naming Day celebration that Ben couldn’t help but feel terribly lonely. He shouldn’t have, of course — not when he was surrounded by people.
But he felt like nothing was really the same with Poe gone.
He should get used to it. Should. It had been five years, after all. Five years since Poe had run away. It was something that Ben couldn’t get used to, this all too conspicuous absence. The fact that Poe was out there in the universe, alone.
Well, he had Zorii. Was she kind to him? Was she good to him? That was the question, and Ben could only hope she was good to him. Poe needed a friend. Someone to save him.
He didn’t have to call Poe first. Poe called him — and there was something about just seeing Poe that was enough to make his spirits feel like they were lifting. Like they were lighter somehow.
“Hey, Ben,” Poe said. Stars, that smile — he already felt like he was someplace beyond Ben’s reach. Untouchable. The way it shone, the way it gleamed. It was like a ray of sunlight. And it hurt, Ben thought. Someone shouldn’t be so lovely, compassionate, and unreachable.
“Hey!” Ben said. How could he sum up what he felt for Poe? The almost staggering happiness. The wanting, the despair. “How are things going?”
Poe sighed. “Fine.” He didn’t look fine, though. At least that’s what Ben thought. It was like Poe had lost his light, if temporarily.
Ben didn’t want that. He wanted, more than anything, for Poe to be happy.
Poe continued. “It’s been hard, that’s all. Don’t tell Zorii or Delia, but I do miss you.”
“Yeah. Me too. With you.” Ben sighed. “I mean...I’m eighteen. I don’t think I’m ready for this.”
Poe laughed sympathetically. "Just wait until you get to twenty-one.” He sighed. “It hasn’t been the same. Knowing you became an adult far away from your family.”
“You’re so lonely,” Ben said. “So afraid to leave.”
“You’re right. Ben...” Poe actually sounded pained. “I’ve just been noticing things. How they treat the other spice runners, for instance. I’ve tried to step in for the other Spice Runners. Zorii might have called me an idiot for that.”
“Not an idiot,” Ben said. “A good man.”
“But I can’t go back. Half the things I did or didn’t do...”
“I forgive you,” Ben said.
That look on Poe’s face — how could Pos show kindness and forgiveness to people so easily but refuse ot when it came to himself?
Ben loved him and believed in him. Why couldn’t Poe see himself as Ben saw him?
“You don’t understand, do you?” Ben said. “I forgive you. I more than forgive you. It wasn’t your fault that you got sucked into this. And...there is nothing that you could ever do to make me love you less.”
Love you. He’d been thinking it for some time. It was just now that he actually said it out loud.
“You love me?” Poe said.
Ben nodded. “I...” He was about to justify it, say that of course he loved Poe; they were friends. But he couldn’t lie. Not to Poe.
“Ben...you can’t possibly love someone like me.”
“Yes, I can,” Ben said. “You’re incredibly rare. Do you know how rare people like you are?” And maybe it was based on the view of the galaxy the Voice had shown him, but it was true.
“I...” Poe sighed. “I love you, Ben. And being away — doing all this isn’t right for me. It doesn’t make sense.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll come home. To make things right. And for you. You think they’ll accept me back?”
“I’ll help you,” Ben said. “Because I love you and believe in you.” A beat. “And you’ll stay?”
“Always, Ben.” Then, “You should sleep. I should get packing, and quick. Find a way to get Zorii out, if I can.” Then, “I love you, Ben. I’ll come home.”
***
Poe was good as his word. A day after Ben’s eighteenth Naming Day, Poe landed on Adani — and Ben dropper everything to run towards his lover.
“You’re here," he said. “Dear Force, you’re here...”
“I wasn’t about to let you down.” Poe said softly.
They kissed then, soft at first before growing more intense, more feeling. And in that moment, Ben didn’t care who saw. Let them all see. He was Poe’s. Forever.
They broke away, Ben gasping for breath. Then, “You could stay a while? Before going to Yavin?”
“Yeah. A while.” Poe smiled as he spoke. “I assume you’ll enjoy saying I’m your boyfriend too much?”
Ben snorted. “I’d shout it from the rooftop of the Academy if I could.”
Poe smiled. “Feeling’s mutual.”
