For trope_bingo
Jan. 22nd, 2021 07:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: No One’s Ever Really Gone
Summary: Finn learns something startling about Poe.
Prompt: Secret Identities
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It was the day after the celebrations that Poe told Finn, finally.
“You could say that my meeting with Kylo on Jakku wasn’t the first time I met him,” Poe said. Finn didn’t miss how his breathing hitched as he spoke, how his gaze seemed to be very, very far away. Even as Finn watched him, it was like he was seeing a part of Poe that had been struggling so hard to come out, to break free. "Not really. I knew...”
“You knew him before?” Finn said.
Poe nodded.
“We weren’t enemies,” he said. “Our families knew each other. It wasn’t just obligation, that we played together when we were kids. He was just...a good kid.” Then, “Even when I was making up for being a Spice Runner, he believed in me. He always believed in me. And then he became...that.”
“I know,” Finn said. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t think less of me?”
Finn sighed. “It wasn’t your fault he made the choices he did. I mean...he probably had problems that you didn’t know about.”
“I feel like I should have known. That’s the thing,” Poe said. Finn didn’t miss the way that Poe’s voice cracked. “Maybe I wasn’t enough...”
“Don’t say that.”
It was in that moment that Finn swore he felt...something. A presence, dimmed before but starting to glow again. Something. He had felt it draining away when Kylo — Ben — had brought Rey back.
(Finn still didn’t like him, as a person. He would say at least Ben had done the right thing in the end)
“He’s alive.” Finn said, disbelievingly. There was a part of him that wondered if they’d have to fight him again. If. But the war was over. They could lay down their weapons.
"How?” Poe said.
Finn sighed. “We’ll find out. Of course I don’t have to like him...as a person. But I want you and Rey happy. Ben’s her cousin, you know. She told me.”
Silence. And then Poe laughed, surprised. “Well, I guess it’s not the first time. So I’ve heard; don’t quote me on it...”
“Poe, please, don’t elaborate,” Finn said. He remembered, Rey breaking down in the Resistance archives when she thought that she’d lost her family all over again.
At least she got him back. At least Poe got his friend (if not more) back. That was the most one could hope for.
Poe and Rey fought, but they had no idea how much they both meant the galaxy to Poe.
***
Rey had to leave for Tatooine. “Just to bury the sabers there,” she said. “Pay my respects. But I’ll come back to see my cousin again.” Then, “Stars, I can’t believe he’s alive.”
“He is,” Poe said. “Presumably." Then, “We haven’t seen each other for a while before Exegol. Not since we were stranded. We’ll have a bit of catching up to do.”
“I hope you’re happy with him,” Finn said. Then, “I’ll defend you if he hurts you again.”
“I know. You...I didn’t mention it, but you mean the galaxy to me, Finn.”
“That’s...I know you’ve been encouraging,” Finn said, “But that’s the first time you said it.”
“Then I’ll make sure I’ll say it more often,” Poe said. “Including to Ben.”
Summary: Finn learns something startling about Poe.
Prompt: Secret Identities
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It was the day after the celebrations that Poe told Finn, finally.
“You could say that my meeting with Kylo on Jakku wasn’t the first time I met him,” Poe said. Finn didn’t miss how his breathing hitched as he spoke, how his gaze seemed to be very, very far away. Even as Finn watched him, it was like he was seeing a part of Poe that had been struggling so hard to come out, to break free. "Not really. I knew...”
“You knew him before?” Finn said.
Poe nodded.
“We weren’t enemies,” he said. “Our families knew each other. It wasn’t just obligation, that we played together when we were kids. He was just...a good kid.” Then, “Even when I was making up for being a Spice Runner, he believed in me. He always believed in me. And then he became...that.”
“I know,” Finn said. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t think less of me?”
Finn sighed. “It wasn’t your fault he made the choices he did. I mean...he probably had problems that you didn’t know about.”
“I feel like I should have known. That’s the thing,” Poe said. Finn didn’t miss the way that Poe’s voice cracked. “Maybe I wasn’t enough...”
“Don’t say that.”
It was in that moment that Finn swore he felt...something. A presence, dimmed before but starting to glow again. Something. He had felt it draining away when Kylo — Ben — had brought Rey back.
(Finn still didn’t like him, as a person. He would say at least Ben had done the right thing in the end)
“He’s alive.” Finn said, disbelievingly. There was a part of him that wondered if they’d have to fight him again. If. But the war was over. They could lay down their weapons.
"How?” Poe said.
Finn sighed. “We’ll find out. Of course I don’t have to like him...as a person. But I want you and Rey happy. Ben’s her cousin, you know. She told me.”
Silence. And then Poe laughed, surprised. “Well, I guess it’s not the first time. So I’ve heard; don’t quote me on it...”
“Poe, please, don’t elaborate,” Finn said. He remembered, Rey breaking down in the Resistance archives when she thought that she’d lost her family all over again.
At least she got him back. At least Poe got his friend (if not more) back. That was the most one could hope for.
Poe and Rey fought, but they had no idea how much they both meant the galaxy to Poe.
***
Rey had to leave for Tatooine. “Just to bury the sabers there,” she said. “Pay my respects. But I’ll come back to see my cousin again.” Then, “Stars, I can’t believe he’s alive.”
“He is,” Poe said. “Presumably." Then, “We haven’t seen each other for a while before Exegol. Not since we were stranded. We’ll have a bit of catching up to do.”
“I hope you’re happy with him,” Finn said. Then, “I’ll defend you if he hurts you again.”
“I know. You...I didn’t mention it, but you mean the galaxy to me, Finn.”
“That’s...I know you’ve been encouraging,” Finn said, “But that’s the first time you said it.”
“Then I’ll make sure I’ll say it more often,” Poe said. “Including to Ben.”
