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Finn swirled his spoon around his bowl of oatmeal, the sticky texture sill a harsh contrast from the First Order rations he consumed for most of his life. He enjoyed it more than he expected, with Poe often teasing him for it. Finn would never admit how much he enjoyed Poe’s jabs, or really anything that Poe did. Now that they were Co-Generals, there was a sense of seriousness they needed to carry for the betterment of the Resistance. However, they could always find a way to have fun with one another.
Finn was almost finished with his meal when he heard a familiar beeping and whirling sound. He didn’t need to turn to know who it was, so used to the droid rolling around his ankles and almost knocking him over in the process. At least he was sitting down for now while the droid rolled around him.
After another bite, Finn felt a heavy weight slam against his shin. He nearly choked on his mouthful and dropped his spoon, clattering down on his tray.
“Hey,” Finn snapped, leg recoiling as he glared down at the droid in question. “BB-8, what are you going? Can’t a man eat in peace?”
BB-8 rolled back, beeping growing more urgent in nature. His body twirled in a small circle, dome tipped towards Finn.
Finn shook his head gravely. “You know I can’t speak binary, B.”
BB-8’s dome dipped briefly before he rolled back forward, once again colliding with Finn’s leg. Finn gasped and swung his legs over the side of the bench, tray pushed forward. “Alright, alright! Show me what you want.”
Now with Finn’s undivided attention, BB-8 sped in the opposite direction without waiting to see if Finn was following. Finn scrambled to keep up as BB-8 turned the corner, a short trill echoing from him.
Finn had to jog to keep up, panting with the effort. He usually wasn’t one to go for a run after he just ate, yet BB-8 appeared intent. That caused a blossom of worry to bloom within Finn, coiling deep within his gut. BB-8 could be intense at the best of times, though they had reached an understanding about not interrupting meal time. Clearly something else was going on.
By the time they reached the hanger where all the Resistance X-Wings received their maintenance, Finn already had a feeling he knew where this was going. It wasn’t often that he interrupted Poe’s work in here unless there was something of deep importance, considering this was the one place where Poe could relax and think. BB-8 still seemed beyond persistent, which meant that Finn couldn’t turn back now.
Finn halted as the doors whooshed open above him, only to yelp when BB-8 slammed into his shin once more. He supposed this was the farthest that the droid could reach, but still this pattern was beginning to hurt. “Okay, okay, I get it,” Finn grumbled as he adjusted his jacket, Poe’s former jacket, and gave his shoulders a shake.
He started into the hanger with BB-8 hard on his heels. It didn’t take him long to find Poe, considering the man was making no attempts to be quiet. For one his tools clattered as he set them down, and two deep rating coughs left his lisp every few seconds or so. Finn would’ve chalked it up to the grime or dust from the ship if not watching him wipe his arm over the lower half of his face as he sniffled heavily.
“Poe,” Finn questioned as he approached.
Poe’s head suddenly snapped up from below the X-Wing, cursing heavily as he hit the top of his head as he sat up abruptly. “Finn,” he rasped, unable to stop a cough from bubbling from his lips. “What are you doing here?”
Finn glanced down at BB-8, who rolled over to Poe’s side and brushed against his side. BB-8 has always reminded Finn of a Loth Cat in his mannerisms and movements. He may not be able to understand what he was saying, but he was almost certain he could piece enough of it together to have a better understanding.
Poe shot his companion droid a glare. “Traitor.”
“Clearly he brought me here for a reason,” Finn pressed, “I was right in the middle of eating.”
BB-8 let out a high pitched beep, to which Poe nodded in agreement. “He says he didn’t think it looked all that great.”
Finn waved the two of them off. “Not the point. Is something wrong? Is that why B brought me here?”
Poe rolled his eyes at Finn’s concern as he rose to his feet stiffly. He pulled a rag from where it was clipped to his belt and rubbed his hands clean. “He’s overreacting is all, as usual.”
The sound that BB-8 made, even Finn could tell was a negative sound. The droid rolled back and forth between them, dome roving up at Finn. If Finn didn’t know any better, he’d say that the droid was almost begging.
“I don’t think he….” Finn trailed off as he heard Poe let out an almost strangled sound, breath beginning to gasp out of his control. He watched as Poe turned away from himself and BB-8, fishing another rag out of his pocket to clamp it over the lower half of his face. His breath continued to waver madly.
“HrSHs’Shoo! HrCHs’Shoo! HrsH’Shoo!”
Despite knowing what was happening, Finn still found himself startling at the sound despite himself. He had heard Poe sneeze before, though never quite this forceful. That couldn’t be a good sign.
“Bless you,” Finn offered.
Poe didn’t acknowledge him besides blowing his nose pitifully. It didn’t sound as though it helped matters much especially as Pope started to cough forcefully a moment later. His face appeared drawn as exhaustion took over, clueing in Finn even more as to why BB-8 felt the need to retrieve him. He may be far out of his element, but he wasn’t about to let that show.
“You should be in bed.”
“What?” Poe turned to face him in confusion. “Finn, I’m fine. You don’t need to fuss.”
“I’m not fussing,” Finn argued. He looked down to his feet and shuffled them uncomfortably. “Just worried. You know that BB-8 doesn’t overreact when it comes to you. He knows something is up.”
“It’s just a cold.”
While Poe was briefly distracted with another cough, Finn took the opportunity to slip in beside him. He pressed the back of his hand to Poe’s forehead before Poe could resist, frowning at the heat that he found there.
“You’re warm,” Finn assessed after Poe battered his hand away. “Colds don’t usually come with fevers, Poe.”
Poe shrugged, though Finn could see his resolve slowly chipping away. Perhaps it was the illness, or maybe just Finn’s presence. Either way, the former stormtrooper knew Poe better than he knew himself. He could tell when something was off and something was certainly off. He just hoped that it wasn’t serious.
“Will you come with me, please?” Finn motioned over to his shoulder with BB-8 already racing forward and beeping hopefully. Finn’s heart skipped a beat as Poe finally bowed his head in defeat and drew over to him. The former stormtrooper would’ve leapt for joy if he wasn’t worried that Poe would change his mind. Stubborn by nature, Poe didn’t do anything that he didn’t want to do, and now would be no different.
Poe slowly drew closer to Finn until their shoulders brushed as they started out of the hanger. They didn’t make it far before Poe was fumbling in his pocket for his rag once more, barely able to press it to his face in time as his body rocked forward. “RHsh’Shoo! HRhs’Shoo! HRSHs’Shoo!”
Poe surfaced, nose wriggling as he pawed at it feebly. Finn couldn’t help but laugh as he saw it.
“You okay?”
“No, it still itches,” Poe whined.
Finn wrapped a hand briefly around Poe’s waist and gave him a small squeeze. “It’s probably going to be like that for a couple days. Maybe we can try some tea. Isn’t the steam supposed to do something to open the airways or something?”
The mention of it seemed to be enough for Poe’s sensitive sinuses. He pulled away from Finn, forgoing the damp rag in favor of his elbow. “HRs’Sh’Shoo! Hrc’sShoo!” Poe rubbed at his throat in the aftermath, swallowing the gunk that pooled in his sinus cavity.
Finn jabbed him hard in the ribs. “Gross! C’mon, man.”
“What? It’s my nose,” Poe complained, unable to stop from rubbing it with the back of his wrist.
Finn rolled his eyes. “Your nose on the face that I like to kiss, so i would suggest that if you want anymore affection that you don’t swallow that shit.”
“Fine fine. Who knew you could be so bossy?”
Finn detected Poe’s light, teasing tone, which was the only reason the words didn’t sting. He chalked up Poe’s suddenly prickly attitude as testament to how poorly he was feeling. Each sneeze and cough seemed to zap whatever strength remained and Finn briefly considered stopping by the infirmary to see if there was some kind of exotic virus taunting his immune system. Knowing that Poe wouldn’t go for that unless he was on his deathbed kept Finn on the familiar course to their quarters instead.
The moment they arrived, Poe took a detour to the ‘fresher. Finn briefly considered following him until he heard him sneezing helplessly once more. Deciding to give him space, Finn took to doing what he could control with grabbing Poe a change of clothes and making the bed to the best of his ability. Usually the two just rolled out of bed and climbed back into it later, but Finn tried to place a little more effort into it.
When Poe emerged from the ‘fresher, his nose was beat red and the bags under his eyes seemed to grow. He lumbered over to Finn only in his boxers and almost slumped against him. “I feel like I’m dying.”
“What,” Finn laughed. “Just five minutes ago you were telling me you’re fine. What the hell happened?”
Poe shrugged, shoulders slumping a moment later. “Maybe it hit me all at once. I don’t know.”
Finn’s eyes glowed with warmth as he kissed the top of Poe’s head. While he didn’t doubt that Poe wasn’t feeling well, he also knew Poe’s tendencies to hold everything together until they were alone, where he would promptly collapse and need Finn to care him. Finn didn’t mind in the slightest so long as Poe was taken care of.
Poe could sense the gears turning in his boyfriend’s head and he didn’t hesitate to lift a hand to poke lightly against Finn’s chest. “Where are those thoughts leading you?”
Finn cast his gaze off to the side so he didn’t have to look into Poe’s eyes. They were so often filled with intense emotions that Finn feared he would drown in if he looked too close. “Just worried about you is all.”
Poe pursed his lips in a tight line as he attempted to muffle a few grating coughs. His head gave a small shake as he pointed over to the bed. “You going to join me, starry eyes?”
“I still don’t understand why you call me that,” Finn joked warmly as he led Poe over to the bed, forgoing the change of clothes Finn already had picked out for him.
Poe coughed fiercely into the crook of his elbow before sliding back on the bed, sitting upright as he watched Finn climb in after him. “My mom used to call me that,” he explained after a moment. His eyes grew damp, which had nothing to do with his illness. “Said I would look up at the stars my whole life if someone let me. She used to tell me that I needed to find someone with the stars in their eyes to match my own. Dare I say I found it?”
Finn’s stomach gave a small flip as he settled in beside Poe. He would never tire of Poe’s affectionate words. Although he often felt like he could never match Poe, he sure tried sometimes. “What do you think your mom would say if she saw us? Do you….do you think she would approve?”
“Approve? Finn, she’d adore you. Are you kidding me?” Poe’s usual bright eyes glowed even more when he looked to Finn, something that Finn would never tire of. He could see how genuine Poe’s love for him was and he hoped Poe received that same reaction when he looked at him.
Finn glanced down at his hands, unaware that they started fidgeting together. “I wish I could’ve met her.”
Poe’s face briefly fell before nodding. “Yeah, me too.” He swiped a hand over his eyes in a way that had nothing to do with his illness. “You would’ve loved her.”
“What about your dad?” The question tumbled out of Finn’s mouth before he could stop himself. He knew that Poe’s father would be an even more touchy subject than his mother. Finn never was this bold to question him about it, yet there was something about today that enticed him. His head hung as he expected Poe to either respond curtly or ignore the question altogether. He certainly wouldn’t blame him.
Poe coughed off to the side before reaching out for Finn’s hand. Finn nearly flinched before Poe smiled weakly. “My dad was a hard man. He cared for me, I know he did, but we didn’t always have the greatest relationship. It wasn’t until I was much older we became civilized with each other. Now, I know he had his own beliefs and such as well as hopes about who I would marry. As those dreams started to slip away, I think he became more aware of what was more likely to happen.”
“What?”
Poe lifted the collar of his shirt and pulled the chain from around his neck into view, revealing a shiny, silver wedding ring. His eyes glowed with pride as he stared at it before pulling the whole chain over his head. “He gave me this and told me to give it to the person that made my heart soar. I think it was finally then that he realized I wasn’t going to marry a woman.”
Finn eyed the ring curiously. It was silver with something engraved that Finn couldn’t read. It appeared worn in places, but still strong with a story to tell.
“I know now that he meant for me to give it to you?”
“Me?!” Finn almost choked on the saliva that lodged in the back of his throat. He almost started coughing before settling for shaking his head to clear it and fixing Poe with a shocked look. “Are you sure? You want me to have it?”
“Why are you asking so surprised?” Poe’s voice was light with amusement as he unhooked the chair and slid the silver ring free and presented it to Finn. “Didn’t you think that I wanted to marry you?”
Heat rushed to Finn’s face, enough to make the man look shyly away. “I didn’t know anyone could ever love me that much.”
Poe drew closer, the fear of contagion slipping free from his mind. He hesitated briefly to make sure that Poe wasn’t uncomfortable before he pulled Finn close as he lifted his own hand to twirl the ring in place. “I love you, Finn. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me. I know we’re Generals together now and that takes priority over everything else, but the thing
I want most in my life is you. Finn, will you marry me?”
Finn’s mouth went dry as he looked down at both of their hands to see Poe fiddling with the ring. Throat tight, Finn almost was unable to answer as he all but shoved his hand against Poe’s chest. “I want that more than anything.”
Poe looked like he was about to burst into tears as he slid the ring onto Finn’s finger. It fit perfectly and Poe couldn’t help twirling it around a little, heart threatening to burst from his chest.
“This is the best day of me life,” Poe exclaimed.
Finn rolled his eyes. “Weren’t you saying like five minutes ago that you were dying? Now you’re saying that being sick in bed is the best day ever? I didn’t know you could be so dramatic.”
Despite his illness, Poe couldn’t stop himself from kissing Finn hungrily on the side of his mouth. “I’m only dramatic when I’m with you.”
“Good to know. I guess that’s something I can tolerate,” Finn told him fondly as nuzzled his face against the crook of Poe’s neck. There he could smell Poe the best, his shampoo mixed with engine oil tickled is nose. That was a smell that he would always attribute to Poe no matter what changed.
“Tolerate? I’m merely something to tolerate?”
Finn rolled his eyes. “Yep, there’s the dramatics right there.”
Poe laughed, which instantly turned into a cough. He rolled away from Finn to cough into his shoulder, almost choking on his own mucus in the process. “This wasn’t the way I wanted to ask you,” Poe whined. “I wanted it to be perfect.”
“Who says it’s not? I’m here, with you, safe in our quarters with nothing planned for the rest of the night. What more could I ask for?”
Poe rubbed at his nose with the back of his hand to stop from it from running down his face. The coughing seemed to helped unclog his sinuses briefly, though Poe looked hardly relieved with the result. “A healthy pilot?”
“Eh, I suppose I could live without that one.”
Poe growled playfully and pulled Finn into a ravenous kiss, Finn smiling the whole time.
Yeah, Finn decided this was all that he could ask for.